Gain a sense of empowerment through your carbon footprint

We know that the very thought of digging into your individual carbon footprint can be overwhelming and potentially leave you with a sense of guilt. But we’re going to challenge that; It doesn’t need to be overwhelming or guilt-inducing; we like to think that it can be empowering. By understanding where you fit within the broader system, you can more easily prioritize the collective action that will address the systemic foundations of climate change and more clearly see the personal actions—that when taken by millions—can set us in the direction of sweeping policy changes and a major cultural shift.

If you’re ready to dig in, check out these tools to better grasp your impact and gain a few ideas of how to move forward, without the guilt.

• Wrap your head around your overall climate impact by taking this quick quiz by Climate Hero
• This strictly researched list, curated by Drawdown Solutions, identifies technologies and household practices that can help reduce greenhouse gases

Banking generates substantial emissions, and for many individuals, their banking may be one of if not their largest sources of emissions. Here are a few things to consider so you can lower your money’s carbon footprint.

• Your cash has a footprint Every dollar you deposit in a bank has an associated carbon footprint, and that footprint will vary dramatically depending on how your bank lends and invests your money 
• Know what your bank does with your money When you bank with a financial firm that lends extensively to fossil fuel companies and carbon-intensive sectors, you are passively investing your money in the industries driving the climate crisis and enabling substantial emissions generation 
• Decarbonize your banking. This is among the most powerful individual and household climate actions you can take
• Fund climate solutions Individuals have a number of ways to reduce their banking emissions and influence whether their money is being used to drive climate change or fund climate solutions
• Banking Resources: Here’s a great resource that we trust when it comes to banking and climate. Check it out. You might even find yourself a new bank

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation account for 29% of all emissions in the US, making it the single largest contributor of emissions. Of that, well over half of those emissions come from personal cars as we zip around living our everyday lives. Here are a few ideas on how to reduce your transportation-related carbon footprint. 

• • Ride the bus! Public Transportation is increasingly clean, increasing your impact! Learn more
  • Bikes are fun! Join New Belgium and Bike for a Better World
  • Time for a new whip? Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, there’s a whole pile of incentives on EVs. Check it out

More than just changing out the lightbulbs, there are a handful of ways you can lower the climate impacts of your home

• • Electrify your home Check out this awesome resource from ElectrifyNow for tips on how to make the move to renewable energy
  • Buy clean power from your electric utility Believe it or not, a lot of power providers allow you the option to purchase renewable energy. Learn how
  • Explore rooftop solar – The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August of 2022, expanded and extended the Residential Clean Energy Credit, making it easier for you to make your home part of the climate solution
  • Heat pumps are cool – Heat pumps are three to five times more efficient than standard heating systems and they save you money month to month The IRA can help you get a tax credit helping you to recoup nearly 30% of the cost and installation

It’s no surprise that what you eat can have an outsized impact on your individual carbon emissions. While we aren’t here to tell you what to eat and what not to, there is a ton of interesting and thought-provoking data on the relative impacts of various diets. If you’re keen to take a deeper look at your own diet, here are a few resources that we found helpful. 

• What does food have to do with climate change?
• Low-carbon diets Reduce global ecological and health costs by updating your diet, a report from Nature.com
• You are what you eat: Familiarize yourself with the relative impacts of different diets and food
• Compost your kitchen scraps – Food waste, is not just wasteful, it also emits a potent greenhouse gas; methane. Compost can help prevent methane emissions through aerobic decomposition. Learn more

The trolls are quick to suggest that because we ride chairlifts, drive cars to the trailheads, or even fly for that once-in-a-lifetime adventure in another hemisphere, we can’t take on climate advocacy. We beg to differ. We embrace imperfect advocacy and we know that recreating in the beautiful and peaceful outdoors is part of our very make-up. We say don’t give up on who you are, just find ways to build sustainability and responsibility into your adventures. A few nuggets for consideration:

• Adventure locally If you do fly, savor and cherish the heck out of it. Also, take advantage of airlines carbon calculators to better understand the impact of your travel
• Pack em’ in  A lot of ski areas give preferential parking to those who carpool. Check out what your local ski area has in the way of incentives and the jam a few more friends in the truck
• Recycle your outdoor gear Some of your favorite brands make it easy to recycle or repair your existing gear or buy new-to-you gear for a second life:
• • Out & Back –Mending the rift between the worn and the wanted, Out & Back makes it easy to give outdoor gear a second life
  • Arc’teryx ReBIRD
  • TNF CircularDesign
  • Smartwool Second Cut
  • Patagonia WornWear
  • Jones Snowboards will recycle your old snowboard and give ya a discount on a new one

Take it from us, spending our 9-5’s working to protect the places and the experiences we love is extremely rewarding. But don’t just take our word for it, check out these resources for places to grow your skills and then put them to practice: 

• Check out the American Climate Corps and learn how you can get paid to learn to work in renewables
• Turn your current job into a climate job Check out this cool webinar from Project Drawdown\
• Built to shatter barriers, champion transparency, and make the environmental job market accessible for everyone, check out the Green Jobs Board. You might just find your forever gig.
• OpenDoorClimate.com Check out this incredible directory of climate professionals who are excited to network and mentor
• Come work with POW Consider working with us here at POW! Keep an eye on the POW Careers page and throw your name in the ring if you think you’ll be a good fit.