In his acceptance remarks, Academy award winner Leonardo DiCaprio spoke of the importance of saving our planet. He was correct in that we need to do more to protect our environment.

Best actor acceptance

The answer, however, does not lie solely on the shoulders of major corporations and larger polluters. It weighs on the shoulders of every individual on earth as well.  Yes, you can get the major corporations to kneel with your purchasing decisions, but beware! Do your research before making a choice that could be more harmful.

We get on the case of paper companies for harvesting too many trees, yet the paper industry plants two trees for every one they harvest. They would go out of business if they didn’t propagate their own raw material.

Let’s look at some personal options each of us can do to reduce greenhouse gases and help our planet’s environment support the population.

Yes, reducing the population and the pressure we put on the environment is one option, yet we are not going to tell anyone not to have children. It’s more about responsibility.

Use your motorized vehicles less. Next time you’re driving in a big city, pay attention to how many people are riding in each vehicle. You’ll find most have only one person in them. So carpool or take public transportation or walk or ride your bicycle to work or the grocery store. Patronize the local grocery or convenience store instead of chasing to the larger grocer.

Use less electricity. Conserve water. Eat natural instead of processed foods. Plant trees.