Increase my Household Water Audit score by 5 points

Even though 70% of our earth is covered in water, less than one percent of it is available for our daily needs. As the Circle of Blue organization says it, "If all the world's water were to fit inside 100 glasses, the supply available to humanity would not fill three quarters of one glass." That's a small amount to share between 6.6 billion people!

How do you score on water savings? Spend two minutes taking the Family Water Audit to learn how your usage stacks up. If you make it to the top tier, you're already saving hundreds of gallons of water each month - not to mention the savings on your water bill. At the end of your audit, click on the "easy ways to save" links to explore more than 100 tips for conserving one of our most vital resources.

Despite my super score of 30 points, I know I'm a water hog when it comes to showering. Ripple Products inspired me with their fun line of shower timers, but I bet I can make my own using an extra timer from the game closet or the kitchen.

I'm committed to boosting my water audit score by 5 points, and I'm challenging you to beat me! Post your 'before' and 'after' scores below and show off your water-saving strategies in our Flickr photo pool.

Learn how I can make an impact through socially responsible investing

We vote at the ballot box, but we can also vote with our dollars. Most of us try to make smart choices at checkout counter, but have you ever thought about where your money winds up once it's in the bank or invested in a retirement fund?

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is the practice of knowing where your savings go and making sure your money is used ways that match your personal values. There are three main components to socially responsible investing:

• Screening your current and potential investments to remove companies you don't want to support (e.g. weapons or tobacco funding) and adding in companies that perform well in areas that you do support (e.g. clean energy or product safety).

• Community investing as a way "to create jobs, housing, and social services here and abroad while earning returns on [your] investments."

• Shareholder action by using your ownership in a company (however small your share of stock) to encourage positive change within the organization.
  

This can seem like a daunting project, but a little help can go a long way. If you have a financial advisor, ask whether she or he offers a free SRI screen of your current investments. Your employer may also offer resources for reviewing your company-sponsored retirement investments. Browse the Social Investment Forum's guide to selecting a financial professional, and let us know if you take the first step towards making an impact with your money!

Bring my own grocery bags for 21 days

According to reusablebags.com, one million plastic bags are used each minute across the globe. That's 60,000,000 bags per hour. It's hard to imagine! Aside from stragglers caught in trees or blowing down the street, where do all of those bags wind up when we're done with them?

One pile of plastic bags took a break from blowing in the wind to testify in front of the Santa Monica City Council. Hear what he had to say:




With the debate over paper vs. plastic picking up steam, cities from San Francisco to Paris are charging extra for the use of plastic shopping bags or banning them altogether. Both types of disposable totes have their disadvantages, so why not switch to reusable bags? It's cheaper and more convenient to find your own shopping totes around the house, but if you must buy new ones, try these collapsible bags from Envirosax. They even come with a free shower timer to help you keep a lid on your water bill.

We've heard that it takes 21 days to kickstart a new habit, so try hauling in style for the next three weeks and see if the practice becomes automatic. Take it a step further and ask your favorite retailer to offer a cash credit to shoppers who bring their own bags.

What's in your bag? Show off the results of your latest shopping trip using reusable totes on our Flickr photo pool.

Take control of my thermostat, two degrees at a time

Did you know that setting your thermostat just two degrees lower in the winter and two degrees higher in the summer helps you save almost 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year? You probably won't feel the difference, but you will see the energy savings on your utility bill.

The rewards are even bigger when no one's home. According to the Alliance for Climate Protection, turning the temp down 10-15% while you're gone for the day can save you up to $150 per year. I'm sure you can think of a better use for that money, so don't let it slip away while you're out and about.

An Energy Star programmable thermostat with built-in energy conservation settings makes this process easy. Follow Energy Star's purchasing guidelines and start saving tomorrow.

What's your thermostat set at? Post a picture on our Flickr pool, with bonus points for energy efficient models!

Pledge not to ride alone for one week

As gas prices and carbon emissions creep upwards, riding solo doesn't sound like such a hot idea anymore. The average car in the U.S. now tips the scale at 4,000 pounds, meaning that just a small fraction of the gas you paid for is being used to move your body mass around. The vast majority of that money is actually being used to push your vehicle along with you!

One way to combat this trend is to rethink your solo car trips. New programs are popping up around the country to help drivers meet up with riders for trips to the grocery store, into the city, or off to a concert. Help out a neighbor or make a new friend with organizations like Go Loco, eRideShare, RideshareOnline, or nuRide.

Don't forget about the public transit system either. You've already paid for these services with your tax dollars, so go get your money's worth by bus, trolley or train. Try out the new Google Transit website to plan your next trip:



Ask your employer about the latest rideshare incentives available to you. With rising gas prices, the chance to get some work done on the way, and less stress navigating through traffic, ridesharing may be the answer to your transportation dilemmas.

