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> It’s just so hard to know what actions have what impact on CO2 production

To a first approximation, every time you pull out your wallet, you're emitting carbon. The bigger the $ sign, the more carbon you're emitting.

New car > used car

New furniture > used furniture

High energy bill > low energy bill

High grocery bill > low grocery bill

Big house > small house

Long commute > short commute

Expensive vacation > cheap vacation

After you've gotten past the big stuff, there are nuances. Burning your trash is cheaper than paying for trash removal but obviously worse for the environment (better yet; generate less trash). A diet of Twinkies is cheaper than a diet of leafy greens but it'll cost you on healthcare in the long run, so likely worse carbon emissions.

Try to run your household budget as lean as you can, and vote for politicians who support collective action against climate change. I think that's as much as any individual can do.



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