Reducing your use of single-use plastic makes a big difference!
Small acts adding up to more Below is from the Carbon Almanac! “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn Consider what you buy. Everything we purchase has made an impact on the environment through carbon emissions. Some more than others. Is your item available second-hand?Our actions matter. We can make a difference before it’s too late. Small actions when coordinated with others can lead to systemic change.What are things you can do?Get engaged in your local government. Listen to a meeting, reach out to your representative, sign a petition. Local environmental policies have a direct impact on our lives and our voices can make a difference.Involve your community. Bring people together to enjoy conversations and spark ideas on what actions to take. Consider what your buy. Everything we purchase has made an impact on the environment through carbon emissions. Some more than others. Is your item available second-hand?Our actions matter. We can make a difference before it’s too late.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
Refuse to consume so much junk. Avoid Target and The Dollar Store.
What is the single best thing I can do for the planet? Maybe the best two things I can do? The New York Times put this question to some experts. It was actually the most click on article on Earth Day.
They have sone good suggestions, but we all have such different lifestyles and ways we are all harmful to the planet in the way we live. We all need to take inventory of the ways we are harmful to clean air and clean water. Everyone can buy less stuff. Do we really need all the Easter eggs and decorations everywhere the past two months? Do you really need that extra shirt or pair of shoes? What can you purchase second hand or reuse?
Cutting meat consumption and driving less are huge, but so is not wasting so much food, and reducing our single-use plastic
The New York Times asked their experts how to be the best planetary citizens?
I think their ideas are thoughtful and interesting. It is worth a read
“The thing
First, it’s important to understand that climate change is a symptom of a larger issue: ecological overshoot, or the fact that humans are consuming resources faster than they can regenerate and producing more waste and pollution than nature can absorb, said William Rees, a human and ecological economist and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. The most effective solutions, then, address not just greenhouse gas emissions but overall consumption and pollution.
One of the most effective ways to avoid consumption in the first place, Dr. Rees said, is to have a smaller family. But that might not be a realistic option for many people, for all kinds of personal, cultural and other reasons.
As The New York Times’s ethics columnist has pointed out, it might also be realistic to think that children who are raised with a sense of responsibility could — in personal and collective ways — be part of the solution, ensuring human survival on a livable planet by promoting adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
A less complicated recommendation is to cut back on meat. “On all these different metrics, eating a plant-based diet broadly improves sustainability,” said Seth Wynes, a scientist specializing in climate change mitigation at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
The choices we make for food are some of the most powerful we make for the planet. Reducing our meat consumption, reducing foot waste, and reducing plastic packaging make a huge impact.
This is such a thoughtful Earth Day post by Dan Buettner. I need to share it! Enjoy.
“On the places where people live the longest, Earth Day isn’t a date on the calendar.
It’s a way of life.
In Ikaria, Greece, families gather around tables that haven’t changed much in generations—bowls of beans, fresh vegetables, wild herbs, and homemade bread. In Okinawa, Japan, elders still tend small garden plots, growing the same nutrient-rich foods they’ve eaten since childhood. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, meals are cooked slowly, with care—and rarely, if ever, wasted.
No compost bins. No food miles calculators. Just deeply rooted habits that naturally care for the Earth. 1. The quiet climate action on your plate Globally, what we eat has a bigger impact on the planet than how we commute or what we recycle. But in blue zone communities, where chronic disease is rare and centenarians are common, food systems look strikingly different from the modern industrial model.
People grow what they can, shop close to home, and cook meals from scratch. It’s not about perfection—it’s about patterns. These aren’t grand gestures or sweeping declarations of sustainability. They’re quiet, everyday acts: soaking beans overnight. Picking greens before lunch. Making soup with what’s left in the fridge.
Over time, those patterns add up—not just to better health, but to a lighter impact on the Earth. 2. Plants, beans, and the power of simplicity At the heart of every long-lived kitchen is a humble foundation: beans. Black beans in Nicoya. Garbanzo beans in Ikaria. Soybeans in Okinawa. They’re eaten nearly every day, often with greens, grains, or root vegetables.
This isn’t just a healthy way to eat—it’s one of the most sustainable. According to environmental researchers, shifting toward a plant-forward diet can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and use less land.
And yet, the secret isn’t just what’s on the plate. It’s the simplicity of it. Meals are built around a few affordable, nourishing ingredients. They’re not flashy, but they’re deeply satisfying—and deeply kind to the planet. 3. Homegrown, seasonal, and slow Long before “farm-to-table” became a restaurant trend, it was simply how people ate. In blue zones, food is closely tied to the rhythms of the land. Tomatoes are eaten in summer. Squash in fall. Greens in spring. Root vegetables in winter.
Backyard gardens are common. So are farmers’ markets and community exchanges, where excess harvests are shared instead of tossed. Eating this way naturally cuts down on packaging, long-haul transportation, and overprocessing.
