Summer 2024 is quickly approaching which means that everyone is excited for driving to the beach, traveling to Hawaii, and staying home and watching movies on their couch. Although these aspects  are some signatures of  summer, they are also the most dreaded by Mother Earth.

Being eco-friendly means living in a manner that is not detrimental to the environment. There are more eco-friendly ways to enjoy this summer that do not cost the entire earth (literally). This involves action not just from one individual but from larger communities. Simple conservation measures can be taking 5-10 minute showers, turning off the lights before you leave your house, and replacing your front lawn’s grass with  succulent plants in order to conserve water.

Here is a list of the best ways to help become more sustainable throughout this summer and even the rest of the year:

1. Use LED lighting throughout your home (They look great and work just as well!)
2. Eat less meat (Eating lower on the trophic pyramid helps reduce methane emissions and deforestation for farming.)
3. Use solar energy from solar panels (It is already sunny and a low-maintenance source of energy and if you have a grid-tied solar system, you can send the surplus electricity back to the grid which can give you a credit from the utility company!)
4. Smart thermostats ( This technology remembers your home’s heating patterns and knows when to heat or cool down your house based on the weather.)
5. Use eco-cleaning products (Many cleaning products end up in streams and rivers through runoff and it damages biodiversity and by switching the products you can save some money by even making your own natural cleaners.)

Recycling (We all know this one and it is such an important part of becoming eco-friendly.)

You also may be thinking that this is great but going to the beach with your friends blasting music in the car is also important. Take heed: current emissions from consumption in high-income cities “are set to double by 2050”, says Ciaran Wark, a writer for Green Match. 

But didn’t the pandemic cause road traffic to slow down, and airplanes produce less greenhouse gasses, and even lower air pollution? According to an article by British Vogue, the pandemic definitely decreased these harmful pollutant emissions but it also “highlighted how 10% of the world’s GDP (gross domestic product) relies on tourism and hospitality”. They also mention that 81% of global travelers plan to make an increasing amount of trips abroad in 2024 leading to even more greenhouse gas emissions. 

Here are some other alternatives to reduce the amount of CO2 and PM (particulate matter) that your car releases:

1. Electric cars (I know not everyone has them but if you bring a big enough group of people to the beach, someone is bound to have one.)
2. Bike (It can be impractical in some cases but if you desperately want a starbucks or boba drink that is only 4 blocks away, biking is definitely the way to go)
3. Be mindful of printing paper ( School is almost over and even then, over the summer the chances of printing a worksheet in 2024 are very slim but always when you can, choose digital documents to minimize your carbon footprint.)
4. Practice sustainable tourism (When you are looking for something to do in Hawaii book an adventure with a sustainable tourism business because they actively attempt to limit their carbon footprint, use environmentally friendly travel products, and of course leave the location better than they found it.)

It is important to remember that some of these items are not always achievable but it does take a village to help be more sustainable. Even adopting one of these ideas would help immensely. The best way to have a fun summer is to know you are also helping the environment you plan to spend a large portion of your time with throughout. May through August are definitely some of the hottest times in Los Angeles, and it is crucial to prevent further damage to our Mother Earth this summer.