When I first started working in Facilities & Engineering for the National Park Service at Yosemite, the division was hosting a project specialist from Spain to help calculate the park’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This chick was freaking rad. Not only did she have a PhD in chemical engineering, she was a competitive runner and mountain biker, an accomplished pianist, and oh yeah, she and her husband summitted El Capitan every summer. He was a well known architect in Spain, and they were raising two small and adorable kiddos. Talk about a power couple! 

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I was lucky enough to get the assignment of working with her on developing a reproducible methodology for calculating the park’s GHG emissions annually. She was the brains behind the operation, and I was the data geek – I had access to all of the park building data she needed, like the number of facilities in the park, their primary use, square footage, how much electricity and water they used, etc… 

By the end of the summer, we (mostly she) had developed Yosemite’s first GHG emissions report complete with fancy charts and graphs, and a supplementary report with recommendations to lessen the park’s carbon footprint. During all of my hours spent working on this project, one thing she said really stuck with me. It was something to the effect of “The earth doesn’t need a few people to live a net-zero emissions lifestyle. What the earth needs is for a whole lot of people to live just a little bit more sustainably.” I’m going to say that again:

“The earth doesn’t need a few people to live a net-zero emissions lifestyle. What the earth needs is for a whole lot of people to live just a little bit more sustainably.”

That really stuck with me. That little shift in mindset can completely turn things around. Trying to go all-in on sustainability or zero-waste is overwhelming, but making small changes to live a more sustainable lifestyle is pretty easy! Below are some recommendations you can start implementing today to live a slightly more sustainable lifestyle and reduce your environmental impact:

1. Turn lights off when you leave a room. I know this one seems overly simple, but that’s why it’s on this list!

2. Speaking of lights… switch out incandescent bulbs for LED or CFL bulbs. They last way longer and use less electricity.

3. Take a shorter shower. Even if it’s just a little bit shorter, like a minute, it can really add up.

4. Turn off your devices at night. Check out this article on phantom power for more information, it’s really helpful!

5. Bring your own reusable grocery bags with you to the store. And produce bags too! 

6. Focus on purchasing quality clothing over quantity. The waste produced by the fast fashion industry is astounding. It’s cheaper in the long run and much better for the environment to spend more on high quality classic pieces that you’ll be able to wear for years. 

7. Go paperless. If you haven’t already, switch all of your bills, newsletters, etc… to paperless options, and request emailed receipts at stores rather than printed receipts. Not only is this one good for the environment, but it massively cuts clutter in your house, it’s a win-win!

8. Switch from using paper towels to reusable dishcloths. This is another small change that makes a really big difference. 

9. Stop accepting disposable utensils and napkins with take-out. I know it’s easy, but using your own utensils also makes a big impact! You can bring this bamboo set with you too! The park implemented a policy that they would no longer provide disposable utensils at social gatherings, and gave everyone those bamboo sets (and had more on hand if you forgot), and the waste reduction was noticeable. 

10. Finally, spend more time outside! This one has so many benefits I won’t begin to list them all, but I’m sure you get the picture. 

Drop a comment if you have more simple ideas for more sustainable living!

Need some inspiration to get outside? Start here!