I’ve been pondering how to balance choosing to live more sustainably and still enjoy activities that are important to me.  The problem of how to fix climate change, habitat loss, and pollution is way too big for one person to fix alone and at times seems like a futile effort.  While what each of us does as an individual to reduce our impact on the planet is important, it’s also important to enjoy life and the people around you.  I do not implement all of the recommendations I bring to this blog, because what works for one person does not work for another, for a variety of reasons.  However, if you have a variety of options to pick from, you can choose to implement sustainability actions that work for you while keeping the activities that make life meaningful to you.   Remember that small actions do add up and enjoy your life.  Here are a few additional thoughts. 

• Humans are meant to live in community.  Building and maintaining community and friendships is important.
• When evaluating which sustainability activities to implement, the first place to start is with activities that you do because “you’ve always done them” but are no longer meaningful to you.  If you no longer enjoy a hobby, pass the tools along to someone else and spend your time on things that bring you joy.
• Look for sustainability actions that work for you.  Effective public transportation is generally not available in large areas of the US, so getting rid of your car is not feasible.  However, you can combine errands and keep your car in good condition to reduce the energy you use when you drive.  A vegan diet is not for everyone, but you can reduce your intake of beef, pork, and lamb and incorporate a few meatless dishes in your weekly menu.  Current medical guidance indicates that eating more plant-based meals can positively affect your health in addition to helping the planet, but each person has different requirements.   
• Look for ways to increase sustainability of the activities you keep in your life.  If you love to travel or travel a lot for work, keep that in your life, but look for ways to do it just a little more sustainably.  Or look for other things in your life you can change to partially offset the impact of the travel.  If you love to cook, experiment with new recipes that incorporate care for the planet.  Ask if you can help implement sustainability measures at your office or school. 

I’ve seen some truly draconian recommendations for how everyone should live to save the planet.  These kinds of restrictions are not feasible for most people and just lead to guilt.  If you pick the sustainability actions that work for you, you are more likely to actually implement them.   My philosophy has always been that if large numbers of people reduce their impact by a little bit, it will add up and make a difference.  Give yourself credit for the things you do and then take one more tiny baby step. 

Most of us compare items for price, quality, color, and function before we select one to buy.  Add another comparison factor to the list – packaging.  Packaging, which is all of the cardboard, plastic, and metal surrounding the item you actually want, requires resources and energy to produce and transport.  Some of the packaging gets recycled but most of it ends up in the landfill.  Buying items with less packaging conserves resources and energy.  Many times, it’s not easy to avoid excess packaging, but worth considering.  Things to consider when comparing packaging:

• Is the item double-packaged (vitamins in a bottle packaged inside a cardboard box)?
• Is the packaging more elaborate than is necessary?
• Is the packaging a lot larger than the item inside?
• Is the packaging recyclable?
• Does it have “hidden packaging”?  Hidden packaging is the packaging the shippers use and retailers remove before they put the item on the shelf.  Some of the hidden packaging is reused, such as plastic bins for clothing, and cardboard boxes are generally recycled.  Pastries might be individually wrapped for shipping before they are unwrapped and put into display cases for purchase if they are not baked onsite. 
• Online shipping boxes and bags for individual customers are a large part of the packaging these days.  Recycle as much as you can, and try to place orders so that several items come in one package.  If you can, try to find retailers that use recycled packaging or packaging that is easily recycled.  

​I found a book at the library that I want to tell you about: Saving Nature One Yard at a Time by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth.  “We live in a complex web of life where every living being – human, bee, frog, butterfly, tree, and wildflower – contributes to the health of the whole system.”  This book provides good information on how you can help nature, even if your yard is on your balcony.  Unfortunately, it only covers the United States, but perhaps you can find a similar book for your part of the world.  The book is divided into regions of the US, so you can determine which plants and critters are native to your area.  A healthy habitat that nourishes all inhabitants works best if it is composed of natives.  The book tells you how to create areas, large or small, that nourish the plants and critters you want to help.  It covers birds, amphibians, insects, mammals, and plants and includes stories that describe the life cycle of a few critters and plants.  Just as important as the information in the book are the lists of where to find additional information to augment what’s in the book.  Several international organizations are listed in the book, including (to name just a few) Bat Conservation International, Amphibian Survival Alliance, and Xerces Society (invertebrates including bees).  Other sources of information could include your local university extension service (mine has lots of good information on native plants), a national wildlife area near you, or a botanical garden organization.  And sometimes nurturing nature can be as simple as placing bird-alerting decals on a window that tends to get hit by flying birds.  

As we end the tumultuous year of 2025, here is some good news for the planet.  The BBC article includes information on increasing rates of implementing renewable energy, falling rates of deforestation in many parts of the world including Brazil’s Amazon forests, and the comeback of ocean turtles.  Enjoy!
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https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251212-seven-quiet-wins-for-climate-and-nature-in-2025

​Fuel economy goes down in cold weather, but there are things you can do to help.  See the attached article for more information.  Here are some additional thoughts. 

• Don’t be a “puffer”.  Letting your car idle for several minutes to warm up and defrost the windows is not good for the environment, your gas mileage or your car’s security (puffer cars are more vulnerable to theft).  Use your window scraper to speed the window-clearing process. 
• Don’t wait for the car to be toasty warm before you drive away.  And, as the article states, modern cars do not need to warm up for long periods before you drive.  Most manufacturers recommend about 30 seconds and then a gentle start to your drive.
• Keep tires inflated to the proper pressures, but remember that a cold tire will have a lower pressure than one that has been driven for several minutes. 

