YOUR INVOLVEMENT
Learn how to make conscientious choices and take steps to reduce your environmental impact.
QUIZ
Take this quiz to find out how big your nitrogen footprint is, based on your current lifestyle.
EVERYDAY STEPS
Reduce your harm on the environment with these simple steps
In the US, about 30% of food is wasted at the retailer, food service and consumer levels. Cutting down on food waste would reduce the amount of food that needs to be produced, which could cause a large reduction the amount of N released to the environment from food production.
The amount of nitrogen in our waste is proportional to how much meat we eat. As a general rule, Americans eat more meat than our bodies can process; about 270 lbs/year, roughly twice the USDA recommendation (see http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more information on this)
Use less fertilizer and reduce the amount of your lawn that’s planted with turf grass. Native plants and shrubs store and process more nitrogen than turf grass does, and require less water and fertilizer. Installing rain barrels to store water and using this to water your lawn/garden also helps a lot by reducing water load on treatment facilities during peak flow times.
In the US, about 30% of food is wasted at the retailer, food service and consumer levels. Cutting down on food waste would reduce the amount of food that needs to be produced, which could cause a large reduction the amount of N released to the environment from food production.
