The 27 most important things individuals can do to counteract global warming

by Pam Withers

Individuals can’t do much about so-called global warming. Experts have to fix it, right? Or industries, or government, or whomever. I mean, sure, we can change our incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient ones, but seriously, how effective is that in the big scheme of things?

Actually, it’s the 33^rd most important thing we can do out of the top 80. Yes, there actually exists a list of 80 things the world can do, weighted by effectiveness, put together by the top scientists in the world, spearheaded by Paul Hawken, the entrepreneur, journalist and environmentalist.

Among those 80, are 27 that ordinary individuals can do. It’s all in an attractive coffee table book titled Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, as well as on a website, www.drawdown.org. And it feels positive and empowering and easy to read, rather than negative and threatening and depressing and in science-geek language, like so many other global-warming tomes.

Here are the 27, in order of importance, all expanded on below: Upgrade your fridge; reduce food waste; eat less red meat; install rooftop solar panels; plant a native tree; drive an electric vehicle; insulate better; change household light bulbs to LED; plant bamboo where appropriate and buy bamboo products; buy cement with a percentage of fly ash in it; use mass transit; set up solar water heating; buy a low-flush toilet, water-efficient washing machine, low-flow faucets and showerheads, and an efficient dishwasher, while reducing average shower time to five minutes, washing only full loads of clothes, and flushing three times less per household per day; use biodegradable products; drive a hybrid car; buy S.R.I. rice; recycle household goods; buy a smart thermostat; ride a bike; compost household waste; use smart glass (electrochromic); reduce air travel; convert organic waste into biogas and fertilizer with a small methane digester; use high-speed passenger rail; try an electric bicycle; reduce, reuse and recycle paper; try ridesharing.

CNN (Cable News Network) made a pop quiz out of the list (https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/04/specials/climate-change-solutions-quiz/index.html), thereby revealing such facts as:

Throw away less food; it’s the equivalent of taking 495 million cars off the road.

Eat a plant-heavy diet; it’s the equivalent of taking 464 million cars off the road.

Switch to LED light bulbs; it’s the equivalent of taking 54.8 million cars off the road.

Fly less — and on fuel-saving planes; it’s the equivalent of taking 35.4 million cars off the road.

Increase household recycling; it’s the equivalent of taking 19.4 million cars off the road

Install smart thermostats; it’s the equivalent of taking 18.4 million cars off the road.

Compost your waste; it’s the equivalent of taking 16 million cars off the road.

Drive an electric car; it’s the equivalent of taking7 million cars off the road.

But I have a couple of gripes with Drawdown. Gripes that ended up inspiring me to spend several days “correcting” the book’s drawbacks.

Drawdown fails to provide a quick summary for each item: a one-sentence “to-do” tip. So, I’ve done that below.

The list does not let readers know at a glance which items are things an individual can do, and which are things only industry, governments, foundations or activists can tackle. So, I’ve done that below. (Twenty-eight of the 80 are things individuals can do.)

Drawdown groups the items by subject category, then it lists them in order or importance in a chart on page 222. Why not move that crucial chart to the beginning of the book?

Finally, and most frustratingly, the list of items by importance does not offer page numbers alongside, which would allow the reader to quickly flip back to the relevant page, instead of searching through the entire index. So, I’ve done that below.

The items in capital letters are things we as individuals can do. The items not in capital letters are matters we can still influence as voters, activists, donors to nonprofits and as more informed citizens, but they are more oriented towards what industry and politicians can do. Even so, personally, I’ve found that this list has re-prioritized where I donate money to nonprofits.

