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Here are some simple ways you can work to protect biodiversity -- and human health!

Making small changes in your food, your transportation, and your home can have significant impacts.

Here's how:

1.) Eat Sustainable Food

• Choose sustainably-harvested fish. Several organizations provide information on what kinds of fish to buy and which ones to avoid, and these are listed below by region:

For North America: Blue Ocean Institute | Environmental Defense | Monterey Bay Aquarium

For Europe: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Switzerland and International | Marine Conservation Society

For Asia-Pacific: Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society | Australian Marine Conservation Society | WWF Hong Kong

• Seek out locally grown food whenever possible.  Find your area’s farmers’ markets (www.localharvest.org/) and Community Supported Agriculture (www.csacenter.org).
• Eat less meat and more cereals, fruits and vegetables. You can help limit the extent of land under agricultural production by generally eating lower on the food chain (www.foodalliance.org).

2.) Choose Smart Transport

• Lessen personal vehicle use; make one trip instead of several a week to the supermarket, and carpool to work.
• Urge local authorities to make our towns more pedestrian- and bicycle- friendly and walk or bicycle to work when possible.
• Encourage local authorities to improve public transportation services and use them (trains, buses).
• Make sure our cars are well tuned, and that their tires are properly inflated.
• Consider buying smaller, more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars, or hybrid gas-electric vehicles.

3.) Create a Low Impact Home

indoors

• Choose appliances and home heating systems with high energy-efficiency ratings (www.energystar.gov).
• Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs – they use a fraction of the electricity (e.g. a 15 watt compact fluorescent bulb gives off as much light as a 60 watt incandescent bulb) and last up to ten times as long.
• Switch to an energy supplier (electric company) that offers energy from renewable (wind, wave, or solar) power sources. Alternatively, look into purchasing green energy certificates that support alternative energy systems. (www.eere.energy.gov).
• Recycle paper, cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles if our communities participate in these programs.
• Recycle electronic equipment (Cell Phone Recycling and Donation Programs:www.eiae.org Computer Take Back Options: www.epa.gov/e-Cycling/donate.htm).

Outdoors

• Plant trees around your home, which can reduce energy costs from air-conditioning by as much as 25%.  
• Choose plants suited to our local soil type and climate. Avoid plants that need a lot of fertilizers and water. www.biodiversityproject.org/5%20Ways%20Campaign/5waysbackyardpress.htm.
• Seek out indigenous trees, shrubs, and flowers - see “Increase Backyard Diversity” (Audubon) www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/wildlife.html; “Rethink Your Lawn” (Audubon) www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/rethink_lawn.html, “Designing for Wildlife” (Plant Native) plantnative.com/how_wildlife.html.
• Put in plants that attract wildlife like the “butterfly bush” (Budlea spp.) for butterflies.
• Avoid using pesticides. Choose plants that are naturally resistant to pests and use biological control agents and natural predators like nematodes and lady bugs http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/human.htm.
• Use organic fertilizers and mulches such as barnyard manure and compost made from kitchen waste.