Looking to take your first steps toward a more eco-friendly life? For most lifestyle changes, you really have to begin at home, and going green is no exception. Before you can become an eco-warrior in other aspects of your life, you must first gain control of your environmental footprint where you live. Here’s how to get started.

Save Water Wherever You Can

It costs you nothing to practice water conservation — in fact, it will save you money in the long run. You may not think that saving a gallon or so here and there helps, but it adds up. Take showers instead of baths (10 to 25 gallons vs. 70-plus). Save the water you use to cook pasta and potatoes and water your plants with it, and don’t leave the faucet running while you’re brushing your teeth. These are simple steps, but don’t be afraid to get creative!

Swap Out Energy-Hogging Appliances

There’s no reason that your fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer combo, and HVAC unit should be anything less than truly energy-efficient. Not only is this better for the environment, but it will also save your family money. Replacing an old washing machine with a newer, energy-efficient model can save a family of four $100-plus a year, for example. Angie’s List also notes that your city/local government might offer rebates for buying energy-efficient appliances.

While you’re doing this, don’t forget to improve efficiency all around your home. For example, insulate your windows, replace your light bulbs with more efficient models, and seal your leaky faucets. These little fixes make a big difference.

Swap Out Your Cleaners

Most traditional household cleaning products aren’t that eco-friendly. Regular paper towels, kitchen sponges, and cleaning chemicals aren’t always biodegradable, can be toxic to wildlife/plant population, and may produce volatile organic compounds that can harm your family and the environment. Swapping these out for more environmentally sound options is an easy fix. Beware of generic “eco-friendly” labeling, however, as it might not be legitimate. Look specifically for packaging that is recyclable or biodegradable, and know what chemical compounds to avoid (check here for more on that).

Make Reusing Containers a Habit

Most of what resides in our nation’s landfills is plastic, and the average homeowner’s biggest plastic footprint comes from food, water, and personal hygiene containers. You and your family should commit to reusables. Simply purchasing reusable water bottles can save over 1,000 plastic water bottles and $2,000 per year. Save those yogurt and cottage cheese containers and repurpose them. By getting creative, you can make a big step toward meaningful change.

Leave Your Car in the Garage

When you think about it in terms of the environment, your wallet, and your waistline, your car is the worst way to travel anywhere. Any form of transportation — save a plane or boat — is better for the environment. This means you should walk as much as you can. You should bike as much as you can, and you should certainly use public transportation if possible. Not only will this help you make your family’s footprint greener, but it will also help you get more exercise and save you money in the short and long term.

The great thing about making your life at home more eco-friendly is that it’s not just great for Mother Earth — there are plenty of selfish reasons to do it too. It can improve the overall health of you and your family. It will make you feel accomplished. And, maybe above all else, it is cheaper in the long run. Do it for you. Do it for the environment. Just do it, period.

Jennifer McGregor is a pre-med student, who loves providing reliable health and medical resources for PublicHealthLibrary.org users. She knows how difficult it can be to sift through the mountains of health-related information on the web. She co-created the site with a friend as a way to push reputable information on health topics to the forefront, making them easier and quicker to find.

Plant photo by Matias Difabio on Unsplash. Banner and thumbnail courtesy of Dorcha.

Given the dire state of the Earth’s climate and the mounting frequency of natural disasters, it can be tempting for even the staunchest climate activists to fall into a spirit of pessimism. One way of overcoming these feelings is by celebrating the resilience of communities and countries the world over that are actively fighting for a sustainable future in spite of the many challenges nature has thrown at them.

This theme of resilience in the face of disaster is at the heart of the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reduction’s ongoing art competition The Art of Resilience, put on in collaboration with the World Bank Art Program. Any artist who has produced work inspired by resilience and feels comfortable sharing it should submit their art—up to 5 pieces in total—for consideration using the instructions found at this link. Submissions will be accepted through May 17.

Competition winners will see their art exhibited at World Bank Group Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for three months beginning in October of this year. Their reflections on resilience will be available for viewing by visiting delegates, Bank staff, and members of the public. Later, in 2020, the winning artists’ pieces will also feature at the Understanding Risk forum in Singapore, which the artists themselves will all be invited to attend. Lastly, the artworks will be preserved for posterity in a creative online database.

Communicating the necessity of climate action and poverty mitigation is no simple task; art stands alone in its power to bridge disparate communities, remind us of our shared humanity, and inspire the bold, innovative action that the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reduction, the World Bank Art Program, and we at Connect4Climate strive to encourage every day.

This competition presents a thrilling opportunity to bring to light moving and inspirational works that will motivate all of us down the path to a better future.

What word comes to mind when you think of “cities”? Busy? And when you think of “forests”? Peaceful? What if cities could be something different?

To date, cities have largely been problematic for the environment. They occupy just two percent of the world’s land. However, they account for over 60 percent of global energy consumption, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 70 percent of global waste. Because of their historical impact on air quality, fresh water, natural resources and energy, the current growth of cities and megacities is a worrying trend. In 1990, there were 10 mega cities with more than 10 million inhabitants. In 2014, there were 28 mega cities. Today, over 50 percent of the global population lives in cities and by 2050 that number will rise to 70 percent.

