EarthCare:
Doable Actions
for a Healthier Planet

What does Compassionate/Nonviolent Communication (or NVC) have to do with the health of our planet? NVC cultivates life-serving awareness of needs like health, safety, peace, vitality, fairness, balance, and compassion; and seeks to meet these needs through peaceful and doable actions.

With this intention, NVC invites us to embrace the interconnectedness of everything, including the health and vitality of this extraordinary place we live in. There are many simple ways we can help support planetary health. Even small actions have a big effect when we consider the combined power of our community. We are sharing tips and events that can help us learn new actions we might take and remind us of ones we’d like to continue. Our focus will be to offer doable tips; even small actions make a difference!

Doable Actions

As we suggest EarthCare Doable Actions in our newsletters, we’ll compile the actions here as well for a complete reference. Do you have any tips you’d like to suggest? Email them to bryn@compassionatecenter.org. Also check out The Environmental Center for more tips, helpful information, and opportunities to participate in projects and events.

🥡 Trying to reduce your food-related plastic waste? 🧋 🍱

Here are three approachable ideas:

  • Evelyn shares: “I've reduced my use of plastic vegetable bags from the store by washing them after use and putting them back with my grocery bags so I can use them again next time.”

  • Beth suggests: “I've reduced my use of clamshell plastics, and those I do end up buying I've repurposed for use around the house.”

  • Denise and Michael's new plan (heavily borrowed from one of our practice group members, Bops): “We eat out often enough to have take-home leftovers, the containers for which are neither recyclable nor compostable. We decided we could do it differently, so we’ve purchased a few stainless-steel containers that we think will work well. We also purchased new travel mugs for coffee.”

What's worked for you?

Take a breath of fresh air by reading one of these Environmental Defense Fund “good news” articles.

✈️ Which climate change actions are most effective? 🥗 🔆

Although we would have preferred a little less judgment in the title, here’s an interesting article that debunks some common misperceptions about personal climate change action, and highlights high-impact actions: You’re doing it wrong: Recycling and other myths about tackling climate change.

“Among the 10 actions Americans were polled on, experts said flying less and cutting out meat and dairy are among the best steps people can take. Most Americans don’t realize that — 51 percent say flying less would make a little or no difference, and about three-quarters say the same for cutting out meat and dairy." …

If both experts and Americans agree on one thing, it’s that installing solar panels can help fight climate change. More than 60 percent of Americans say doing so would reduce their climate impact at least to some degree.”

🛀🏽 “Re-Solution” Your Personal Care 🧴

Check out this UC Davis website for inspiration and tips: 18 Simple Things You Can Do About Climate Change. One doable action we found helpful:

“Take personal care. Take a second look at your personal care products. Research led by NOAA and including UC Davis scientists found that the volatile chemical products in things like shampoo, cleaning products and paint contribute as much to urban air pollution as tailpipe emissions from cars.”

Today, there are many natural products available that work just as well or better than products filled with chemicals. Why not try something new that’s better for you—and the planet?

🏡 Green Home Improvements 🌳

Long lists can feel overwhelming, but perhaps you’ll find inspiration here to start with (see the post for practical suggestions):

Solar panels & renewable energy production • Grey water system • Natural, renewable, and recycled building materials • Cool roof • Solar water heater • Energy Star rated appliances • Native or adapted landscaping • Drip irrigation • Reduced trips to the landfill • Food producing landscape • Natural shading • Low-flow faucets and toilets • Gas free landscape maintenance tools • Programmable thermostat • Smart insulation and ventilation • Rain barrels • No-VOC paint • LED lights • Change habits • Keep materials in the house • Don’t forget to check for rebates!

Source: The Gold Hive ~ A Checklist for Making Green Home Improvements

🌍 👣 Shrink your Climate Footprint (while upping your Compassion Quotient) by discovering 😋 delicious plant-based foods. Did you know that:

🐮 🥛 “Meat and dairy, particularly from cows, have an outsize impact [on climate change], with livestock accounting for around 14.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases each year. That’s roughly the same amount as the emissions from all the cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined in the world today.” *

* Source: Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered.

