Lifestyle Changes

This page discusses personal lifestyle choices that you can make that are good for the environment.

In aggregate, these efforts are not trivial in bringing down greenhouse gases (GHG). They can make a difference, but by themselves they won’t solve climate change or environmental degradation. We need to change business as usual. We need to vote for leaders who will take action. We need to hold fossil fuel companies responsible. Much change isn’t in Congress or the executive branch of the federal government. It is in the courts. It is in local, city, county and state government actions. Voting and supporting such actions is the most important personal action you can take! But personal lifestyle changes are useful; it isn’t either/or, big changes or lifestyle choices. Certainly, in the long run, we will need to embrace lifestyle changes

Making an effort need not be a sacrifice. Be inspired.

Do what you can, when you can, with the resources you have!

These efforts matter beyond the direct effect on GHG, or soil or food waste, by inculcating a sense of accomplishment, integrity and confidence that comes with making a good faith effort to walk the walk.

Less GHG are less GHG. Don’t rationalize or demoralize yourself out of taking action when you can, however small.

But then, being thoughtful is sometimes hard. It can be difficult to be certain about the hidden costs for some lifestyle decisions.

Some perspective: Lifestyle changes are rewarding and helpful, but the solution to climate change and environmental degradation, to threats to planetary health, isn’t all on you and your lifestyle. We need big-picture changes to make this work. For that matter, there are other things you can do besides specific lifestyle changes.

Some of the actions listed below will help you build resiliency for yourself and those you love and will pay large dividends.

Some take more effort, time and resources, and they may not be right for you at this time.

Do what you can when you can, using your best judgment.

My bigger point: Understand it isn’t always either/or, black or white in some decisions for personal actions. Whatever decisions you make at this time, the balance will likely change in the future. Please be kind to each other and encourage thoughtful action, especially larger actions like voting and supporting efforts to hold polluting companies responsible for their actions.

Think of it this way: the polluters love it when well-meaning people are distracted from the big picture and sniping at each other over the purity of their efforts and not looking at the big picture.

Contents

This page is divided into:

  • Diet

  • Household energy efficiency

  • Transportation

  • Solar energy

  • Gardening and composting

  • The circular economy

  • Green investing

  • Plastic

  • Water

  • Pollinators

See also the section on Personal Actions.

You might consider using a tool to see what your carbon footprint is. One approach is: do what you can. Like counting calories, calculating your carbon footprint isn’t for everyone. In fact, carbon footprints were only a research tool but were popularized decades ago by British Petroleum, some would say as a distraction (don’t look at us; it’s your fault! Change your light bulbs! Yes, in a documentary they literally said that.)

On the other hand, using a carbon footprint calculator can be instructive. The calculator from the Footprint Network. It is simple and asks for estimates of your energy use that are likely somewhat imprecise. However, it is brief. It gives you a ballpark estimate that still can be eye-opening. There is an explanation that you are also “charged” with the resources it takes to keep up the infrastructure you use, however efficient you are. A valid point in wealthy, developed nations.

The EPA has an online carbon footprint calculator that is somewhat more quantitative. You input more precise data regarding your electric and fossil fuel use. It also asks what changes you might make and shows you how much that could save.

Even if you don’t minutely examine your carbon footprint, it is helpful to know what the real story is. A great resource is the book “The Carbon Footprint of Everything.” Mike Berners-Lee. Greystone Books 2022. Great information and a fascinating read, or at least to peruse. Full of surprises.

Similarly, the book “Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air.” SL Bridle. UIT Cambridge, 2020 has the carbon footprint of foods with great discussions about what it takes to get it on your plate.

Diet

Eat less meat.

Much of our deforestation and biodiversity loss comes from clearing land for livestock. This is especially true in the Amazon rain forrest.

Producing, processing and transporting meat also produces GHG.

Ruminants like cows and sheep are particular offenders regarding climate change as they produce methane when digesting their food.

Katherine Hayhoe in Saving Us writes: “Livestock emissions — from deforestation, feed, fertilizer, and yes, cow burps and farts, account for 14 percent of global heat-trapping gas emissions each year.” I have seen it estimated as 16% of GHG per year.

Dr. Hayhoe goes on to point out:

  • Producing beef adds 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of GHG per kilogram of beef (about 100:1 ratio of GHG:food by weight)! Other red meat is similar, some have lamb as the same or more GHG producing compared to beef, pigs as less than beef.

