- Reduce Meat Consumption: Commit to a plant-based diet, aiming for at least three meatless days per week. Justification: Livestock farming contributes significantly to environmental degradation, including deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing meat consumption, I can lower my carbon footprint and promote sustainable agriculture.
- Daily Waste Audit: I’ll conduct a daily waste audit of all trash in order to minimize single-use plastics and actively recycle better. Justification: Plastic pollution is a severe threat to ecosystems and biodiversity. Regular waste audits will help me identify areas where I can cut down on unnecessary waste, contributing to a healthier environment.
- Energy-Efficient Habits: Typically a lot of my lights are on in my house throughout the day as well as things like the tv. In order to curb the amount of power this uses I can adopt energy-efficient practices, such as turning off lights when not in a room, unplugging devices when not in use, and using low power options when available. Justification: Fossil fuel consumption for energy generation is a major contributor to climate change. By reducing energy usage, I can help decrease the demand for non-renewable resources and lower my carbon footprint.
- Sustainable Transportation: I usually drive to and back from work and then school every single weekday. I’ll try to choose eco-friendly transportation options when possible, including walking, biking, carpooling, or using public transportation, and limiting the amount I use my car everyday. Specifically I'll start taking the bus or my bike to and from school, and when I drive to work in my car I can find a shorter route and use less gas. Justification: Transportation is a significant source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Shifting to sustainable transportation methods can contribute to cleaner air and reduced carbon emissions.
- Support Local and Sustainable Products: Starting to prioritize local and sustainably sourced products when shopping for groceries and goods. I can do this by shopping at places that do this such as the Common ground food co-op in urbana as opposed to normal grocery stores Justification: The production and transportation of goods contribute to environmental degradation. Supporting local and sustainable products promotes responsible consumption and helps build a more resilient and regenerative economy.
A punch list can be for an individual, family, community, company, or city. It is the list of the actions you or a group will undertake and accomplish over a predetermined span of time—one month, one year, five years, or more. You can make different lists for different time periods—this week and this year for example.