In the face of recent   to the National Climate Assessment report on the threats of climate change, the Trump administration continues to attempt to curtail environmental policies. However, individuals can make a difference by reducing their personal greenhouse gas emissions. While there are many ways to do this and save energy—like insulating your home, installing solar panels, and planting trees—the following are some of the simplest and easiest changes you can make. They require little effort or financial investment.

First, calculate your carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases—including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, and more—that you produce in your lifetime. Project Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project  determined that to keep global temperature rise to 2˚C or less, everyone on Earth would need to achieve an average annual carbon footprint of 1.87 tonnes by 2050. Currently, the average US carbon footprint per capita is 18.3 tons. By comparison, China's per capita carbon emissions are 8.2 tons. We all have a way of getting to 1.87 tons. (RENEE CHO)