But more than that, it builds connection—to the Earth, to the seasons, and to each other. In every longevity hotspot, food isn’t just fuel. It’s a daily relationship with the land. 4. Fewer packages, more presence A meal made from scratch doesn’t just nourish your body. It also avoids the packaging, additives, and excess waste that come with processed convenience foods.
In blue zones, people rarely rely on single-use plastics or highly packaged meals. Leftovers are stored in reused jars. Lunches are wrapped in cloth. Bread is baked, not bought. There’s a natural resourcefulness that comes from making do with what you have—and wasting as little as possible.
But the deeper benefit might be this: when meals take time, they also become something to slow down for. Cooking becomes a ritual. Eating becomes a shared experience. And in a world that often feels rushed, that presence is a gift—to both you and the planet. 5. A better way, one bite at a time You don’t need to grow your own food or cut out all packaging to make a difference. Start with what feels doable.
Try cooking one plant-forward meal each day. Choose in-season produce when you can. Make beans in big batches. Learn one simple recipe that becomes your new staple. Keep a cloth tote in your car. Compost your scraps if you’re able.
Small changes, done consistently, can be powerful. And they often ripple out—toward better health, deeper joy, and a gentler impact on the Earth.
This Earth Day, remember: the way we eat is one of the most personal—and powerful—climate choices we make.
And if it also adds years to your life? Even better.” Dan Buettner
In the blue zone of Sardinia, akentannos is a toast often used. It means ‘May you live to be 100 years.’ Akentannos!
Tomorrow is Earth Day. It is 55th Earth day since the annual event was initiated in the United States on April 22, 1970.
Earth Day was started by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson because he saw such deterioration of our water and air quality. It was a call to take better care of our planet. The call is even more important today with the terrible effects of climate change and the production of so much plastic which no one could visualize in 1970.
On this Earth Day visualize the world you want to live in and decide what changes you need to make to create the beautiful world you wish for??? How can we insure clean air and clean water for everyone?
I make zero waste a game to waste as little as I can.
Our landfills are overflowing, and we just keep purchasing junk and many things we can live without. Consumerism contributes to global warming as do our landfills and burning of trash. We must cut back, maybe not to total zero waste, but creating less waste overall.
Zero waste is not easy, but it is possible. Reducing our waste forces a new look to what we buy. Reducing purchases makes us pay attention to what we buy. Do we really need all the junk we purchase?
March 30 is the UN’s International Day of Zero Waste. This year’s focus is on reducing waste in the fashion industry and helping to advance circular solutions. We have a choice how we spend our dollars, and spending our money on good long lasting products should be a priority. Many items are expensive right now and I bet you can monitor and adjust to be happy with what you already have.
Avoid the fashion fads. Do you really want someone else telling you what to buy and wear. Be your own person create your own look! If your truly want to live on a planet with clean air and clean water we need to cut back! “We still have the ability to stop the worst from happening to our planet. The power to do this is in our hands—we just need to use it.” Katherine Hayhoe
We just need to get in the habit of reusing and fixing what we have. Most of us have closets full of clothes we barely use. Shop your closet and create a new outfit with the clothes you have. Be creative
Many say to me, “But it was so cheap!” No, it’s not cheap with the harm it does to our planet! Manufacturing, shipping, and disposal takes lots of time and energy. Most of it not healthy for anyone.
How can you help to reduce your addiction to fast fashion clothing? Some ideas:
Shop your own closet, or the closet of a friend or relative.
Purchase secondhand. Some secondhand stores even have personal shoppers for you to use.
Buy quality over quantity
Mend clothes rather than throwing them away
Intentionally select the brands you purchase from and learn about their sustainability practices
Make a decision you didn’t need this item after all
Everyday people throw away single-use plastic “stuff” without thinking twice — plastic bottles, bags, utensils, cups, containers and more.
But this “stuff” never truly goes away. Instead, it clogs our landfills, threatens our health, trashes our parks, litters our streets and even washes into our rivers and oceans. Nothing we use for a few minutes should threaten our health and pollute our future for hundreds of years.
Join the February Plastic Challenge!
The Plastic-Free Challenge is a month-long effort starting February 1 to reduce how many plastics you use in ways that fit best in your lifestyle and have the most impact on reducing your plastic footprint.
Do something positive for yourself, your family and for the planet in February. With so many plastic items in our lives avoiding them may feel impossible, but there is a lot we can do to reduce our plastic footprint. Please Join with us to learn ways we can reduce our exposure to plastic. There are many activities to choose from, but you can also create your own challenge. Keep it simple, and even choosing one activity will make a difference. You will learn a lot, and have fun during this February challenge. Sign up here:
The Plastic-Free Challenge is a month-long effort starting February 1 to reduce plastic consumption, in ways that fit best in your needs. You only need to choose one activity that works for you like bringing your reusable shopping bags, or asking not to be given a straw with your drink, or bringing your reusable cup with you for February. Many other ideas will be suggested when you register. Keep it simple. Do a good job on one thing!
