We’re always looking for daily ways that we can reduce our impact on the environment, and San Diego is a great place to explore more sustainable ways of living. In many places, summer is a season of high energy use, with higher usage of air conditioners, higher gasoline consumption for vehicles, and less conscious environmental choices while enjoying the season. But in San Diego, we can make a real effort to reduce our impact on the environment all year round.
Buying local is an easy way that everyone can reduce their carbon footprint. By buying local produce, energy use is cut from shorter transportation distances and by ensuring that the produce is of California standards for environmental impact. Buying local also lets you have a personal relationship with the grower; when you know where exactly your food comes from, you have a vested interest in knowing its quality and supporting a local farmer. San Diego has plenty of unique farmers markets that draw the bulk of their produce from Southern California and support local businesses.
In coastal San Diego, it’s easy to reduce energy costs by using air conditioning only when necessary. San Diego’s unique climate allows for cool mornings even in the summer, making it easy to keep your house or business cool simply by opening the windows. By using air conditioning sparingly, we can make sure that it’s available for necessities like hospitals while keeping our ecological footprint low.
Keeping our oceans clean and reducing our environmental impact is a big task, but it can start with each one of us, making a small lifestyle change. The summer is the perfect time to start, and San Diego is the place to do it.
This article was originally posted by our friends at Reduce Impact. You can find the original article here.