Janis Taylor-Lee

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

I will spend at least 5 minutes finding out if my city, region, province, or country offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 11 liters of water per faucet every day.

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

I will spend 5 minutes learning about how to make my local arena, community centre, sports complex or home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 725 kgs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching other sustainable Transportation Solutions.

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

I will spend at least 6 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

I will spend at least 25 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

I will sign up for a car-sharing service, or organize car sharing with my neighbors, to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 1.5kg a month or 18.6kg a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will spend 5 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

Instead of buying new equipment, I will swap or buy used equipment to minimize waste and save money.

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

By keeping all of your tournaments local you reduce any travel that may have been necessary, cutting CO2 entering Earth's atmosphere.

I will avoid sending up to .31 kg of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

I will spend at least 2 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.