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End extreme poverty. Fight inequality and injustice. Fix climate change. Whoa. The Global Goals are important, world-changing objectives that will require cooperation among governments, international organizations and world leaders. It seems impossible that the average person can make an impact. Should you just give up?
No! Change starts with you. Seriously. Every human on earth—even the most indifferent, laziest person among us—is part of the solution. Fortunately, there are some super easy things we can adopt into our routines that, if we all do it, will make a big difference.
We’ve made it easy for you and compiled just a few of the many things you can do to make an impact.
Things you can do at home
· Air dry. Let your hair and clothes dry naturally instead of running a machine. If you do wash your clothes, make sure the load is full.
· Take short showers. Bathtubs require gallons more water than a 5-10 minute shower.
· Eat less meat, poultry, and fish. More resources are used to provide meat than plants
· Freeze fresh produce and leftovers if you don’t have the chance to eat them before they go bad. You can also do this with take-away or delivered food, if you know you will not feel like eating it the next day. You will save food and money.
· Compost—composting food scraps can reduce climate impact while also recycling nutrients.
· Recycling paper, plastic, glass & aluminium keeps landfills from growing.
· Buy minimally packaged goods.
· Avoid pre-heating the oven. Unless you need a precise baking temperature, start heating your food right when you turn on the oven.
· Plug air leaks in windows and doors to increase energy efficiency
· Adjust your thermostat, lower in winter, higher in summer
· Replace old appliances with energy efficient models and light bulbs
· If you have the option, install solar panels in your house. This will also reduce your electricity bill!
· Get a rug. Carpets and rugs keep your house warm and your thermostat low.
· Don’t rinse. If you use a dishwasher, stop rinsing your plates before you run the machine.
· Choose a better diaper option. Swaddle your baby in cloth diapers or a new, environmentally responsible disposable brand.
· Shovel snow manually. Avoid the noisy, exhaust-churning snow blower and get some exercise.
· Use cardboard matches. They don’t require any petroleum, unlike plastic gas-filled lighters.
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