Fall Gold: Turn Your Leaf Pile Into Next Year’s Garden Treasure

Americans generate 13 million tons of yard waste annually—but fall leaves are actually nature’s perfect composting ingredient, not waste at all

Which paints a prettier picture: your neighbors stuffing bags full of gorgeous autumn leaves, hauling them to the curb for municipal pickup, or you gathering this “waste” into a pile to transform...

Fall Into Efficiency: Your HVAC Tune-Up Guide for a Sustainable Home

One simple task you can do today could save you 10% on your winter heating bills

Your heating and cooling system is about to get a breather as the seasons turn. That “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” metal box in your basement or the outdoor unit getting covered in leaves is either...

Power Your Life to 100% Clean Energy: From Less Waste to Solar Freedom

With a wise plan, most households can reach 100% solar power while saving money at each step

Your monthly electric bill shows a credit instead of a charge, your home runs entirely on clean electricity, and you're no longer burning any fossil fuel to heat your home or drive your car. Sound...

Nude Food: For Back-to-School or Workday Lunches

Go from hundreds of disposable wrappers per year to zero with a thoughtful approach to packing lunch

That satisfying snap of a quality lunch container closing, securing a colorful array of fruits and vegetables—it’s a small sound that signals something bigger. You’re ready for the day, keeping money...

Labor Day of Rest: Give Your Appliances a Break, Too

Preventing "phantom loads" in a single typical home frees up enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of AI queries every year.

Labor Day is meant to honor hard work, but it’s also about taking a well-deserved rest. While you’re taking time off this weekend, why not give your appliances and home systems a little rest, too.

Smarter Electronics Upgrades for Back-to-School

Billions of dollars of rare-earth elements and other recoverable resources are dumped in landfills rather than recycled.

It’s that time of year again—new backpacks, sharpened pencils, and fresh devices. Laptops, tablets, and phones are now as common as notebooks for students, and back-to-school season often means an...

Preserving the Harvest: Your Guide to Sustainable Food Storage

Americans throw away nearly 60 million tons of food annually, with fruits and vegetables making up more than one-third of that waste.

Picture yourself in January, opening a glass jar of summer tomatoes you preserved yourself—their rich flavor bursting with August sunshine, no plastic packaging clouding the view. Or imagine reaching...

AI as Your Sustainability Study Buddy: Gaining Wisdom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Have a burning desire to know something? Using far less energy than it takes to make a teaspoon of hot coffee, AI can deliver a detailed answer.

Just this week, OpenAI launched GPT-5, their most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model yet, promising access to "PhD-level intelligence" for everyone. Meanwhile, you’re trying to get up to...

The Hidden Climate Bomb in Your Home: How Cooling Our Homes Can Heat Up Our Planet

A single refrigerant leak can release as much climate pollution as burning 1,460 gallons of gasoline

What's wrong with this picture: you’ve switched to LED bulbs, drive an efficient car, and put in heat pumps, which you keep topped up with refrigerant every year to maintain peak performance. LED...

Insight: How We'll Get More AI With Less Energy

AI Will Help, Not Hinder, the Transition to Clean Energy

Is artificial intelligence (AI) increasing our demand for electricity on power grids. And if it is, can we deploy solar power fast enough to keep up with demand, or will we need to build new coal or...

Permeable Pathways: Transform Your Driveway Into Nature's Rain Sponge

703,000 miles of streams were found to be impaired by pollution across the United States in 2022, up from 424,000 miles in 2010

During the next heavy rainstorm, watch how water flows on your driveway. Does it cascade into the street carrying oil, fertilizer, and debris into local streams, or do you see rainfall puddling, then...

Don't Let Lightning Fry Your Electronics: A Homeowner's Defense Guide

A single lightning strike can destroy electronics in milliseconds—but you can easily protect your equipment

You've just invested in solar panels, a smart home automation system, and all-new energy-efficient appliances to improve your environmental impact. Then a summer thunderstorm rolls through, lightning...

Making Waves: Protecting Our Oceans Through Everyday Choices

Earth's oceans produce half the oxygen we breathe and are the home for an estimated 80% of our planet's life.

If you could make one small shift in your daily routine to help safeguard the home for over 80% of Earth's life, would you do it. Shark Awareness Day on July 14, amid the height of summer beach...

Plastic-Free July: Focus Your Efforts Where They Matter

A thoughtful family can eliminate hundreds of pieces of unnecessary single-use plastic annually—but strategy matters more than perfection

You’ve just finished your morning coffee and realize you’re already stuck with a dozen pieces of plastic garbage before starting your day: the coffee pod, creamer cup, yogurt container, granola bar...

Chill Without the Bill: Sustainable Cooling

Air conditioning can demand nearly 70% of residential electricity during summer heat waves—but passive cooling techniques can cut your need for A/C by 30% or more

Consider this heat wave scenario: it’s 95°F outside, your air conditioner is humming at full blast, and your electricity meter is spinning like a roulette wheel. Across your neighborhood, dozens of...

