You Can Help!

Everyone can make a difference in our climate story!

Americans have always been resourceful and creative. We have weathered many storms - both environmental and economic - and have become even stronger as a result. Throughout our country's history, we can see that one person can make positive change and lead others to do the same.

Our climate future depends on human choices. Many of these choices may seem small at the individual level but when millions of people take action, it really adds up!

You can make a difference in our fight to protect human health and the environment

NPS photo created with SmartArt

Adapt at Home!

The health of your local environment has a direct impact on the health of North Carolina, the United States, and the world.

A staff member helps maintain a native garden at a NPS site

NPS photo

Chemicals and fertilizers leak into groundwater, impacting our watershed and our oceans. Polluted waters harm aquatic flora and fauna and water quality. In turn, this harms birds and animals that feed from dirty waters. It also harms humans who fish and swim in polluted lakes, rivers, and oceans. In addition, increased water temperature reduces oxygen levels which kills fish; keeping the water clean can make it easier for fish to handle temperature changes.

To help protect and conserve our waters and all the life that depends on them, treat your lawn as an extension of Cape Lookout National Seashore.

• Reduce or eliminate the amount of chemicals you use on your lawn to prevent leeching.
• Plant native flowers or create a butterfly garden to encourage pollinators in your community.

You can also take steps to conserve energy at home. This will reduce your carbon footprint and save you money!

• Purchase power strips for your outlets and make them accessible. After you're done using your electronics, turn off the power strip and unplug it. This prevents your electronics from using energy even when they are not in use.
• Weatherize your home. Investing in proper insulation and sealing gaps and cracks will save you money and help heat or cool your home more efficiently.

Purchase Wisely!

As a consumer, you have incredible power to tell companies what you value. Direct your purchases to businesses that care about your health and their environmental impact.

An historical actor counts money during a reenactment

NPS photo

All companies use materials and energy to produce and sell their product to you. Whether you're purchasing a new car or just buying groceries, choosing how you spend your hard-earned money can send a strong message to businesses and encourage them to help preserve our planet.

Next time you make a purchase, consider different elements of the product:

• Can you recycle it?
• Is it energy efficient?
• Does it avoid excessive packaging?

Not only will energy efficient products help reduce your carbon footprint, but many of them will save you money in the long run. Investing in present purchases for long-term benefits is the smart thing to do. Make your money count for something!

Reduce Your Waste!

By reducing the waste you generate and the energy you use at home, you can save money while keeping our lands and waters clean and healthy.

A park ranger recycles cardboard at his park

NPS photo

Take action to reduce whenever possible:

• Ditch plastic water bottles and buy a refillable container.
• Invest in canvas shopping bags to eliminate the need for plastic bags.
• Buy used rather than purchasing something new for twice the price.
• Maintain the items you already own by repairing and caring for them.
• Use public transportation, bike, or carpool to reduce the amount of emissions produced from driving solo.
• Recycle everything you can! If you don't have a recycling service available, locate a center in your community and make biweekly or monthly trips to drop off your recyclable waste.

These individual actions can make a real difference in the fight to protect our terrestrial and marine landscapes.