Every year in December, millions of Americans sit down to make New Year’s Resolutions. According to the Pew Research Center, thirty percent of all Americans made a resolution in 2024, and 50% of young adults did. Popular resolutions involve losing weight, paying off debt, quitting smoking or drinking, or eating healthier. why not resolve to have a healthier relationship with Earth? Here is Galena Creek’s list of best (and easiest!) ways of being more climate-conscious in the New Year.
1. Eat your veggies!
Meat and animal products are among the largest producers of carbon emissions and the biggest consumers of precious resources, such as water. In the Great Basin region, for example, 70% of the ever-scarce Colorado River water goes to agriculture! One of the most impactful ways to lead a climate-conscious year is to reduce your consumption of meat and dairy, and increase the amount of grains, vegetables, and fruit on your plate. A helpful tool to check the climate footprint of your food is the BBC’s Climate Change Food Calculator. Not only does eating more veggies help the planet- it can help your own health too!
2. Throw out less trash
For those of you looking to spend less and save more this year, throwing away less food waste can help your bank account and the environment. When food waste is thrown away, it sits in landfills. It then rots and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, thus worsening climate change. Buying what you truly need, composting what you don’t use (into a home garden, where you can perhaps grow your own food), and eating all you have is a great way to save both your money and the Earth. USDA offers a food buying calculator that can help you shop. According to the UN, cutting “food waste can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 300 kilograms of CO2e per year”. That can make a huge difference in the fight to curb climate change. Don’t have a yard for composting? Some areas have community compost programs, check your local municipality.
3. Get outside in nature!
Nature has so many benefits. It provides us with outdoor recreation and exercise, it also increases our endorphins, can increase our health, and make us feel more community-centered. If your resolution is to get outside more or to exercise more, being in nature can surely help! Being in nature is also good for nature itself; it makes us more motivated to protect the environment.
4. Volunteer
Giving back is a wonderful way to build and improve your community, help others, and meet new friends. Volunteering to pick up trash on public lands, helping in a visitor center, or for climate-forward organizations helps build community and fights climate change. And guess what? We’re looking for volunteers! To volunteer at Galena Creek Visitor Center, email us at visitorcenter@thegreatbasininstitute.org.