  • Chickens produce 10 kilograms of GHG per kilogram of chicken (ten-fold less than beef).

  • Eggs are half that of chicken (one twentieth of beef).

  • Most fruits and vegetables are closer to a kilogram of food for a kilogram of CO2, but that depends on whether they were shipped a long distance (especially if refrigerated shipping), grown out of season, or highly processed.

  • Locally sourced products (including meat) take less fuel to transport, so less CO2 produced, all else being equal (which is not always the case).

Fish

Wild fish, especially schooling species, have a lower carbon footprint than chicken, but more than vegetable-based proteins. It takes energy to go catch the fish and process the catch.

Consider which fish and seafood you eat. Some are more sustainable than others. www.seafoodwatch.org.

Farmed shrimp in some areas is very hard on the environment. Farmed fish impacts vary, depending on where and how it is done. The journal Nature has suggestions about climate-friendly fish to eat.

https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local has additional information about the carbon footprint of food.

Organic food

Organic food is more expensive, but growing organic food uses less toxic materials (pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers). Organic farmers may also be more conscientious about soil and water use and use more sustainable methods.

However, this can sometimes be a matter of all else being equal. Is the organic product shipped from a great distance, especially using refrigeration?

Also, caveat emptor: the word “organic” on a label does not mean the same thing everywhere, nor are the regulations enforced to the same degree everywhere. But you know that if it isn’t labelled organic, it certainly isn’t!

Dietary changes aren’t all or nothing

It isn’t necessarily about radical change. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to make a difference. Maybe start with one less meat meal a week and see where it goes from there! Or even just substitute chicken or fish for beef sometimes if you are a hard-core carnivore.

The Gaples Institute, a nonprofit organization involved in medical education, has a free presentation about a healthy, sustainable diet written in collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

As noted above, for a deep dive on greenhouse gasses and food a great book is Similarly, the book “Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air.” SL Bridle. UIT Cambridge, 2020.

(Click this thumbnail to go to the Gaples Institute’s website and view their guide to sustainable diets)

lmprove the energy efficiency of your household

Efficient appliances

Newer appliances, like washing machines or dishwashers, are often more efficient in power and water use. There may be rebates when buying energy-efficient appliances; for example, the Energy Star program from the EPA.

Electric or induction stoves decrease indoor pollution compared to gas stoves. This can be important for asthmatics and others with lung or heart disease. Depending on your pipes and appliances, the pollution can rival outdoor pollution and can be more than from passive smoking!

Going electric for cooking replaces natural gas with electricity, decreasing your carbon footprint and dependence on natural gas (methane). How much GHG this saves depends on your source of electricity and how much you cook.

Dishwashers are often more efficient for conserving water than hand washing dishes, especially if you limit rinsing the dishes first and have a newer water and power efficient model.

Consider heat pumps for heating and cooling. They are very expensive but prices will come down and the Inflation Reduction Act has provisions that can help.

The group Rewiring America has a free book online, Electrifying Your Home, and another on the Inflation Reduction Act and electrifying your home.

An energy audit

Consider a professional energy audit of your house to see if there are leaks in ducts, pipes or windows, whether there is adequate insulation, etc.

Simple measures like plugging leaks in vents, better insulation, and white reflective roofs, can save energy.

Be aware, be creative

Find ways to save electricity or gas. Closing curtains or blinds in the summer for windows getting the brunt of the sun, or opening them in the winter, is an easy form of passive solar energy!

Think about what sneaks through. For example: how many catalogues do you get in the mail that you just throw out? Those took energy and resources (paper, ink) to produce and transport. You can go to their website and look under customer service. There is often a place to change catalogue preferences or an email to contact them to take you off their list. It takes a few minutes but can be done at your convenience.

This site is from the US Deptartment of Energy and has a lot of suggestions: www.Energy.gov, particularly https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver-mission.

GridRewards is a program that can guide you in making your home more energy efficient and save you money (these links are for New York and California):

GridRewards NY: https://www.gridrewards.com
GridRewards California: https://www.gridrewards.com/california

A very nice podcast is “The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast.” They had an episode April 3, 2024 “How to hack rebates to upgrade your home.” Plug the leaks (windows, insulation, then electrify, solar power if you can afford it.). They do generally summarize the available rebates and tax credits, but not all is available as of this recording, as some federal rebates go through the states (which sometimes have their own rebates). One point they make: don;t go for perfection, just get started if you can.

