We all have a role to play in reducing our impact on the environment, but taking action against climate change can feel overwhelming. After all, it’s such a huge problem. Where do you start? What does it look like to make changes on an individual level? And does individual action really make a difference? Research suggests the answer may be yes: Your actions can inspire others to make little changes, too, and all that change adds up.
Here, we’ve got more than two dozen ideas for how you can make a difference.
1. Volunteer in your community
There are dozens of ways to get involved in conservation in your local neighborhood: Plant trees, host a cleanup, or work in a community garden. While you’re helping to keep your local environment healthy, you’ll also log positive mental health effects of volunteering, like higher life satisfaction and self-esteem. Visit DoSomething.org for ideas and a way to track your volunteer hours. Or find an REI stewardship class or event near you.
2. Raise your voice to protect and share life outdoors
One of the most effective actions you can take is to contact your local representatives and members of Congress on environmental issues. Many politicians make decisions based on feedback from people living in their region. Every call and email matters! The REI Cooperative Action Network includes many ways to act.
For example, join members of your co-op community to tell Congress to pass the TREES (Trees for Residential Energy and Economic Savings) Act. The bipartisan bill aims to create a program at the Department of Energy to plant a minimum of 300,000 trees annually in neighborhoods where they’re needed most.
Trees have many benefits. They provide shade and cool neighborhoods while helping to reduce energy consumption; absorb pollutants; offer food and shelter for birds; and more. Or use this tool to find your local representative.
3. Cut down on individually packaged snacks
Single-use plastics like bags and wraps are derived from fossil fuels and are energy-intensive to produce. They’re also hard to recycle and decompose slowly in landfills. Instead of individually packaged snacks on your next adventure, consider making your own trail snacks (think: Crispy Nut Butter Bars or protein-based cookies!) as one REI member did. Store them in a reusable food container and stash them in your pack for a quick waste-free nosh.
4. Consider your impact the next time you camp
It can be easier than you’d expect to leave a big environmental footprint while camping. Approach your next camp out with the environment in mind: Pack out your trash and compost, plan DIY snacks and meals (without single-use plastics), buy organic food and ingredients, opt for biodegradable soap and follow Leave No Trace Principles. Read more tips on How to Have a More Eco-Conscious Camping Trip.
5. Buy used gear or trade in your gear
Before your next outdoor adventure, consider shopping or trading in used gear. Overall, a used product has a lesser environmental impact compared to a new one because there’s no need to produce or process raw materials or wash or dye fabrics (both of which use up a lot of energy and resources). But used is only a better choice if you’re purchasing something you really need. To read more tips on how to buy used outdoor gear and clothing or how to retire your gear.
6. Bike or walk more
In 2019, passenger cars produced 762.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, making them the most polluting public transportation mode that year. (Just one vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of C02 equivalent every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency). If you can walk or pedal to work or while running errands, you’ll log a workout, feel better and make a small but important dent in environmental pollution!
7. Try a zero-waste backpacking trip
The goal: Produce zero landfill-directed waste while you’re out on the trails. That means no single-use plastic wrappers, composting when possible, bringing bulk foods and beyond. Watch Miranda in the Wild try out a zero-waste trip!
8. Pay attention to the sustainability attributes of your gear
Gear that’s labeled as Fair Trade Certified™, for example, is made by manufacturers who promote safe working and living conditions for farmers and employees. (Read more on How to Choose Sustainable Clothing and Gear). Also, if you shop at REI, note that all brand partners are expected to meet REI Product Impact Standards, which regard how key environmental, social and animal welfare impacts are managed. Opt for clothing and gear made from recycled materials, like the Green Guru travel kit crafted from repurposed bike tubes and sleeping pads.
9. Support your local greenways
Greenways are pedestrian and biking routes that connect communities and states on protected paths, some stretching for hundreds of miles. Check to see if your local community has a trails coalition, and consider joining efforts to expand those trails. For example, in D.C. the Capital Trails Coalition is working to create an interconnected network of multiuse trails. In Minnesota, the Great River Passage Conservancy connects residents along the Mississippi River. And in San Francisco, the Blue Greenway project is focused on building a network of parks and trails.
10. Vote
Voting is one of the most powerful ways you can make your voice heard. Read more about how you can take action ahead of local or national elections.
