Reducing Your Carbon Footprint for Earth Day & Everyday
April 15, 2021
Associate Director, Kim Lewand Martin
Hello, I am Kim Lewand Martin, Associate Director for Los Angeles Waterkeeper, where I have the honor of advocating for healthy waterways and sustainable, equitable, and climate-friendly water supplies. I have spent my whole career trying to change the world by making the Earth a little greener. From my work as an environmental lawyer, a founder of environmental education nonprofit Grades of Green, or my current role at Los Angeles Waterkeeper, which was one of my very first clients as an environmental lawyer, what I've learned along the way is there are super simple, Everyday "Eco-Habits" anyone can adopt that collectively make a huge difference to protecting our Earth, and what better time to start than during Earth Month!
Why Our Actions Matter
Today we're facing a severe climate crisis: the global annual temperature has increased, sea levels continue to rise while our ice sheets shrink, and we see extreme weather events like never before in modern history, to name a few. While Los Angeles may not see massive deforestation or glaciers melting, we are experiencing the consequences of those disasters because we're all part of the same ecosystem. The impacts of rapid climate change affect us all. Our human health and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Worse yet, communities that live and work in polluted or toxic environments suffer disproportionately higher rates of heart-related deaths, asthma, and displacement from extreme weather activities. Our collective responsibility is to protect and restore our Earth, as close as our backyard and as far as Antarctica, because, at the end of the day, we all live on the same big, blue planet.
Our environment provides us many resources beyond air and water; it is also a source of comfort and spirituality. Our Indigenous communities have utilized their environment as a source of healing and spirituality for centuries. However, the rest of us are just starting to realize the connection between time spent in nature and our physical and mental health. Like many of you, LA Waterkeeper staff and I used our favorite outdoor spaces as comfort and refuge to combat the stress and anxiety we all felt amid the pandemic. And just as our environment helps restore our mental and physical well-being, it's time we return the favor by restoring our Earth.
No Act is Too Small (Everyday Eco-Habits)
Maybe you're not leading an environmental nonprofit or running a Fortune 500 company, but the little things you do - the EVERYDAY choices you make – collectively make a huge difference in combating our climate crisis and protecting our environment. Luckily, there is SO much we can do to reduce our carbon footprint and care for the earth.
You can start the process by:
Calculating your carbon footprint
Advocating for better policies:
Statewide
CA Clean Water Act (AB 377): The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) has made significant strides in reducing pollutants in our waterways, yet we remain far from achieving the CWA’s promise to “eliminate all discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters by 1985”. The CA Clean Water Act will fix that. Introduced by CA Coastkeeper and Assemblymember Robert Rivas, the bill will help put the state on track to eliminate impaired waterways and make all California waters drinkable, swimmable, and fishable by 2050. You can help by urging your Assemblymember to support these bills!
Call your representative today- using the script below- and encourage them to take action on the California Clean Water Act and these crucial bills.
“My name is [NAME], and I live in [CITY/TOWN]. I’m calling to ask Assemblymember [NAME] to support Assembly Bill 377 and help California achieve clean water by 2050. Thank you for your hard work!”
Local (Los Angeles County & Citywide)
#SkipThe Stuff: LA’s plastic pollution problem is overwhelming, and amid the pandemic, the use of single-use foodware accessories (utensils, straws, condiments, napkins, and more) skyrocketed. Most of these items cannot be recycled and only add to the plastic pollution problem by either clogging already overfilled landfills or making their way into our waterways. That is why we’re proud supporters of #SkipTheStuff legislation in LA City and County. Take action today and support legislation in LA City and County that reduces unnecessary waste.
Sign the petition to support!
Implementing the 4 R's in your daily life: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot.
Reduce: Use a reusable water bottle or coffee tumbler, thereby reducing the need for single-use bottles. You can also “Skip” the single-use plastic at restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, etc. You can also “reduce your food waste” - there are so many ways to reduce all sorts of waste.
Reuse: Use a reusable shopping bag instead of a plastic – or even a paper- bag—reuse items throughout your home or workplace instead of buying new ones.
Recycle: while recycling has become more difficult than once hoped, many things can still be recycled, thereby conserving natural resources that would be needed to make brand new items from raw materials. In any event, the decrease in recycling points to the need to focus on the first 2 R’s: Reduce and Reuse!
Rot: Compost if you can! This can help keep out food scraps and yard waste out of landfills, where they take up space and release methane.
From there, you can expand into changing your home and lifestyle, where possible. You can incorporate Meatless Mondays, biking more and driving less, washing your clothes in cold water, and avoiding “fast fashion.” Remember, no act is too small. What matters is taking the time to figure the environmentally friendly habits that fit into your life.
Other resources and tips on how you can reduce your footprint can be found on:
Everyday Eco-Habits: I encourage you to check out my blog for even more ideas!
Even though I was already working as an environmental lawyer, protecting the environment took on new meaning for me soon after learning I was pregnant with my first-born. I committed myself to reducing toxins in my home that could harm the innocent life I was bringing into the world. 18 years later, I found myself moving into a new home and took the opportunity to re-dedicate myself to maintaining not just a toxin-free home, but as much of a waste-free and sustainable home as I could. The good news is that in those 18 years SO many new eco-friendly products and platforms have emerged, from “un-paper” towels to rechargeable batteries and lighters, to furniture made sustainably, to eco-friendly paints. And with the rise in social media, blogs like mine, and environmental nonprofits like Los Angeles Waterkeeper, there is no lack of information out there to help you on your journey to green your life one simple, Everyday Eco-Habit at a time.
Restore our Earth
More than ever, our Earth needs us to be proactive and do what we can to protect our environment and combat climate change. And yes, sometimes this may feel all doom and gloom, but there is plenty of hope! While LA Waterkeeper's science, advocacy, and, where necessary, litigation have made tremendous strides in reducing pollution directly from industrial facilities and sewage spills, our individual actions can also help preserve the health of our precious Earth. It's not about having to be perfect all the time, but about millions of us imperfectly doing our best to take care of our planet and each other. Together we can make Earth Day, “EVERY” day.