Summer Solstice Energy Reset: Enjoying Natural Light to Save Power

A year of natural light in your home is the energy equivalent of a million ChatGPT queries

We’ve just passed the summer solstice—the longest day of the year when Earth’s northern hemisphere tilts closest to the sun, delivering up to 15 hours of natural daylight. Yet as you read this,...

Father’s Day Sustainability: Tools and Skills for a Greener Legacy

Money isn’t the only inheritance—knowing how to fix what’s broken can be more valuable

Picture this: your vacuum cleaner starts making an ominous grinding sound, signaling its impending doom. Is your first instinct to start shopping for a replacement, or to channel your inner MacGyver...

World Oceans Day: Fighting Ocean Microplastics From Home

Up to 700,000 microplastic fibers break off in every load of laundry—but simple changes can cut that number dramatically

Picture this: you're standing on a “pristine” beach watching waves crash against the shore, yet those waves contain over 51 trillion particles of unseen microplastic pollution. Microplastics are...

Sprinklers, Streams, and Sustainability: Rethinking Lawn Irrigation

Up to 25,000 gallons of water annually can be wasted by each automatic landscape irrigation system that isn’t properly maintained

Picture this: it’s 6 am, and while you’re just waking up, your neighbor’s sprinkler system kicks on, sending water cascading not just across their freshly sodded lawn, but down the street in a...

Special Edition: The Clean Energy Crossroads

What Policy Rollbacks Mean for Your Family and Earth's Future

To understand what's happening, it helps to know the baseline: without special legislation, federal tax rates do not depend on a taxpayer’s energy or vehicle choices, and states generally cannot...

Memorial Day Mindfulness: Sustainable Summer Kickoff Celebrations

Over 561 billion disposable plates, cups, and utensils are used in America each year—but you can make this Memorial Day weekend a little bit better

Picture this: millions of families gathered around grills this Memorial Day weekend, celebrating the start of summer with the people they love most. Now imagine if each of those celebrations...

Transform Your Commute and Your Health: Bike to Work Week

People who cycle to work have a lower risk of death from all causes compared to people who drive or take public transportation.

We’re glad you’re a part of our community of sustainability change agents; we hope our Handbook and other resources inspire and empower you to use practical sustainable technologies and techniques to...

Celebrating the Mothers Who Sustain Us (Including Mother Earth)

Happy Mother's Day! Celebrating Mom with Love for the Planet

Happy Mother's Day. Today, millions of us are celebrating the extraordinary women who shaped our lives.

Water-Smart Gardening: Conserving a Precious Resource

Combining water-smart gardening strategies can reduce water demand by 80% without compromising aesthetics or yields.

We hope our Handbook and other resources inspire and empower you to use practical sustainable technologies and techniques to protect our Earth for the benefit of all. While we eagerly welcome...

Transform Your Lawn into a Pollinator Paradise: Nature's Solution to a Greener Future

With just 10% of your lawn, you can boost pollinator populations by 50%.

We’re glad you’re a part of our community of sustainability change agents; we hope our Handbook and other resources inspire and empower you to use practical sustainable technologies and techniques to...

Earth Day Community Action: Building Connections for Lasting Change

Community initiatives achieve much more than individual actions alone.

It’s here. You can order an e-copy of Sustainable Practices: Your Handbook for Effective Action for $24.

Transform Your Bathroom, Transform Our Planet: A Guide to Zero-Waste Bathrooms

The average American generates a dozen gallons of plastic waste per year in just one room: their bathroom

Note: Before we present today’s One Step This Week, we are announcing our Earth Day book launch of Sustainable Practices: Your Handbook for Effective Action. We expand the action steps shared in this...

Don't Feed the Duck (Curve)

What time of day we use electricity can prevent pollution, save money, and make our whole electric grid work better for everyone.

What if your washing machine could help fight asthma. Or your electric car could stabilize the power grid.

You Matter: How to Prioritize Your Sustainability Actions for Effectiveness

Use proven data within scientific frameworks to make a positive difference today

Many people feel that individual actions are meaningless against massive global challenges. However, research demonstrates that the social contagion of sustainable behaviors is evident when our...

From Blocks to Bounty: Starting Seeds in a Soil Blocking Station

500,000,000 disposable plastic pots are buried or burned every year

Have you ever marveled at how a tiny seed can survive even the darkest and dreariest winter, patiently waiting for the right conditions to sprout and flourish. Helping this miraculous transformation...

Tap into Sustainability: How Greywater Can Make Your Garden Thrive

If just 10% of American households practiced greywater diversion, we would prevent over 175 billion gallons of wastewater treatment annually

In a world where freshwater resources face increasing pressure and wastewater treatment plants can’t always keep up with demand, redirecting household greywater to your house plants or garden offers...

PAWS for Thought: Your Guide to Sustainable Pet Care

Who eats more meat than France? Pets in the United States!

Did you know that if American pets formed their own country, their meat consumption alone would rank fifth in the world. The collective environmental impact of our beloved animal companions is...

