Here’s some ecologically friendly behavior for World Environment Day as suggested by the United Nations Environment Program. (We discussed their work here.) It takes only few simple steps to easily green your daily routine and make good eco-behavior into a habit.
A
- Act now.
- Adopt as many eco-friendly lifestyle choices as you can and make them habits.
- Add it up. Our impact is exponential when the global chorus sings together.
B
- Buy FSC-certified products and decrease the trade of exotic wood from endangered forests.
- Bring a cloth bag to do all your shopping. But not just for groceries, even on your trips to the mall. A sturdy, reusable bag will last for years and only needs to be used five times to have a lower environmental impact than a plastic bag.
- Bring a mug with you whenever you go for take-out beverages, so you avoid using paper cups. Most paper cups are made in a way that makes it more difficult for them to degrade, and in some ways are more hazardous to the planet than the plastic cup — so why not just bring your own mug for your favorite beverage?
C
- Consume locally. You will help reduce the demand for cutting down forests in foreign countries to meet export demands.
- Choose public transport.
- Compost your organic food waste.
- Conserve energy. Turn off the lights to brighten our environment.
- Create a green space wherever you can, from the car you drive to the building you live in.
D
- Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth. You will save as much as 3 gallons every time. Only 2 percent to 5 percent of the world’s water is drinkable.
- Discover an alternative to using traditional wrapping paper for holidays and birthday gifts.
E
- Engage in an environmental activity like school or neighborhood beautification or treeplanting.
- Eat organic and locally grown foods and help reduce the clearing of forests for agricultural land.
- Educate your friends on how individual actions can have an exponential impact and motivate action.
F
- Find an unusual insect in your garden. Fewer than 10 percent of the world’s described species have been assessed to determine their conservation status.
- Form a group of peers or colleagues to oversee the greening of your school, neighborhood or workplace with recycling, carpooling, or energy-efficiency.
- Form a tree-planting group with family and friends and commit to planting and maintaining these trees together.
G
- Green your office: Print double-sided, turn off monitors, start an office recycling program.
- Grow an organic garden and your own delicious food.
- Give memberships to an environmental organization or seedlings as birthday gifts.
- Go electronic for bills and payments at home, in the office, at the bank, etc.
H
- Host a World Environment Day celebration. Clean up your neighborhood, carpool with friends, have a vegan dinner party. And don’t forget to register your activity on the World Environment Day website.
I
- Identify the nature that surrounds you — take note of the beautiful plants and animals that you may not always appreciate. Learn about the amazing ecosystem services they provide.
- Improve the insulation of your home — it will really help your energy consumption and lower your monthly bills.
J
- Join a local environmental or conservation group. You can team up with those around you and make a real difference in your community.
- Jog outside and save the energy you would have used on the treadmill.
K
- Kick the habit. Don’t print unless it’s absolutely necessary. And when you do print, print double-sided, or reuse unused sides of previously printed-on paper.
- Keep your cup. When traveling on airplanes, ask to reuse your plastic cup.
L
- Learn more another country.
M
- Mobilize your networks.
- Message your friends about World Environment Day — Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, SMS, text, phone, email — it doesn’t matter how, just get the word out.