Transportation

Use less gas.

Drive an electric vehicle (EV), hybrid, or a more gas-efficient vehicle.

Electric vehicles (cars, SUVs and now pickup trucks) are still relatively expensive, though more subsidies will be coming with the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act.

You have to have a way to plug them in to charge the battery, not always easy for apartment dwellers.There also isn’t the infrastructure needed for recharging efficiently on long drives. Some call this “range anxiety.”

The concerns about the ethical costs and the source of electricity for charging are discussed in the section below.

Consider mass transit and ride pools when feasible. Walk or bike if you can, it’s good for you, even in Los Angeles (if the air quality is acceptable, and it isn’t too hot, that is!).

Be efficient in your commutes and long-distance travel.

More and more medical and other meetings are by Zoom or the like now. Similar considerations apply to working at home when possible, decreasing commutes.

Battery Electric Vehicles.

Take battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as an example. In 2023, choosing between a large hybrid SUV and an efficient gasoline-powered internal combustion engine car, the latter just might, in very select cases at this point in time, be the “greener” alternative!

Now. let’s be clear, gasoline internal combustion engines are inefficient (most of the energy ends up as waste heat), polluting and creates GHGs. They have to be replaced over time. But there are issues with BEVs that we have to look at honestly and work on to improve, making it less of a “done deal” than some advocates may think.

A big issue is the batteries used for BEVs or hybrid vehicles.

A Tesla series Y car has a 1700 pound battery, was transported to the factory using fossil fuels most likely, and when used being heavier means more tire wear, more microplastic pollution (80% goes into the water and ultimately the ocean) and more energy if charged from the grid. For comparison, that battery is about half the weight of an average car. Tires for BEVs that will produce less microplastic pollution are due to be out in 2024, starting with more expensive BEVs .

Consider the cobalt currently used in most BEVs and home storage batteries. Cobalt is obtained primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) under the harshest and cruelest of human and environmental conditions, and processed in China, which means GHG from shipping (to China and then to the ultimate endpoint of use, the battery factory). The cobalt used for a large battery for BEVs can weigh over 20 pounds! Chinese labor also may not be up to the standards we might like, even if not essentially slave labor as in the DRC. There are alternatives to cobalt use in batteries being developed.

There are alternatives for lithium batteries being developed. Let’s hope they are available soon. We need to recycle batteries and transition away from cobalt for this effort to be truly as “green” and fair as it can be.

On the other hand, many communities, including Indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups and people living in poverty, throughout the world (including the global south) are being devastated by fossil fuel extraction and processing, let alone by climate change resulting from fossil fuels! Huge numbers of people and large ecosystems are being devastated. So, we need to use the cobalt until we have better alternatives, and hopefully we will soon be more available.

Another issue is how the electricity to power the BEV is generated.

More GHG is generated by BEVs is in the manufacturing phase of the vehicle’s life than in the manufacture of a similar size internal combustion engine gasoline-powered car. This is more than made up for when the BEV is driven if the electricity used to charge the BEV is generated by relatively clean sources of electricity. Consider when you plug in your BEV whether your community has a dirty grid consisting of methane and coal-powered electricity-generating plants, or do you live where the grid is powered by a large proportion of renewable energy? Or, if you are lucky enough and have the resources, do you have solar panels on your roof?

One concern is “range anxiety.” Yes, it is not as convenient a gas stations on every corner, but there have been huge increases in the number of charging stations and the speed of charging, as well as BEV range.

You can find availability of charging stations in the United States on ChargeHub, and some states (such as California) maintain their own lists. California reached 10,000 charging stations as of September 2023!

There are countries whose electric grids are 97.5 to 100% powered by wind, water and solar (see the section “replace fossil fuels” on our “What Can Be Done“ page). Mostly, they have ample water or geothermal resources of power. Scotland is an exception, with a lot of wind power. Outside the United States do check your nation’s use of renewable energy!

We need a green grid with a large portfolio of renewables for those who don’t have solar panels.

It isn’t as simple as a Tesla with a 1700 pound battery powered by coal and methane = wonderful, no problem!

Another issue: Does getting a BEV or hybrid suggest to people they can now freely have a much larger SUV than they absolutely need, because it is “green?" If it uses more energy from a dirty grid, and produces more microplastics… is it really more green?

