Many areas are experiencing serious drought conditions that are likely to get worse before they get better.  Water restrictions are becoming increasingly common.  And conserving water is a good idea even if you live in a wet climate.  Municipal water systems require a lot of energy.  This is a good article on how to save water at home, although not all of the ideas will work for everyone.  A few extra thoughts:

• Check local regulations before installing rainwater catch systems.  They are not legal in some locations and others have restrictions on how much you are allowed to capture. 
• The suggestion to reduce the volume of water in your toilet tank is a good one, but if you already have a low-water toilet, further reduction of the water tank volume may interfere with the toilet’s effectiveness.  You’ll have to experiment.
• The article only lightly touches on one huge use of water in single-family homes, which is lawn and garden watering.  I will write another post that expands on that topic.  In the meantime, look at your yard to see where you could use native plants that require less water, and use trickle irrigation when possible.  Don’t water during the heat of the day and adjust your sprinklers so that you are not watering the sidewalk and street.  Experiment to see how much water your lawn really needs so you are not overwatering. 

https://www.wikihow.com/Save-Water
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With fuel prices rising quickly, it’s a good time to review ways to maximize fuel economy when you drive.  Saving fuel will help both the planet and your wallet. 

• Consolidate trips and plan your route to minimize the number of miles you drive.
• If you are not sure if the store will have the item you want, call ahead to check.
• Proper maintenance of your car will help it operate efficiently.  Keep tires inflated to the proper pressure, change your air filters, and get your car serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. 
• Learn driving techniques that are eco-friendly.  Don’t accelerate and decelerate rapidly.   
• Don’t speed.  Fuel efficiency goes down when car speeds go up.  HOWEVER, DO NOT drive significantly below the speed limit or the general speed of the traffic around you.  It is dangerous for you and the other drivers on the road.  A slow vehicle on the highway can cause jams that are miles long and cause accidents. 
• Every time you put on the brakes, it takes energy to return to your previous speed.  In heavy traffic, try to adjust your following distance and techniques to reduce the amount of braking needed to stay in the flow of traffic.
• Unless it is extremely cold or your car is an older model, you don’t need to warm up your vehicle’s engine before you drive.  Scrape frost off car windows instead of waiting while your car heats up enough to defrost the windows. 
• Parking in the shade when it’s hot outside reduces fuel evaporation.
• When it’s time to buy a new vehicle, consider carefully your specific driving needs in addition to fuel economy to choose the best vehicle. 

 
https://www.ucs.org/resources/how-maximize-your-vehicles-fuel-economy
 

No one likes accidents.  They are a hassle, usually cost money you weren’t planning to spend, and may cause pain or permanent injury.  However, there is also a sustainability aspect to preventing accidents.  A lot of resources can be expended in responding to an accident.  So, sustainability is another reason to try to prevent accidents.  While you can’t see an accident coming (that’s why it’s called an accident), there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of an accident or mitigate the severity of the consequences.  Here are some thoughts to get you started. 

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is intended to shield you from harm of various kinds.  PPE might include safety glasses, appropriate gloves, respiratory protection, sturdy boots, or a bicycle helmet.  All of these things can prevent or reduce the severity of injury, so if PPE is called for, please use it.  Even if specific PPE is not recommended, think through the activity and use common sense in choosing clothing and shoes.  Hospitals use large quantities of resources to safely care for patients. 
• If you live in a single-family dwelling or a multi-family unit with individual utilities, know where your water and electricity shutoffs are.  Flooding from a broken pipe can ruin a lot inside a house (take my word for it and don’t try it yourself) but the sooner you can shut the water off, the less damage there will be.  There may be times when turning off the electricity will end a bad situation. 
• Learn how to prevent fires, both indoors and outside.  Don’t park a vehicle in tall grass.  Don’t throw cigarette butts out the window.  Don’t use fireworks (and don’t use illegal fireworks) in an area with combustibles.  Buy space heaters with safety features and place them away from flammables such as curtains or furniture.  Learn how to quickly put out a fire in a pan on the stove.  Keep appropriate (make sure it works on more than one type of fire) fire extinguishers handy and charged; inspect them periodically and make sure they still work.  There are hundreds of fire prevention tips on the Internet.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and what you are doing.  Inattention can lead to an accident.
• Use an appropriate tool for the job and do not disable safety features.  Use a stepstool or ladder instead of standing on a chair or box.  Make sure the ladder is supported adequately.  Choose an appropriate size and type of saw or hammer for the task.
• Keep vehicles, tools, and other items properly maintained and in good condition.   

Repairing items instead of throwing them away and buying new is a great way to increase your sustainability.  Some things are not made to be fixed (boo, hiss) but many can be fixed with the right instructions and tools.  Sometimes you can take it to a repair shop.  You can do a web search for the owner’s manual for an item or use a reputable reference or website to find repair instructions, such as ifixit.com.  Beware of “hacks” presented by someone whose credentials you don’t know – sometimes they know what they’re talking about and sometimes they are suggesting something dangerous.  Think through the instructions you find – do the instructions suggest something that doesn’t seem like a good idea?  Think about safety aspects.  Also, in some locations, certain types of repairs or renovations (such as on buildings, natural gas appliances, plumbing, and electrical equipment) may require permits and inspections from local governments so check that out before proceeding.  And check more than one source to see if the instructions and safety precautions agree.  Then enjoy fixing your stuff. 
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https://www.ifixit.com/

Before I read this article, I was unaware how many companies that make outdoor hiking and camping gear offer repair or recycling programs for their products.  Some of the companies listed have international repair locations and others likely sell internationally.  Repair is a key sustainability tenet.  If you repair it and continue to use it, the resources required to produce it get more use before end of life.  One consideration when you buy these items is whether the company has a repair or recycle program.  If an item does need repair, check with the manufacturer for repair options before you decide to replace it (this is a good idea for many types of items in addition to outdoor gear).  According to the attached article, “If you use a product for just three more months, you can reduce its carbon, water, and waste impacts by 10%.” 
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https://earth911.com/how-and-buy/extend-the-life-of-your-outdoor-gear-with-these-repair-programs/

​The concept of “buy it for life” is becoming more popular and is an important sustainability tactic.  Basically, it means buying items that are designed, manufactured, and intended to last a long time before needing replacement.  All the resources needed to replace a less durable item are saved, because no replacement is needed.  When you’re on a tight budget, it’s hard to find the money to buy a better-quality item, but over the long haul, it will save you money.  However, “buy it for life” does not necessarily mean buying a more expensive item, because more costly does not always equal better quality.  You’ll have to do some research to find out which items are repairable, which have good ratings for durability, and which have just the features you want and not a lot of extra features you’ll never use.  Sometimes the sustainability feature is not obvious, such as cellphones whose manufacturers no longer do security updates for a phone after a few years, meaning you either have to buy a new phone or live with security vulnerabilities.  Try to buy items that can be repaired or upgraded.  Make sure you do the maintenance and care needed to keep the item in good operating condition, because even the best item does not hold up to neglect and misuse.  It takes more time and personal energy to “buy it for life” but it helps the earth and also supports companies that make more durable and repairable products.  

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