Products You May Like
Environmentally-friendly products are, unfortunately, more common in luxury purchases. The cost of eco-conscious items is still high, but as more and more people buy alternatives like solar roofs and electric vehicles, the price of these products will go down. If you can afford to do your part to decrease your carbon footprint, there are a variety of products you can buy to take a step in that direction. Look below to find some of the best luxury purchases to lower your impact on the environment and the warming climate.
Solar Roof
Solar panels are widely available and they are no longer as ugly as they used to be. They can double as roofs even. Tesla has created a roof that you can barely tell is made of solar panels. Not only do solar panels provide a lot of energy for your home, but you can also even end up producing more energy than you need. When that is the case, you can send some power back to the grid and make some money back. If you can afford to install a solar roof or put one on a new house you’re building, a solar roof is a great investment that will pay off.
Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats could be the most effective luxury purchase to mitigate your impact on the environment. This is because heat isn’t just the most expensive bill in your home, it uses the most power and has the greatest effect on the climate and your carbon footprint. A smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home from anywhere using a smartphone, enabling you to keep the house at a comfortable temperature right before you come back. You won’t have to keep the heat or air conditioner on when no one is there. Simply change the temperature on your way home and it will be an optimal temperature when you arrive.
Electric Cars
Of course, electric vehicles are a great way to decrease your carbon footprint. Electric cars have become a lot cheaper. There aren’t just Teslas these days. You also have Nissans, Hyundais, BMWs, Porches, Volvos, and more to choose from. While they used to be much more expensive, electric automobiles will become more affordable as time goes on. Not only are they becoming more accessible in general, but their chargers are also increasingly available. Tesla chargers are being installed around the country.
Plant-based Meats
While a lot of people criticize plant-based meats, science has improved greatly. They aren’t the cheapest alternative, but if you can afford to transition there are many plant-based meat options to cut down on your carbon footprint while improving your health and well-being. Beef is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to carbon in the atmosphere and the changing climate. You might think that these plant-based alternatives don’t taste like the real thing, but that is changing. Infamously, the Impossible burger “bleeds.”
Smart Appliances
Another expensive area that will pay off, in the long run, is the field of smart appliances. If you have the money to invest in smart washers and dryers, they are a great option for a sustainable home. This advanced way to wash and dry your clothes saves water and power. Smart appliances are an energy-efficient alternative to standard options. There are also smart refrigerators and dishwashers. Odds are, if you can think of an eco-friendly appliance it probably exists. While they’re still luxury items, they won’t be like that forever.
The world is changing. We will all have to change our behavior and the means by which we engage with the world. With carbon heating our atmosphere and warming our climate, humanity needs to mitigate the amount of carbon pumped into the air and use carbon-capture technology to take it out. The above products are luxury purchases now, but they will soon become a norm as our society progresses and becomes more environmentally friendly.
Still, if you can afford to purchase these items now, you won’t just be doing the right thing. You will be pushing the world forward by pledging your dollars to a change in the economy. It’s time to do what’s right for the environment and paying for it will help us all move in the right direction.
Ryan Beitler is a writer, journalist, and blogger who has written about environmentalism for many publications. Reach him at ryanrbeitler@gmail.com