To be clear: it is absolutely necessary to move to BEVs in our goal to electrify and get away from horrible, polluting, climate change-inducing fossil fuels. And the sooner the better! But we need to make sure it is just and using clean, renewable energy.

So, if where you live you have a dirty grid heavy on methane and coal, don’t drive much so won’t produce a lot of CO2, live in an apartment where it is hard to charge a BEV, maybe, just maybe, the “lifecycle analysis” suggests that, for now, an efficient, small gas-powered car is a viable choice you needn’t feel guilty about.

And of course, the analysis changes over time, so stay tuned. This is all dynamic. As mentioned above, there may be movement on batteries without cobalt and better tires are being developed. Your local grid may become more green (one hopes!).

The reason to go so deeply into this is only to suggest we need some perspective and compassion. A BEV is indeed the way of the future and most lifecycle analyses say it ultimately draws down CO2 and fights pollution from the fossil fuel industry (though it takes years before you pay back the CO2 in the manufacturing process).

But think it through. Maybe drive less, if possible. Maybe in your life there are other ways besides transportation that you can pursue to contribute to the effort of fighting for planetary health.

Solar energy

Consider putting up solar panels for generating electricity if you are in a locale where that would work, you own your house, it has the right roof and exposure, and can afford it.

A storage battery is useful so you can save energy to use at night or in an emergency, but is very expensive; it costs about a third to a half of what it costs to put up the solar panels! Like the batteries for BEVs, they do use cobalt.

Solar panels have gotten much cheaper, and putting solar panels on your house in Los Angeles now is the same or cheaper than it was five years ago, but not as cheap as might be expected. That is because much of the expense is in administration, permitting, and labor, not the panels themselves.

In the long run, having home solar electricity will save money for most people (in some locales there is a plan where you can sell power back to the grid), and often financing is available. While CO2 is produced in the construction of solar panels, they produce enough clean energy to start making net carbon free energy after 1-2 years.

A downside: it means dealing with the stress of contractors and delays, even with reputable companies.

Passive solar can be helpful. That is what a greenhouse is. It can work in your house or apartment: when it is cold but the sun is out, keep the windows closed but open the curtains or blinds! When it is hot out, shut the windows and curtains or blinds (especially when there is direct sunlight that the window faces), then open them in the evening when the sun is down and it is cooler.

Gardening and composting

Get rid of your lawn! It is thirsty, takes up very little CO2, and offers few resources for pollinators (see below) or other wildlife. Plant drought resistant (particularly if you are in an area of drought), if possible local, plants that bees, caterpillars, butterflies and birds like. Use a drip watering system.

Perhaps grow food. Sometimes there are community gardens where you can jump in. Or help neighbors with their garden.

Composting, either the traditional way or through vermiculture (I love worms), can be rewarding. If your community doesn’t have a program, and you are not in a position to compost, there may be ways to join with neighbors or even private composting companies.

Red wiggler worms.

Three different set-ups to grow worms at home to recycle your vegetal food waste into a soil amendment (vermiculture). All three are made from recycled plastic; the bag in the middle is made from recycled plastic water bottles.

Participate in the circular economy

Recycle, repurpose, reuse, regenerate (see “waste not want not: the circular economy” in the “What Can Be Done” section). Buy recycled products, or products made from recycled materials. Paper products are often easily recycled. Be frugal.

Along the lines of recycling, toilet paper is a big deal. Incredible amounts of old growth forrests are cleared for toilet paper and other paper products. For toilet paper, two alternatives (besides a bidet) are bamboo (only if FSC certified to be grown sustainably, noting that it is generally sourced from China) or recycled paper. Beware! 100% recycled can include up to 50% material from processing paper anew, and that material might have better uses. The NRDC has an annual report, The Issue With Tissue, with their scorecard. They favor recycled paper over bamboo. Similar considerations go for other similar products like paper towels and facial tissues.

Invest in and buy from companies that don’t “greenwash”

Look for companies that actually try to make a difference. This can take some homework to do right.

Watch for greenwashing! Greenwashing: gestures that are done only to look good, doing little or nothing, but on the other hand can deflect from and delay real action, and as such can be counterproductive, often doing more harm than good. Insidious. Not uncommon from certain vested interests.

Consider ecologically friendly investments. The government has some advice to get started.

