CNN's climate experts have some tips for you.

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🍃 the smartest ways to reduce your climate impact

Angela Fritz is on a mission to ease your climate anxiety.

“The climate crisis is not your fault, personally. And it's not on you alone to solve it. But there are things that we can do, and should do, to help get this thing under control,” Fritz told Inside CNN.

Fritz is CNN’s senior climate editor and the writer behind the new email learning series Life, But Greener. The seven-part newsletter course teaches readers how to make more climate-friendly choices in areas including food, pets and travel. Inside CNN readers get exclusive early access to Life, But Greener. Click here to sign up.

Fritz is a meteorologist who previously worked at CNN as a weather producer and helped the network craft coverage of extreme weather and its devastating impacts, including hurricanes and wildfires. She now leads the CNN Climate team, which launched last year. The group of five writers and editors works to bring readers digestible stories on the climate crisis.

“There are times when a big climate crisis study will come out. These things can be very dry and data-heavy. The first question always is: ‘What is the impact here? What is this telling our readers?’” Fritz said.

Fritz has noticed that many readers have become anxious about what a warming planet could mean for the future — a phenomenon that’s been dubbed “eco-anxiety.”

“These days, when we share climate stories on Facebook, or when I see them pop up on places like Reddit, more and more you get people who comment, ‘We're doomed and I have no idea what to do about this.’” Fritz said. “Which is exactly why we're writing this newsletter. Our goal is to give readers answers to those questions, because the feeling is real.”

Fritz spoke to us via Zoom about her tips for living a greener life, as her cat, Pepper, watched from his perch beside her desk. Below are excerpts from our conversation.

Pepper, Fritz’s cat.

What should readers know about Life, But Greener, and why should they sign up?

Anyone who has felt like they should be doing more — or they aren't doing enough — to deal with the climate crisis would benefit from this series. We're going to walk you through some things that you can do to ease those feelings. And we're also going to point to some science that shows that you're not to blame for this. We need big solutions on a big, global scale, but that doesn't mean that we get to bury our heads in the sand. We have to do our own bit. I tried to stay away from things that we consider “greenwashing” — things that look good, but actually have no meaningful impact. We want to make sure that people are coming away with actionable ideas.

I know it's hard. You've really got to commit to living planet-friendly. But I think what this newsletter does really well is offer some options on a scale — things that are easy to do tomorrow, and over on the other side, the big stuff. It's really easy to add weather stripping to your windows and make sure that your insulation is good in your home. It's a completely different thing to install solar panels. We offer solutions that span that huge range.

What are some things in your own life that you've done to minimize your own climate impact?

One of the points that we emphasize is that green living tends to be pretty expensive. I, for instance, cannot afford an electric vehicle at the moment. For now, I drive a Prius (a hybrid vehicle). In the future, transportation needs to be electrified so that when renewable energy, like solar and wind, comes online, all of our facets of life can take advantage of it.

I'm also a relatively recent homeowner. A few years ago, I bought a home and have done most of the things that I've suggested in the newsletter, including this big idea of doing an energy audit in your home to see where you can improve. Homes can be pretty unique in their problems. Things like insulation — making sure that energy is literally not flowing out the door. Those can make a big difference, not only for your climate impact, but also for your bottom line, so that you’re not wasting money on energy.

One edition of Life, But Greener is devoted to the climate impact of pets. Have you modified your approach to pet ownership to help minimize the climate impact?

There is at least one that we've taken advantage of from the pets edition. I do not buy a lot of things for him. You know, we stick to basic food — nothing fancy — and some small chew toys every once in a while. But he's definitely one of those cats where a cardboard box will suffice. So why would I purchase other stuff?

Pets was a tough newsletter to write. It was surprising. As I was looking through some of the recent personal impact studies, finding pets on that list was a little shocking, because I had never considered it. Cats and dogs eat a lot of meat. A lot of their impact is through food. I would never advocate for people not to have pets, because they are such a source of joy. But we can get smart about the things that we buy for them and the food that we buy for them. And that will help.

As a benefit of your free CNN account, you get exclusive early access to Life, But Greener. Click here to sign up.

💳 CNN insider rec of the week

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Sustainable products have come a long way over the years. The Underscored editors rounded up 35 sustainable alternatives for things you use every day. From candles to toilet paper and even shoes — see our top picks.

📮 from the mailbag

Last week, we asked you to share your favorite Wolf Blitzer moments, and you delivered. Here's one response that made us smile:

I am a rabbi in suburban St. Louis. We have an endowed lecture series. A few years before he moved to CNN, Wolf came to our congregation for a “Scholar in Residence Weekend.” He was then a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

We were relaxing in our home on the Saturday afternoon of the weekend and had CNN on the TV. I asked him how he had become the go-to expert on the Middle East for CNN. His answer was revealing of his humility. He said something like: “I’d like to say it’s because I’m good. But that’s not the case. My office is down the hall from CNN, so it’s convenient for them to call me in whenever they need commentary.”

History proves that he was being too humble. We now know what a brilliant commentator and communicator he is.

📢 before you go

🛑 Read: In response to a new social media challenge, the US Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to cook chicken in NyQuil. Learn more and find out why children are more susceptible to these dangerous social media posts.

🎧 Listen: Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the mysterious senses that exist in the animal kingdom on CNN's "Chasing Life" podcast this week. If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to be a dog, a bird or a baby spider, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

🎥 Watch: “The Murdochs: Empire of Influence” premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. The seven-part documentary series explores the improbable rise of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and the intense succession battle among his children over who will inherit his throne — leaving many to question whether the family served as the inspiration behind the popular HBO show “Succession.”

Do you have questions about the climate crisis or making environmentally friendly choices? Send your questions to [email protected], and CNN Senior Climate Editor Angela Fritz may answer it in a future newsletter.