Today, climate change is almost synonymous with the emission of fossil fuels. It is the greatest ally of the political right, and a sworn enemy of the left, and has turned into a political battleground that barely ever makes any progress in either direction. 

As important as fossil fuels are to climate change, they are nearly untouchable due to their political nature. Instead of putting monumental effort into shifting an economic and political colossus, we can dramatically affect climate change at home.

It takes approximately 160 grams of carbon dioxide to grow, ship and package a tomato. That is how much a large stand of trees absorbs in two years. Coupled with the fact that grocery stores throw away almost 30% of their produce, shopping at stores willing to sell less than perfect produce lowers your carbon footprint substantially more than turning your air conditioner down. 

Lab-grown meat uses 50% less energy, and a whopping 90% less gas emissions – something that traditional agriculture is the majority producer of. While cultured meat is not yet commonly available, supporting these industries (when they become more prevalent in the next few years) is more environmentally responsible then buying a Tesla — the consumption of meat and daily transportation leaves the same carbon footprint for the average person. 

Fossil fuels are the root of the problem, but that does not mean completely abolishing them is the only solution to climate change. Instead of idly complaining or voting for people who promise to get rid of coal, there are real, tangible things that we can do in our homes to combat climate change much more effectively. This is something that anybody can do — even as a teenager shopping with their parents.