10 wins for the planet in 10 minutes or less
while many of us are stuck at home during quarantine wondering what to do with ourselves we’ve decided to come up with some easy & actionable steps that we can all take to have a positive impact on the planet.
Although the news has been covering many of the bad events (what else is new…) as a result of COVID-19 there have been some positive effects to our planet, though they may be temporary we do hope some habits will bring about a new outlook on our activities.
a) In China, emissions dropped 25% at the beginning of this year
b) a decrease in carbon emissions due to less manufacturing, air travel and car usage
c) cutting down on food waste and reconnecting with our food via home cooking
let’s get started on how you can make an impact right from your couch!
1. join fire drill fridays
a virtual rally by Greenpeace that takes place every friday with the legend Jane Fonda. Sign up for weekly actions you can do from home. You can join by texting JANE to 877-877 and they’ll send you weekly links to connect live with Jane and others every Friday as we continue to build a mass movement demanding climate justice.
2. eliminate junk mail with the snap of a photo!
PaperKarma is an app that lets users snap a picture of their junk mail and send it on over to them, where they will make the necessary calls to remove you from the mailing list.
did you know? each US household receives about 850 pieces of junk mail per year, which adds up to more than 100 billion pieces of mail a year – download this app and save the planet from unnecessary waste.
3. make a pledge! there are hundreds of ways to have fun
with this one, here are a few of our favorites:
- #meatlessmondays make a commitment to going vegan 1 day a week, and save 1 animal life, 20.6 pounds of harmful carbon dioxide emissions, 30.4 square feet of forest, and 1,116 gallons of water.
- the plastic pledge make a pledge to reduce your single use plastics and challenge your friends with this fun interactive pledge page by National Geographicwww.nationalgeographic.com/environment/plasticpledge/
- pledge for the planet a great place to find inspiration! find a pledge that suits you with their “PLEDGESPIRATION” board. you can also create your own pledge page and invite friends to take the pledge with youhttps://www.pledgefortheplanet.org/pledgespiration/
4. join the Bee bnb revolution!
want to help wild bees? sign up to become a host for these pollinators and plant a garden of native pants and wildflowers. the David Suzuki Foundation is even giving a FREE Bee-bnb sticker to the first 100 Superhosts to sign up in Canada!**
did you know pollinators help produce one third of the food we eat?
5. donate a photo
it’s as simple as downloading an app on your phone! for every photo you send in with this app, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to a good cause of your choosing!
6. get fit and make an impact – walk with a purpose!
Charity Miles is an app that lets you turn a neighborhood jog or weekend hike into a fundraiser for good. just choose a charity and get moving. the app tracks your movement. for every mile you log, you help to earn money for the charity of your choice.
maybe you aren’t as serious as these hikers ^ but every mile makes a difference, even if you walk 1 mile per day – that’s 365 miles per year! this app will give you the motivation you need to enjoy some fresh air knowing that you are raising money for a charity you believe in.
7. improve your vocabulary and donate rice!
this is a fun way to test your vocab and feed the world at the same time! donate 10 grains of rice for every answer you get right and as if it couldn’t get any easier, they even have an app that you can install! you can even create and join groups with friends, and it’s not just your vocabulary you can test your skills at, you can also choose from trivia like flags of the world, famous quotes, basic math and even anatomy!
8. host a virtual fundraiser!
plan a fundraiser like a virtual dog walk where friends and family can sign up with their furry friend and pledge to walk a certain number of KMs in however many consecutive days, host a live video call through zoom and set a group walking time. Have everyone to pledge to donate $X amount for every km they walk.
9. plant trees as you search the web
this green search engine Ecosia donates 80% of its income to a tree-planting program in Brazil. The search engine can be added to your Chrome browser, so every web search you perform will help the environment for free.
10. spread the word and share this article!
never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited people can change the world.
always love,
the urbivore sisters
Do Something BIG for Yourself & for the Planet
Join our 30-day Vegan Challenge!
If one person goes vegan for one month, they can save 620 pounds of harmful carbon emissions, and save 913 square feet of rainforest (since these get caught down to raise beef cattle) and 33,481 gallons of water. 1
Feel the difference a plant-based diet can make on your energy levels, mental clarity, and physical being.
Even if you just commit to 1-week, we bet you will notice the difference!
