Claire Jernigan

Organic farming has the potential to feed the world. The belief that organic farming can not feed the world is a result of insufficient data. One study determined that there was not enough manure as fertilizer for the same amount of crops that are grown with synthetic fertilizers. However, there are many other fertilizers in addition to manure to help crops grow. It is actually found that organic agriculture can be more sustainable than conventional agriculture. Furthermore, organic farming is predicted to raise the yields of poor and remote areas with typically lower yields and more severe hunger.

My home's energy usage is close to the average for similar homes which is 772 kWh in the zipcode and state. Other less obvious steps to reduce energy usage include setting the computer to sleep mode after using it or cleaning the refrigerator coils every year or six months. Cleaning the coils allows them to release heat efficiently which means the refrigerator does not have to use more energy, compared to if they were dirty. Another daily action to reduce energy would be remembering to turn off lights when leaving a room or when there is enough sunlight in a room. It is important to only use energy when it is necessary. 

In addition to reducing your water footprint with shorter showers, washing larger loads of laundry is another step that will have a great impact on your footprint. Collecting laundry and washing larger loads instead of smaller loads, will conserve a significant amount of water. Wait until you have enough laundry to wash, or if you need to wash something soon, ask family members if they need some of their laundry washed too.  

It is difficult to remember to bring a disposable bag to the grocery store if you are not used to using it. A good system to use would be returning the bag(s) to the car after unloading groceries. Another system could be leaving the bags in a place where they will not be forgotten. For example, the bags could be put on a hook next to the door. Some reusable bags are also small enough to fit in purses and pockets, so they are easier to take with you. If a reusable bag is not available in the situation, using a cart to transfer the products would be the best solution.