You might wish to set aside part of your lawn to leave unmown, or you might decide to mow paths through longer grassy areas. Be prepared to share your reasons with your neighbors, who might at first not realize the benefits of long grass.
If there’s not a cleanup in your area, consider creating one. All you’ll need are trash bags, rubber gloves, and a team of like-minded volunteers. You can select any lake, river, creek, swamp, marsh, beach, or wetland you prefer to help clean.
Try using beneficial insects that can control the pest population, or natural pesticides which have been developed to make the plant taste bad to the pest. You can find these at your local garden store or online. [4] X Research source Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, biocides, fungicides, and nematicides.
Planting native plants helps with water conservation. Once established, little or no irrigation should be needed for most well-placed native plants. You’ll be increasing the local biodiversity, establishing native pollinator and songbird habitats in your yard.
Rainwater isn’t safe for drinking; it should only be used for irrigation and cleaning purposes. Saving your rainwater helps protect nature by preventing stormwater runoff from carrying trash, nutrients, and other pollution to your local lakes and streams.
Examples of favorites among bees include borage, cleome, cosmos, “bee-balm” or monarda, verbena and zinnia. Herbs that bees frequent include rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, and all kinds of sage or salvia.
Don’t squirrel-proof your birdfeeders, as this is cruel to squirrels. If you want to keep squirrels away from birdfeeder, feed them in a separate squirrel feeder on a different tree or fence away from the tree with the birdfeeders. Don’t feed the animals on a patio or other manmade structure that is far from a tree, as that is unnatural. You can make your own bird and squirrel feeders to make an even bigger change because you are making pollution into usable items!
Be aware that there are organizations with environmental-sounding names that actually work to dismantle legal protections for natural space. Research the organization thoroughly before getting involved with any action. For example, The Center for Whale Research does research on Orca whales in the Pacific Northwest, but the Institute for Cetacean Research is a front group for Japanese whaling operations.
Internships and international opportunities are also available to those who are able to travel. You might find that your volunteer work leads to new actions and opportunities. Even if it starts with stapling flyers or doing data entry, your actions will help support the protection of the environment.
Connect with other activists on social media. Share information through videos, photographs, and facts. Create online polls that are quick to share with friends to collect information.
It might help to know that research shows that people who sign online petitions are actually more likely than those who sign paper petitions to follow up with other forms of activism. [10] X Research source Follow up your petition with real-life action, such as calls to lawmakers, organize a march, and talk to your friends about doing the same.
Taking shorter showers, or turning off the water while you lather up, will save water and money. Set a timer if you need to. Use water-conserving faucets, showerheads and toilets. Turn the faucet off while you brush your teeth or shave.
Use natural lighting whenever possible, and consider installing skylights or light tunnels to light darker areas of the house. Switch to energy-efficient lightbulbs. Using less electricity translates to fewer greenhouse gases being discharged into the environment from your energy company. Unplug chargers when they’re not in use. Chargers for your electronic devices are constant energy users, even when your device is unplugged. Reducing your electricity usage benefits the environment and can save you money.
Usually biodegradable products will list this information on their labels. Look for this designation. Avoid ingredients that are “antibacterial” or “antibiotic” as the ingredients in these can negatively impact the environment. Also avoid scented products, bleach, boron/borax, chlorine bleach, or ingredients with the word sodium in them, such as sodium hypochlorite.
If you’re going to fly, try to fly non-stop, as this will use less fuel. Consider walking anyplace less than a mile away. Try biking to nearby destinations. Look into telecommuting into work occasionally to conserve energy.
Use a programmable thermostat to conserve energy when you’re less active. Make sure your heating and cooling systems are well-maintained and operating efficiently.
Try to buy from local growers whenever possible. Local farmers are usually invested in employing sustainable farm practices. Read the labels on your food products. If you don’t recognize more than ⅓ of the words found there, look for something less processed.
Healthy diet guidelines encourage at least 50% of your daily diet consist of fruits and vegetables. If you do eat meat, treat it as a condiment rather than a main dish. Be aware that factory-farmed meat is produced in ways that contribute to greenhouse gases and environmental degradation. Learn to hunt deer for a more natural meat source.
Most fresh fish must be transported by air, if it’s not local. Even out-of-season frozen fish will be more sustainable than fresh fish flown in. [18] X Trustworthy Source National Resources Defence Council Multinational environmental advocacy group focused on grassroots activism and legislative action Go to source As the nutritional value of food diminishes with time, eating locally grown food increases the amount of nutrition you’ll receive. [19] X Research source
Good retailers will be well-informed on the way their sellers practice sustainability. Knowing more about your farmers and food sources through your retailers can help support local business, which are invested in protecting and preserving the environment.
