Margaret Montanez

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 45 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

I will replace or remove from my current diet the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products that are known to contribute to deforestation.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities. Fixing leaky faucets can save up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

I will spend 15 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

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 calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and BIPOC-majority neighborhoods. I will avoid buying and using 1 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

Research science based targets and nudge DNV to adopt through Yammer and personal conversations. See what actions we can take to move it along.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Solutions.

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.