Powering Through Outages: Home Battery Solutions for Every Budget

Batteries are a critical step for the transition to clean energy

When your neighborhood goes dark during a power failure, imagine your home with lights still on, your refrigerator humming, and your phones charging. No noisy generator, no scramble for...

Sow It, Grow It: Nutrient-Dense Food From Your Indoor Garden

Sprouts and microgreens are an easy way get more natural nutrients in your diet

Imagine walking into your kitchen on a snowy February morning and harvesting a handful of fresh, vibrant greens for your breakfast smoothie. No plastic packaging to throw away, no transportation...

Breathing Easier: A Practical Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Americans spend approximately 90% of our time indoors, so indoor air quality is crucial for our health and comfort.

As winter tightens its grip, we spend more time indoors, with windows sealed against the cold. This creates an important challenge: maintaining healthy indoor air quality.

Share More, Own Less: Your Guide to Tool Libraries and the Sharing Economy

Whether your home contains 3,000 or 300,000 items, you probably own more things than you really need or could ever count.

What barely-used tools are lurking in your garage or storage closet. We all have them—from pressure washers that see daylight once a year to camping gear that dreams of adventure to food dehydrators...

Smart Moves: Your Guide to Earth-Friendly Transportation

30% of carbon pollution could be eliminated with greener trip planning.

Imagine your ideal trip for work or errands. Perhaps you're cruising silently in an electric vehicle, feeling good about the zero emissions.

Everything Under the Sun: Our Bright Energy Future

Everyone can get on the pathway to 100% clean energy

Almost everyone who owns or rents property that gets a little sunshine has started thinking about how to make their own electricity from free sunlight. Every business and family can get on the...

Creating a Sustainable Home Wellness Station

Preventing illness at home to eliminate trips to the pharmacy or doctor is a great way to reduce medical waste

As winter tightens its grip and flu season reaches its peak, many of us find ourselves making trips to the pharmacy or doctor, accumulating plastic bottles, blister packs, and disposable medical...

From Drips to Dollars: Detecting and Fixing Water Leaks

10% of homes have water leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, according to the EPA.

A single hidden water leak can waste thousands of gallons of precious water and—worst of all—quietly cause devastating structural damage to your home. Undetected leaks in toilets and sinks can add...

Turn Your Home into an Energy-Saving Genius: The Smart Revolution

Billions of dollars per year are wasted on lights that people simply forgot to turn off.

Imagine your home anticipating your needs and effortlessly optimizing your energy use in ways that would be tedious to do manually–cutting off power-hungry devices automatically, adjusting...

DIY Home Energy Review: From Simple Steps to Expert Insights

Keep your home operating at peak efficiency with a do-it-yourself energy review.

January can be a real shock when those post-holiday energy bills arrive. But instead of just digging deeper into your wallet, why not take practical steps to trim waste and improve comfort.

Your New Year's Energy Resolution: Smart Temperature Settings

Get a free month of utility bills every year by setting back your thermostat every day.

Before reading about an ideal New Year’s Resolution, we at Sustainable Practice want to remind you that there are just a few more days to get 20% off a yearly paid subscription for the new year....

Holiday Travel Efficiency: The Pressure is On

Keeping tires aligned and at the right pressure enables them to last up to 25% longer and maintains optimal fuel economy.

Before reading about holiday travel, we at Sustainable Practice hope you’ll consider the most sustainable holiday gift you could give this year: 52 weeks of a digital copy of One Step This Week....

Lighting Up the Holidays: Your Path to Energy-Smart Celebrations

More efficient holiday lighting can free up billions of watts of electricity for other uses in North America.

Before reading about holiday lights, we at Sustainable Practice hope you’ll consider the most sustainable holiday gift you could give this year: 52 weeks of a digital copy of One Step This Week....

The Greatest Gifts You Can Give: Moments that Matter More than Merchandise

Research shows that people are more satisfied with shared experiences than material possessions.

Before Sustainable Practice presents detailed information about sustainable gift-giving for your holidays, we also encourage you to consider the most sustainable holiday gift you could give this...

Seal the Savings: Your Home's Holiday Gift to Your Wallet

Weatherstripping can reduce air leakage by 25-40% and cut heating costs by 10-15%.

Before Sustainable Practice presents information you and your friends and family can use for energy savings this winter, we want to encourage you to consider the most sustainable holiday gift you...

Wrap It Up: Celebrate the Holidays Without the Waste

The holiday season brings a dramatic increase in household waste, with the EPA estimating a 25% jump between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

The holiday season brings joy, celebration—and a massive surge in household waste. But this year can be different.

Planning a Sustainable Thanksgiving Meal: A Recipe for Joy

If we decide that enjoying an eco-friendly meal with loved ones is how we want to give thanks for our time together on Earth, we can plan menus based on our environmental ethics.

When autumn arrives, many families begin planning their holiday menus—a tradition that has a global impact, given that feeding ourselves accounts for over half of habitable land use and a quarter of...

