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Fall is here, the time when leaves change color, weather cools, feasts are cooked...and carbon footprints rise. Here are five changes you want to be sure and make to help you keep your carbon footprint as low as possible during this season change.
1. Break Out the Sweaters
Wearing a sweater is one of the biggest ways to reduce your energy impact as the weather cools. Rather than dial up the thermostat, toss on a wool or alpaca sweater. If you don't have one, you can DIY it and make your own organic wool sweater. A thick pair of socks and warm hats go a long way as well. And of course, if you really want to get geeky about it, there are USB-powered hand-warming mittens as well.
2. Change Your Diet With the Season
Eating seasonally is a big way to cut down on your carbon footprint. Eating seasonally available foods helps to reduce food miles, cut down on the water footprint of your food, and keeps your menu lively. Check out what is available at your local farmers' market as a way to gauge what is in season, and follow the three month rule.
3. Go Green with Autumn Holiday Planning
Holidays approach quickly when Autumn hits. Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner and it's time to start prepping. However, holidays don't have to mean higher carbon footprints. There are loads of ways to keep the holidays green, from decorations to travel to food preparation. Check out our How to Go Green: Halloween and How to Go Green: Thanksgiving Day for tips. Tons more information on low-carbon holidays are on their way.
4. Go For Low-Carbon Cool Weather Activities
It might be tempting to hunker down in front of the TV when the weather cools off. But staying indoors more often also means using up more energy with extra heating, and more electricity going to lighting, televisions and computers (though if you're watching Planet Green shows and visiting the website, we most certainly can't razz you since you're keeping in the green mindset). There are tons of great Fall activities that are entertaining, invigorating, and keep your carbon footprint low. Check out:
Volunteer on an Organic Farm 5 Eco-Activities to Keep the Kids Occupied as the Summer Winds Down Go Apple Picking and 3 More Great Green Fall Activities 5. Get The House Ready for Cold Weather Finally, getting the house prepped for Fall and Winter weather is a must-do to lower your carbon footprint and minimize energy use. There are 12 super easy and cheap ways you can green your home for winter right now, and you can get deeper into a green home to-do list once the basics are done. Our Green Your Home For Winter series of posts are ripe with extra tips, and also check out our How to Go Green Guides for the home.
