It seems to be a popular belief that the state of the planet is “not our generation’s problem.” Americans are only five percent of the global population but use 30 percent of the world’s resources and in turn, produce 30 percent of the world’s waste. China is now the global leader in greenhouse gas emissions (surpassing the United States in 2007) and created 27 percent of total global emissions in 2014. With the election of Donald Trump, it is clear that environmental issues are about to take a back seat, if not thrown out of the car entirely.

Here are four ways you can protect the planet.

1. Recycle

Though it seems obvious, the benefits of recycling are enormous: conservation of natural resources such as timber, metal and water, preventing pollution by cutting down on collection of resources, preventing more waste from entering landfills, saving energy, creating jobs in recycling, manufacturing companies and reducing greenhouse gasses being admitted into the atmosphere. All you have to do is rinse the container off and toss it in the specified bin. When purchasing goods and when disposing of products, check the label or the bottom of the container. Chances are, it’s recyclable!

Fun Fact: You can make a difference. On average, each one of us produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste each day. This adds up to almost a ton of trash per person, per year. Imagine if that was recycled and not buried or incinerated.

Want to learn more? Visit the EPA's web page "How Do I Recycle."

2. Compost

Composting is the idea of decomposing organic waste into usable soil. There are two main ways to create a compost pile, an open container, like a wooden crate, or a closed container, a sealed plastic storage container. The key to a healthy yielding pile is the balance between green materials: fruits, vegetables or fresh grass clippings responsible for nitrogen and brown materials: dried straw, dead leaves and dried grass responsible for carbon.

Not all composting requires worms, and piles that include these little guys are called "worm bins." Don't worry! Composting is super easy and can be accomplished on even the smallest patios.

Fun Fact: Jell-O can be composted!

Want to learn more? Visit "How to Compost."

3. Adopt a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet.

This diet is often ridiculed for lacking in protein, iron and omega 3, but did you know that you can get all your essential vitamins and minerals through plants? Soy, spinach and walnuts already give you the top three complaints right there, and cooking vegetarian is ridiculously easy. When is comes to meat, the United States is the largest beef producer in the world, and theaverage consumer eats three times more meat than any other country.

Cows (beef) create methane, which is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and produce more greenhouse gas than 22 million carsper year. It takes an astonishing 1,840 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef. If meat is something you can’t go without, consider joining the Meatless Monday campaign or only eating it a few times a week.

Fun Fact: Vegetarians save at least 3,000 pounds of emitted CO₂ per year compared to carnivores by simply cutting meat out of their diets.

Want to learn more? Visit "One Bite At A Time."

4. Become less of a consumer.

Consumerism is one of the leading causes in pollution and destruction of natural resources due to a constant need for new. Stop following trends — they are designed to make the consumer feel ostracized if they don’t have the newest, biggest and brightest products. Ads compel us to keep up with society, showing us thousands of times a day that we need to shop, or we will never be happy.

Be aware of planned obsolescence, products that are designed to break or be thrown away without losing the customers faith. Think about your washing machines, cars, phones and computers. It may seem like they don’t last as long as they should, and now that it’s broken you need a new one. Don’t buy into it.

Fun Fact: Only one percent of products are still in use six months after purchased, the rest went straight to landfills.

Want to learn more? Visit "The Story of Stuff."