Happy Earth Day! As a Ph.D. student studying ecology, I research technologies to make agriculture more sustainable! Here are some of my favorite sustainability tips in celebration of Earth Day –

1. Just 100 companies have been the source of more than 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since the 1980s and the richest 10% of people (those with net worths over US $93,170) consume around 20 times more energy than the poorest 10%. So, while individual actions to help the environment (like recycling) are helpful, what’s more important is (1) calling your local legislators and advocating for corporate accountability and wide-scale implementation of greener practices and (2) driving market trends by choosing greener products and services if you are financially able to.
2. Reduce your consumption of animal products and buy your food locally and in-season if you can. Locally grown foods of all types have lower carbon footprints than imported foods, but animal products almost always have higher carbon footprints than plant-based foods, even when comparing locally grown meat to air-transported vegetables.
3. Choose used clothing over new clothing when you can. Try not to buy cheap ‘fast-fashion’ items that you’ll only wear once. The fashion industry accounts for about 8-10% of global carbon emissions, and nearly 20% of wastewater. Fashion sucks up more energy than both aviation and shipping combined. Thrift shops are great ways to buy used clothing without energy costs associated with shipping, but if you prefer to shop online, one great website for thrifting used clothing is ThredUP.com.
4. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle and know what items can and can’t be recycled at your local recycling facility. Items made from foam (like cups, plates, and packing peanuts), plastic straws and utensils, and plastic bags are never recyclable in general recycling. Plastic bags can be recycled at special facilities and most grocery stores have bins for used ones to be recycled. Here’s an interactive article from The NY Times with more about recycling guidelines.