195. Nov. 3: PLASTIC
EASY: Recycle plastic when possible. This is good, BUT…
CHALLENGING: Refusing and Reducing plastic use is harder but better because –
not all plastic put into recycling actually gets recycled. Plus, even recycling plastic can
only be done a few times. Using glass or metal containers are preferable.

196. Nov. 10: CLEANING
EASY: Avoid plastic soap dispensers. Try substituting bar dish soap, bar or refillable
hand soap.
CHALLENGING: To help keep waterways clean, use biodegradable detergents at home
and in business. Eliminate the use of disposable plastic whenever possible

195. Nov. 17: CLOTHING
EASY: Have any clothing that is too worn to wear or pass on? Turn it into cleaning rags.
CHALLENGING: Take care of the clothing you already have. Of course, wash your
clothes but one use doesn’t always mean it’s dirty and needs washing. Spot clean as
needed. Mend and patch to extend life.

195. Nov. 24: FOOD
EASY: Eat less meat. “If every beef-eating American switched to chicken, the United
States would cut its carbon emissions by over 200 million tons.” The Climate Diet by
Paul Greenberg.
CHALLENGING: Heck, consider even going vegetarian (no meat) or possibly even
vegan (eliminate even dairy products because they come from animals.)

191. Oct. 6: REUSE

EASY: Substitute reusable cloth handkerchiefs instead of disposable ones like Kleenex.

CHALLENGING: If you have a baby consider cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. Yes, you have to wash them but reuse is cheaper and better for the environment.

 192. Oct. 13: ENERGY USE

EASY:Use rechargeable batteries or use devices that can be recharged.

CHALLENGING: Switch to LED lightbulbs – a bit pricier to buy but will save money in the long run. If you’ve already done this, advise a friend/neighbor to do the same.

 193. Oct. 20: NATURE

EASY: Whether alone or with family or friends, take time for a leisurely walk in a park or along a waterfront. Relax, enjoy the beauty of creation.

CHALLENGING: Research and choose low-carbon, high nature activities, sports, etc.

194. Oct. 27: R/R/R or “ReStore”

EASY: Compost food scraps and lawn clippings.

CHALLENGING: Donate to or shop at ReStore, a division of Habitat for Humanity dealing with used but in good condition building materials and supplies including tools: https://www.habitat.org/restores

187. Sept. 8: LAUNDRY

EASY: Only wash laundry items when necessary. You can get more than one wear out of many clothing items before they need cleaning.

CHALLENGING: Avoid using laundry detergents that come in plastic containers. Consider paper-like alternatives like Earth Breeze (https://earthbreeze.com/) which comes in liquidless eco sheets.

 Sept. 15: FOOD

EASY: Reduce the amount of food you waste. Buy what you need. Eat it up

CHALLENGING: If possible, create a space outside your home to compost food waste. Bonus: Eventually, it creates healthy soil for a garden to grow more food.

189. Sept. 22: PAPER

EASY: Share magazines and catalogs by donating them to clinics and self-help centers.

CHALLENGING: Use less paper. Convert some mailings to electronic media. When printing on paper is necessary, use single spacing, narrow margins. and print double sided.

 Sept. 29: SHARING

EASY: If you have leftover food, extra supplies (pens/pencils/tools) share it with neighbors.

CHALLENGING: Even better, find a way to share with those who don’t have the money to buy it themselves. Investigate local charities and donate to those who need stuff more than you do. For reusable supplies check the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub website.

EASY: Air conditioning increases electricity use. Watch your thermostat this month. What’s your average indoor temperature during hot weather.

CHALLENGING: If AC is necessary, keep it on the warmer side in summer (around 75 degrees). Use fans instead when feasible. 

184. Aug. 11: GARBAGE

EASY: Do a waste audit in your household and track your garbage for the next week. Where can you make changes to reduce your impact?

CHALLENGING: How much of your recycling bin is filled with paper bills? Most companies and organizations now have paperless billing/notification options. Time to make the switch?

 185. Aug. 18: SELF CARE

EASY: Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Consider changing from a plastic razor to a metal safety razor.

CHALLENGING: Switch to a low-flow efficient showerhead. Newer ones use much less water per minute compared to older models.

186. Aug. 25: LESS PLASTIC GROCERY SHOPPING

EASY: Support a local bakery/butcher and bring your own reusable packaging.

CHALLENGING: Consider enrolling in a “Veg box scheme“ that delivers local fresh fruit & vegetables. to your home. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_box_scheme) 

174. June 2: ENERGY USE
EASY: Let your hair (and clothes) air-dry after washing when possible.
CHALLENGING: Reduce the use of hair dryers and optional appliances.

175. June 9: SPIRITUALITY
EASY: Google spiritual readings about nature (land, water, sky, plants, sun, etc.) and select one that fits your personal faith. Pray in thanks.
CHALLENGING: Find and read a 
book related to environmental sustainability. Consider an action you can take locally or regionally. The U.N. publication, Faith for Earth, A Call to Action, might help.

176. June 16: TRANSPORTATION
EASY: If waiting in your car for someone, turn off your car while idling.
CHALLENGING: Walk, bike, or use alternative public transportation when possible, thus reducing your
personal gas consumption.