1. NEXT TIME YOU NEED TO UPGRADE YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR AIR CONDITIONER, check whether an alternative to an HFC model is available and in your budget. Yes, this is the No. 1 thing you can do! HFC substitutes are just coming onto the market. “HFCs are one of the most potent greenhouse gases known to humankind.” The old, ozone-layer-depleting chemical refrigerants of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) gave way to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which have since given way to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are better that the previous options but still have the ability to warm the atmosphere 1,000 to 9,000 times more than carbon dioxide. We desperately need to upgrade refrigerator and air conditioner purchases to HFC substitutes (propane, ammonia), and at least as important, DISPOSE OF OUR OLD REFRIGERATORS AND AIR CONDITIONERS IN THE PROPER WAY. PAGE 164  More info at bottom.*
2. Encourage an increase in onshore wind power (by supporting government subsidies, by donating to nonprofits that specialize in this, etc.). PAGE 2
3. REDUCE FOOD WASTE in our kitchens. PAGE 42
4. EAT LESS RED MEAT. Livestock comprises 15% of global greenhouse gases per year. PAGE 39
5. Halt deforestation and support reforestation. (So far, 30% of the world’s forestland has been cleared and another 20% degraded.) PAGE 114
6. Support girls’ education, esp. in low-income areas. This leads to fewer children, more productivity and families that are better nourished. PAGE 81
7. Support family planning, especially in low-income areas. “Greater numbers place more strain on the planet.” PAGE 78
8. Support solar farms. PAGE 8
9. Support silvopasture, an agricultural approach that intermingles livestock and trees. PAGE 50
10. INSTALL ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS. PAGE 11
11. Support the restoration of degraded land for agriculture. (This is called regenerative agriculture.) PAGE 54
12. Support the recovery of temperate rainforests. PAGE 128
13. Safeguard bogs. PAGE 122
14. Support tropical tree crops, where yield is 2.4 times higher than annual staples, at 60% of the cost, while also being highly effective at sequestering greenhouse gases. PAGE 66
15. PLANT A NATIVE TREE and support the creation of new forests. PAGE 132
16. Support conservation agriculture. PAGE 60
17. Support tree intercropping. PAGE 58
18. Support geothermal energy. PAGE 7
19. Support managed grazing. PAGE 72
20. Support nuclear energy. (This is controversial.) PAGE 19
21. Help low-income areas obtain more “clean cookstoves” such as wood pellet and other biomass varieties. PAGE 45 https://www.cleancookingalliance.org/home/index.html
22. Support offshore wind turbines. PAGE 2
23. Support the restoration of farmed-out farmlands through financial incentives. PAGE 41
24. Support improved rice cultivation (“System of Rice Intensification,” or SRI, sequesters carbon), because rice cultivation is responsible for at least 10% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and 9 to 19% of global methane emissions. PAGE 48 http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/aboutus/donate/index.html
25. Support concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, which can store heat 20 to 100 times more cheaply than electricity. PAGE 14
26. DRIVE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. (Two thirds of the world’s oil consumption is used to fuel cars and trucks.) PAGE 142
27. Encourage your municipal government to support district heating and cooling systems (which work in dense urban areas). PAGE 99
28. Support multistrata agroforestry, which prevents erosion and flooding and absorbs carbon. PAGE 46
29. Support wave and tidal energy systems. PAGE 13
30. Support large methane digesters, a form of organic waste management. PAGE 26
31. INSULATE BUILDINGS BETTER. PAGE 101
32. Support better efficiency in shipping. PAGE 140
33. CHANGE YOUR HOUSEHOLD LIGHT BULBS TO L.E.D., which uses 90% less energy for the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. PAGE 92
34. Support biomass energy, which converts waste products or certain crops to energy. (This is controversial.) PAGE 16
35. PLANT BAMBOO IN APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND BUY BAMBOO PRODUCTS. Bamboo “rapidly sequesters carbon in biomass and soil, taking it out of the air faster than almost any other plant, and can thrive on inhospitable degraded lands.” PAGE 117
36.  WHEN BUYING CEMENT, OPT FOR “GREEN” ALTERNATIVES (containing a percentage of fly ash). Cement is a source of greenhouse gas emissions. PAGE 162
37. USE MASS TRANSIT and support mass transit, which has a smaller carbon footprint than cars. PAGE 136
38. Protect forests, especially old-growth. More than 15 billion trees are cut down every year. PAGE 109
39. Study and support the land management practices of indigenous peoples. PAGE 124 https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/indigenous-land-management-effective-combating-climate-change
40. Support improved transit truck technology.  PAGE 153
41. SET UP SOLAR WATER HEATING, which can reduce fuel consumption by 50 to 70%. PAGE 36
42. High-efficiency heat pumps for buildings and cities reduce fuel consumption to zero, and use less electricity to generate heating and cooling. PAGE 94
43. Support more efficient airplane design. PAGE 150
44. Support more commercial use of LED lights. PAGE 92
45. Convert building management systems to automated. PAGE 106
46. BUY A LOW-FLUSH TOILET, WATER-EFFICIENT WASHING MACHINE, LOW-FLOW FAUCETS AND SHOWERHEADS, AND AN EFFICIENT DISHWASHER. This can reduce water use in a home by 45%. Meanwhile, “REDUCING AVERAGE SHOWER TIME TO FIVE MINUTES, WASHING ONLY FULL LOADS OF CLOTHES, AND FLUSHING THREE TIMES LESS PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY can each reduce water use by 7 to 8%.” PAGE 170
47. USE BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS, which can reduce emissions and sequester carbon. “Currently, a third of all plastics end up in ecosystems, while just 5% are recycled. The rest are landfilled or burned. If current trends continue, plastic will outweigh fish in the world’s oceans by 2050.” PAGE 168 More info at bottom.**
