How can I decrease my demand?

   

  The key to the world’s future is lessening our dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels. We have to get the demand to decrease. It is virtually impossible to call for a boycott of petroleum products. They are everywhere. The clothes you wear, the food you eat, the computer you use to read this article. How do you get to your job every day? How do you go to the grocery store? How do the groceries you purchase make it to the store for you to see? How do you heat your house when it is cold outside? Do you use lights in your house when it gets dark? All of these questions lead to one answer: petroleum or fossil fuels.

                However, there are steps you can take that will decrease our demand on fossil fuels. How do you get to work? Have you ever thought about taking public transportation? This is a good way to lessen your environmental foot print. Yes, public transportation does use gasoline to power their buses, but if more people took these buses, we could see a decrease in the demand for oil. Another step you can take: buy your clothes second hand. Do your shopping at Goodwill or Salvation Army or a local thrift store in your area. If we can lessen the demand on brand new clothes, we can lessen the demand on petroleum. Shopping at thrift stores will also give you some extra spending money, you will end up saving yourself some money as well.

                Another thing you can do to lessen your demand on petroleum products: buy local. Browse your local farmer’s markets for fruits and vegetables. This is a good step to take because you will also be supporting local businesses, rather than the big farming businesses that cater to your grocery store chains. The food you buy at your grocery store had to get there somehow. When we look around us, we notice that we deeply depend on petroleum products to live our everyday lives. We’re comfortable. However, I would challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and try to implement these little changes I have suggested. If everybody strives in these little changes, we can make a big difference. What is one thing you can do this week to decrease your demand on petroleum?

References:

http://www.pembina.org/blog/515