Melissa Clark is an extraordinaire food writer for the New York Times. She has set her food resolutions for 2025.
She is missing the most important food resolution: REDUCE your food waste! Food waste is an enormous waste of energy. time and water. Food waste is an enormous contributor to our climate crisis. Read about it here:
New Year’s resolutions are fast upon us, and chances are that your list will include some version of trying to eat better. I’m here to help.
Food is both my profession and my obsession, which means it’s my job to consume delicious things every single day, reveling in each bite of tangy arugula salad, silky roasted salmon or gooey blackout cake. The key for me is to maximize the pleasure while also leaning into moderation, and to generally eat more sustainably.
I want to share this balancing act with you. Here’s my approach, broken down into easily digestible morsels.
1. Learn to cook something — or something new.
If you’re just starting out in the kitchen, make 2025 the year you learn to cook. The recipe columnists and editors at New York Times Cooking have compiled a recipe collection for absolute beginners, and in the course of 10 dishes you’ll acquire basic skills to bolster your confidence.
Start with Eric Kim’s tuna mayo rice bowl, which doesn’t even require turning on the stove if you have leftover rice or a rice cooker. Genevieve Ko’s cheesy eggs on toast is equally good for breakfast as it is for dinner. And my lemony chicken with potatoes and oregano is easy to make on a sheet pan, and it’s just the thing to slather with your favorite condiment, be it chile sauce, mayonnaise, mustard or all three.
Keeping your pantry well stocked will get you halfway there — and here are some tips on how to do just that. Even on nights when I don’t have time to plan or run to the store, I know I’ll still be able to cook something incredibly satisfying that’s often faster and cheaper than getting takeout.
If you’re a seasoned cook but feel tapped out for inspiration, commit to making one new recipe per month. You get bonus points if it includes ingredients or techniques you’ve never tried before. Dishes like one-pot mushroom and ginger rice (which calls for velveting the mushrooms) and crunchy scrunched cabbage salad with fried almonds are just waiting to help you get back in your groove. You can also sign up for our What to Cook newsletter for even more suggestions.
2. Eat less meat.
Cutting back on meat gets easier for me as the years go by. As it turns out, the less meat I eat, the less of it I crave. (That is sadly untrue of cookies, though.) And replacing animal-based foods with whole grains, legumes and nuts has been linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Now, I mostly use meat as seasoning for vegetables, beans or pasta. A little prosciutto, a sprinkle of bacon or a few ounces of ground turkey go a long way.
Drinking more moderately is about emphasis in my book. I’ve come to realize that drinking more low- or no-alcohol cocktails and mocktails is just as satisfying as drinking alcohol.
I’ve also discovered that the ceremony of having a drink is just as important as what’s in the glass, if not more so. Give me something with a deep bittersweet tang in a fancy coupe as a gateway to a congenial evening, and I won’t ever miss the hangover.
To me this election is about an intelligent articulate woman and a despicable former president. The former president has no sense of what is right and wrong. He belittles people and constantly lies. This former president has no understanding of what is true and what is not true because he lives in a world of conspiracy and corruption. Someone that lies about everything should not be a world leader. There is no way we can trust him! Neither his own citizens or other countries believe what he says.
Choose listiening, compassion and understanding over hate
Below is an editorial from former Startribune reporters:
On Nov. 5, voters must choose between one candidate who respects the rule of law, and one who doesn’t. One who possesses personal characteristics like integrity, honesty and honor, and one who doesn’t. One who abides by the norms of civilized behavior in a democratic republic, and one who trashes the norms, flouts tradition and makes a mockery of virtues like courtesy and a commitment to the peaceful transfer of power. Every presidential election carries enormous importance, but this year’s stands in a class all its own: Do we vote to preserve our democracy and to embrace an invigorating “new way forward,” or do we choose to elevate to the highest office in the land a man who has threatened over and over to end that democracy?
Yes, the world is a disaster. It is being dominated by many very evil men and being ravished by effects of climate change. It is hard to be optimistic for the future. but our own mental health depends on doing something good for the earth and taking good care of ourselves. So, this October do something good for yourself and something good for our planet. Start by using less plastic, use less sugar, drive less and spend more time outside. But most important GO VOTE!
“Unless American voters stand up to him, Mr. Trump will have the power to do profound and lasting harm to our democracy” NYT
Endorsement for Harris from the New York Times:
“It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States than Donald Trump. He has proved himself morally unfit for an office that asks its occupant to put the good of the nation above self-interest. He has proved himself temperamentally unfit for a role that requires the very qualities — wisdom, honesty, empathy, courage, restraint, humility, discipline — that he most lacks.
Those disqualifying characteristics are compounded by everything else that limits his ability to fulfill the duties of the president: his many criminal charges, his advancing age, his fundamental lack of interest in policy and his increasingly bizarre cast of associates.
This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election.
For this reason, regardless of any political disagreement’s voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president.”
Health4earth 