Earth Day 2021, what are you going to do differently? Our waters are getting dirtier and closer to becoming undrinkable as the days creep on. Our communities and municipalities are under attack financially because of the shape of our climate. And, we’re in a crypto-currency craze which turns out is heavily polluting our world (University of Cambridge has collected data suggesting that bitcoin mining is producing emissions between 53 and 127 million megatons of carbon dioxide!)1
What’s left to do? Well, the US has made many commitments to change as have many other countries. And yes, it’s really important for industry as a whole to start making change as they are the largest polluters causing climate change. But none-the-less, we, as a people, are still dirtier than we need to be, and we need to commit to making a change.
Below is a checklist of 108 earth-friendly habits. How many of these can you check off your list? I can say I’m fully committed to 67, but there are so many on this list that I’m on my way to 100% commitment, I’m just not there yet. We’re all a work in progress, aren’t we? Anyway, how many of these can you say you’re already doing? And how many of these are you willing to make a commitment on?
You might notice one of the options listed above is investing in Socially Responsible Investments. This is also known as SRI or ESG investing. This is a way you can continue voting with your dollars to combat climate change within big business. The movement has already made significant and meaningful change, imagine what it could do as more people join in on the cause!
If you’re interested in this and haven’t already begun your “journey” I invite you to connect with us. As I’ve said before, not all ESG/SRI funds are the same, and there’s always going to be a chance of “greenwashing” in a portfolio, so it is important to work with someone who knows this area well. You might even consider looking for an advisor that has the CSRICTM designation- Chartered SRI Counselor, which shows they are serious about this market and have thoroughly studied it. Without this, or other training, there is a significant possibility that you could wind up invested in something that you’re not comfortable with.
1 Getler, Daniel. Opinion: Why Buying a Tesla With Bitcoin Would Be Environmentally Unfriendly. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/18/bitcoin-emissions-pollution-tesla/. 18 February 2021.
Carrie Waters Schmidt is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer (member SIPC) and registered investment advisor. Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. Equanimity Wealth Planning and Investing is a marketing name for registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors.
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