What You Can Do to Help the World

I've been reading some responses to my thread on 1st World Comfort versus 3rd World Suffering, and I noticed that a common sentiment among posters seems to be a sense of hypocrisy and shame that they aren't doing more to help the World. So I thought it would be a good idea to post a thread listing all the things we as individuals can do to make the world a better place. And it can be in any way- economic, social, environmental, political, emotional, the options are vast. So, I thought I'd start off with a list, and people can add on to it from there. Maybe once everyone has posted their ideas we can make it into one nice list and have it posted as a sticky or something.

This is all about knowing that you have options, you aren't helpless to change the world. Even if it's only on a local level, if everyone did good on a local level, the world would be a better place. I'll list the things you can do in bold, not underlined. Happy brainstorming!


Modelling for Others:
The way we behave affects how other people behave

If you see trash somewhere, pick it up, and throw it away. It a.) keeps our environment clean, and b.) tells the people who see you that throwing trash on the ground isn't an acceptable practice.


Uplifting others can create a cycle of goodwill.

Make stuff for others. One of the things I loved about the school I worked at was teachers and parents were always bringing it home-baked goods and food for the staff. It doesn't even have to be something edible, you could make a card of appreciation, draw someone a picture, make a mix CD, whatever! It adds a welcome surprise to people's day.

Leave a small gift in a random place for someone to find. Make sure to attach a card or note explaining to the person who finds it that the gift was not mistakenly left there, the gift is for THEM. Check this site for inspiration: http://giftsforstrangers.org/

Money/Donations:

Tip your waiter at least 20%, if not more. It tells them they are appreciated, and if they are having a bad day, can cheer them up. Plus, it's their livelihood! And if you can't afford to tip your waiter at least 15%, ask yourself why you are going out in the first place.

Donate a small amount of money (ex: $5 or pounds) to a cause you want you support. Make sure the place you donate to spends the majority of their financing on their cause, rather than overhead fees (administration fees, advertising, etc.) If you decide to donate to a charity, this website is a good reference if you want to know if the charity is accountable and will spend your money primarily on the cause rather than overhead: charity navigator .

Environmental:
Remember the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle." It's very easy to do.

Reduce:
Cut down on red meat, especially beef. Cows omit methane, a greenhouse gas more powerful that carbon dioxide. Cow flatulence and manure contributes to over 1/4th of methane production in the U.S (latest data from 2009. Check it here: http://www.epa.gov/methane/sources.html ) By eating less beef, you decrease demand, and fewer cows are produced.

Save gas. Don't drive unless necessary- try to walk or use public transportation instead. Save gas by doing errands in one go. Carpool.

Cut down on plastic- don't buy water or tea in plastic bottles, buy a thermos or permanent beverage bottle and drink your own. If you are under the illusion that water in plastic bottles are somehow cleaner, buy a filtration system for your water.

Don't use plastic bags at the grocery store- bring your own bags.

Reuse:
This is where you get to be crafty and creative.

Make new things from old clothes. Here are some ideas: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/09/green-cleaning-37-reuses_n_165129.html


Recycle:
Don't throw away appliances until they are unusable. Even then, see if you can recycle the parts.

Recycle your old plastic bags- At many grocery stores there are now boxes in the entrances where you can turn them in.

Recycle many of your electronics at Best Buy. All Best Buys in the U.S offer recycling, even if you didn't buy the product from them. They accept a HUGE array of electronics, I'm not going to list them all, so here is their recycling page. It has a hyperlink to what they do and, more rarely, don't accept: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Global-Promotions/Recycle-FAQs/pcmcat174700050009.c?id=pcmcat174700050009

Do not throw away hazardous materials (batteries, cell phones, used motor oil, etc). These can contain corrosive materials that can destroy the casing in landfills, allowing liquid waste to seep into the land and even groundwater. It's an important issue- it 2009, less than 5% of hazardous waste was disposed of properly. When you need to throw away these items, there are different places you can turn to:

Call2Recycle has over 30,000 drop off locations in the U.S for old batteries and cell phones. It's free, too.

Your local hazardous waste facility. In the U.S, every state has at least one. Go here to find the one closest to you (click your state, then hazardous waste): http://earth911.com/location/ .

Excellent list! I might add one thing: spiritual clarity.

People with practical spiritual clarity will make those types of "good" decisions easier.

When you know what you want in life, most of the time that type of Enlightenment will bring you to the conclusion of being a better person. That's the very first step to compassionate living. When you start seeing things from the world's point of view, rather than your own, it should be very natural to do all these things and more.

The reason I really wrote this post was to say the very first point, which I always think is a very important one. The others are just extras!

Show your loved ones how much they mean to you.
When people feel loved they are more likely to share that love and goodwill with others. Creating a better world starts at home!

