What Can I Do?

Here are some things that we can all do beginning now, with step by step guidance. (Also, join an Action Group!)

Good things to do now

Sounds almost too simple, but TALK about the climate crisis with your family and friends.
Everything we do counts.
Right now, act to protect Women and Girls: She Decides.
From Medium, a great resource for articles: So, What Can I Do?
Low- and no-cost tips to use less energy
Use fewer products containing palm oil. It is in far too many products – learn more
Use alternative weed killers instead of glyphosates
Change behaviors to reduce emissions: Seven Pathways to Achieve Climate Impact
Find your path to advance global regeneration.
9 simple ways to conserve energy at home
Reducing Electricity Use and Costs – and explore the whole website for ideas.

Be Prepared for Change

Change is coming, whether we like it or not. However, we can prepare.
Here is excellent advice on a preparedness kit

Deal with your Carbon Footprint

How much do I contribute to climate change? (…also see Berkley’s Calculator)
How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
What are carbon offsets and how do they work?
Where can I buy carbon offsets? (Note that many of these may be ineffective.)
* Majority of offset projects that have sold the most carbon credits are ‘likely junk’.
* 15 Best and Popular US Carbon Offset Providers
* Gold Standard
* atmosfair
* Climate Friendly
* Terrapass
* TreeSisters
Make sure your carbon offsets actually do offset carbon. Anyone offering carbon offsets will be certified by rigorous third-party auditors like Green-e (their website also has great info).

Sequester Carbon in Your Own Garden

Complete, in-depth primer in two articles:
1. Backyard Carbon Sequestration Is Something Nearly Everyone Can Do
2. What Does Synthetic Fertilizer Have to Do with It?
3. More info about Biochar

And eat better, too!

Fleet Farming – Florida-based urban agriculture program of IDEAS For Us that transforms the average American lawn into a bio-verse, productive micro farms and edible gardens.
Food Not Lawns – international movement of folks who want to grow edible neighborhoods, build community food security, and thrive

Reduce Carbon—and losses—from Wildfires

Wildfires have many hidden costs – good article for understand their full impact
Wildfires are ruinous – so how to stop them happening in the first place?
Fire Adapted Communities – how your community can reduce risks
Ashland FireWise – how you can reduce risks to your own home
Reducing Fire Risk on Your Forest Property – what to do if you own woodlands
Get trained to reduce the fire danger in public or private forests
Proforestation Mitigates Climate Change and Serves the Greatest Good – how preserving and expanding our existing natural forests is the best solution

Have a Butterfly Garden

Milkweed is the Key. How to get started (Milkweed seeds part 1)
Milkweed seeds part2
Milkweed seeds part3
You must grow 10-20 plants to feed hungry caterpillars for 2-3 weeks. If you only have room for 1 or 2, best to grow any of the wonderful nectar plants like Zinnias instead!

Be Bee Friendly!

Make your backyard and community a safe place for bees
DIY Bee Bath
B&B for the Bees
DIY Bee Hotel, from Bee City Canada
Materials:
• A plant pot, a plastic bottle (cut in half), a tin can or a ceramic coffee mug
• Bamboo canes or rolled up sheets of paper
• String or raffia
• Compost (sticks, branches, leaves, recycled newspaper)
• Decorations/Pens to decorate (optional)
Make it!
1. Cut up the bamboo canes (or chosen alternative) so they’ll fit snuggly inside the plant pot or alternative.
2. Pack them tightly into the plant pot, and if you need to pack compost around until all the canes are secure.
3. Decorate your hotel if you so wish (paint, marker, etc…)
4. Tie string around the pot nice & tightly, and hang up somewhere in your garden.
*Note: if you use the coffee mug, you will not require the string. Simply hang the bee hotel by the handle of the mug.
Tips:
• Your bee hotel needs to be in a sunny, but sheltered spot.
• The pot needs to be slightly pointed downwards, so it doesn’t just fill up with rain.
• Pop in near some flowers so the bees don’t have to travel too far.

Repurpose and Reuse

Freecycle – grassroots and nonprofit movement of local people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free, for reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills
Nextdoor’s free offerings – offerings from your neighbors
Craigslist’s free offerings – more offerings from your neighbors
Trash Nothing – an alternate interface for existing freecycle groups around the world

Live More Lightly

Going Zero Waste – MANY ways to completely redefine the system, to move to a circular economy and to write waste out of existence. See our Zero Waste page for even more.
Green Groundswell – prolific blog about changing and adopting a sustainable way of living, working, and sharing the earth
300 ‘How to Guides’ – share more in your community
50 easy hacks to change your life in 2020 (and beyond!) – improve your life AND the global climate
Hemp: The Natural Response to Plastic Pollution – NOT to be confused with marijuana, hemp is now legal in the USA, Canada, China, the EU, and elsewhere
Avoid canned air – even the best ones contain difluoroethane, which is 140 times worse than carbon dioxide – the worst ones contain tetrafluoroethane, 1,300 times worse

Compost

 
An important thing we can all do is Reduce Food Waste.

And more – embrace Zero Waste.

Invest in the Future
Zero and Low Cost Actions
  • Talk about climate change with your family and peer groups
  • Consume thoughtfully
    • Walk or bike when possible
    • Avoid food waste
    • Use less energy at home
  • Be prepared for anything! Make a plan for your household to prepare for climate impacts such as smoke, extreme heat, and drought.
  • Connect With Community (Level 3 Actions)
    • Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) – promoting awareness and understanding about the causes and consequences of climate change, developing solutions, and motivating concerned citizens to take individual and collective action
    • Rogue Climate – empowering Southern Oregon communities most impacted by climate change
    • Sustainability at SOU – sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and research that advances our understanding of local, regional, and global environmental issues
    • Sustainable Rogue Valley – fostering a vibrant and resilient community that uses sustainable practices, empowers us to share our skills and gifts, and confronts environmental and economic instability with determination to create a better life for all.