Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

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.

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