Need inspiration? 🍝 🌮 There are many great resources available. Try Plant-Based on a Budget or Minimalist Baker for approachable recipe ideas.

🥡🍴 Order takeaway wisely. Can’t face cooking today? Make sure nothing more than your takeout food is delivered. When you order, request no napkins, plastic utensils, prepackaged condiments, and anything else you have on hand. Some online ordering apps have a note area for special requests like this.

The restaurant will appreciate not wasting these items as well—unless you have an industrial composting facility in your city, even “compostable” to-go ware goes right into the landfill—and less waste also helps keep costs down for the consumer! (Related: before requesting items “to go” at a food truck or similar and then eating on site, which wastes packaging, see if they have the option of plating “for here.” Many establishments will have reusable cutlery and plates which makes eating more enjoyable and reduces waste. You can always grab a to-go box later should you have leftovers. And some spots will even allow you to bring reusable containers.)

What great ideas! You can find more tips for parents (and the rest of us:) in this article.

👖 👕 👔 Did you know? *

  • Fast Fashion and the Environment: Americans throw away 14 million tons of clothing each year—a figure that’s doubled in the last 20 years.

  • According to data from the EPA, 17 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills in 2018 (5.8 percent of the total municipal solid waste generation that year).

  • It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt (World Resources Institute).

  • Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose. (See the Decomposition Clock for other items frequently sent to landfills.)

* Source: RoadRunner Recycling

Consider buying clothing from thrift stores and vary and expand your wardrobe by swapping clothes with friends and family. Sew on buttons. Darn socks. Repair ripped clothing. Doesn't it feel good to think of these small things that can make a difference?

🥑 Save resources by eating more plants. Did you know that eating just one animal product-free meal per month saves an average of 366 gallons of water, 13 lbs of grain, and 6 lbs of CO2? * Draw inspiration from community groups like VegNet Bend and Corvallis Sustainability Coalition.

📽️ Watch informative documentaries. These (and many more) environmental films are available on streaming services like Netflix:

🧑🏽‍🌾 Rather than buy every garden tool, why not form a “Share Group” to borrow and lend tools and other infrequently used household items? It saves money and reduces the space needed to store equipment, plus it creates community and neighborliness.

🧽 A non-toxic mix of 2.5 cups water, ¼ cup white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle works great for household cleaning jobs.

🛍️🥬 Reduce the use of plastic bags from the produce department—use mesh bags or reuse plastic bags from the store for fruits and vegetables.

🫙 Cut down on single-use containers. Instead, buy in bulk. At stores that allow, bring your reusable container to the store. Have it weighed at the checkstand where the container will be marked with its weight. Fill your container with bulk items and the container weight will be taken off at checkout. Your marked container will be ready for your next shopping trip.

🧺 Consider switching from liquid laundry detergent to biodegradable laundry sheets. It reduces cardboard and plastic waste and also conserves water. There are several companies that make environmentally safe laundry sheets. We’re experimenting right now with Earth Breeze.

🍽️ If you're interested in reducing your meat consumption, start a tradition of Meatless Mondays. It can be good for your health and the health of our planet.

The water footprint of any animal-based food is greater than the water needed to grow most plant-based foods with similar nutritional values. Taking into account all stages of production, one kilogram of beef requires nearly 40 times more water compared to the same amount of vegetables. *

🫧 Refill your foaming hand soap dispenser with 2/3 water & 1/3 liquid soap (rather than buying new dispensers). And when your plastic soap dispenser is at the end of its life, consider a glass dispenser and bulk soap refill.

🖊️ Buy refillable pens rather than disposable pens.

🔌 Turn off your power strip when not in use—it sucks up energy even when the devices are turned off.

🌱 Reduce your Climate Footprint: Eat Green. Consider exploring healthy plant-based food choices that support a more compassionate and sustainable world.