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fuel-economy-cold-weather
 

Microplastics, which are plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimeters in diameter, are everywhere.  They are found in air; water in lakes, streams and oceans; soil; fish; animals; and humans.  Scientists are also studying nanoplastics, which are even smaller particles less than one micrometer in diameter.  These microplastics have a variety of sources, including our clothing and food packaging.  Here are some thoughts about how to reduce the amount of micro and nanoplastic reaching the environment. 

• One study says that heat probably plays the most crucial role in generating the microplastic particles.  Drinking hot liquids from plastic cups releases microplastics into your drink.  Older plastic tends to release more microparticles when heated.  Washing and drying polyester clothing on high heat releases more small bits of the fabric into the air and water than washing in cold water and drying on low heat.  Heating plastic jars and tubs in the microwave releases nanoplastics. 
• A microplastics researcher provided several ideas in an article that is behind a paywall.  I’ll summarize it for you.  The researcher started by saying that you can start slowly and implement one idea at a time and that reducing use of single-use plastics is important.  1) avoid packaged and ultra-processed foods, 2) don’t microwave plastic or use plastic water bottles, 3) use fragrance-free personal care and cleaning products, because some companies put fragrances in tiny microplastic capsules so the scent will last longer, and 4) check the ingredients for abrasive cleaning and personal care products, because these may have microplastic particles. 
• When possible, air-dry synthetic fabric clothing.  The mechanical action of the dryer, combined with the heat, will degrade the fabric faster. 
• When you buy clothing and other fabric items, look at how sturdy the fabric is.  Polyester sweaters are nice and fluffy but lose a lot of fibers (into the air and water) every time they are washed.  

There is lots of discussion on the environmental impacts of drinking coffee.  For some, that means giving up coffee.  For others, that means trying to reduce the impact of the coffee you drink, although that leads to a lot of complicated choices.  Many of us really enjoy a cup or several of coffee and would like to make good choices while still enjoying the drink.   I’ve included some thoughts in this post and the attached article includes a lot of detail on certifications and choices.  

• Use re-usable cups to drink your coffee.  Instead of getting a disposable cup from the drive-through coffee ship, park, go inside, and have them fill your re-usable cup.
• When you make coffee at home, save the used coffee grounds.  They make great plant fertilizer, and this keeps the grounds out of the landfill where they will decompose to make methane.  The used grounds also make a great addition to compost. 
• Look for certifications that show the coffee is being produced in a responsible way.  There doesn’t seem to be an umbrella “this is the most sustainable, fair, responsible coffee ever” certification, but choose coffee with the certifications that are meaningful to you.  The attached article explains what some of the certifications mean.
• As the article states, how you brew your coffee can make a large difference in the sustainability aspects.  There’s a nice graph in the article that has comparison information. 

https://earth911.com/how-and-buy/the-complicated-choices-in-a-cup-of-coffee/
 

Most people follow family traditions and use special decorations during their holiday celebrations.  These traditions and decorations help make the season and its events festive.  Here are a few thoughts on how to keep the special feeling of the holidays while being more eco-friendly. 

• Avoid disposables.  Use cloth napkins and tablecloths and re-usable tableware. 
• Choose decorations that can be stored and re-used year after year.
• If you have lighted decorations, either inside the house or outside, turn them off when no one is likely to see them.   Putting them on a timer is an easy way to make sure they’re off when they should be.   And choose energy-efficient LED lights. 
• Avoid single-use gift wrap.  Choose a re-usable decorative cloth bag or wrap gifts using materials you already have, like old magazines, newspapers, comics, or paper shopping bags. You can also use clean fabric like scarves, bandannas, or even pretty dish towels for a reusable wrapping.
• When choosing gifts, consider giving tickets for an experience the recipients might enjoy.  If you know their preferences, food from local businesses might be enjoyed much more than a random gift quickly chosen to fill an obligation.  Offers to help with chores or donations to charity in the recipient’s name might be good options for some on your list.  Try to avoid generic gift purchases that are not meaningful to the recipients. 
• Plan holiday meals to avoid food waste as much as possible.  Plan food preparation according to the number of expected guests and have a plan for leftovers.  Sending leftovers home with willing guests can be an excellent way to share the holiday spirit. 
• Before heading out of town, unplug electronics and other appliances to conserve energy. Even small actions like this can reduce your carbon footprint.
• When it comes to ambiance, choose candles made from soy or beeswax instead of paraffin. Soy and beeswax candles burn cleaner, making them healthier for your indoor air quality while providing the same warm glow.

 

​Most of us have clothes we are not likely to use again, but are not sure what to do with them.  The attached article discusses what happens when you donate them to one of the large non-profit thrift organizations.  The used clothing may get re-sold, or it might be recycled, both of which are better than ending up in a landfill.  The article also lists suggestions for other alternatives that might be better.  Here are a few of them plus a few from me:

• Buy better quality clothing so it lasts longer, and avoid fast-fashion. 
• Learn how to care for, mend, and launder your clothing so it lasts longer.
• Use your imagination to repurpose or upcycle your old clothing.  One person I know turned old t-shirts into cloths for washing dishes.   My grandmother made hundreds of quilts out of clothing scraps and donated them.  Patch a hole with a cute applique or fancy stitch.  I bought a really nice pair of wool mittens made from an old sweater that was too torn to be repaired. 
• A friend of mine held clothing-swap parties, where a group of friends traded clothes they no longer wanted. 
• Gently-used baby and children’s clothing could be donated to a church or women’s shelter.  Look for alternative places to donate. 
• And remember that if your clothing goes to a textile recycler, that is still much better than going to a landfill.

https://www.rd.com/article/what-happens-used-clothing-donations/
 

Saving energy is not only a good way to help the planet, but it saves you money too.  This article has lots of good tips to reduce your energy use while cooking. 
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https://energized.edison.com/stories/easy-ways-to-save-energy-while-cooking