Need Help Getting Your Eco-Enthusiast Badge?

That's Great!

Even though you're just one person and this is a giant problem that none of us can fix on our own (and the vast majority of us are not responsible for), changing our personal habits and making an effort to be more conscious of our effect on the environment is a great way to feel like part of something larger than ourselves. These small changes are also more tangible and attainable with well-defined conditions, meaning we can more easily hold ourselves accountable. By making personal changes and sacrifices, we push towards being the magical wormgirl we want to be and can set an example for others around us. That said, it is normal to feel sad, scared, and afraid about the ongoing climate crisis right now and you should allow yourself to feel those feelings.

Listed below are some changes you could consider making to get your Eco-Enthusiast Badge:

• Reduce Meat Consumption:
This doesn't necessarily have to be going vegetarian or vegan. This is not only due to the animals, but the food grown to feed them. Start with a meatless monday or eliminating red meat (your colon will thank you too!).
• Energy Audit Your Home:
Doing an energy audit on your home can not only make it more efficient, but reduce your bills as well. The Department of Energy provides a DIY Energy Audit Guide with links to professionals as well.
• Reduce Water Consumption:
Simple ways to do this are to shorten your showers and reduce their frequency (if your body allows it) and to wash your clothes less often (it's bad for them to be washed too much anyways). Check your home for leaks and be mindful of whether your region is currently experiencing a drought.
• Walk or Bike or Rollerskate for Short Trips:
Look into walking, biking, or public transit in your area! Our society isn't really set up for this one and it's understandable if you can't do this in the suburbs.
• Reduce Single-Use Plastics:
Get some reusable bags for your shopping trips, swap out your coffee mugs from poly styrene to stainless steel, and skip that plastic straw at the fast food joint. Pay attention to product and gift packaging to reduce or eliminate plastic use.
• Check Your Brands:
Take the time to look over your shopping list and do some research on the biggest brands you buy from and see if you can support less destructive companies. Note that the icky, problematic carbon credit industry can make this hard.
• Stop Printing as Much:
Maybe more applicable to me as an academic. 😿 Anyways, consider whether or not you really need to print something before spending the paper and ink on it.
• Consider Getting an Ereader:
There is a bit of math to this one because Ereaders require natural resources that have a higher upfront carbon footprint, but if you read multiple books a month and keep your reader more than 4 years, it's usually a better choice.
• Reject Fast Fashion:
Fast fashion has a number of issues, a full bingo card of controversies, but germane to this discuss is the carbon footprint of creating all those clothes and the landfills they end up in after only being worn a few times.