New research shows small changes can make a big difference for our climate

It’s not often we get good news on the climate. But recently we did.

It’s this: we have the ability, right now, to drastically cut carbon emissions by making doable changes in our daily lives.

A groundbreaking study shows the power is in our hands. New research demonstrates that adoption of a low-carbon lifestyle by wealthy households around the globe is a “swift and effective means of curbing climate change.”

Until now, many of us have assumed that real progress on the climate would only come in some distant future, a utopian time of green-energy expansion, carbon-capture innovation and embrace of enlightened policy by world governments.

This new research shows that’s not so. It shows that we the people can start saving our climate now if we make some perfectly feasible changes in how we eat, what we buy and how we get around.

This is transformative information. It means we don’t have to wait for that distant future—which may never come. It means that if we take small actions, individually and collectively, we can make a huge difference for our climate.

Indeed, the research reveals that emissions reductions stemming from lifestyle changes may rival and surpass reductions brought about by a shift in the industrial and energy sectors. Yes, we should still advocate for that shift—but until it comes, we can make real progress ourselves.

The study, published May 17 in Nature, points out “the growing importance of demand-side mitigation solutions to achieve global climate targets, as supply-side measures cannot be solely relied upon.”

In other words, we can’t depend on oil companies, utilities, manufacturers and other carbon emitters (the supply side) to reduce their emissions, as they consistently resist regulation and put our planet in peril to protect their profits. And this being the case, it’s increasingly important for consumers (the demand side) to move to low-carbon lifestyles to cut emissions and cool our climate.

This doesn’t mean that those supply-side emitters aren’t wrong to fight regulation of their emissions. They are. It doesn’t mean that their resistance isn’t ecocide and a crime against humanity. It is.

It does mean that, given the willingness of corporations and governments to wreck our long-term future for short-term gains, we can—we should—take steps ourselves to reduce CO2 emissions. The research shows that, if we do, we can make a real difference.

“We find that implementing a combination of low-carbon expenditures among the top 23.7% emitters reduces global carbon footprints by 10.4 gigatons,” the study says. That 23.7% is us, people in wealthy countries. And that 10.4 gigatons is huge—almost a third of the carbon now emitted annually around the world.

The UN says we must reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 to keep our climate from burning up. If we get on our bicycle (in some cases literally) and make changes in our daily habits, heck, we’re almost there. That’s an amazing and inspiring piece of news.

So what can we do? The steps are straightforward. Some you can take today—like eating a plant-based diet, conserving energy at home and opting for low-carbon transport (such as the aforementioned bicycle).

According to the research, if the world’s “carbon-exceeding households” (that’s us) shifted to a Mediterranean, vegetarian or vegan diet, this would produce an annual carbon reduction of 22.1%. A few mobility changes—working from home, less flying, less cars—would produce a reduction of 7.6%.

Those are remarkable numbers. But not surprising, given the immense carbon footprint of consumers in the wealthy world. The top 10% of carbon emitters account for 48% of the global total, while the top 1% contribute 16.9% of the global total. The bottom 50% emit just 12% of the total.

This “underscores the urgent need to propose demand-side measures that specifically target carbon-intensive activities among top emitters,” the study notes, “as those households have contributed most to climate change and have the greatest capacity for reducing emissions.”

Here’s one demand-side measure you can take now. Switch to CREDO Mobile, the phone company that cares about our climate as much as you do. We’re not only a mobile service, we’re a community of people committed to saving our planet. People making small changes every day with the knowledge that, inevitably, they’ll add up to big change.

To date, we’ve donated over $95 million to nonprofits dedicated to change big and small, with a large share of it going to groups like 350.org, Inside Climate News, Earth Guardians and Defenders of Wildlife.

Like the sound of that? A lot of people do. Which is why they’re joining CREDO Mobile. You can too. Just go to CREDOMobile.com.

You’ll get all you want from your mobile service: money-saving data plans, great deals on new devices and superfast coverage on the nation’s largest 5G network.

And you’ll get much more. You’ll get an easy, effective way to make a difference for our climate.

If you’re already a member, tell your friends about CREDO Mobile. Refer them today and we’ll give you $100 for each friend who joins.