Climate Action Week Top Ten Tips

More!

1.Eat all of your food — save leftovers to eat later. Your mom told you
this—and she was right. Wasting food = wasting energy.

2.Eat seasonal food — food that’s out of season is likely to be grown in an energy consuming
hothouse, or transported from a distant location. The Epicurious Peak Season Map shows the
freshest local ingredients in each season.

3.Eat more greens, and less meat and cheese. Livestock causes 18% of the world’s
greenhouse gasses. If going veg isn’t for you, try skipping meat just once a week.

4.Eat organic when you can. Organic food can be more filling, so you may buy less.
Studies show organic and no-till farming methods preserve soil. Soil is an important carbon sink.

5.Shop local — buying at farmers’ markets and natural food stores in your neighborhood
decreases your food miles and supports local livelihoods.

6.Choose shipped or train-transported foods if local foods are unavailable. Fresh
seafood and out-of-season produce are most likely to have been air-freighted, which is 10 times more
emissions-intensive than being sent by container ship.

7.Choose unprocessed foods instead of processed, frozen and packaged foods —
processing is expensive, and may use extra salt, fat and sugar. Many kinds of packaging are not
recyclable, creating more trash. For example, bulk oats cost less then $1 per pound, and are healthier
than most processed cereals.

8.Compost food scraps — this returns your leftovers’ energy to the soil.

9.Cook like a Climate Action pro — microwaves use 20% of the energy of a convection
oven; toaster ovens use 50%. When you do use the oven, resist opening the door to peek! Steaming
vegetables or potatoes in one-half inch of water in a pot with a tight-sealing lid is healthier, faster and
less energy intensive than boiling. Make sure the flame or electric heating coil does not extend beyond
the base of your pots and pans.

10.Grow your own food! It doesn’t get fresher or more local than that. Edible gardens are
fun and fit in spaces as small as a planting box on your window sill. Check out Seattle Tilth for
workshops, classes and tips on how to get started.

For more easy climate action steps you can take, see Seattle Climate Action Now.

Auto insurance that
saves some green.

Get your fast free quote.

Enter ZIP Code