Ways you can help our planet every day

August 1, 2018

Here are some things you can do to help our planet each and every day! Each of us has our own unique path in life and because of that, we all have wonderfully diverse perspectives! When we take all of those perspectives and put them together, we can change the world as a whole. You get to be your own you, stewarding your own path for our planet and that path might not be the same one filled with the same steps as the person next to you and that is totally okay!

So when you look at this long list of ways to help our planet, try not to be intimidated. Pick one thing and start small, when you feel you have mastered it then you can pick another to add to your planet helper toolkit. Starting small is better than not starting at all!

Unplug and power down

Turn off the thermostat when you can, or keep it at 68. Unplug your devices you aren’t using and power down rooms that you aren’t in.

Shop local! With food, clothing, and other goods.

Whether it be with food, clothing, or other goods, shopping locally at a store is better for our planet. U.S. international shipping and transports releases over 1 billion metric tons of CO2 a year. Locally owned businesses often make local purchasing decisions and keep money in the community with local job creation.

Bike, walk or take public transit instead of driving

Choosing to bike, walk, or take public transit are all a great way to reduce your CO2 emissions. Polar Bears International says on their website, “About 28% of the energy used in the U.S. goes to moving people and goods from one place to another. In the U.S., half of all trips by car are three miles or fewer. By biking on those short trips, we can reduce carbon pollution.”

Reduce your plastic footprint

Skip the straw and other single-use plastic items! Bring your own reusable water bottle, straw, cup, spork, and shopping bag when you go out. Fossil fuels are used in all aspects of plastic production from creating, packaging, shipping, and disposing of all plastic. Looking for some products to swap to be more zero waste? Here are some zero waste gift ideas.

Household sustainability

Whether your town is on a sustainable power grid or you can install solar panels, living off of the fossil fuel power grid is an incredible way to reduce your footprint worldwide.

Don’t remodel your home. New homes take anywhere from 40 to 100 years to offset their carbon waste. Old homes were also designed to keep cool and warm without modern heating technologies, using better insulation techniques and airflow designs. This makes older homes more green is a better option for long-term sustainability.

Wear reef safe sunscreen

Chemical sunscreen has lasting damaging effects to the environment including coral bleaching. Even when you live inland (like me in Colorado!) it is good to use natural sunscreen without harsh chemicals like oxybenzone as these chemicals are not great for freshwater fish, plants, and animals either. Learn more all about reef safe sunscreen here.

Choose to go without

Even better than shopping second hand is the option to choose to not shop when possible. By buying clothing and lifestyle items that will last a lifetime or be repaired along the way, you can instead help break the cycle of shopping and tossing.

Reduce your meat eating

Livestock takes a lot of room to graze and a lot of water to process, which end up making it a huge contributor to climate change. Food is a deeply personal experience driven by health, religious beliefs, and culture. It is not possible for all people in this world to eat the same way, but one thing that you can do is to reduce your meat intake. Some people choose days of the week like “Meatless Monday”, while others might swap out meat during the daytime. Calculate your water footprint here and see how you can reduce to save!

Shop second hand

Shopping second hand is always a great option when available, not just for clothing. However, our desire to be wearing the latest most fashionable piece of clothing has created a lot of problems worldwide because so much of the clothing produced today is fast fashion and not meant to last long term. Biodegradable fibers are the best options for sustainable apparel.

Support a nonprofit or NGO that fights for our environment

There are great nonprofits helping to fight for our environment every day through education initiatives, small business plans in local communities, and government lobbying. Find one you support and follow them online, share their work, and donate!

Support artists, writers, and other creators who are using their skills to spread awareness for our planet

It is important to support those who are using their skills to spread awareness for our planet. Oftentimes creators who speak up for our planet have stepped away from traditional jobs to devote time to causes they care about and this can mean a loss of income and stability. Support creators by following their work online, liking their posts and leaving nice comments, sharing their work with your friends, and buying their products when possible. Thank you for supporting me by reading my blog posts and buying my books! I hope together we can help our planet!

Share this post

I personally find when I talk to people about helping the environment, they feel overwhelmed about where to start, so they give up. By sharing this post (and other posts like this), all different types of people will find ways they can help the planet that work with their lifestyle.

VOTE

Last but, most importantly: VOTE! Vote for representatives that know Climate Change is real and will protect our planet by protecting public lands and regulating corporations. This is the best thing you can do for the future of our planet!

Lily Williams

The website of Author/Illustrator Lily Williams