But cities don’t have to be this way.  New strategies and technologies are emerging every day to make cities a cleaner, safer, nicer place to live, both for the benefit of the environment and for the humans who make them their home.

How 7 cities are harnessing the power of urban trees: 

1. Using parks to preserve biodiversity - In 2015, the City of Johannesburg in South Africa united all of its parks under one management in order to reduce confusion about areas of responsibility and ensure a set of common standards. This new agency’s goal is to build and maintain more parks with existing funds. Parks, trees and well-managed forests in and around cities help to counteract the impact that growing cities have on habitat loss. Instead, parks and forests maintain and increase biodiversity by providing habitats, food and protection for many plants and animals.

2. Boosting happiness with urban trees - In 2010, Vancouver, Canada adopted a bold strategy called “Green Vancouver,” an initiative to reduce the city’s environmental footprint. With ten goals, including green buildings, energy efficient transportation, zero waste, clean water and air, the city of Vancouver also highlighted the importance of access to nature. The strategy aimed to ensure that, by 2020, every person will live within a five-minute walk of a park, greenway or other green space, pushing the municipality to plant an additional 150 000 urban trees between 2010 and 2020. By 2014, the city had already planted 37 000 trees. Studies show that trees boost happiness and reduce stress levels. Incorporating them in cityscapes makes neighborhoods more liveable places and improves the well-being of its inhabitants.

3. Cooling cities naturally - In May 2013, the European Commission promoted the use of green infrastructure, which it defines as “a network of spaces with public or private agricultural or landscaped natural vegetation.” In response, Barcelona, Spain created a Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan, where green corridors connect green urban spaces such as forests, parks and vegetable gardens. Green spaces within a city and strategic placement of trees in urban areas can cool the air by up to 8 degrees Celsius, reducing the need for air conditioning by 30 percent.

4. Removing pollutants from the air with urban forests– Arnhem, Netherlands implemented urban forests as part of its new “Green Agenda.” The municipal government, along with NGOs and experts, helped to develop and define the implementation of green infrastructure in the city. Urban trees are important parts of a city’s infrastructure because they serve as effective air filters, removing harmful pollutants in the air. They also store carbon which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change in and around urban areas.

5. Promoting healthy lifestyles with green spaces- In 2004, China’s State Forestry Administration officially launched the “National Forest City” programme with both strong national policy support and successful local community involvement. It had two main goals: planting trees and “growing green minds” among its citizens. To acquire the status of a national forest city, a city must meet 38 standards and indicators in the areas of administration and organization, management and forest development. By 2015, more than 170 cities and 12 provinces were actively involved the National Forest City programme. Tree cover in these urban communities had increased to 40 percent or more, up from less than 10 percent in 1981. Nine cities on the Pearl River Delta in South China will become the country’s first national forest city cluster which should be completed by 2020. Urban green spaces, including forests, encourage active and healthy lifestyles, improve mental health, prevent disease and provide a place for people to socialize.

6. Planting trees that provide food and medicine for local populations -In the Arabian Peninsula in general and the Gulf countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Sultanate of Oman, in particular, palm trees are specifically bred, grown and planted on streets to produce dates for public consumption as "sadaqua”, which means charity. In Abu Dhabi, for instance, several million palms were grown to line avenues for passersby to pick; the rest is harvested by municipalities. Similarly, in many homesteads in Sudanese cities, date palms are planted to produce fruits that will be consumed at home or offered to guests at Ramadan and other important occasions. Along with many other benefits, trees can also provide local populations with fruits, nuts and leaves as food or medicines for use in the home or as a source of income.

7. Creating planted forests to reduce pressure on natural forests - Dhaka has a population of more than 14 million people and a poverty rate of 30.5 percent. In 2006, FAO analysed the contribution of urban forests to the livelihoods of poor people in the city and found that urban forestry can increase their quality of life by providing, for example, employment in nurseries and other forest-related industries. Most of the poor in Dhaka lack access to city services, such as electricity and safe drinking water; urban forestry can help fill the needs gap by supplying wood fuel and helping purify water. Wood fuel sourced from urban trees and planted forests on the outskirts of cities provides renewable energy for cooking and heating and reduces the pressure on natural forests. These forests also help to filter and regulate water, contributing to high-quality freshwater supplies for millions of people.

Urban trees and sustainable cities aren’t just environmental choices. There are also many economic benefits of urban trees and forests. In the city of London, it is estimated that trees help save GBP 260 million every year in buildings’ energy costs. Forests in cities and surrounding areas generate tourism, create tens of thousands of jobs and advance city beautification schemes, building dynamic, energetic and prosperous green economies.

For whatever the reason, and there are many, urban forests should be a part of how we rethink our current and future cities. The environment and the city dwellers of the future will thank us.

Banner image courtesy of Jeff Gunn. Thumbnail from the FAO's original article.