Mary Lou Nicholson

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

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 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 7 friends, family and/or colleagues.

I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

I will research and tell 1 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.

I will write or call 3 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

I will call out brands (brand audit) on beach cleanups for using single use plastics which have a direct link to climate change.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Solutions.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

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