WalletHub asked five academic experts across the environmental and economic fields to answer questions and provide insights into eco-friendliness at the household, government, and global levels. Here is one of the questions targeted at individuals and households:

What is the single most impactful thing an individual can do to reduce their effect on the environment?

Move to a plant-based diet. The industrial animal agriculture industry is an ecological and moral abomination. Switching to a plant-based diet decreases greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, air pollution, and deforestation, and also improves health. Jason Scorse

Make your home energy efficient and eliminate the use of natural gas and gasoline in your life by going to all-electric appliances (heat pump air and water heaters/air conditioners, induction cooktop stoves, heat pump dryers, LED lights) and electric cars if you need to drive. Mark Jacobson

Replace your SUV with an electric sedan. Halina Brown

It may be the simple things: change all your lightbulbs to energy-efficient ones; walk when you can; understand the whole problem and work to fix it – do not rely on slogans and soundbites. Janie Chermak

Recognize our shared predicament about the climate crisis and build alliances with others to push for change and action. Everyone starts somewhere and realizing that you are a future ancestor can help motivate people to see themselves as more than solitary beings, and this leads to joining up with others and insisting that leaders help redirect societies toward sustainable futures. We cannot take “no” for an answer, because our common future depends on action now. Sharon Moran

What action are you willing to commit to?