Tips for committing to change for a better planet: 10 by 10

Here’s a mammoth posting for Earth Week, cutting out the clutter and getting straight to the point of focus on environmental issues.

These tips come from a website called: 10 By 10 ~ the website offer ways for you, as an individual, a chance to voice your commitments to change and thus to creating a better planet. 10 By 10 asks that you choose a minimum of 1 to a maximum 10 of the commitments (which I list below).

What commitments are you willing to make and uphold?!!! If you’re like me, try to do as many as you can rather than limit yourself to just 10, each and every day.

Together, we can make the world a better place. Be a Eco-Hero! 🙂

Please print these out and keep handy as a daily reminder of your commitments! 🙂

GO GREEN: I WILL

1. Turn off the lights
2. Shut light off when you leave a room, to save electricity (and light bulbs!)
3. Start a compost system
4. Reduce your garbage at home, school or work with your own compost system
5. Drink water from a re-useable water bottle
6. Carrying your own water bottle saves tons of plastic bottles from reaching landfill sites
7. Print on both sides of paper
8. Save trees by making the most of your paper
9. Grow a vegetable garden
10. Help the environment, while also providing delicious and nutritious food
11. Pack my own lunch
12. Cut down on waste and money by making your lunch instead of buying food
13. Ride my bike once a week
14. Get your exercise and help keep the air clean by biking to work or school
15. Carry a re-useable bag
16. Save the world one plastic bag at a time
17. Park and walk inside
18. Save the emissions from the drive-through — turn off the car and walk inside instead!
19. Unplug appliances
20. Unplugging those appliances saves energy, even when they’re not turned on

SHOP WISELY: I WILL

1. Buy organic products
2. Save pounds of pesticides from entering our earth by looking for organic products
3. Give a donation on someone’s behalf
4. Next birthday or holiday, give a gift that keeps on giving — a donation in the name of a loved one
5. Purchase fair trade coffee
6. Knowing that your coffee provided fair wages and a safe working environment makes a morning brew taste that much better
7. Ask where and how clothes are made
8. Ask about the clothes that you wear. Even if the salesperson doesn’t know, it will get them thinking.
9. Look for local produce
10. Buy food grown around your area to keep it fresh and reduce the impact of shipping
11. Don’t test your beauty on animals
12. Look for beauty products that have been tested naturally, saving our furry friends
13. Shop for vintage clothing
14. Re-use and recycle: vintage clothes are economical, unique and good for the world!
15. Wear organic cotton
16. Save thousands of pounds of pesticides from entering the earth by wearing natural fabrics
17. Print. . . and recycle
18. Using recycled paper helps save trees, improving air quality and the overall environment
19. Cut down on packaging
20. Look for products that have less packaging, and encourage companies to reduce the amount of waste

GIVE BACK: I WILL

1. Hug, hug, hug
2. Give at least 3 people hugs every day for a week — you never know when you will brighten someone’s day
3. Clean out my closet
4. Donating items you no longer use is a great way to clear your space, while also helping someone else
5. Search with GlobalMojo
6. Raise money for your favourite charity by just surfing the web
7. Rake leaves or shovel snow
8. Doing everyday chores for someone else will brighten their day . . .and yours
9. Organize a benefit concert
10. Showcase local talent while also raising money and awareness for a great cause
11. Hold a ‘pay-what-you-can’ garage sale
12. Let others decide how much your old stuff is worth, and donate any proceeds to charity
13. Hold a dance-a-thon
14. Dance the night away while raising money for a favourite cause
15. Personalize and sell re-usable goods
16. Write inspirational messages on water bottles, or decorate grocery bags to look good, while improving the world
17. Bake homemade treats
18. There is no better surprise to a neighbour, co-worker, or friend than being given baked goods ‘just because’
19. Share my java
20. Make someone’s day by buying a morning coffee for the person in line behind you.

TIME: I WILL

1. Volunteer somewhere new
2. Take 1 hour a week and volunteer some place new. You’ll meet some great people, and learn at the same time.
3. Say thank you – in writing
4. Spend 10 minutes writing thank you notes to people who have made a difference in your week. It might make a difference in theirs, as well.
5. Re-connect with an old friend
6. Connect with someone you may not have seen in a few weeks, months, or even years
7. Schedule 30-minute surprise time
8. Book off half an hour a week just to do something nice for someone else
9. Hold the door
10. It’s the little things that make a BIG difference — like opening the door for the person behind you
11. Help a neighbour
12. Improve your neighbour relations by helping with an everyday chore. Company makes any task go faster!
13. Clean up a local park
14. Get my family, school or workplace together to show the true meaning of community
15. Volunteer with my family
16. Get your whole family together on a holiday and head down to a local soup kitchen to serve a meal.

LEARN TEACH & SHARE: I WILL

1. Read about a new social issue
2. Learn about something that you’re interested in, and then share it with friends
3. Give a speech
4. Share you message with as many people as you can — in class, the next staff meeting, or schedule a special event.
5. Read Global Voices
6. Learn about a current issue by reading the Global Voices aricle in the paper every Monday
7. Tell people about 10 by 10
8. Get more people involved in changing the world! Share your commitments with friends, on Facebook or on Twitter
9. Sell fair-trade, organic snacks
10. Raise a little bit of money while raising a whole lot of awareness about ths importance of fair-trade and organic foods
11. Host a movie night
12. Watch a documentary with family and friends and learn about a new topic together
13. Volunteer with a friend
14. Get others involved in your interests! Bringing a friend along to volunteer may spark their interest in giving back as well.
15. Travel somewhere new
16. Have an adventure, while learning about a new culture and different way of life