
Neighbours for the Planet
Tackling Climate Change, One Action at a Time

PERSONAL ACTION
The table below consists of 100 personal actions that has been put together from scouring the internet and thinking of practices some of us are already trying to follow. No one is perfect and none of us at Neighbours for the Planet are claiming that we follow ALL of these recommendations ourselves. It is important that you do NOT feel intimidated by this list and that you feel proud of any action that you take.
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The general rule is the old adage – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in that order. Reduce by trying to cut down on waste for instance get your bills online. Reuse by trying to choose products that last and do not require a constant supply - coffee pods, floor wipes, etc. These single use items not only cause extra garbage but also contribute to climate change via their manufacturing, transportation and disposal. And finally, Recycle products or their packaging whenever possible, or better yet read here about ways to recycle less.
A lot of these changes will save you money over the long term. Some require no initial investment and you start saving right away, others require some up front costs.
We highly recommend reconnecting with nature via outdoor activities. It has been proven to help improve psychological health and it is hard to care for something if you never connect with it.
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Finally, we have tried to tag the actions below with some indicators to show relative impact in terms of reduced CO2 emissions, cost savings, initial investment, ease of adoption. It is quite unscientific, but we hope it helps you to choose which actions you might be able to undertake.

Category
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
022
Category
Description
Avoid drive-thrus as much as possible
Transportation
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
H
L
L
L
023
Category
Description
Use video conferencing rather than travelling for meetings
Transportation
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
M
M
L
M
024
Category
Description
Use a hitch mounted cargo rack rather than roof mounted - creates less drag
Transportation
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
L
M
M
L
025
Category
Description
Change to energy-efficient light bulbs.
Energy Use
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
M
H
L
H
026
Category
Description
Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics when you're not using them.
Energy Use
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
L
M
L
M
027
Category
Description
Unplug devices - like phones or tablets - once they're fully charged
Energy Use
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
M
L
L
L
028
Category
Description
Try to avoid washing clothes in hot water and instead use cold or warm water.