Whatever you think about the charms and risks of cryptocurrency, keep in mind that it uses vast amounts of energy. For example, Bitcoin energy use is comparable to the energy use of Argentina, a country of 45 million people, and produces as much greenhouse gas as Greece. It will only get worse if investment in cryptocurrency grows larger!

Be smart and careful about plastic

Avoid disposable plastic water bottles. Use reusable bottles.

Cut back on single-use plastic and extra wrapping. Try buying in bulk and storing in containers you can clean and reuse. Buy things in glass bottles when possible.

Recycle plastic. Much doesn’t seem to be actually recycled at this point, but that varies. Might as well try!

Re-use plastic bags when hygienic, and other plastic containers can be cleaned and reused (cut off the top and a plastic orange juice bottle can hold pens, paint brushes, lots of things, even herbs to plant). Be creative.

Buy products made of recycled plastic or that are meant to be safer to dispose of, though the latter may be hard to confirm.

Look for alternatives to plastic. Some products, like packing materials that are like plastic but made from corn and the like, dissolve in water to safe molecules (sugars, basically).

Plastic is ubiquitous and often hidden in detergents, fabrics, shampoo, makeup and other beauty products. These end up in the water! They are hard to spot, but worth trying.

There are alternatives to plastic garbage bags and dog poop bags. I do not comment on specific products because I don’t have the resources to verify claims. But have some fun, look around.

Don’t use plastic utensils. In Los Angeles you have to ask for them in take-out or delivery by law. Consider advocating for that in your community or at least letting the restaurant know (leave a message on the online order or call them) you don’t need plastic utensils if you are eating at home. Try to find restaurants with ecological packaging if taking out, which can be very difficult, I know from experience, even in eco-conscious Los Angeles.

Some advice about minimizing microplastics from The Guardian.

See also suggestions in the essay on plastic.

Overall about 5-10% of plastic gets recycled so don’t cont on that! Hopefully we will do better (some communities already do). But plastic will always be carbon intensive and recylcing takes energy and is not a panacea.

Water use

Whether living in an area impacted by droughts, or the local water supply has been poisoned by lead or industrial or agricultural pollutants, or through mismanagement the water is not flowing and clean, we need to be aware that water is a precious and finite resource.

We are draining our aquifers (where much fresh water is stored) and polluting our lakes (the Great Lakes are a large source of fresh water).

While there are vast amounts of water in oceans, desalinization is not a large-scale fix. It is expensive, takes a lot of energy, and is difficult on the local ecosystem.

Save water and don’t waste it.

Much agricultural use of water is wasteful. We must insist that changes as part of sustainable agriculture. We can let our local and federal representatives and water departments know we care about this. They can change it.

We must insist on oversight and intervention when local water supplies are threatened.

Conserve at home.

You don’t need a lawn; they are very thirsty. Plant drought-resistant plants (if possible local and pollinator friendly) with drip irrigation, mulch and rocks in a yard. Consider gray water (recycled water that is not potable), though it is very expensive. Collect water when possible (even if not potable, the water can be used).

Many areas regulate low-flow showers and toilets; if not, change them on your own.

If you have older appliances that use water, like washing machines or dishwashers (dishwashers can be more water efficient than hand washing, especially if you don’t pre-rinse), consider replacing them with more water efficient appliances; it can add up to hundreds of gallons of water saved every year. Don’t let water just run, and make sure there are no leaks.

Here are some examples from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power:

  • Turn off water while brushing your teeth: saves 3 gallons

  • Shorter shower: saves about 2 gallons/minute

  • Make sure your toilet has no leaks: saves up to 13 gallons (they have free dye tablets to see if there are very slow leaks)

  • Dishwasher rather than hand wash dishes: saves up to 15 gallons

  • Water efficient shower and faucet aerators: saves up to 16 gallons

  • Full load of laundry rather than half: saves about 21 gallons

  • Shorten sprinkle cycles by 2 minutes: saves about 80 gallons/week

  • Replace 8 sprinkler heads with high efficiency nozzles: saves about 128 gallons/week

Your Water Footprint. Stephen Leahy. Firefly books, 2014. A bit older, but some real surprises, though some of the information may have changed over the last 8 years.

Water saving tips from the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/start-saving

Other concerns about home water include contaminants. Home water filters may help.

