Big and small ways to reduce your carbon footprint
Eat less beef. Ride the bus. Turn down the thermostat. For Earth Day, we bring you ideas on how to do your part and reduce your carbon footprint.
![Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com
Value Village, some donated clothing is baled and sold by the pound to used clothing giant Rags](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3NX7PJYX7SGCP5QWNFQPBC6MD4.jpg?h=190&w=320&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Why you should donate clothing: It (probably) won't end up at the dump
Fast fashion is tough on the climate, but clothes can have second and third lives.
![Kids from Miss Maria Lazowski�s 2nd grade class from Saint Paul Music Academy planted, mulched and watered three native ornamental trees around the](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KSMXT5RIQZMSWRBOZQMEIGV52Q.jpg?h=190&w=320&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Six changes to make your backyard greener life while reducing your carbon footprint
Plant a tree. Or four. And ornamental grasses can absorb three times as much CO2 as a typical lawn.
![Workers from TruNorth Solar install a rooftop solar panel power system on the roof of Sheila and Richard Miller’s house in Golden Valley.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/XHIDNIVQ6NFAHD6LQ63DOPS5NU.jpg?h=190&w=320&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
How to solar power your home to lower your carbon footprint
There are more options for boosting solar power at home than you might think, including installing rooftop solar, subscribing to a community garden or simply paying extra to your utility.
![573510403](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/AEUXDJIAYSWC2EJCLTDPUM2JOI.jpg?h=190&w=320&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Your fridge is a place where fresh food goes to die. That doesn't have to happen.
Can't see the contents of your own fridge? It's not your fault (well, not entirely). Here are some quick hacks to reduce wasted food in your kitchen.
Think twice about buying carbon offsets when you fly
Airlines are moving away from the practice and toward broader strategies to combat climate change. Do your research if you buy them.
A climate-minded newcomer's guide to riding transit in the Twin Cities
With a little planning and perseverance, it can work for commuting and just getting around.
West Metro
![Sealing up your home can save money and fight climate change](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/BWQBATV2WRZV7HSMVF443SPKNQ.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Sealing up your home can save money and fight climate change
An Edina woman knew her house could get drafty in the winter, so she signed up for a home energy audit to find out where cold and heat were getting in.
Business
![FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VHM63NTDBHF2EL7OX5QXRCF22A.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What a renter can do to fight climate change
Behavioral change, personal investments and even a conversation with your landlord can help reduce the carbon emissions from your rental home or apartment.
Local
![Jenny Hoops just switched out the old gas water heater in her St. Paul Midway home for a new electric heat pump water heater by Rheem. She’s plannin](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/GBZFC6LLADKEJS6Y4FBIX6377I.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Replacing water heaters with heat pumps can help the environment, and get you a tax credit
Tax credits and subsidies are available for this lesser known appliance.
Local
![An electric vehicle is getting a charge.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WWXCUYPSNXG2CHVDM7NG6RKKLI.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Minnesota rolls out rebates of up to $2,500 for EV buyers
Used vehicles could bring a $600 rebate. Federal tax credits are also available.
East Metro
![Katie Wheeler held a photograph of her late husband, Steve, and their daughters Meskele, 16, left, and Shibere, 18, right. Wheeler’s husband died in](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QZAM45ECK4KAHVHRIVSZSEG2RQ.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Twin Cities man's dying wish: Compost me for the benefit of the planet
He died in September, but Steve Wheeler's journey could change Minnesota.
What questions do you have about shrinking your carbon footprint?
Help us help you help the planet.
Business
![Star Tribune agriculture reporter Christopher Vondracek charged his electric Nissan Leaf at Northern Lights Casino in Walker, Minn.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/RJGI6FA3XUXPRGSPMBEENVDGOQ.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
This farm reporter roams rural Minnesota by EV — and it's no easy task
After owning an EV more than six months — and using that vehicle for work as a journalist that involves predominantly driving across rural America — my personal experience suggests we're unprepared to help consumers successfully transition.
Outdoors
![John Sheehan, owner of ROAM Bike Shop in White Bear Lake, right, said questions about the electric bike tax rebate are No. 1 these days.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/UYKDZXARARDV3F7NRVMLTM7C34.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What's up with that e-bike rebate? Shop owner creates calculator for answers
John Sheehan gets that question again and again from customers who walk into his bike shop in White Bear Lake. He's doing his best to help.
Variety
In frugal, freewheeling Buy Nothing groups, even dryer lint and used deodorant find new homes
Neighbors engaging in mutual aid turns household effluvia into social glue.
Business
![There are two levels of charger your electric vehicle can use at your home.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/GOKVKOQFG5ARLDHBE3L5KI4STA.jpg?h=91&w=141&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Charging your electric vehicle is half the battle. Take these steps to make your home EV ready.
What the experts say about the cost and logistics of readying your house with one of the two types of electric vehicle chargers.
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