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1. Acknowledge
The first step to embrace a new eco-friendly behavior is to acknowledge that it comes at a cost. We have identified four kinds of costs:
- Financial cost: some eco-friendly items are more expensive. For example: buying veggies that were grown without GMOs and pesticides.
- Time: doing something in an eco-friendly way might take more time. For example: driving slower.
- Effort: eco-friendly behavior might require more energy. For example: growing your own veggies instead of buying them from the grocery store.
- Renunciation of some comfort: some things, despite being very convenient, are a non-sense from an ecological point of view, so we must learn to live without them, or with less of them. For example: lower heaters/air-conditioners at home.
It is crucial to understand and accept this fact before starting anything. If you are not ready to use any more money, spend any more time, make any extra effort, or give up any comfort, it will be very difficult to make any significant change to your behavior.
2. Pledge
Although it is not mandatory, we strongly recommend writing down your goals before starting this challenge. Writing down things helps define clear goals and remember them in the long run.
Here is an example of pledge:
I, [your name], pledge to try to change my behavior in a more eco-friendly way.
I am doing this because I want to leave a better world for my children and grandchildren.
To do so, I am taking on this one-year challenge. I acknowledge that this will require some effort.
I am willing to spend $XX as well as X hours each month to achieve it.
I will strive to achieve each actions whenever they are doable* without finding excuses.
When I go on vacation and cannot realize the weekly action, I will do it the week I come back.
[Date and location] [name]
*Please note that not every action is doable by everyone. For instance, actions aiming at reducing daily car usage cannot be realized by people who do not use a car daily.
Feel free to adapt the pledge to your personal situation and ambitions. The most important is that you are able to keep up with the pace. If you define very strict conditions (such as dedicating 10 hours a week to this challenge), you are likely to give up after a few weeks. It is better to set low goals and fulfil them for years, than set high goals and fulfil them only a few weeks.
That said, keep in mind that you can always rewrite the pledge later to adjust it.
3. Start
To get started, fill out the form below. If you still have questions, you can check out our FAQ section.
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