Good news from UUCC Climate Urgency Committee – amidst chaotic times, Earth spins on. We can take heart in the season’s changes: the wonders of new plants pushing to the surface, of birds building nests, of amphibians trekking to vernal pools to breed.

Not so good news – our human enterprise is still causing Earth’s global temperatures to rise. Last year, we hit the threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels that indicates we are approaching irreversible changes, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As our Forum speaker on April 6 reminded us, however, human efforts worldwide continue to transition from climate-damaging fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. And, individual actions do matter and add up.

Here are things you can do that matter most for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ranked in order of impact from most to least impactful. Keep in mind that even the lower-impact measures on this list count and that our finances and circumstances affect our ability to carry these out.

Are you surprised by what matters most? What can you add to your lifestyle?

Highest Impact Actions in Rank Order (All Star Actions):

1. Eating a vegan diet
2. Using renewable energy
3. Living car free
4. Avoiding long flights

Moderate Impact Actions:
5. Eating a vegetarian diet
6. Eating organic foods

Other Impactful Actions:
7. Lowering the thermostat
8. Using energy-efficient appliances
9. Carpooling
10. Recycling

*Source: Sander van der Linden, “What’s the Best way to Shrink your Carbon Footprint?” New York Times, 12/15/22.

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