Stress Less, Grow Stronger: Volunteering for Community Resilience

5.3% of Americans are volunteering on any given day, according to the American Time Use Survey.

Here’s a simple, empowering, and positive step for sustainability this week: volunteer. “Local volunteerism is a fundamental resilience strategy and a property of resilient communities,” reports the...

Pane and Gain: A Guide to Window Performance

About 76% of winter sun that reaches a standard double-pane window enters to become heat, according to the US Department of Energy.

As the season turns to winter in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to check every window to make sure it’s tightly shut. In a superbly sustainable home, closed windows are a passive heating system,...

The Royal Flush: Upgrading to Water-saving Thrones

Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, according to the EPA.

Before I opened my store for sustainable goods and supplies, I had no idea that replacing an old toilet was something most handy homeowners could do in an afternoon—and that it provides such a huge...

You've Got the Power: A Guide to Generating Solar Electricity Today

You can now buy solar modules for less than $0.30 per watt, have complete systems installed for less than $3 per watt, and get a 30% tax credit in the United States.

How fast we’ve ramped up solar electricity since 2014 has surprised experts: next year, the United States will generate more electricity from sunlight than from hydropower. My guess is we haven’t...

A Thank You Gift from Sustainable Practice for Paid Subscribers

We so appreciate your support, which enables us to provide empowering knowledge for people practicing sustainability in their own homes and organizations. To say thank you, we want to give you a...

Heat Smart, Live Cozy: Upgrade to Energy-efficient Heat Pump Space Heaters

Heat pumps turn one watt of electricity into three or four watts of heat, an efficiency feat that seems to violate the laws of physics!

Maine is making headlines nationally by taking steps to stop burning diesel fuel (called “#2 heating oil” to avoid the tax levied on diesel intended for on-road use) with no pollution controls in our...

Charge Ahead: Drive into a Sustainable Future by Leasing or Buying an EV

Batteries and car technologies have vastly improved since 2010, when electric vehicles started making their global resurgence.

People started building electric cars long before they started making fuel-burning cars, and if current trends continue, electric vehicles will continue being made long after gasoline and diesel...

Get Cooking with Induction: Faster, safer, and More Energy-Efficient

Induction ranges "generally outperform every other kind of cooktop," according to Consumer Reports' tests.

If you haven’t discovered induction cooking, you’re in for a treat. This technology is three times more efficient than gas stoves, which means you can boil water and prepare meals in less time for...

Chill Smarter: Using Energy-Efficient Appliances

A 15-year-old refrigerator wastes 30% of every dollar used to keep it running, compared to a new one.

One of the easiest ways to save a lot of energy and protect our environment is to upgrade an old refrigerator. If your fridge is 15 years or older, give serious consideration to surprising your...

Air It Out: Dry Smarter, Save Energy, Protect the Planet

Consumers could save $21 billion over the next 30 years using more efficient residential clothes dryers, estimates the United States Department of Energy.

Hanging laundry to dry uses no fuel or electricity and produces no pollution, but takes a little more time than throwing a damp load in the dryer. Another way to save energy is to upgrade from a...

Pump Up the Heat for Hot Water with Energy-Efficient Heat Pumps

The United States could save $8.8 billion every year in avoided energy costs by installing efficient water heaters, according to ENERGY STAR.

Heating water with heat pumps is much more efficient than other water heating technologies. Using an electric heating element to keep a tank of water warm can be used as the baseline for efficiency.

Cold is the New Hot: How to Save Energy by Washing Clothes in Cold Water

Heating water consumes about 90% of the energy to wash clothes, according to ENERGY STAR.

Washing clothes in cold water saves energy and can be more effective with the use of detergents specifically formulated for cold water. The active ingredient in cold-water laundry detergents are...

Go Native: Transform Your Yard for a Healthier Landscape

Lawns cover an estimated 40 million acres in the United States, four times as much land as used to grow fruits and vegetables.

Our one step this week is Landscaping 101: Planting Native Species. Turfgrass lawns became popular in the United States in the 1870s and have since become the dominant idea in residential and...

It's Illuminating: How LEDs Contribute to Saving Earth's Resources

LED lighting is four times more energy efficient and lasts up to 100 times longer than old-fashioned incandescent lighting.

Our one step this week is Lighting 101: LEDs. Light-emitting diodes (or LEDs) were discovered at Marconi Labs in 1907, but it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that red, orange, yellow, and green LEDs...

Seal the Deal: Boost Energy Efficiency with a Sealed and Insulated Attic and Basement

90% of homes in the United States are under-insulated, according to ENERGY STAR, the federal government's program for energy efficiency.

Our one step this week is Insulating 101: Sealing and Insulating Attics and Basements. Of all the areas in a building, sealing and insulating the basement and attic does the most good due to the...

Ditch the Disposable: Life Beyond Plastic

Up to 5 trillion (5,000,000,000,000) plastic bags are used each year, according to the United Nations.

Our one step this week is Plastic 101: Avoiding Single-Use Plastic. Like other effective practices for sustainability (including Walking 101: Short Trips by Foot), this is deceptively easy to...

