Marissa Buss

I will sign up for a car-sharing service or organize car sharing with my neighbors or classmates to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 10 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 4 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

I will watch 2 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

I will spend 10 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

Send a sister a kind note to make them AND you feel good. Reach out to someone you haven't talked to, someone new, someone you're close to a kind message!

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.