So You Want To Save The Earth: 5 Ways to be Kinder to Our Mother in 2020

'Tis the time for New Year's Resolutions. We're in a climate crisis and maybe you've decided that for 2020 you're going to try and be more "green." Here's a list of things you can do to save the Earth, featuring beginner, intermediate, and advanced actions that build on each other.

1. Eat less meat.

I'm vegetarian. I've been vegetarian for a little under a decade now, but I didn't stop eating meat because of animal cruelty or to save the planet, I stopped because I quite frankly didn't like the taste or texture very much. I'm strongly in the camp that the general consumer does not wish for animal cruelty, and helping the planet is an awesome bonus to me not eating meat.

You don't have to become vegetarian (or vegan), but let me tell you a little bit about why you should probably consume less meat, through the lens of ecology. Do you know what a trophic level is? Basically it's the idea of the food chain. Eating lower on the food chain means that less energy was required/lost in the production of your food. Plants are producers (they get their energy through photosynthesis) and primary consumers are anyone who just eat producers, as they cannot create their own energy. So in this case, anyone who doesn't eat meat, or, let's say, a cow. Secondary consumers are carnivores. They only eat meat. Tertiary consumers are omnivores, they eat both plants and animals.

If you're eating beef as a tertiary consumer, that cow had to also eat producers as a primary consumer. Not eating meat brings you to the same trophic level as the cow, meaning that the extra energy that was expelled to feed the cow to then feed you, isn't necessary. Amanda Crow wrote a great explanation regarding being vegan and trophic levels on Your Daily Vegan, if you're interested in reading more about it.

Just want me to get to the meat of it (pun intended)? Here's what you can do.

Beginner: Love meat? Nervous about cutting it out of your diet? That's okay! You could try Mark Bittman's VB6 (Vegan Before 6) approach. Commit to having two of your daily meals (he suggests breakfast and lunch) as meat-free, vegan if you want to. Maybe you try that just during the week, or perhaps you opt to be meat-free on weekends? Another option is to only eat meat while dining out…it will make grocery shopping more affordable too! While still eating meat, you could try to buy your meat from local butchers, especially ones who meet your ethical standards. Lastly, there are plenty of fake meat options. I'm not crazy about them, but a lot of the time it's because I find them to be too similar to real meat which I don't like. They're not healthier than meat, they're processed, pretty packaged, but if you really love meat, I would perhaps give some of these a try to see if you could see yourself transitioning away from meat knowing you could eat something like it still.
Intermediate: Drop meat. Become vegetarian! I'd suggest meeting with a nutritionist if you plan on cutting meat completely out of your diet. Know your protein sources, find a few meals you really like (my favorites are these quick black bean burgers and sprouted lentil tacos), and be an advocate for yourself to eat balanced meals. Reminder that you can be a vegetarian and eat only pizza and french fries, that's neither healthy or suggested. When I'm out at restaurants I sometimes will order a salad and ask for them to put beans or a hardboiled egg on it, so don't be afraid to ask!
Advanced: Cut out animal products such as dairy. There are lots of great options on the market now, from vegan butter sticks that work flawlessly in baking, to imitation cream cheese and mayo…to yogurts and milks made from nuts and even oats. I use a lot of dairy substitutes in my day-to-day because we have a dairy allergy in the family, so I'm pretty used to it. Being vegan is awesome for the Earth, so if you can do it, hooray! But I'm not fully there, and that's okay if you're not either.

2. Reduce Your Waste While Eating Food Out

When you're out, it can be difficult to manage waste you create because you never know what you're going to encounter. Officemate running out for coffee?? Bag of chips looking delicious? Really hungry while on errands and want to stop somewhere for food? Here's what you can do.

Beginner: You could start by thinking about what you're eating and how you eat it. Sandwiches don't require cutlery, aluminum cans can be recycled indefinitely, and if you can't break away from packaged goods, start a Terracycle brigade for chip bags and wrappers so they can be recycled properly. You could also start carrying your own cutlery with you (no need for a bamboo set, you could just use what you have at home). Challenge yourself to not use a napkin, or be conscious of how many napkins you actually need.
Intermediate: Bring your own food with you in reusable containers, especially snacks. Sometimes a snack just helps you get through the day. Pack yourself cut up veggies, a piece of fruit, some nuts, you know, anything that will make it easier to not have a bunch of wrappers in your trash. Opt for restaurants that serve items on real plates and use real utensils. This is sometimes tough. It can make vacations or dates a bit complicated, but it really doesn't need to! I try and look up places on Yelp before I go and look at pictures people may have added that show how the food is served.
Advanced: So long, single-use! Bring your own containers with you to to-go places, restaurants, etc. and ask if they'll put it in yours (depends where you are, sometimes this violates the health code). Having a sparkling clean container helps make people more likely to take them. I like to keep a mason jar or two with me for leftovers if I eat out somewhere too. If you have a car, maybe just put together a few items for a kit you could keep in there (or even your desk/backpack/etc.) that can help you reduce your waste.

