What will you commit to?

Energy

• Wash your laundry in cold water for shorter amounts of time
• Air dry your laundry
• Replace incandescent & fluorescent light bulbs with LEDs
• Switch to energy efficient appliances
• Turn off the lights when not in use and use as much natural light as you can
• Use power strips for electronics to power off completely when not in use
• Use the battery saver function on your phone & computer
• Use a programmable thermostat that lowers or raises the temperature when you’re not home
• Bundle up before you turn up the heat

Transportation

• Pledge that your next vehicle will be a hybrid or electric vehicle
• Check your car’s tire pressure
• Calculate your carbon footprint
• Walk or bike instead of driving
• Carpool
• Use mass transit
• Telecommute

Waste

• Reuse whenever you can
• Buy in store to cut down on packaging instead of online
• Dispose of expired medicine properly, don’t flush down toliet: http://www.bemedwise.org/medication-safety/drug-storage-and-disposal
• Wrap your gifts in a reusable bags instead of wrapping paper
• Invest in a reusable water bottle
• Bring your reusable mugs to Hennepin Coffee Fellowship
• Recycle all paper products
• Instead of purchasing a new book, check out your local library
• Try composting at home
• Pick up the trash in your neighborhood
• Bring a reusable container for leftovers to a restaurant
• Donate and thrift clothing, furniture, household items
• Invest in better quality clothing that will last longer from environmentally conscious brands

Advocacy and Education

• Learn your local recycling rules
• Explore local environmental initiatives
• Watch a documentary on Environmental Justice
• Read a book about Creation Care
• Donate to an environmental organization
• Get out and vote!
• Spend more time outdoors
• Endorse climate science
• Talk about the climate crisis with friends and relatives
• Contact your local, state, and federal representatives
• Support elected officials who have committed to enact climate action policies
• #OptOutdoors this Black Friday
• Make your New Year’s resolutions Green
• Join the Hennepin Green Team!

Water

• Do your dishes only when the dishwasher is full
• Take shorter showers
• Wait until the laundry basket is full to wash
• Calculate your water footprint: https://www.watercalculator.org/
• Collect rainwater for watering gardens & indoor plants
• Turn the faucet off  while brushing your teeth
• Repair leaky faucets
• Use a low flow shower head
• Install a low flush toilet
• Stop buying bottled water

Food

• Start a community garden​
• Eat those leftovers
• Purchase the “ugly” food at your grocery store
• Eat less meat and more produce
• Grow your own vegetables
• Buy ingredients from local farmers
• Purchase “Fair-Trade” items
• Try cooking one-pot meals
• Bring reusable bags to the grocery

Misc

• Use green cleaning products
• Buy a plant for your house
• Subscribe to a solar garden
• Gift experiences instead of things