My Three Everyday Climate Commitments
Over the past couple of years, I’ve realized that my climate work – and honestly, my daily life – keeps circling back to the same three simple commitments. You can call them my pillars, my focus areas, my conversation starters… but lately, I’ve been thinking of them as my Everyday Climate Commitments.
Why? Because they’re small enough to practice daily, meaningful enough to create real impact, and approachable enough for anyone to try. These are the three things I believe can change our habits, our health, and our planet – one choice at a time:
1. Eliminating Single-Use Everything
2. Eating More Plant-Based Foods
3. Keeping Food Waste Out of the Trash
Individually, they’re tiny shifts. Together? They’re a lifestyle transformation.
And they all start with one simple question:
“What’s the worst that could happen if I… just try?”
Let’s break them down.
1. Eliminating Single-Use Items (Not Just Plastic!)
When most people hear “single-use,” they immediately think plastic. But I’m talking about everything we touch once and toss – wrapping paper, paper napkins, paper plates, disposable grocery bags, food packaging, and yes, all the plastic too.
Eliminating single-use isn’t a one-time switch.
It’s a daily practice, a tiny moment of decision-making that repeats:
Do I need this? Is there a reusable option? Can I skip this entirely?
Every time we choose the reusable option, we strengthen the “sustainability muscles” in our brains – the ones that help these choices become habit, routine, and eventually, automatic. And maybe we don’t solve climate change alone, but we do something more powerful:
We become the person in our circle who inspires friends, coworkers, neighbors, and communities to rethink their own habits.
And that ripple effect?
That’s where change lives.
2. Eating a More Plant-Based Diet (Without the Pressure)
This topic gets touchy for some people, and I get it – many of us were raised on meat-and-dairy-heavy plates. But here’s the surprising truth:
- Most Americans don’t eat a single piece of fruit in a given day.
- We rarely reach our recommended vegetables.
- We’re not hitting minimum whole grains.
So, eating more plant-based meals isn’t just good for the planet – it’s genuinely good for us. Better health, longer lifespan, more color and nutrients on our plates… and oh yeah, fewer carbon emissions. The planet won’t complain.
And plant-based eating doesn’t need to be “all or nothing.”
Not vegan overnight – or maybe ever. Not perfect.
- Could you eat a plant-based lunch every day?
- Could you make two days a week entirely plant-based?
- Could you experiment with a few new recipes?
Small shifts are still big wins.
3. Keeping Food Waste Out of the Trash (Composting and Beyond)
Food waste is organic. It wants to break down into something useful – rich compost that can feed your garden, your yard, and the soil that grows the food we rely on.
But when we trap that same waste in a garbage bag, mix it with trash, and send it to a landfill?
It becomes a problem by adding weight and density to landfills, and emitting methane as it rots. It takes something beneficial and turns it into something harmful.
And composting isn’t the only solution.
You can prevent food waste through:
- Better meal planning
- Freezing leftovers
- Using scraps in soups and broths
- Sharing extra food with neighbors
- Cooking with “what you have”
- Storing produce properly
None of this is complicated. It’s just intentional.
So… What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
Maybe it takes a little extra thought, is a tiny bit less convenient and costs a few dollars more upfront. But the benefits? They’re enormous.
Cleaner homes.
Healthier bodies.
Less waste.
More connection to what we eat and how we live.
A lifestyle we can feel proud of – today, not someday.
And on a bigger scale?
These small habits, repeated by many of us, turn into collective climate action.
Because when we make better choices, people notice.
And when communities make better choices, the world shifts.
At the end of the day, these three Everyday Climate Commitments aren’t about perfection – they’re about intention. They’re about choosing a lifestyle that feels good, does good, and inspires others to do the same. Every small shift we make adds up, especially when we make them together. So, try one new habit this week. Notice how it feels. Celebrate the tiny wins. And remember: the future is shaped by everyday people doing everyday things with care, creativity, and hope. We’ve got this – one reusable bag, one plant-based meal, and one saved carrot top at a time.
Really, what is the worst that could happen?!
NutritionFacts.org. (n.d.). standard American diet | Health Topics | NutritionFacts.org. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/standard-american-diet/
