Resources

My husband hilariously says that all the men in his family unintentionally kill the grass in their pursuit of that lush green lawn. Lucky for him, WE DON'T HAVE ONE! Homeowners tend to think of their yards as being apart from nature. Quite the opposite! True and lasting climate action and conservation start in your yard. I cannot recommend enough, Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard by professor and entomologist, Doug Tallamy. Doug discusses his mission to convert 20 million acres of green lawns into native "green spaces" - havens for beneficial bugs and birds. He calls his mission, "Homegrown National Park." We joined his effort and recently converted our entire yard into an Arkansas Certified Wildspace with the help of a free program through the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists. 

I'm a big fan of NPR's Life Kit for simple ways to change my daily routine. I love their segment, Food waste is a big problem. These small changes can help. These tips don't put an end to the joy of eating out, and they satisfy my desire to organize with little glass containers and a dry-erase marker.

I've committed myself to making a few small changes to reduce my plastic footprint - carrying a Yeti water bottle, refusing straws, and switching from screw top wine bottles to cork top (I'm fancy now!). It doesn't take much if all try one or two things from this list from the World Wildlife Fund: Ten Tips to Reduce Your Plastic Waste.

The best way to fight climate change is to TALK about climate change. Frame your conversations in terms of "what can we do" instead of "the world is going to hell in a handbasket." Talk with your friends, neighbors, family, AND elected officials. Tell them you are concerned about climate change and "here's why." Here's how to talk with your elected officials in Washington.

Anxiety about climate change is on the rise - especially among school-aged children. Kids are smart - they see the news, they hear adults talking about current events, and they can recognize patterns. The increasing pattern of extreme weather events affects them, their communities, and their country. So, how do we talk to them - responsibly - about what is going on? If you have/know a kid (or are a kid!) asking about or learning about climate change, you can print off this comic made by NPR. It tells the story of a kid worried about climate change who takes the initiative to organize his classmates to plant trees in their neighborhood and talk to their school about a sustainability plan. It emphasizes the importance of making small changes and working together on the bigger ones.

This can be a controversial topic, and I too love a delicious burger. Agriculture accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions. "Enteric fermentation" is a big piece of that 10%. Yes, I am talking about methane released from the digestive processes of cows. Yes, it is TRUE that cow burps are a major contributor to greenhouse gases BECAUSE Earth is home to a lot of cows - 1 billion. Around 93 million of them are in the United States. Add in the emissions from manure (cow poop) management, and you've got quite the contribution. I'm not suggesting we all go vegan. I challenge you to reduce your meat consumption just one day of the week or if in a pinch, convert just one of your favorite recipes to vegetarian. I know I love the Tofurky Italian Vegan Sausage in my red beans and rice. This article in Scientific American, "Eating Less Red Meat is Something Individuals Can Do to Help the Climate Crisis," puts it nicely - "Our climate problem is big, but a person's diet change can make an impact."