Little things

A Totally informal list of little things we can all do

Be A Warrior in the Fight to Save Our Planet

You’ve read The Immortal Voices. You’re aware of the crisis. You agree we need to do something before our planet kills us all …

So now what?

List of Little Things to Try
Resources (More formal ones!)

This page is intended to be a list of efforts we can all make to help save our planet.

It is by no means a comprehensive list, and isn’t meant for people to adopt all at once, either. It’s a list that stems from my own desire to do something that feels like it makes some amount of difference, and is a companion to my book series that deals with the topic of climate change in a fun, fantasy story context.

So if you’re looking for ideas too, check it out!

Read the Books That Started This Page

A little bit about the books:

The Immortal Voices: Green & Gold series is primarily about a girl learning to find her place in the world. In her quest to find out where she belongs, she has to learn to use the unique gifts she has been given  . . .  and she has a little help from some immortal companions along the way.

It’s about friendship, self-acceptance, standing up for what’s right, and learning how to embrace the differences that make us each valuable individuals. But none of that will matter if we don’t have a planet to call home, so yes . . . it also encompasses the very real coming battles of climate change.

A little thing about this list:

I can’t imagine anyone doing ALL of these things. If you can, hooray, but you’re a success whether you do one or ten or all of these. That’s the point. They’re little things that add up the more people start doing them.

So choose a couple that seem easy. Or choose one area to focus on and try a few to see what fits in your life. No matter how many you implement and stick with, it will be more than you were doing before. So join the fight, and feel free to comment what’s working for you!

Water conservation

  • Use rain barrels to capture rainwater for watering the garden
  • Plant drought-resistant local plants instead of ones that need more water
  • Replace lawns with beds, gravel, woodchips, or turf that need little to no water
  • Shorten showers by just a minute or 2
  • Take fewer baths
  • Use a basin in the sink to wash dishes and throw the dish water on the garden
  • Take a bucket or 2 into the shower and use the captured water to water plants
  • Fix leaks or dripping toilets
  • Put sprinklers on a timer
  • Cancel scheduled watering when rain is forecast
  • Try to fill the dishwasher before running … BUT, running the dishwasher once uses less water than 3-5 sink loads of dishes washed by hand.

Waste reduction

  • Buy items with less packaging or eco friendly recyclable packaging
  • Recycle and compost as much as possible
  • Fix/mend/darn whatever you can instead of replacing it
  • Take reusable bags for grocery shopping
  • Use washable food containers for leftovers and lunches instead of plastic bags
  • Specifically ask for no straw & no cutlery when getting take out or fast food
  • Order low waste products (I like TruEarth laundry detergent strips for example (not sponsored))
  • Challenge yourself and your family to no more than 1 small garbage bag per week. Or 1 grocery size bag per 2 weeks for 1 individual. It’s easier than you think!

Energy conservation

  • Try the #twodegreechallenge – Turn your thermostat down (heat) or up (AC) by 2 degrees and adjust with clothes/blankets/etc
  • Install a programmable thermostat
  • Unplug charger bricks when not in use
  • Turn off lights in empty rooms
  • Replace old lighting with LEDs
  • Hang clothes to dry in nice weather
  • Add/replace the insulation in your attic
  • Get lighter colored siding and roof shingles to reflect heat
  • Replace old windows
  • Fix window and door seals where air leaks
  • Set up awnings or shades outside windows in the hottest months
  • Look for energy efficient models when replacing appliances

Fossil fuel reduction

  • Cut down on driving (even 1 fewer trip per week)
  • Work from home – Post-pandemic, there are a lot more options to work from home at least some of the time
  • Make friends with your neighbors so you can borrow that cup of sugar (or whatever) instead of making a special trip to the store
  • Write to your local elected officials to encourage the transition to clean energy in your area
  • Get an electric car (okay, that one’s a big thing)
  • Replace an old oil or gas furnace with a heat pump where possible
  • Install solar panels
  • Donate to carbon offset projects when you fly somewhere

Food consumption

  • Buy local
  • Buy less at a time so you can eat it all and reduce the risk of it going to waste
  • Grow backyard veggies!
  • Share a vegetable patch with your neighbors, or make use of community gardens
  • Cut down on meat (even 1 fewer meat meal per week)
  • Cut back on heavily processed foods that take a lot of energy to produce (good for your wallet, waist, and the world!)

Paper consumption

  • Read ebooks!
  • Keep digital records instead of printing copies
  • Opt out of paper bank statements
  • Use a calendar app instead of a physical planner
  • Read the newspaper online
  • This one’s for my author friends: Don’t print your manuscript to edit (it hurts me!). Convert to PDF and use a tablet to scribble to your heart’s content. Or change fonts to make your brain see it differently (like it would on paper)

Fun fact: Did you know … Reading a book uses less energy than watching a movie! (wink, wink)

So what about me? Am I doing all those things? Heck no! I’m not perfect. But I’ve done a bunch of these, and most are really easy to stick with! I’m most proud of reducing my garbage to less than 1 small bag per 2 weeks.

And I have now downloaded the AWorld in Support of ActNow app (see the link below) to keep track of my efforts. Fun!