
Neighbours for the Planet
Tackling Climate Change, One Action at a Time

PERSONAL ACTION
The table below consists of 100 personal actions that has been put together from scouring the internet and thinking of practices some of us are already trying to follow. No one is perfect and none of us at Neighbours for the Planet are claiming that we follow ALL of these recommendations ourselves. It is important that you do NOT feel intimidated by this list and that you feel proud of any action that you take.
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The general rule is the old adage – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle in that order. Reduce by trying to cut down on waste for instance get your bills online. Reuse by trying to choose products that last and do not require a constant supply - coffee pods, floor wipes, etc. These single use items not only cause extra garbage but also contribute to climate change via their manufacturing, transportation and disposal. And finally, Recycle products or their packaging whenever possible, or better yet read here about ways to recycle less.
A lot of these changes will save you money over the long term. Some require no initial investment and you start saving right away, others require some up front costs.
We highly recommend reconnecting with nature via outdoor activities. It has been proven to help improve psychological health and it is hard to care for something if you never connect with it.
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Finally, we have tried to tag the actions below with some indicators to show relative impact in terms of reduced CO2 emissions, cost savings, initial investment, ease of adoption. It is quite unscientific, but we hope it helps you to choose which actions you might be able to undertake.

Category
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
092
Category
Description
Learn about your carbon footprint by using an online carbon calculator such as www.carbonzero.ca
Education
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
M
H
L
L
093
Category
Description
Find ways of letting children have unstructured, unsupervised time in natural places. It will give the an appreciation for the outdoors and natural beauty.
Education
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
H
H
L
M
094
Category
Description
Leave visible (behavioural) traces of the things you do to protect the environment so that people can learn from your example (E.g., bike helmet swinging from your backpack).
Communication
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
H
H
L
L
095
Category
Description
Break the silence on climate change by bringing it up whenever possible. This helps others to see that people just like them are concerned and taking action
Communication
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
M
H
L
L
096
Category
Description
As a family, talk about ways you can reduce your carbon footprint as a family
Communication
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
H
H
L
L
097
Category
Description
Plant trees in your garden
Leisure
Ease
Impact
Cost
Savings
L
M
L
L
098
Category
Description
Re-connect with nature through walks/hikes