4Rs Tips for 04.02.2023 – 3 Ways to Make Your Money Greener

I just became a grandma for the first time. I’m over the moon excited, but I’m also scared. I’ve been following climate news for years. When scientists say time is running out they no longer mean in 50 to 100 years, they mean in 10 to 20 years.

In the realm of Take Action, this means NOW!

I’ve heard people say, “Climate change is the fault of big corporations,” more times than I can count. My question is, “Why are we giving them our money to do it?!”

3 Ways To Stop Funding Climate Change

How we bank and where we invest our money is the source of funding for planet-harming industries like fossil fuels and manufacturing.

1. How We Bank and Borrow – When you deposit your paycheck, your bank invests that money. This is how they make money. Unfortunately, most banks invest in industries that contribute to climate change – Yep! Those big corporations everyone complains about.
   • The world’s biggest banks invested 3.8 TRILLION dollars in fossil fuel companies since 2015. The article tells how some banks are committing to change, this hasn’t really happened yet.
   • When you pay them interest on money you borrow you may be helping to fund climate damaging industries like fossil fuels. 
   • Check out this article on the Best Environmental Friendly Banks of April 2023.
   • Learn about banking alternatives in this article from Sustainable Jungle.
     
     More important than earning for the future is
     SAVING THE FUTURE
2. Where We Invest – The majority of people have a retirement fund and many people invest by other means be it an app where they buy stocks or through a brokerage firm. Of course, our first concern is whether we are going to earn money when we invest it but that is actually NOT the most important thing to research.
   • Investing in climate friendly business is a huge opportunity.
     1. This article from the UN tells us not only why, but also lists the UN backed climate funds at the end of the article.
   • Sustainable efforts need our financial support. Industries like regenerative agriculture can be lucrative long term investments. Plus, our future food supply depends on them.
3. How and Where We Shop – Everything we spend money on makes a difference.
   • A little time researching brands can make a HUGE difference on your environmental impact. See the 4Rs post on spotting greenwashing.
     1. Durable goods should be durable. Things like clothing, furniture, and appliances should be made to last not be replaced in a few years.
        1. Our planet has been seriously harmed by planned obsolescence.
           1. Electronics are made to only last a few years.
           2. Flat screen tv’s are hard to recycle, but aren’t made to last long. This review showed they last from 4.5 to 6.8 years. 
   • How we buy and replace home appliances is important.
     1. Energy efficient and longer lasting appliances are less expensive even if the upfront price is higher.
     2. Switch to environmentally friendly heat pump water heaters (HPWH) for your home or business.
   • If you buy a lot of disposable goods you not only escalate the pollution of our planet but you also support one of the leading sources of carbon emissions, manufacturing.

If we’re to stop the destruction of our environment by fossil fuel companies we need to act responsibly with our money.

Why It’s Important

Financial institutions have yet to support a transition to a cleaner world despite commitments made. It’s time we put pressure on them. We need to show them we no longer want to do business with companies that don’t support a cleaner environment.

Though many have signed pledges to do so,
big banks haven’t stopped putting money into fossil fuels.
It’s time we to stop putting money into them.

The 10 to 20 years we have left to change is the time until we reach major tipping points. When the environmental damage will no longer be reversable and resources will become limited.

• In less than ten years nearly half (40%) of our demand for fresh water will not be met.
• Food scarcity will become a lot more common. The world population continues to grow, yet crop yields are projected to drop by 24% within the next decade. 

These survival challenges can be prevented if we make changes now.

• Globally, fossil fuels are the cause of 75% of our greenhouse gasses. If we move to investing in renewables this number will decrease significantly as emissions decrease. 
• But only around 11% of global primary energy came from renewable technologies in 2019. We need to shift where we spend money and stop funding fossil fuels. 
• The consequences of climate change will cost hundreds of billions of dollars per year of taxpayer dollars within a few decades.

The latest IPCC reports are dire because we’re not taking action quick enough.

Take Action

We as individuals have a lot of power, especially when we all start taking action. 

Massive Action = Massive Results

These up coming actions may be easy for you, they may be hard, but I hope you will consider taking at least one of them.

• Though it’s important to care for the earth everyday, April 22nd is Earth Day. And it really is about learning how to make every day an Earth Day.
  • Invest in the Planet is their theme this year. They have this Action Toolkit for you to find events and other actions to take.
• Join The Great Global Clean-up. This article from Earth911.com provides a link to find a clean-up near you.
• Challenge yourself to make your money environmentally friendly.

With Much Gratitude

That’s it for this issue. Remember, I’ve moved to posting bi-weekly so see you in two weeks. 

If you like this post, please forward it to every earth-friendly human you know. If you’ve been forwarded this post, you can subscribe by signing up for my mailing list below.

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Drop me a line anytime if you have questions or comments. I love hearing from you.
Thank you for reading these tips and subscribing. Pat yourself on the back for doing your part. Remember, everything helps.

We’ve got this!

All my best,
Jen
jen.thilman@gmail.com 

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