Santiago Gonzalez’s Punch List | Project Regeneration

Santiago Gonzalez

Punch List

Created 10 Dec 2024

By 2040, I plan to own and primarily use an electric or hybrid vehicle. I choose this because we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which currently accounts for about 28% of the United States' total greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to a low-emission vehicle will directly lower my personal contribution to air pollution and climate change.
To combat climate change, I will reduce my meat consumption to less than 125 pounds per year. Meat production, especially beef, is resource-intensive, requiring significant amounts of water and energy. Meat production (again) especially beef, also produces and emits a significant amount of methane. By eating less than 125 pounds of meat per year through eating more plant-based meals and then buying the meat I do eat from sustainably sourced meat sellers, I decrease the environmental impact that my food consumption has.
I will prioritize buying food from farms and farmers who implement sustainable farming practices. Organic and sustainable farming practices, like rotating crops, use of cover crops and organic fertilizer like manure, promote biodiversity and soil health. Buying from local farmers will also reduce the overall emissions from transportation.
By 2040 I will reduce my energy use by 20%. I will do this by using more efficient appliances, not using AC as often in the summer and putting on a sweater instead of turning on the heat in the winter. I will also make sure to unplug items that have a phantom load, and I will also shower and wash my clothes with warm/cold water instead of hot. Lowering my energy usage supports life because it will reduce (very little because I am one person) emissions from fossil fuel plants that generate 32.89% of Illinois' electricity as of 2022.

A punch list can be for an individual, family, community, company, or city. It is the list of the actions you or a group will undertake and accomplish over a predetermined span of time—one month, one year, five years, or more. You can make different lists for different time periods—this week and this year for example.

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