🌎 HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM CLIMATE CHANGE 🌎

Are you worried about the threat of climate change? Do you wish there was a way to protect our environment and natural areas from destruction and pollution? Well, guess what… there is something you can do to help! In fact, we here at Hoodie Goodies found five ways that you can make a difference in fighting climate change and actually make a positive impact on your local environment. Every little bit helps, and if we can all incorporate some of these actions into our daily lifestyles, we can truly save the day and stop climate change! Check out our five ways to save the world from climate change below:

1. Recycle! 

Plastic, aluminum, and cardboard can all be recycled, sometimes for a financial gain! See if your local area has an aluminum can recycling program and redemption centers. If you consume a lot of soda, for instance, this is a great way to make money back! Most importantly, it also helps recycle the cans and allow the aluminum to be reused, providing a better ecological impact on the environment. People are not always aware of how much labor-intensive processes go into extracting aluminum from the earth, where it starts as a precious natural resource and is further refined and molded into aluminum cans which is what we finally get as the end product. Reusing this aluminum can help justify the need for such ecological damage and reduce the demand for aluminum mining.

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At Hoodie Goodies, we are strong believers and advocates for plastic recycling. We believe the problem of plastic is of serious concern, especially to residents in the DMV region. Plastic refuse and litter are everywhere! Yet while people see trash, Hoodie Goodies sees treasure… We have recently found out about the Precious Plastics initiative and have come up with a plan. Hoodie Goodies want to raise funds to create a plastic recycling center based on the open source blueprints provided by Precious Plastics which allows individuals around the world to create plastic recycling machines using commonly available hardware supplies. This is truly a revolutionary concept that can empower communities around the world, and can especially empower the different cities here in the DMV. What makes these plastic recycling centers so exciting is that they take the plastic and form it into usable plastic filament for 3D printers. This allows trash to be converted into all types of objects and for unlimited potential uses!

Photo Courtesy via Precious Plastics 

To read more about our idea check out our page right here on Hoodie Goodies!

2. WALK OR BICYCLE WHEN YOU CAN

Are you looking for a cheap and affordable way to travel to and from your home and work? Do you want to beat the waiting in your car during rush hour traffic, and have a more enjoyable commuting experience? Look no further than walking and biking! Urban areas like Washington D.C and many of the cities and suburbs of Maryland and Virginia are perfect for walking and biking. Not only does walking and biking save money on gas, but it can also potentially replace your car payment, saving you up to hundreds of dollars a month! Most places in the District of Columbia are accessible by biking and walking. There are plenty of biking lanes to accommodate pedestrians who use the bicycle to get from one place to the other. These activities are beneficial to the environment and leave ZERO emissions, unlike cars and buses. Even better is these are athletic activities which help promote good cardiovascular health, making you faster and stronger!

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3. PLANT A TREE! 

A single tree in one year can process more than 50 pounds of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and convert it into Oxygen. That tree than releases this precious resource back into the atmosphere for us to breathe… now that’s impressive! Imagine if there were more green spaces in the District of Columbia and the rest of the DMV! Planting more trees can provide much natural and economic benefit to our beloved capital! Imagine having fruit trees in your front or backyard that you can access throughout the year for food! Not only does it make sense, but its good for the environment.

Photo Courtesy via Unsplash.com 

For those who live in Washington D.C and who are interested in learning more about Tree Planting here in the Nation’s Capital, the following website and organization is a great resource! Casey’s Trees is a non-profit established in 2002 that works towards restoring, enhancing, and protecting the various trees within the District of Columbia. They offer informative workshops, volunteer opportunities, and even scholarships!  Learn more about Casey’s Trees by visiting their website at https://caseytrees.org/  

4. VOLUNTEER TO HELP A LOCAL, STATE, OR NATIONAL PARK! 

Many local, state and national parks need volunteers to help with projects including trash pickup, wildlife rehabilitation, trail maintenance, flood control, and more! You can help play a part by offering your free time and labor as a volunteer. This will allow you to make a direct impact on our nation’s most precious resources (our land) and help save the wildlife and valuable ecosystems. By helping out a local park you can help fight climate change right here in your Washington D.C and DMV area neighborhood!

For more information on how to get involved with volunteering check out the following links for DMV area National, State, and Local parks:

Virginia: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/volunteers

Maryland: https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/volunteer.aspx

District of Columbia: https://www.nps.gov/nama/getinvolved/volunteer.htm and https://www.nps.gov/rocr/getinvolved/volunteer.htm

AmeriCorps and NCCC Programs:  If you are looking for new and exciting opportunities to grow and develop yourself, as well as seek adventure and travel, then AmeriCorps may be the program for you! AmeriCorps is a service organization that works with non-profits in every state within the US providing critical assistance and labor for important projects and programs related to land and habitat conservation, education, fighting poverty and promoting economic development, affordable housing, and more! Most AmeriCorps positions offer a living stipend, housing, and an education award upon completion of service which can be used to pay back student loans or continue one’s education. AmeriCorps is a uniformed service, just like the military, and nothing feels better than serving communities around the US! Learn more about AmeriCorps at the following links:

https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps

https://www.facebook.com/americorps/

https://twitter.com/AmeriCorps

5. USE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES WHEN POSSIBLE 

Fossil fuels and natural gas dominate our energy markets and infrastructure. They provide the power and energy needed to keep our electrical grid running smoothly. Yet for all the benefit they provide they exact a costly and damaging toll on our environment and wildlife. In fact, greenhouse emissions from the use of fossil fuels are one of the primary driving causes of man-made climate change! So, what can we do to stop our reliance on fossil fuels AND keep the lights on? Luckily, there are several renewable energy options which are now capable of replacing fossil fuels thanks to recent technological advancements and industry growth. Solar, Wind, and Hydro-Electric may be the future we need to look towards if we wish to maintain our modern lifestyles and keep our planet healthy.

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Check out our article on renewable energy located here to learn more about how these resources can help us save the day and stop the negative impact of climate change on our valuable planet!

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