By:  Marikay Shellman,
BPW Colorado Virtual Chair, NFBPWC Environment and Sustainable Development Committee (2022-2024)

Happy New Year to all of our NFBPWC members! Time for those New Year’s resolutions. And to keep it easy, we are suggesting 12 Simple Solutions that address Climate Crisis from which you can choose, one from each month of 2023.

1. Join an environmental organization. Friends of the Earth (https://foe.org), 350 cofounded by Bill McKibben (https://350.org), Audubon Great Lakes (https://gl.audubon.org), 52 Climate Actions (https://www.52climateactions.com), The Nature Conservancy (https://nature.org), The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (https://xerces.org).

2. Reduce food waste. Make the freezer your best friend. (www.foodprint.org)

3. Prioritize sustainable development and poverty eradication by financing environmental justice. Join local and community-led fights.

4. Eat what is in season. Shop at Farmers Markets. Join Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). Choose organic.

5. No Mow Spring whether it be April, May or June. Don’t jump into spring clean-up. Re-think your lawn. (https://beecityusa.org>no-mow-may)

6. Educate yourself about water. The earth is running out of clean drinking water. Learn about the importance of protecting our rivers and streams, our wetlands, and our sustainable water supply. (https://tinyurl.com)

7. Curb your carbon emissions. Park your car and walk inside skipping the drive-thru. Avoid running late, you’ll burn less fuel. Park in the back of the parking lot instead of driving around and looking for the closest spot.

8. Be a “plastic-hater”.  Avoid the use of plastic whenever possible. “1 million plastic bottles are used around the world per minute… 5 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide per year.” (Greensanity Designs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v+7sjBbs3BOfY).

9. Become a backyard gardener. Home-grown food reduces carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels by reducing food packaging, refrigeration, and transportation. And no plastic packaging is required.

10. Use eco-friendly menstrual products. These products are free from toxins and   chemicals that harm our bodies and our environment.

11. Recycle the correct way. Don’t recycle anything smaller than a credit card. Empty, clean, and dry should be your household motto. When in doubt, throw it out.

12. Remember Nature Boy and his message of the “Earth Box’. Spread peace and love to the Earth. Treat earth like your own bed, keep it clean and tidy.