The coronavirus pandemic has upended our lives. Just a week or
so ago, individuals in countries around the world were going to bars, seeing
movies with friends and, really, just going about business as usual. Now, all
that has changed.
Amid
the COVID-19 outbreak, many health experts and government officials are
suggesting, and sometimes mandating, that we practice social distancing to flatten the curve of
the outbreak — preventing a surge of infected patients that
overwhelm our hospitals. In other words, that means we stay at home and limit
nearly all in-person social interactions.
But
as we exercise our individual and collective responsibility to reduce viral
transmissions to preserve human health, we can still exercise our
responsibility to act for environmental health. We can use this solitary time
to reassess our current habits and develop new ones that are better for the
planet. Below are 11 ways to take action for the planet while social distancing
— we hope they’ll stick, even after our global health crisis subsides.
Go plant-based and compost
When
you’re stuck in your house, time is your friend. Now is the time to get
creative and break those food ruts! Maybe you made a resolution to eat more plants this
year, or maybe you just want to boost your immune system with an abundance of
vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables. Either way, now is the time to get creative
with your cooking.
Try
some new plant-based recipes — Nonperishable foods, like canned or dry beans
and rice, are easy to prepare and nutritious. I always end up making too much
and then have leftovers, which makes my next meal easy for me. It’s always
important to save leftovers and reduce food waste, and this is an especially
good time to be making the most of what you have. If you have any produce that
has gone bad and you can’t use, try composting. You can compost in a tupperware
and store it in your freezer, under the sink, on a balcony, wherever!
Reading over streaming
Reading
is good for the mind, the soul and it turns out, the planet: A pastime like
reading easily replaces streaming, which is notoriously
carbon-intensive. So, dust off that massive book you’ve been meaning
to read, and get to work. Also, if you’re craving sports amid a sportsless
pandemic, why not crack open a biography about your favorite
athlete or sports moment?
Since libraries are closed, opt for an e-book through your library’s digital
platform. Our staff has some recommendations to
get you started.
Support a political
candidate
It’s
election season! Is there a candidate you like or want to see succeed? There is
plenty you can do while social distancing. Many campaigns have resources for
people who want to volunteer, such as call scripts for reaching out to voters.
As an added bonus, people who are stuck at home should be more open to having a
discussion with you about the candidate you like. Don’t know who to support?
Spend a little time looking at their record on the environment and see if it
aligns with what you want for our planet.
When life gives you
lemons… make disinfectants
When
trying to fight a very contagious virus, cleaning products and disinfectants
are our best friends. Whether it might be because your store is out of stock,
or because you enjoy natural solutions, you can skip the harsh chemical sprays in
favor of safer alternatives. Plus, they’re probably already in your pantry.
I
have been making homemade disinfectant solutions, sprays and wipes using
hydrogen peroxide and alcohol (just make sure your mix is 70% alcohol, and
leave it to dry on its own). White vinegar and vodka are power cleaners, easily
cutting through grease and removing mildew, odors, stains and wax buildup. For
surfaces that need to be cleaned — but not sterile — lemons can also be used to
clean non-porous surfaces. For extra points, reuse existing spray bottles in
your home instead of buying new ones!
Switch to green power
Did
you know you may have a green power option available? Not everyone can
put up solar panels or connect to a windmill, but more and more electric
utilities are offering green power options, where you can sign up to get some,
most or all of your electricity from renewable energy sources. While some
utilities may charge a small premium, you likely will find savings in your bill
over time. Contact your local electric utility today — it will be worth
it.
Share your stuff, if you
can
I
am a country kid who has lived in the suburbs for most of my adult life — I
still buy like a person with limited or no access to stores during emergencies.
I had so many cleaning products that I could afford to share these with my
daughter and her family and still have enough for a few months. As for working
from home: I’m using up supplies for my home office that have been piling up —
a nice side-effect of cleaning out my house without stopping what I normally
do.
Take stock, and make stock
Being
stuck at home allows us to take stock of what we already have, and what we
don’t need more of. You might be surprised to find that those jeans you had
crammed in the back of your closet are back in style. Knowing what you already
have can prevent you from making impulse or unnecessary purchases in the
future, thus reducing your consumer footprint in the long-run.
Also,
everyone’s always telling you to “use your vegetable scraps to make stock” —
now you finally have the time to do it! Throw all your veggie scraps into a
pot, add some dried-up and forgotten herbs you found at the back of your fridge
(just me?), add water and let them simmer away for a few hours. Strain and use
this stock to make some soul-comforting dishes like ramen, risotto or just plain
soup.
— Justine Sullivan, Director of
Communications and Digital Media
Volunteer
for Earth Day
Our volunteer program will be sending out
email updates with the latest digital ways to push for climate action. Since Earth Day is going
online for the sake of public health, every message will have
ways to take action at home, interact with your community online and be solve
the climate crisis.
Do an eco-friendly
activity — no matter your age
We’re
all grappling with changes to our daily lives, and these changes affect
everyone. I recently repurposed some of our faith toolkits for in-home use,
coming up with some resources for ways to engage people of all ages during the
coronavirus pandemic. Take a look — I’m sure you’ll find something to renew
your spirit:
· Ages 4
& Up: Reduce Bird
Collisions
· Ages 7
& Up: Make a Bee Condo
· Ages 10
& Up: Plan an Invasive
Species Clean-Up
· Ages 12
& Up: Plan A Wildflower
Garden
· Intergenerational
Activity: Watershed
Wilma/Wilbur Prayers
Start a garden
exchange
Start
a neighborhood garden exchange. Post on neighborhood apps like Facebook,
Nextdoor or OfferUp. I recently suggested a seed exchange, as well as a
repurposed wood (for building raised garden beds) and dirt swaps, with my
neighbors — now we’re growing our spring gardens together, but separately. To
ensure safe social distancing, exchange seeds, wood and dirt by leaving them in
front of homes, or set up times to exchange them in a safe manner.
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