Clean Green to Transform Your Home: Cleaning 101 Provides Safe, Eco-friendly Solutions

Green cleaning can help reduce the nearly $2.3 billion in U.S. healthcare costs due to unintentional ingestion of toxic household chemicals.

Our one step this week is Cleaning 101: Using Safer Solutions. Like last week’s practice (Drinking 101: More Tap Water, Fewer Bottled Beverages), this is a practice everyone can afford—plus it would...

Drinking 101 - Liquid Logic: How Tap Water Wins Over Bottled Beverages

An estimated $221 billion was spent on carbonated beverages worldwide in 2020, about the same as the global investment in solar power that year.

Our one step this week is Drinking 101: More Tap Water, Fewer Bottled Beverages. This is a practice everyone can afford; in fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to save money—hundreds of billions of...

Feast on Fresh: Savor the Flavor of Local, Organic Goodness.

Organic farms use 45% less energy while maintaining or exceeding yields compared to conventional farms, according to a forty-year study by the Rodale Institute.

Our one step this week is to buy local organic food in season. This is Eating 102, continuing our sustainable practices regarding food.

Sustainability Education: Learning Practices 101

Students scored an average of 52% on a survey of environmental literacy among United States undergraduates in 2018. Continuing work on that is a priority.

How much better would our world be if everyone had a better understanding of environmental problems—and knew exactly what they could do to help solve them. We know from surveys that environmental...

In the Sustainability Olympics, this takes the Bronze

Eating a plant-based diet can prevent 75 percent of the pollution caused by people who eat more than 3.5 ounces of meat every day.

Choosing to eat delicious and nutritious plant-based meals instead of chowing down on burgers and steaks is really good for our health and pocketbooks—and our planet. Eating more plants, and less...

What's Your Favorite Environmental Day?

Celebrate these special days on our trips around our sun!

Add more fun to your years by celebrating our planet and its passengers as we circle our sun on our journey through the universe. Click on the underlined day to visit the day’s page on our website...

Head Over Heels for Walking 101: Short Trips by Foot

Walk to save energy, prevent pollution, reduce risks, and build community.

For most of us, walking is like flossing our teeth: we know it’s good for us, but we just don’t do it enough. Unlike flossing, making walking a healthy habit isn’t just good for us; it’s good for our...

Composting 101: Outdoor Pile Method

Create less garbage and more healthy soil on your property.

As a leader for sustainability in your community, you know that composting saves money, prevents pollution, and improves soil quality while meeting the daily need to manage waste. These benefits earn...

For Environmental Sustainability, Twenty Achievable Practices Are Most Important

From composting to growing community, these twenty household and organizational practices are the most important for a sustainable future.

You can most certainly protect our environment and help secure a future for everyone on Earth by achieving twenty sustainable practices in your home or organization: Compost organic solid waste....

Here's the Advanced Composting Scoop

Here's how to compost most of your organic waste, using advanced techniques you won't find in most composting guides.

You’re into the province of “advanced” composting any time you’re managing organic waste beyond the “basic” recipe. To recap the “basic” composting guide from last week: outdoors, during warm...

Yes! Try this at home!

77% of Americans understand the importance of separating compostable organic waste from household garbage.

Stinky garbage is a sign that we’re not being smart about recycling. Anything that can rot really doesn’t have to go to a landfill or a waste-to-energy facility.

The Answer is Composting. Here Are the Questions

In the United States, 51.4% of our landfill space is filled with waste that could be composted instead.

Composting is part of a sustainable diet—putting water and nutrients back to work, and growing more food, paper, wood, and other organic goods. It’s probably the single most effective thing we can do...

Let Us Consider Lettuce--Sustainably

Growing your own lettuce can do more for our planet than giving up bacon.

In 2015, Carnegie Mellon University professor Paul Fischbeckmade headlines by saying, “Eating lettuce is over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon. ” Of course, the real...

The Example We Can Follow to Protect Biodiversity

Like no place else on Earth, New Zealand is in a race to save thousands of unique species from extinction.

This week’s action guide is my final dispatch from New Zealand. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ideas for sustainability from this fascinating country.

From Sushi to Tuna Sandwiches--Here's the Line

Scientific assessments of the twenty three distinct populations of wild tuna show that 61% are at a healthy level of abundance.

This action guide for tuna rounds out our three-part series on sustainable seafood. (See part one for sustainable salmon and part two for sustainable shrimp.

Electrifying Mining in NZ: It's Worth Its Weight in Gold

New Zealand has begun electrifying its mining industry, showing a sustainable way for the world to obtain the materials we need to transition to clean energy.

Gold and coal play a big role in the history of New Zealand—and both will probably continue to play a big role in the future of our planet. The lessons of the historic gold rushes and coal fields of...

Shrimp Is in the Sustainable Seafood Spotlight

All wild-caught shrimp raise concerns about bycatch or fishery management; farmed shrimp are your best environmental choice.

This action guide is the second of a three-part series on sustainable seafood. Shrimp is by far the most popular marine seafood item in the United States.

