We can take simple steps to help ease the burden on our Earth. Many climate-friendly activities don’t need to be viewed as sacrifices, but as ways to enrich our lives, and our relationships.
Collective Awakening and Direct Action
- Take an inventory of my consumption habits and simplify my life.
- Find sources of information and news that educate, inspire and motivate.
- Donate my time, energy and resources to help the Earth.
- Put pressure on fossil fuel industry leaders and banks that finance the extraction of fossil fuels.
- Participate in city planning meetings.
- Lobby local and national political leaders.
- Support rallies and marches to raise awareness.
- Share my views in a way that creates compassionate dialogue.
- Spend time in nature, lots of time!
Positive Actions in My Home and Neighborhood
- Switch to green electricity.
- Divest from fossil fuels, especially for home heating.
- Offer to share resources (tools, equipment, transport) with neighbors.
- Start or join a community garden.
- Plant native plants and trees, edible plants and fruit-bearing trees.
- Consider shared housing or community-based housing programs.
Compassionate Eating
- Go vegan one, two or three days a week.
- Become fully vegan.
- Buy local, seasonal food to reduce food-miles.
- Buy organic food.
- Support a local farmer’s market.
- Grow fruits and vegetables at home.
Mindful Traveling
- Track car trips and combine errands.
- Walk or bike to places within five miles.
- Use public transportation.
- Arrange to work from home.
- Drive an electric vehicle or fuel-efficient vehicle.
- Plan a car-free day at least once a week.
- Reduce flight travel; buy carbon offsets for flights.
- Take vacations close to home.
Wise Water Use
- Water my lawn more efficiently or replace it with pollinator-friendly plants.
- Take shorter showers.
- Turn off water while brushing teeth or shaving.
- Install a system to capture and store rainwater.
- Install a system to re-use gray water.
Simple Consuming
- Compost kitchen waste.
- Re-use or recycle, including batteries, computers, old clothes and ink cartridges.
- Use both sides of the paper.
- Buy 100% recycled paper for printers and bathrooms.
- Use biodegradable household cleaning products.
- Stop paper bank statements and bills.
- Say “no” to plastic bags.
- Buy second-hand and use the library instead of buying books.
- Avoid buying disposable items or items with extra packaging (about a third of trash is packaging).
- Meditate on everything I throw away, and on what will happen to those items.
- Help my workplace reduce waste, increase recycling and lower our carbon footprint.
- Find out more about the products I buy—where they come from and the companies that produce them.
- Create a boycott list of all companies I do not wish to support, share this information with others, and inform companies of my choices.
Energy Conservation
- Replace light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs.
- Fully turn off computers and televisions at night.
- Use stairs instead of elevators.
- Reduce home heating and reduce or eliminate air-conditioning.
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Get an energy audit of my home and improve its efficiency.
- Install energy-efficient insulation and windows.
- Use a clothesline or rack to dry clothes naturally.
- Install a solar or biomass water heating unit.
Coming back to a simpler life is not a step backward. A simpler lifestyle opens the door to a richer, more abundant existence.