11. Set up a recurring donation
Support your favorite organizations that are fighting for life outside. When new members sign up for a lifetime REI membership, the co-op donates $5 to the REI Cooperative Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity. The Fund makes grants to nonprofits like Wild Diversity and the Venture Out Project that promote justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors.
12. Buy from brands that align with your values
Conscious consumerism involves shopping in a way that makes a positive social, environmental and economic impact. In other words, buying from companies that support the environment can help them grow, encouraging others to do the same. Brands certified as Climate Neutral, such as REI, Patagonia, BioLite and Peak Design, have committed to measuring, reducing and offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions. Look for the label on products.
13. Confront your eco-anxiety at a climate café
Eco-anxiety was recently described in a report by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” The tolls on mental health from the implications of climate change are far-reaching, the report notes, and psychological responses to climate change are growing. To combat this existential dread, consider joining a climate café. It’s a gathering of people concerned about the climate crisis, and it’s aimed at addressing feelings of isolation and shame through candid and personal discussions.
14. Eat more plant-based meals
Try new vegetarian recipes like this on-the-go avocado bowl the next time you go camping or need a trail snack. Eating plant-based meals has tons of positive health benefits (including adding important nutrients like potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C), plus a reduced risk for developing heart disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The positive impact on the environment is worth it, too: The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization reports that the livestock industry accounts for more than 14% of global greenhouse gases every year.
15. Talk to your friends about climate change and outdoor equity
According to one study, discussions among one’s own social network can help drive change and acceptance. This means it’s ever more important to start conversations about climate change and outdoor equity, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. The Nature Conservancy has tips for how to start those conversations.
16. Opt out of junk mail
By some estimates, several million tons of catalogs and other direct mail advertisements end up in U.S. landfills annually. You can limit unwanted mail by visiting OptOutPrescreen.com. The Federal Trade Commission provides this guide on how to stop junk mail.
17. Calculate your carbon footprint
Use the EPA carbon footprint calculator to get a real look at the environmental footprint of your household. Once you have a clear picture, set a goal to lower it by a certain percentage within a year.
18. Start a composting habit
Composting reduces the amount of food waste that sits in landfills and generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Thankfully, you can start composting at home; whether you schedule a pickup or use the compost to enrich your soil—every food scrap counts. Check out the EPA’s guide for how to get started.
19. Join the Great Nurdle Hunt
Nurdles are plastic pellets that make up the building blocks of most plastic products. And when they spill—especially into our oceans—the impacts on wildlife, human health and the environment are severe. Volunteers started the Great Nurdle Hunt to encourage members of the public to hunt for and collect plastic pellets on their local beaches. Find out how you can take part.
20. Plant a garden
Get your fingers in the dirt this spring and consider planting your own garden. Listen to “plantfluencer” Marcus Bridgewater as he shares his experiences and tips in this Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast. Choose native plants that thrive in your region. For planning, we like the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder tool, which provides a list of local plants by zip code, ranked by the number of species they support.
21. Ask about green energy options
Depending upon where you live, solar and wind power may be available for fueling your home. Check with your local energy company for rebates and incentives, too (many companies will pay you for installing solar panels or heat pumps). The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center maintains a database of state and federal incentives and policies.
22. Read or watch a documentary about an environmental issue
Hoping to get inspired? Pick up a book about climate justice at your local library or secondhand store (New York Magazine has this reading list to get you started). Or spend your evening watching “REI Co-op Studios Presents: Canary,” a climate documentary that introduces audiences to Lonnie Thompson, a renowned scientist on the frontlines of climate change.
23. Mind your water
Heating water for things like showering and washing your dishes is the second largest use of energy in the home, according to the EPA. So, get savvy about your water use. Only run your dishwasher when it’s full, take shorter showers and curb lawn-watering efforts when you can.
24. Consider slow shipping
Overnight shipping may be convenient, but that expedited speed may come at a cost in the form of additional fuel and energy, which can contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions. When possible, consider choosing the “no-rush” option or request that multiple items be delivered in a single box instead of several separate ones. Some estimates say this simple slowdown could reduce emissions by 30%.
25. Take time to appreciate nature and feel awe
Even just spending 20 minutes in nature can relieve stress. And there’s also the added benefit of respecting nature more the longer you spend in it. In 2017, one study found that kids who spent more time outside were more likely to protect nature as adults. So, schedule that hike, bike ride, camping trip or trail run. While you’re benefiting yourself, you’re also reminding those around you of how magical Mother Nature can be.