One Easy Way a Country Can Encourage Citizens to Take Planet-saving Steps

New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment has a pretty good list of what you can do for the environment.

After the conservatives won the last New Zealand election, there’s been some grumbling that the country is abandoning responsible environmental management. Labour and the Greens are no longer in...

Does clean energy require dirty mines?

The United States has found 1,000,000 tons of lithium reserves so far, but mines only about 5,000 tons per year.

Batteries are the key to our clean energy future, but what about the materials necessary to make them. How “dirty” are batteries.

Can Eating Salmon Be Sustainable?

The United States imports more than $6 billion of salmon and trout each year.

This action guide is the first of a three-part series on sustainable seafood. Shrimp, salmon, and tuna are the “big three” for seafood in the United States.

Fishing in New Zealand: A Sustainability Story

Salmon spawn in New Zealand, but only because European settlers have spent more than a century introducing and re-introducing foreign fish species to the island nation.

If you see fish on a menu in New Zealand, chances are it’s salmon—which seems odd since all salmon are native to the northern hemisphere. If you see fish in a river in New Zealand, small ones might...

Can You Enjoy Dairy and Still Protect Our Planet?

Plant-based milk accounts for 15% of total milk sales in the United States.

How to enjoy “dairy” and save our planet depends on how flexible you are about the definition of “milk. ” If you feel that milk must be squeezed out of a cow, then you can’t enjoy very much of it...

Driving in New Zealand: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Kiwis drive hybrids, pay almost $7 (US) per gallon for gas, and rarely stop for pedestrians.

Every American traveling around New Zealand should know five important things: first, you need a car outside the big cities; second, they drive on the left; third, gas is about $3 (New Zealand) per...

Helping Farmers Save Our Planet

In 2022, about 6% of the food sold in the United States was certified organic. When we buy food from sustainable farms, we help them grow.

Thomas Malthus predicted in 1798 that population will grow faster than agriculture, condemning hungry humanity to a “perpetual oscillation between happiness and misery. ” Yet the rate of global...

Firsthand Observations of Renewable Power Options in Another Part of the World

Solar energy can provide an enormous opportunity for New Zealand, and they invested heavily in hydropower. What can we learn from another country's priorities?

The west coast of Te Waipounamu, New Zealand’s South Island, is one of the rainiest places on Earth; the Cropp River, which flows into the Hokitika River, has recorded an annual rainfall of 18...

Less Food Waste Posthaste

Of all food produced, an estimated 11% is wasted in households rather than eaten.

You may be surprised to learn that preventing food waste is one of the easiest ways we can mitigate climate change and ameliorate global hunger. In 2021 the United Nations estimated that “8-10% of...

Self-Serve Water: Thirst-Quenching in New Zealand

The system for drinking water in Kiwi cafés is practical and sustainable.

Sustainable living in the United States can sometimes feel like navigating an obstacle course—especially when dining out. Ask for water in a stateside café, and you might need to specify tap water,...

Encouraging Sustainable Diets

Three small changes in how we eat make the biggest difference.

One of the most difficult habits to change is what we eat. But if we’re serious about sustainability, encouraging sustainable diets is a challenge worth surmounting.

Natural Gas: Don't Try This at Home

Homes are safer and more sustainable without natural gas.

We’re starting to have a national conversation about the role of natural gas in our energy future. A recent story from Maine quotes politicians from both major parties staking out unwise positions...

Juicing Machine: Fresh Idea from Hokitika

Squeezing your own fresh orange juice in a Hokitika supermarket is way more fun than buying bottled juice, and might even be more sustainable.

The New World supermarket in Hokitika on the west coast of New Zealand has something I didn’t know I needed until I saw it—a self-serve juicing machine. I love orange juice but hate packaging waste.

Donating Effectively for Community Sustainability

How to share resources effectively to increase community sustainability.

As environmental champions, we can share our time, money, and property to achieve sustainability goals in our community. Effective donations improve human well-being, increase the value of existing...

Letting Nature Do the Work: Lessons from Hinewai

On New Zealand's Banks Peninsula, botanist Hugh Wilson's "minimal interference" strategy has worked to restore native forest from gorse-infested farmland.

Dr. Hugh Wilson is one of the most delightful humans you’ll ever meet.

Achieving Goals for Household Sustainability

In one study, 76% of goal setters achieved their goals by writing them down, keeping records, and checking in with a friend.

As a sustainability champion, you may be planning to take more steps toward sustainability in 2024, and we can join you. In this week’s action guide, I encourage you to decide how you will help...

Manapouri Hydropower: Sustainable Awakening in New Zealand

Environmental champions managed to save Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau.

In this week’s Dispatch from New Zealand, I want to share a sustainability story from the fiordlands of the South Island about the power of environmental champions to protect our world. Although this...

Reducing Microplastic Pollution

Plastic production has more than doubled in the last two decades.

Microplastics are on the short list of our planet's worst pollution problems. Tiny plastic particles and fibers are now dispersed across our entire globe, from the air at the top of our highest...