3. Buy less stuff/Say no more.

In the words of Marie Kondo, "What sparks joy?" I was really lucky to have a "fresh start" when I moved cross country, but you don't need a new beginning to start reducing what stuff you bring into your home. Often forgotten off of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is the first R, "Refuse."
Beginner: Stop saying yes to swag. We've been trained like Pavlov's dog to take things because they're free. Do you wear that free t-shirt a lot? Did you really need it? ANOTHER water bottle or tote bag? You can just say no! You don't need to take things because they're free!
Intermediate: Go through your stuff, see what you use and what you don't. Have items you don't use or need anymore? Post them to your local Buy Nothing Group, or Freecycle, OfferUp, LetGo, etc.. There are plenty of people who may want what you have, but donating it may have it end up in landfill. Once you know what you have, it's a lot easier to know what you need.
Advanced: Utilize sharing libraries (I just found out Portland has a kitchen share!!) and the sharing economy, then shop secondhand or purchase high quality items that you love and that are made to last. Look for items that you can use for multiple occasions, stay away from trendy things, and ask yourself if you really need something before getting it.

4. Green your hygiene routine.

Kitchens and bathrooms tend to be the main waste creation spots in the household. Let's talk bathroom for this post, but a lot can be applied to the kitchen too.

Beginner: Take shorter (and if your life allows it, fewer) showers. I have a 5-minute timer that suctions to my shower wall that I like, but you could just ask Siri to time it for you if you want. Reducing our water use in general is good for Mama Earth, especially if you're in a water stressed area. Switch to bar soap! I have a bunch of soap bars in my bathroom: hand soap and a facial soap bar near my sink, a Dr. Bronner's soap bar to wash my body with in the shower (I have a little cotton bag that acts as a loofah), plus a shave soap that lathers really nicely and another facial soap bar. Do you get a period? Opt for brands that use organic cotton in their pads and tampons. Get paper towels out of your bathroom! Use a hand towel instead that can be washed weekly.
Intermediate: Cotton and paper Q-tips over plastic, buy recycled plastic razors, try out shampoo bars if you want to. Shampoo bars personally didn't work for me, so I buy my shampoo and conditioner in returnable aluminum bottles from Plaine Products. I also refill their bottles myself at the local grocery store that has some shampoo and conditioner in bulk. Buy toilet paper that is recycled/from sustainable sources and isn't wrapped in plastic. I use Who Gives a Crap. Rethink toothpaste: tooth powder, tooth tabs, make your own, toothpaste in a recyclable tube (what I decided on after a lot of testing). Use recycled plastic or bamboo toothbrush (bristles are still typically plastic).
Advanced: Switch to a safety razor. Buy cosmetics only in glass or compostable containers. Zero-waste your period with a menstrual cup (honestly life-changing) and period proof undies. Super advanced (I'm not here yet but have been thinking about it a lot): Install a bidet and use washable cloths instead of toilet paper. 

5. Travel Meaningfully

I fly on planes. It's terrible for the earth. But, I live across the country from my family and sometimes it's important to be there for holidays or birthdays or other events. Whether you're traveling down the block for an errand or across the world for something else, there are ways to be a bit better about all of it.
Beginner: Do you have a car? Want to go on vacation? Are there any places within driving distance you could visit rather than fly somewhere? Driving is better than flying, and even more so if you have a hybrid or electric vehicle. Another way to save gas and reduce your pollution, would be to group errands. Going out to one area to get things done saves a bunch of trips if you were to do them all separately.
Intermediate: Use a carshare instead of purchasing a car, or utilize walking and public transit. You go on trips, but you make the trip long enough to explore a lot and perhaps travel by train or bus between places, instead of using lots of flights.
Advanced: See ya never, fossil fuels! You bike, walk, or get places without creating any emissions. Maybe you still fly when you have to, but you buy carbon offsets for your flights.

Let me know what steps you're taking to be more sustainable in 2020!