Are you living your life in a way that’s consistent with what you care about and is limiting your impact on the environment? There’s so much we can do in our homes and workplaces—not just to directly reduce emissions—but also to set a positive example for others and start important conversations with family, friends and colleagues. Minimising water and energy usage, avoiding plastics, buying local food, commuting by way of public transport/foot/bike/carpool and changing to renewable energy sources are all effective means of minimising our footprint and bringing some consciousness into our everyday habits.

Living and working more sustainably can have the added benefit of bringing us closer to the community. There are “Buy Nothing” Facebook groups all around the world, where people give away unwanted goods to their neighbours, rather than throwing them out. Some people join because they’d like to quickly get rid of things that are cluttering their lives; others join simply to save money by getting things for free. Most participants report that they’ve made new connections with their neighbours and improved their quality of life.

ACT NOW

Get out your journal and write down how you rate from one to five according to:

• Travel/transport (Use public transport, walk more, ride the bike, fly less).
• Water and energy use (Insulate roofs and walls, flick switches off, use renewable power, shade windows, limit water times).
• Waste (Limit plastic use, compost food waste, buy bulk).
• Eating and buying local food (Shop at farmers markets, grow your own, eat leftovers, make shopping lists, eat less red meat).

Then:

• Walk around your home and garden. In each room jot down a few ideas for how you can save energy and water, and reduce waste. Get quotes from solar and battery storage if you don’t already have them.
• Write down two things you’d like to introduce into your daily routine to get around more efficiently.
• Join your workplace’s sustainability committee (or set one up, if there isn’t one). Find more ideas at Green office guide.

To register for the Dumbo Feather Climate Challenge, and to receive week two straight to your inbox, sign up here. Find week one of the Dumbo Feather Climate Challenge here.