Thankfully, this site offers many ways one can reduce one’s impact on earth, some of which are easier than others. They include:
-Eat less meat
-Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle and reduce the amount that you drive-walk, cycle, carpool, or use public transportation instead.
-Avoid purchasing disposable items with lots of packaging. Re-use items when possible, and always recycle items that are recyclable.
-Compost kitchen waste: Garbage that is not contaminated with degradable (biological) waste can be more easily recycled and sorted, and doesn't produce methane gases (a significant greenhouse gas contributor) when stored in a landfill.
-Plant native and drought-tolerant plants in dry regions to reduce water use.
-Be a conscientious consumer—learn about sustainability-friendly products here, courtesy of The Center for a New American Dream. Also, for a teenage perspective on “buying different,” click here.
-Visit the GreenMarketplace, an online green shopping center, for all sorts of environmentally friendly products.
-Share magazines and catalogs by donating them to hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices or by creating an informal program in which you rotate magazines and catalogs among your neighbors.
-Save trees by freeing yourself from junk mail, in three basic steps!
-Reuse and recycle packing materials. You can recycle materials like packing “peanuts”—simply call 1-800-828-2214 for the Plastic Loose Fill Council’s “Peanut Hotline” and they’ll tell you the nearest recycling location.

For more helpful tips on how to live sustainably, visit Turn the Tide: 9 Actions for the Planet, where you can get nine quick tips for reducing your footprint. While it may not seem as feasible to move into a smaller home or trade in your car, there are many things we all can do to reduce our impact on Mother Earth. So, what size shoe do you wear?