How are you pledging not to ride alone for a week? Show us your solution to solo drivers, from a transit pass to fellow carpoolers, or maybe just your own two feet!

Let my local newspaper or elected officials know how I feel

What are you passionate about?

Are you concerned about a lack of recycling programs in your area? Would you like to see better public transportation access in your neighborhood? Maybe your community is taking steps towards building a better tomorrow, and you want people to know about it.

Make your voice heard by sharing your thoughts with your local newspaper or elected officials. Better yet, why not both? It's going to take a lot of great ideas to create a brighter future together, so don't keep yours under wraps.

The Earth Day Network offers this top-notch guide to influencing local leaders by getting published in the your community's newspaper. If you're ready to write to your elected officials, do a quick search to pin down the correct contact information, then follow these handy tips for composing a convincing letter. You may be surprised at the response!

Want some extra exposure for your ideas? Post your letters here and let us know if you get published. We're rooting for you...

Step lightly and cut my carbon footprint by 25% this year

Have you ever wondered what your carbon emissions look like?


Your carbon footprint may feel invisible at times, but the impact is felt by all of us! Find out exactly how large (or small) your footprint is with the EPA's Personal Emissions Calculator. It only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and another minute or two to decide how to take action.

Are you ready to reduce your footprint by 25% over the coming year? Make your declaration here, then let us know how you plan to lead the way. Will you start with the low-hanging fruit? Or will you make a major change that makes sense for your lifestyle, such as getting rid of your car? We can't wait to hear your ideas, since we're working on shrinking our own shoe sizes as well!

Make my office a cleaner, greener place to work

Most of us spend at least 1/3 of our day at work, where we're surrounded by copy machines, reams of paper, and free snacks (if we're lucky). Is your office working towards an environment that supports happy workers and a happy planet, or is there some room for improvement?

Earth 911 offers a terrific business guide to getting started on green initiatives. For ideas on manageable projects, The Good Human shares his top 10 tips to get the ball rolling at the office. One of the most effective and efficient places to start is with your company's purchasing practices, so share the Responsible Purchasing Network's handy guides with staffers who make the final buying decisions.

Looking for success stories to rally the team? Explore Net Impact's list of inspiring case studies from companies like Accenture and Intel Capital.

How will you make 8 hours of your day a little cleaner and greener? Post your ideas below and keep us updated on your progress!

Take a year off! I'm ready to go carbon neutral for 12 months

365 days of carbon-neutral living...

Wish it were a reality? With Live Neutral offsets, it can be!

"LiveNeutral gives everyone the power to stop climate change. From individuals to businesses to nonprofits to schools, we help you calculate and then offset your carbon emissions. By no means do we consider carbon offsets The Answer to global warming. But it’s one of the best ways we know of to start reducing the threat of global warming today."

You can calculate the emissions you produce while driving, at home, and when flying, then purchase offsets to compensate for your impact on the planet.

What does an offset look like? Out in the world, offsets look like reforestation projects, reduced emissions from industrial plants, and low carbon tilling practices on farms. In your mailbox, offsets appear as a certificate or sticker verifying your carbon reduction contribution.

Will you be sporting a LiveNeutral sticker on your car or luggage tag this year? Show us your commitment to 365 days of offsets in the Flickr photo pool!

It starts with one step

Engaging in this exercise has been a great lesson in learning what it takes to effect change in the world. It really begins with a personal commitment to change - perhaps something as simple as replacing incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs or LED's, perhaps something as lofty as committing to individual carbon neutrality.

No matter what scale you start with, it is most efficacious to look inward to what you can do yourself first before trying to effect major change in the world. Furthermore, you certainly have more credibility when you're modeling the change you want to see around you.

Change tomorrow? Change today!

Working on the film 'Changing Tomorrow' was an exciting new experience for me in a number of ways. From the creative challenge of conceiving of and delivering a positive message addressing the issues of climate change and our potential impact on the future, to the discovery of just how many people in the world today are making personal changes and commitments for the betterment of their communities and future generations.

Now is an extremely exciting time to be alive given the magnitude of the challenges and opportunities that we face. Our individual and collective contributions to changing tomorrow are essential to bringing about lasting and critically important change in the course of human history.

For my part, I've already changed the thermostat settings in my house, replaced 14 light bulbs (!), and written one letter to the editor of my local newspaper (Athens Banner Herald) and to each of the current presidential contenders. I'm riding my bike. I'm putting my money into socially and environmentally responsible companies. And I'm talking to people about what's important to me!

Watch the Changing Tomorrow video