48. Support in-stream turbines (modern water wheels), especially in low-income areas. PAGE 27 https://sundancepower.com/how-micro-hydro-works/
49. DRIVE A HYBRID CAR. PAGE 148
50. Support cogeneration systems, also known as combined heat and power (CHP) systems, “which capture excess heat generated during electricity production and use that thermal energy at or near the site for district heating and other purposes.” PAGE 22
51. Support perennial biomass crop production cycles. “Compared to annuals, perennials have the potential to avoid leaching nutrients, eroding soil, spraying synthetic fertilizers, and running diesel-swigging equipment as often. Bioenergy crops present an opportunity to swap annuals for perennials, and draw down carbon in the process.” PAGE 121
52. Safeguard coastal wetlands, which can store five times as much carbon as tropical forests. PAGE 112
53. BUY S.R.I. RICE (“System of Rice Intensification,” or SRI, sequesters carbon), because standard rice cultivation produces 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions and 9 to 19% of the global methane emissions. PAGE 48 https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/rice
54. Promote more walkable communities, because people drive 20 to 40% less in pedestrian-oriented urban centers. PAGE 86
55. RECYCLE HOUSEHOLD GOODS, because half of waste is from households. It has multiplied tenfold over the past century, and is expected to double again by 2025. PAGE 158
56. Support industrial recycling. PAGE 160
57. BUY A SMART THERMOSTAT, because residential thermostats control 9% of US energy consumption and smart thermostats offer a 10 to 12% heating savings, and a 15% savings for central air conditioning. PAGE 98
58.  Promote methane recovery in landfills. PAGE 100
59. RIDE A BICYCLE and promote bike-friendly urban design. PAGE 88
60. COMPOST HOUSEHOLD WASTE. PAGE 62
61. Building or renovating? USE SMART GLASS (electrochromic), an up-and-coming technology. PAGE 96
62. Support the land rights of women smallholders. (Read Bina Agarwal’s A Field of One’s Own.) “When women earn more, they reinvest 90% of the money they make into education, health and nutrition for their families and communities, compared to 30 to 40% of men.” PAGE 76
63. REDUCE AIR TRAVEL,including by doing more “telepresence” (an advanced version of Skype, videoconferencing, etc.). PAGE 155
64. CONVERT ORGANIC WASTE INTO BIOGAS AND FERTILIZER WITH A SMALL METHANE DIGESTER. PAGE 26 https://www.homebiogas.com/
65. Support politicians who incentivize farmers to reduce fertilizer overuse and practice proper nutrient management in their agricultural system. PAGE 56
66. Support and USE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL, powered by electricity rather than diesel. PAGE 138
67. Support nonprofits and politicians who offer loans and subsidies to promote more efficient farmland irrigation (drips and sprinklers). PAGE 68
68. Support those who convert waste to energy. PAGE 29
69. TRY AN ELECTRIC BICYCLE.They outperform cars, even electric ones, and most forms of mass transit, in lowering your carbon footprint. PAGE 146
70. REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE PAPER,given that the paper industry represents 7% of the world’s total annual emissions. PAGE 167
71.  Support nonprofits and politicians in updating water infrastructure and efficiency, especially in low-income areas, where 50% can be lost through deteriorating or leaky pipes. PAGE 105
72. Educate yourself on biochar (a way of treating organic waste material). Check out the International Biochar Initiative: https://biochar-international.org/ PAGE 64
73. Support green roofs (living roofscapes), which can lower energy use for cooling by 50% in the stories below. PAGE 90 http://www.digital-development-debates.org/issue-10-hunger–for-alternatives–schaduf-edible-green-roofs-in-egypt.html, https://www.greenroofs.com/about-us/, https://greenroofs.org/
74. Support improved fuel efficiency of transport trains, including an increased use of electric trains. “Policy interventions” are needed for this. PAGE 156
75. TRY RIDESHARING and support high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes. PAGE 144
76. Support micro wind turbines, or public-support schemes that help such structures reach economies of scale. PAGE 23
77. Support energy storage and grid flexibility. PAGES 31, 32 and 34
78. Support microgrids (localized groupings of distributed energy sources such as solar, wind, in-stream hydro, biomass, and energy storage). PAGE 78
79. Support zero net energy consumption buildings (ZEBs). “They draw on smart windows; green roofs; efficient heating, cooling and water systems; better insulation; distributed energy and storage; and advanced automation.”) PAGE 84
80. Support municipal retrofitting that involves better insulation to improve heating and cooling. Buildings are 32% of energy use and 19% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. PAGE 102

SO, TO RECAP, THERE ARE 27 WAYS THE ORDINARY INDIVIDUAL CAN HELP (the items in capital letters) besides prioritizing donations for nonprofits, voting, and choosing activist activity.

Final thoughts: Get involved in local, regional or national politics — or at least in voting, and voting with thought and care. Much evidence shows that only a major systems change will tackle environmental destruction. As long as we have democracies, that will take more people stepping up as citizens.

Martin Lukas, in an essay in the Guardian, has said: “Stop obsessing with how personally green you live – and start collectively taking on corporate power.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2017/jul/17/neoliberalism-has-conned-us-into-fighting-climate-change-as-individuals

Pam Withers is a former journalist and a children’s author who wants there to still be healthy children around the next few generations. www.pamwithers.com

*More on refrigerants from No. 1:

https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/alternatives_en

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/international_transitioning_to_low-gwp_alternatives_in_res_and_com_ac_chillers.pdf

** More info on plastics from No. 47 above.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/this-plastic-bag-is-100-biodegradable-and-made-of-plants/

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