For example one concern is the “forever chemicals” PFAS. In April 2024 progress has been made in new regulations from the EPA. In the mean time, if you or someone in your family is at high risk or simply concerned, for example pregnant women, perhaps infants and young children, or those with high PFAS exposure (workers in fields that use PFAS) or known elevated blood levels, there are home water filters that be effective. Suggestions from Consumer Reports (CR; while behind a paywall CR does have very relevant additional information that can be very enlightening and useful):

“Most people on municipal water who pay their own bill should receive an annual water quality report called a CCR, or Consumer Confidence Report. If you don’t receive yours, call your local water supplier. And if you rent, contact your landlord 

“Systems with 100,000 or more people must also post reports online. You can find them on the Environmental Protection Agency website.

“For questions, call your local supplier or the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

“To remove a specific contaminant like PFAS from drinking water, consumers should choose a water filtration device that is independently certified to remove that contaminant by a recognized lab,” says Jim Nanni, associate director of appliance testing at CR.

“Reputable third-party testing organizations include the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Water Quality Association (WQA), International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), UL Solutions, CSA Group, and Intertek (ETL). NSF, WQA, and IAPMO enable you to search for certified products on their websites. Certified products will also bear a seal from the testing organization that identifies which contaminants it’s certified to reduce.” [note: filters are not just PFAS, filters can be effective for a range of contaminants, but they must be tested] “For a filter that can remove PFAS, look for one with the code NSF/ANSI 53 (or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis systems), followed by the manufacturer’s claim that the product can remove PFAS.”

Help out pollinators: bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

If you have a garden, or even a terrace or porch, plant pollinator friendly plants. Any decent plant nursery will know what grows in your area and information is easily available on the web.

For hummingbirds, to maximize their role in pollination you could minimize putting up hummingbird feeders, but rather rely more on planting the appropriate plants.

We need to protect bees. There are other pollinators: moths, bats, wasps, beetles, and small mammals come to mind. Don’t use pesticides, if at all possible.

Hands-on volunteer opportunities

You might find you have some time to volunteer. This can be through local chapters of large groups or smaller local activities. It is time consuming, but rewarding.

 

Improve resiliency

You will feel better and be safer with even modest preparation for climate change, wildfires, and extreme weather (see section resiliency and preparedness)

Eco-anxiety, depression and burnout are real.

To some degree, depression and anxiety might be considered rational reactions to the situation we are in. In small doses these are necessary survival mechanisms. They get us to act! When a bit more severe, they let us know when we have reached our limits.

If these emotions serve their purpose of informing you about the dangers and get you to act, fine. Use that. If these reactions are letting you know that you have reached your limits, so be it, listen! Back off for a bit.

But, like all survival mechanisms, they can do more harm than good if they overstay their welcome, or are disproportionate to their survival value.

Take care of yourself and those in your life. Spend quality time with people you care about.

Take breaks. Go for a walk. Go to a park. Exercise. Play. Get some sleep. Talk to friends. Be part of a community, however small and select or large and diffuse, formal or informal, whatever works best for you.

If you have a spiritual practice or religious faith, see if that helps. Look into mindfulness practices and take some time to pursue activities that bring you joy, a good time investment!

If anxiety, depression or burnout is severe, please get professional help. Don’t suffer needlessly or be a martyr.

Mindfulness: besides local resources, there are many sources of such practices online.  One such resource at UCLA, that is available to all online, is MARC, the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center.

Additional Resources

How To Go (almost) Zero Waste, over 150 steps to more sustainable living at home, school, work and beyond. Rebecca Grace Andrews. Rockridge Press, 2020.  Worth looking through for some ideas. Some might inspire you. She has charts to suggest how expensive and how much effort a step may be and how much impact it may have.

How to Prepare for Climate Change, a practical guide to surviving the chaos. David Pogue. Simon and Schuster, 2021. The subtitle captures the occasional “survivalist” tone, but there are indeed a lot of excellent suggestions for dealing with problems climate change inflicts on us already, from small suggestions for increasing resiliency to preparing for large disasters.

Good News, Planet Earth! What’s being done to save our world, and what you can do too! Sam Bently. DK Penguin Random House, 2023. A positive and hopeful little book, good for perusing, actions big and small.

See also the sections on resiliency, what can be done , communication and presentations, contacting legislators, clinician’s corner, groups and websites on this website.

To learn about the Congo and cobalt: Cobalt Red, how the blood of the Congo powers our lives. Siddharth Kara. St. Martin’s Press, 2023.