Dunedin Gasworks: Sustainable Lesson from NZ

From 1863 to 1987, they made gas from coal in Dunedin, New Zealand.

On Sunday afternoons in South Dunedin, New Zealand, you can see stationary steam engines in working order. The engine house, boiler room, boiler house, chimney stack, and the fitting and blacksmith’s...

Who's Crazy About 24/7 Green Energy?

Slowing down the transition to solar power and batteries would be crazy.

Should you believe the idea that a “crazy rush to green energy will push us to endless blackouts”. Or is it actually wise to “rush” to green energy.

How to Phase Out PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' on the Pathway to Sustainable Goods

98% of Americans have PFAS, a class of synthetic 'forever chemicals', in their blood.

This Sustainable Practice action guide helps you phase out the ‘forever chemicals’ called PFAS, which build up in our environment, find their way into our bodies, and can cause cancer and birth...

Sustainability Office Half Hour with Writer Fred Horch, Wed., Dec. 6, 7:00 P.M. ET (U.S. and Canada) via Zoom

Thank you for supporting One Step This Week and being a sustainability champion in your household or organization. We can talk with Fred in a Q & A format about action steps!

Peggy Siegle from Sustainable Practice is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Sustainability Office Half Hour with Fred Horch Time: Dec 6, 2023, 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).

Predator-Free Islands: Sustainable Ideas from NZ

A "predator-free Aotearoa" could help native wildlife survive on the fringes of the sheep farms and tree plantations that cover almost half of New Zealand today.

In the month we’ve been exploring the area around Ōtepoti (Dunedin), New Zealand, we’ve watched albatross flying (and landing. ), seen penguins nesting, observed sea lions arguing, and heard kiwi...

An Insight Into 'The Slow Demise of Green Energy?'

Despite recent headlines, green energy is growing and electric vehicles are working well for more people every year.

If you watch Fox News or read the Wall Street Journal, you might think that renewable energy and electric vehicles are not quickly gaining market share. Articles like “The slow demise of green energy.

Sustainable Clothing: Valuing Vintage

82% of the clothes Americans own have not been worn in the past year.

This week’s sustainability step along the sustainable goods pathway is part of a “shop wisely” strategy for clothing—recognizing that we often buy clothing we rarely wear. When we give away or sell...

Bikes and Mugs: Sustainable Ideas from NZ

From multi-level bicycle parking on campus to "mug libraries" at farmers markets, Kiwis have great ideas for sustainability.

Every other week I’m comparing sustainability practices in North America versus New Zealand, where my wife and I are traveling on sabbatical from our home in Maine. As one of the last places on Earth...

The World May Burn More Fossil Fuel, But What About You?

Our personal action can change the narrative on climate change.

As the world prepares for the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), journalists are filing reports on the failure of public...

Sustainable Gifts and Goods

Choose sustainable gifts to help the circular economy evolve and revolve.

In the quest to find the perfect holiday gifts, adding sustainability as a factor can either complicate or simplify our lives. This action guide helps you use sustainability to make your life easier...

Dispatch from NZ: A Yankee Among Kiwis

Per person, Kiwis use about 39% less energy than Yanks.

For the next six months I’ll be sharing sustainability dispatches from New Zealand, as my wife and I leave our home in Maine for a camper van and AirBnBs in Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (the North and...

Affordable Solar: The Energy Game Has Changed

Solar power is more affordable than coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydro, and wind power.

Ten years ago, a 6,000-watt solar electricity system cost $50,000; today, you can buy it for less than $21,000—and get a 30% federal tax credit on top of that. Going solar is now a wise investment:...

Buying Better (Big) Batteries: Part Three

In California, 20% of solar installations are now paired with home batteries.

This action guide helps you buy big batteries to power your electric car or home, an essential step to a clean energy future. But first, an important announcement: Since May, we have been sharing...

Buying Better Batteries: Part Two

Over the same wire, 48V batteries deliver four times as much power as 12V batteries

This action guide explores choices for batteries that are powerful enough to start car engines and operate tools. In each of our action guides, we cram crucial details for sustainability that you...

Buying Better Batteries: Part One

One rechargeable battery can do the work of hundreds of disposable batteries.

I just want to say one word to you, just one word. Are you listening.

Electric Motors: Moving Us Into the Future

Electric motors are way more powerful than combustion engines, with a power to weight ratio over 30 times better.

There’s a good reason massive machines like locomotives and mining equipment use electric motors instead of combustion engines: burning gas or diesel just doesn’t provide as much power with as much...

Heat Pumps: 3-to-1 Energy Winners

Electric heat pumps are now so efficient, even at low temperatures, that fuel-burning heating systems are unnecessary.

Before cold climate heat pumps were invented, people would get excited about increasing the annual utilization efficiency of their fuel-burning heating systems from 0. 8 to 0.

Super Insulation: Your Energy Hero

Super-insulated homes can be heated with a hair dryer, even in Maine's climate.

