It's Blog Action Day, and as part of a nationwide movement to encourage the discussion on Climate Change, here are some easy ways you can take care of your "kuleana" (Hawaiian for responsibility).

1) Get your own water bottle: enjoy pure, clean water and reduce plastic. Plastic bottles are trashing the environment, and if you're drinking water, you're a commuter, you're in sports or you attend outdoor events, you've been pulled to the water container booth. Bring your own water bottle: we carry little metal ones for the kids as well as a bisphenol-free water bottle for the parents. You can buy one online at Nalgene. Fill your water bottle up every night and in the morning, keep it in your backpack or tote bag.

2) Invest in a cloth shopping bag. If you haven't already, get in the habit of toting your own grocery bag. A cloth bag, a Chico bag, or a mesh bag is great -- even a duffle bag will work. Do your best to bring your own bag when you do groceries or when you visit the market. 

3) Eat local. Sometimes your produce will travel over 1500 miles in a refrigerated truck just for you to consume it in one sitting. Consider supporting your local CSA program (community-supported agriculture), shopping at the local fresh farmer's market, and eating in season. True "locavores" attempt to eat and drink items within a 150 mile radius. See what you can do about supplying your table with fresh-from-the-farm vegetables, fruits, meats, and possibly dairy. Visit local food providers, follow slow food enthusiasts, and start a discussion about locavorism with your neighbors and friends. locavores.com

4) Reduce your commute. Consider ways to work from home and open a discussion with your boss, clients, or coworkers about how you can make this happen. The cost of a daily commute takes its toll on your mental health and in the physical energy it takes to transport you. With today's technology you can work online anywhere, you can teleconference, and you can do many meetings via Skype, phone, WebEx, or chat.

5) Do Meatless Mondays. Methane produced by livestock is one of the top sources of greenhouse gases. Consider the damage done by commercial factory farming and choose one day of the week to reduce your meat and poultry intake. Delicious recipes can be made using nuts, tofu, pulses, grains, beans, and fresh vegetables. meatlessmonday.com

6) Compost. You don't have to contribute your food waste to the stream of solid waste in your community. Turn your kitchen scraps, garden clippings, and vegetable waste back into the ground and use the compost you create to help your plants --- if you don't have plants, consider starting up a backyard garden. compostinstructions.com

7) Volunteer or do pro bono work. Money is only one form of reward. Do you have a skill or talent you can share within your community? Volunteering with a local community organization does wonders for your self-esteem and gives you a way to contribute back to people who need your help. Find a volunteer position at Idealist.org.

8) Dry your laundry in the sun. This is an easy way to save on energy costs. If the sun is shining, it can dry your laundry as well as, or better, than your gas or electric dryer. Hang up your clothes and appreciate the benefits of sun-dried clothing and linens.

9) Wash out plastic bags, recyclable containers, and glass jars. If you need storage items for small items around the house, consider using your existing containers like glass containers that pasta sauce comes in, glass jars that hold canned fruit, and large containers for apple juice. For example, we use the gallon apple juice glass jug as a water container for our outdoor cats -- we just fill it up and turn it over into a bowl.

10) Live close to nature. Increase your reliance on whole foods, whole materials, and items that are close to nature, e.g. baskets rather than plastic bins. You can find a natural or biodegradable alternative to most processed, refined, or synthetic materials. Choose organic and locally-made when possible.

11) Bring your own utensils. Keep a fork, spoon, and mug handy and bring it whenever you go out --- you reduce the need to use a plastic equivalent. Better yet, bring a to-go container and wrap up your leftovers.

12) Encourage others. All of us working together make a difference. It's mainstream to be earth conscious, so consider your actions and encourage others in your family, community, and neighborhood to do the same.

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