Calling all environmentalists, activists and anyone who wants to take some steps forward and experience progress. You don’t have to chain yourself to a tree or wear hemp underwear… You can start with these simple steps. While we think of all the ways we can change the world, let’s reflect on how we can balance our personal climate. Join us on our journey to being carbon neutral!
Cut Back on Red Meat
It’s no easy task maintaining the willpower to fully hop on the vegan or vegetarian train! While it is the trendy and proper option for our planet, it can be a huge change to implement as an all-or-nothing proposition. The absolutist mindset can be discouraging. Instead, implementing practices that don’t make you feel like you’re totally revamping your diet. Red meat is by far the most energy-sucking option- far more than pork (~600 gallons), chicken (~500), or fish. It takes around 1800 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef! By simply eliminating meat from your diet or even choosing to practice “Meatless Monday”, you’re making a difference and increasing awareness. Even if you’re not puritanical in your quest to be vegan for the animals, your personal quest and internal reward for incremental change is commendable.
In case you need a little extra nudge, we want to help satisfy your id, ego and super-ego.
Buy in Bulk
When we stroll through the aisles of the supermarket, tossing everyday items into our cart, it can be easy to mindlessly pick up a lot of plastic. Whether you’re shopping for your family or going solo, the waste from these items can really add up. As more stores implement options that allow you to buy in bulk, you can even bring your own reusable containers to pick up the household favorites. This doesn’t only reduce environmental waste, it also saves time and money. Bulk items ensure you don’t have to run out and grab your kids favorite snack or emergency toilet paper- you have extra to spare! Even your local farmers markets typically have options for buying bulk and shopping local saves all that pollution derived from long distance transportation. For those who are more practical, you can typically load a self-brought bag with over 25 lbs. worth of stuff with no worries about plastic or paper breaking open from the store. Open a new portfolio with at least $25,000 and we’ll mail you a cool reusable shopping bag. Just email a screen shot of your new ‘Demand Green’, ‘Demand Hope’ or ‘Demand Vegan’ portfolio to green@demandwealth.com, hope@demandwealth.com or vegan@demandwealth.com
Change Your Transportation Habits
While ideal, I’m not saying everyone has to immediately drop their fossil fuels and purchase an electric vehicle. You don’t even have to start biking to work, arriving stinky, sweaty and exhausted. There are other options for your daily commute that could cut back on emissions and reduce your carbon footprint. If you like your coworkers or want to get to know them in a less formal setting, try to start up a carpool arrangement to take a few cars off the road (maybe it will even reduce that nasty traffic you have to sit in). Uber makes this easier with their Pool option- maybe you can make a new friend along the way? Let us help you break the ice! We will craft a cool email to help coordinate an office carpool.
Work from Home
We’re all pretty familiar with this term right now (WFH). This was somewhat popular before Coronavirus, but our attention has been amplified to the benefits. While your brain might get mushy due to constant video conferencing or become hobbled by email, the benefits are indisputable. Working from your home saves gas and emissions far more than carpooling and the sweatpants with a blazer on top is most certainly a trend. Please just remember not to stand up if you are birthday suiting it, one small shift of the camera angle could be the difference between a demotion (or promotion). Large companies have said that they will continue to allow their employees to work from home after seeing how profitable it can be; the pre-Corona question of home based productivity seems to have been answered with the unintended benefit of analyzing large data sets of productive WingFHers. While the future of commercial office space will certainly be under an extreme amount of pressure as vacancies rise, it’s a reasonable assumption that leisure apparel will prosper.
Channel Your Inner Fixer Upper
Many of us are quick to toss or donate a good thing just because it has a scratch, or it no longer serves a purpose. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If you don’t want to donate it to your local Goodwill, then maybe it’s time to take on the Chip and Jo (of ‘Fixer Upper’ fame) persona. That old crusty dresser from your grandma can easily be revamped with a coat of paint and a YouTube tutorial. Your old dress can be transformed into a cute summer crop. With some imagination and the help of the interweb, you can fix up half the things you see as junk in your house and take just a bit of pressure off the landfill.
Share a Shower… Or Just Shorten the Time!
As cheeky as this may sound, the average shower uses over 17 gallons of water. This definitely doesn’t include a luxury shower where you’re lost in thought. One way to combat this shockingly high statistic is to hop in the shower with a partner- or maybe just speed up the scrubbing process? Skipping the shower is a more controversial approach with additional merit in the new WFH era. For the sake of the environment we will withhold all personal judgement, as long as you don’t come within 6+ feet.
Remember Your Actions Make a Difference
The weight of (saving) the world is a group effort. Taking these small actions and making some changes won’t provide you with super(wo)man status, but don’t underestimate how little steps can lead to great things! If you’re looking to make an eco-conscious impact with your investment dollars and include it in your overall financial plan. Consider scheduling a video conference with one of our advisors to find out more about the ‘Demand Green‘ portfolio today.
This report is a publication of Demand Wealth. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author as of the date of publication and are subject to change.