Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Positive change; what can you do today?

As I think of positive change, I am thinking of the small changes I can make to move towards betterment, changes I can write about now and institute readily.

No more plastic water bottles
Starting today I can make a commitment to not buying plastic water bottles, but instead carrying my water bottle with me. Regulations make local water as clean as most bottled water where I live so there's no need to buy extra plastic or spend my money that way.

Mostly vegetarian meals
Eating vegetarian is good for the planet. Lately I've noticed at dinner parties, it's the vegetables that go first. So eating mostly vegetarian is good for the planet, good for my health, and attractive to people who visit.

Growing my own food
Food miles takes a toll on the planet, we can be more Earth-friendly by growing our own food. I can begin that this week with some deck plants that will result in foods for summer salads.

Earth-Friendly Travel plans
Traveling by plane is not great for the planet. Traveling by train or car is better, and traveling by walking or biking is best. I can begin to think more seriously about how and when I travel. I can travel less, and make that travel longer and more meaningful to save air miles and be a better planetary citizen. I've always wanted to take a vacation that was mostly biking so that might be one way to save on travel miles and energy this summer.

Grocery Bags
Simply put, I can get into the habit that so many embrace now which is to bring my own grocery bags to the store.

Water/Energy Conservation
Lowering the thermostat, wearing an extra sweater, not using as much air conditioning, using water sparingly are all more ways to conserve Earth's awesome resources.

Outdoor Planting
Planting in ways that create greater shade, conserve water, work against erosion, and provide food are also Earth friendly ways to live and act.

Equity at School
Looking for ways to create greater equity at school which, in turn, will great greater peace and success for students and their families. One way I want to start to do this next year is by offering an after school homework club for students who may not have at-home academic help in order to succeed with their studies.

Reading and Studying
Learning more about the world around me and what I can do to support policies, laws, candidates, and action for betterment is important. I need to learn more about these actions so I can better speak about and act for this betterment.

There's so much that each of us can do to forward betterment in our own lives, the lives of our loved ones, and the lives of the communities we belong to. Here's an initial list of actions to get me started.