Heating a well-designed new home with a gas-burning furnace or boiler is like lighting birthday candles with a flamethrower. That might seem a little extreme, but consider the fact that a...

Better Indoor Air Quality, Less Wasted Energy

Use recovery ventilation to replace stale air with fresh air, and keep 80% of the energy in the exchange.

When we think about air pollution, most of us imagine a smokestack or a tailpipe. But according to a growing body of scientific evidence, we’re exposed to more pollution indoors than outdoors, even...

Keeping Cool in Sustainable Ways

Air conditioning is almost 70% of our peak power demand.

This year, Texans and Californians have once again been asked to use less electricity during heat waves—and grid managers have prepared plans for rolling outages to prevent public power grids from...

A Window to Sustainability

High-performance windows let only light flow through.

Windows are responsible for 8. 6% of all energy used by buildings across the United States and 25% to 30% of the energy used to heat or cool residential buildings.

LED Lights: The Energy Game Has Changed

LED lighting saves 88% of the energy that incandescent light bulbs would consume.

LED lighting is a beacon on the pathway to sustainable energy. Last century, the 60-watt, 75-watt, or 100-watt “incandescent” (glowing hot) light bulbs we could buy could double as electric space...

First Steps to Endless Energy

In the United States, just 33% of our energy does all our work.

How quickly we use energy is one of our biggest net positive or negative impacts on our world. The slower we consume energy, the better.

Can we sustain our trains?

45% of Americans have no access to public transportation.

Bicycles are best for sustainability, but when pedaling is a problem, a good option is public transit—where it exists. Unfortunately, almost half of the North American population cannot take a public...

Booking a Sustainable Flight?

All-electric air taxis may start flying in 2025. Will you be hailing one?

In the near future, we’ll fly on sunshine, using electric motors powered by batteries storing solar energy to move people and packages through the air. The “airspace blueprint” for all-electric air...

Is Driving an EV a Next Step for You?

Get 132 MPGe (25 kWh/100 miles) in a fully electric car—much better fuel economy than any hybrid.

In 2022, the United States crossed the tipping point of 5% of sales leading to mass adoption of fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Within ten years, not driving electric will be odd.

Embracing E-Bikes

We could build over 700 class 1 or 2 e-bikes with the batteries from a single Hummer EV.

Pedal power is phenomenal, but it’s even more fun electrified. Small motors and batteries can easily be added to bicycles and other lightweight vehicles.

A Brief on Bicycling

Cycling is 100 times more sustainable than driving a hybrid car, and even 3 times more sustainable than walking.

Every time I see a cyclist, I think of H. G.

Combining Car Trips: Improve How You Move

Americans take about four trips per day on average, more than 80% of them by car.

It’s summer, time to get outside and move your body. (Unless you’re in a scorched place on the planet where this could be hazardous to your health.

Creating a Garbage-Free Household

In a sustainable goods economy, we can close landfills and incinerators because we compost and recycle the materials we use. But until we reach the goal of 100% sustainable goods and 100% rates of...

Sustainable Composting: On Your Personal Pathway to Zero Waste

North Americans could eliminate about half of what we send to landfills, by getting better at just one thing. Thanks for reading Fred Horch's Field Notes for Sustainability.

Sustainable Community: Sharing the Journey

Sustainability is about making the world better for everyone, now and far into the future. We’re all on a journey to sustainability, together.

Sustainable Recycling: A Proposed Pilot Project

Do you wish your community were better at recycling. Here’s a proposed pilot project you can try in your own home, organization or neighborhood to show how recycling can be done well.

Sustainable Eating: The Big Three

No one likes to be told what to eat. What we put into our own mouths to grow our own bodies is the most personal of choices.

Sustainable Recycling: Practical Advice for Individuals and Governments

What actually gets recycled. Metal and cardboard, but not plastic no matter how much we may wish it so.

Sustainable Recycling: One of Five Ways to Manage Solid Waste

Here’s a quick take on recycling for Rotarians—and anyone else who is interested in the issue: it makes great sense to recycle metal and clean cardboard. The value of recycling anything else...

Sustainable Soap: A Deeper Dive

How to choose and use sustainable cleaning products.

When I asked, “What are your sustainability goals. ” I wasn’t expecting, “Making my own soap.

Sustainable Soap

A recipe for soap that you can make yourself, and some metrics for sustainability.

So last week when I launched Field Notes for Sustainability and let people know that I’m working on a Handbook for Sustainability, I asked friends and family, “What are your sustainability goals. How...

Have a Sustainability Question?

What do you need to know to go from good intentions to effective action?

I know what I want you to know about being sustainable, but what do you actually need to know. Imagine you want to help save the planet.

Being Sustainable

Seven practical pathways to sustainability.

Being sustainable is making the world better for everyone, now and in the future. If you are superbly sustainable, you leave the world better than you found it.

Please Go All Electric!

Going 100% electric eliminates the pollution you would otherwise emit by burning fossil fuel in your home or vehicle.

When are you switching to electricity for heating and driving. I ask because the sooner the better.