Get a pet from a shelter.
In fairness, none of ours have come from shelters, but that was my parents' choice. I feel strongly about adopting from shelters when I get pets of my own in the future. You might be saving an animal from a lifetime without a loving home, or from being put to sleep.

Walk or cycle instead of driving.
Sounds obvious, doesn't it, but so many people use cars to get everywhere, and blame it on their hectic lifestyles and constant rushing around. Surely you could make time to walk the odd journey? Especially as walking and cycling are good for you. If the journey is a bit longer, perhaps you could take public transport? I use buses, coaches and trains to get everywhere, because I don't have a car at the moment. They aren't that bad, honestly! Not in England anyway!

Get involved in a community project.
Whether that be something to make the community look more aesthetically pleasing, or to provide a space for some sort of community activities, or to work with specific people in the community who need extra help of some kind, you'll be helping to spread goodwill and helping to have an positive impact on the lives of many people.

Give unwanted possessions to charity.
You've got a choice here, between donating things for charities to sell, or donating things to be given to those who need them. I used to be guilty of throwing away things like old clothes by the sackful (well, the binbagful...). Since being here I always walk to the nearest charity recycling-bank laden with armfuls of stuff. You might think "oh, they wont want that", but you never know, and I know just as well as anyone that that's often just an excuse to take the less time-consuming option and throw it away. Even things that are in good condition and you could sell for a decent amount of money (furniture for instance...) - ask yourself if you really need the money.

its early here, so this is just the first thing that popped into my head. hopefully there will be more later.

get involved with your legislators! at all levels! these are the guys that make the laws that affect others.

at a national level, they help dictate the spending amounts for public services as well as international policy. for example, one of my senators, jeff sessions, is for spending more money on a ground based missile defense (gmd) shield in europe. i wrote to him, 'against who? iran, who lacks the ICBMs to hit this country? korea, same? the former soviet states, ostensibly our allies now? that money could best be spent elsewhere...' and i named some places. i got a form letter back, but at least his staff tallied my opposition and presented it to him in a report at some point. maybe he even read it, who knows.

at the state level, here in alabama we have hb56, or 'the anti illegal immigrant' law. i am vehemently opposed to this sham of a law, and write all the state legislators with an email address all at once at various times to say so. my local state reps, at least, almost always take the time to respond, even if its not what i wanted to hear.

etc etc

always be careful about what you put in the bin. For example, CFL lightbulbs don't belong in it.

Apart from gas fields, an alternative method of obtaining methane is via biogas generated by the fermentation of organic matter including manure, wastewater sludge, municipal solid waste (including landfills), or any other biodegradable feedstock, under anaerobic conditions. Rice fields also generate large amounts of methane during plant growth. Methane hydrates/clathrates (ice-like combinations of methane and water on the sea floor, found in vast quantities) are a potential future source of methane. Cattle belch methane accounts for 16% of the world's annual methane emissions to the atmosphere.[18] One study reported that the livestock sector in general (primarily cattle, chickens, and pigs) produces 37% of all human-induced methane.[19] Early research has found a number of medical treatments and dietary adjustments that help slightly limit the production of methane in ruminants.[20] [21] A more recent study, in 2009, found that at a conservative estimate, at least 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions were attributable to the life cycle and supply chain of livestock products, meaning all meat, dairy, and by-products, and their transportation.[22]

Paleoclimatology research published in Current Biology suggests that flatulence from dinosaurs may have warmed the Earth. [23]

we shouldnt eat meat at all to prevent methane

Better not replace your red meat with onions if you want to lower your methane emissions

Infographics are fabulous tools that combine word with image:

http://ecotechky.com/garbage-infographics.html

Garbage is a huge issue!

Some more ideas

Environmental

Unplug appliances when not in use- many items still use energy when not in use. Or, use a power strip for your electronic devices, and when you aren't using them flick off on the strip.

Use Cold Water
Heating water uses a lot of energy. Wash clothes (so long as they aren't horrifically dirty) in cold water, and take a shower with lukewarm water rather than hot.

If you have large item like furniture that you are planning on throwing away, put it up on Craigslist first as a giveaway. I have a group of friends whose entire furniture collection at their apartment is free stuff from Craigslist

Use non-toxic household products to clean your house. This link has a few common examples: http://organizedhome.com/clean-house/pantry-recipes-homemade-cleaning-products

Social

Speak up. If you're having a conversation with someone, and they off-handedly say something incorrect, rude or mean about someone/a group of people, ask them why they think that. Tell them you disagree, and why. Be civil. You may open them up to a new perspective.

Most things from the kitchen are recyclable. So if plastic bottles are unavoidable, they can be recycled. As can milk cartons, soda cans, cereal boxes, etc.