Marissa Buss

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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!

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

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

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.