177. June 23: WATER
EASY: Take shorter showers with warm water rather than hot water. CHALLENGING:
Reduce use of hot water by ? (maybe 10-20%).

178. June 30: SYSTEMIC CHANGE
EASY: Write or call a local or national politician asking for more effective environmental legislation.
CHALLENGING: Attend a local planning board meeting. Speak about any projects you feel don’t pass environmental muster.

170. May 5: CLEANING

EASY: Use safe cleaning products. Continue to reduce Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) like clam shells, plastic grocery bags, and plastic cups/plates…

CHALLENGING: Research safe household cleaners and consider making your own! Save money, reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals, and produce less waste. Find recipes online for natural cleaners.

171. May 12: EDUCATE YOURSELF

EASY: Google regenerative agriculture vs industrial agriculture. Support good farming practices

CHALLENGING: Try to implement at least one of the regenerative agriculture practices.

172. May 19: PAPER

EASY: Avoid bright-colored paper

CHALLENGING: If you must print a document, use double-sided printing if you can or perhaps condense the article to one page.

173. May 26: REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE

EASY: Do not put grease or strong chemicals down drains.

CHALLENGING: When eating out, take your own container for leftovers.

161. Mar. 3: CLUTTER

EASY: What’s the messiest place in your home? Perhaps the entryway or kitchen? Choose one category of items (hats, kitchen notes…) to review. Dispose of or recycle extra ones.

CHALLENGING: In the spirit of the upcoming season of Lent, declutter not only your material possessions but also your mind. What grudges or angers are you holding on to? Declutter your mind.

162. Mar. 10: SHOPPING

EASY: When shopping, take reusable bags (canvas bags or reused paper/plastic bags.)

CHALLENGING: Contact your local supermarket or other stores. Please encourage them to minimize packaging at checkout, subsidize returnable packaging, etc.

163. Mar. 17: MONEY

EASY: Saving our environment can sometimes cost money, but we can also donate to a worthy environmental cause. Consider donating to FCGG.org at https://equasion.org/donate/faith-communities-go-green-fund-fcgg/ 

CHALLENGING: Research the most environmentally responsible cleaning, car, or energy-efficient products. Sometimes the purist products cost more. Weigh carefully where to spend your money.

164. Mar. 24: ENERGY

EASY: Set your computer and/or display to turn off after 15 minutes of inactivity.

CHALLENGING: Ensure your home is properly insulated to use less energy and reduce heating and cooling costs.

165. Mar. 31: SPRING CLEANUP

EASY: Choose either your home or yard. Clean up extras or debris. Enjoy a cleaner environment. Relax.

CHALLENGING: Invite your neighbors or community to help you clean up winter’s residue (cans, bottles, orphan mittens in the street, tree debris, loose stones, miscellaneous garbage…)

157. Feb. 3: PLASTIC

EASY: Reduce use of plastic bags as much as possible by refusing, reducing use, using a paper bag, or (if it’s small) just carry it.

CHALLENGING: Additional alternatives to plastic bags are canvas bags, a packing box, or put it in a backpack.

158. Feb. 10: DRINK WATER

EASY: Drink water from the tap. It is by far the cheapest drink in both emissions and money. It also avoids plastic bottles and usually has fluoride for healthy teeth.

CHALLENGING: Consider buying a reusable water filter dispenser to reduce chlorine, lead, mercury… I use the Pur dispensers with a filter.

159. Feb. 17: TRASH

EASY:Walk around your neighborhood with a garbage bag to pick up trash and recyclables.

CHALLENGING: Post your experience on social media or talk with others to multiply your effort.

160. Feb. 24: PAPER

EASY: When possible, avoid unnecessary use of paper by using email, text messaging…

CHALLENGING: When paper is essential, try recycled, post-consumer, acid-free note/office paper or paper from a tree farm.

153. Jan. 6: CLOTHING
EASY: Perhaps you got a new piece of clothing for the Holiday. Swap out a similar piece by donating it to a secondhand store – or at least retire it as a rag.
CHALLENGING: If you genuinely need a new piece of clothing, evaluate the fabric it’s made of. Seek natural fibers. Avoid petroleum-based fabrics such as nylon, polyester, and fleece when possible.

154. Jan. 13: BATHROOM CLEANUP
EASY: Review your bathroom medicine cabinet for duplicates and out of date medicines. Pick at least one duplicate item to donate to a homeless shelter. Discard expired medications.
CHALLENGING: Count how many plastic containers are in your medicine cabinet. Can you reduce the number by half? Examples: replace bottled shampoo or lotions with bars.

155. Jan. 20: ENERGY USE
EASY: Beyond heating, cooling, cooking, and lighting, count the items in your home that run on electricity. Is there anything you haven’t used in a year?
CHALLENGING: Give away any electrical devices you haven’t used in a year. Consider setting your computer to turn off after 15 minutes of inactivity.

157. Jan. 27: EDUCATING YOURSELF & OTHERS
EASY: Use the library or Internet to educate yourself instead of buying books (except mine )
CHALLENGING: Encourage others (your office, schools, religious organizations, etc) to recycle. Multiply your personal efforts by motivating others.