Earth Hour on March 23rd
This is how I protect the climate in everyday life – these changes really make a difference
Shopping is fun – but if you shop more consciously, you also make a contribution to climate protection. On the occasion of “Earth Hour” this Saturday, many people are asking themselves what they can do for the environment
© Robert Kneschke / Picture Alliance
This Saturday is Earth Hour. People all over the world are turning off their lights and are thereby setting an example for climate protection. Everyone can do something in everyday life. But some things are of little use – here are a few examples.
If this Saturday evening at the “During Earth Hour, the lights are turned off for 60 minutes at 8:30 p.m. local time, many people may also be thinking about how they can protect the climate themselves. After all, it’s easier to start with yourself than to focus on the big political decisions waiting.
The good news: Everyone can make their own personal contribution to climate protection – and sometimes even save a lot of money in the process. CO2 calculators on the Internet help to estimate how many climate-damaging greenhouse gases I am personally responsible for. And the interesting thing is that some changes in everyday life are underestimated by many people, while others bring less than expected.
WWF’s Earth Hour as food for thought – what can I do for the climate myself?
Whether private individuals, cities, public institutions or companies, analogue or digital – the WWF invites everyone to take part and report about it on social networks using the hashtags #LichtAus and #EarthHour. The lights should go out in offices, houses and apartments, but also at famous landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Big Ben in London and the Christ Statue in Rio de Janeiro.
On average, every German citizen is responsible for annual CO2 emissions of around 10.8 tons. This value can be halved without completely turning your life upside down, says Michael Bilharz, who works for the CO2 calculator at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) responsible for. Based on personal information, the calculator determines how many greenhouse gases each individual produces through their consumer behavior and how these can be reduced.
“When it comes to their own climate footprint, many people assess themselves too positively,” observes Rainer Grießhammer, the long-time managing director of the Freiburg Eco-Institute. “They have the feeling that they are already doing a lot, for example because they separate the garbage and have turned on a few energy-saving lamps.” In order to reduce one’s CO2 footprint in the long term, fundamental decisions would have to be made that would last as many years as possible. Some examples:
Living – small changes have a big impact
Good insulation in the house reduces energy consumption when heating and, according to the Federal Environment Agency, quickly saves half a ton or more of CO2 per person per year. Tenants could also save 20 to 25 percent on gas or oil and, depending on the size of the apartment, half a ton or a whole ton of CO2, says Grießhammer.
Possible measures include: attaching programmable thermostatic valves to the radiators, ventilation instead of permanently tilting the windows, using an energy-saving shower button and flow limiter, and lowering the room temperature. “A one degree lower temperature in the apartment means five to six percent less energy consumption and correspondingly fewer CO2 emissions,” calculates Bilharz. Energy efficient devices save electricity. If the electricity also comes from renewable energies, CO2 emissions will be very small.
Mobility – short car journeys are particularly harmful
The high gasoline prices could motivate people to leave their cars parked more often. According to the UBA, road traffic was responsible for more than 18 percent of Germany-wide greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 68 percent of commuters used the car to get to work in 2020 and only 13 percent used public transport such as buses and trains. Of the drivers, almost half (48 percent) had a journey of less than ten kilometers to work. Anyone who cycles five kilometers twice a day instead of by car saves up to 0.5 tonnes of CO2 every year, says UBA expert Bilharz.
Vacation – does it have to be by plane?
A flight can significantly worsen your personal carbon footprint in one fell swoop. The return flight from Frankfurt am Main to Gran Canaria, for example, produces 1.1 tons of CO2. Experts recommend at least compensating for these CO2 emissions through voluntary compensation and supporting climate protection projects in developing countries, for example. But you always have to remember – even a donation doesn’t change the fact that the holiday trip has produced a lot of CO2.
Because of larger homes, larger cars and more vacation trips, richer people also tend to have a larger carbon footprint.
Diet – changes bring less than many people think
Contrary to what many people think, diet does not have as big an influence on your personal carbon footprint as mobility and housing. But a lot can be saved here too: switching from a mixed diet to a vegetarian diet saves a good 0.4 tons of CO2 per year, or even twice as much with a vegan diet. The greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, which are relevant in the food sector, were converted into so-called CO2 equivalents. Cattle release methane and nitrous oxide is produced by fertilization in agriculture.
However, it does little good for the climate if vegan food is transported to Germany from afar by plane or if natural areas are destroyed for monocultures.
Conscious consumption – don’t keep buying a new cell phone
According to calculations by the UBA’s Sustainable Consumption Competence Center, two tons of CO2 can be saved through more conscious consumption – that is, repairing, borrowing, buying less new and using what is available. For example, a new cell phone is equivalent to 432 single-use plastic bottles. Green checking accounts or investments also contribute to climate protection. Nature conservation organizations such as WWF Germany also provide concrete tips for shopping on the Internet.
Watch the video: Turning on the heating can be really expensive. But you can save on heating. Here are four simple tips that have a big impact.