My goal this semester is to live more sustainably. In order to reach that goal, I pledge to:
- Gardens/ Horticulture
- Create or improve a school garden
- Grow native plants for students to plant
- Eat food from a/the garden at least X times per week
- Try at least one new food from the garden
- Green-building, Building Greening
- Use blinds in a way that conserves power consumption
- Transition to a more energy efficient system of lights as less efficient models burn out
- Plant a tree to shade the south side of my house/class/school
- Install/ask parents to install low-flow shower heads
- Green Spaces/ Conservation
- Adopt a…road, river, park!
- Volunteer for a local conservation group or environmental restoration project
- Energy
- Raise money to purchase renewable AND sustainable power!
- Turn off lights whenever I leave the room
- Turn off monitor/computer accessories/ when I leave the room for a long period and at the end of every day
- Food and Health
- Buy local one more time per week – at farmers market, restaurant, etc.
- Give up fast food, or limit to once per month
- Not use disposable water bottles and ban them from the classroom, offer washable mason jars near a water fountain for students who forget to bring a bottle that day.
- Eat one more serving of fresh fruits and vegetables each day
- Water
- Only run dishwasher and washing machine when full, use recommended settings (cool or cold water for front end loaders is preferred for most detergents now)
- Wash dishes using a dish tub and only run the water when rinsing
- Limit or stop use of lawn chemicals, especially in places it can run or leach into ground water or storm drains with precipitation events
- Turn off faucet when brushing teeth, shaving, lathering hands, etc.
- Transportation
- Carpool once/one more time per week
- Drive only when necessary and use human-powered forms of transportation whenever possible
- Use alternative transportation one more time per week
- Waste Stream
- Research and learn about WHAT is recyclable where you live
- Recycle as much as you can
- Educate your family and friends on how and what to recycle
- Use both sides of paper, and keep a bin at the printer for scrap and reprints
- Start a compost pile or worm bin
- Encourage school-wide participation and at-home participation
- Consider the products you use every day – are they available in bulk or is there a way to use less packaging?
- Re-consider body wash vs. bar soap
Links to Inspiring Pledges:
Green Education Foundation Pledge
University of Washington Pledge
Emory Sustainability Pledge
Tips to Create Permanent Changes]]>