To make Environmental Action mainstream, we wanted to make it as applicable as possible to anyone living in North America.  Our vision is to inspire 1 million North Americans to commit to 1 new environmentally friendly habit, to bring about 1 million new actions for Earth.

We wanted to show how effective taking these simple steps is for the health of the environment, and illustrate how the actions of one person make a big difference everyday..

So we are bringing you the following Top 10 Environmental Action Steps.

Take the Environmental Action Challenge:
Commit to 1 of the Top 10 Environmental Action Steps!
Become an Environmental Action Ambassador

The Environmental Action Challenge: Choose the one step that you feel would make the biggest difference if you were to fully commit to making this lifestyle change as part of your regular, everyday life.

Just pick one.

Once you have submitted your commitment, you are officially an Environmental Action Ambassador.  Your commitment wil be added to the total number of commitments made by other North Americans like you who care to help save our planet. 

I commit to...	1. Eat Local and Organic Especially for heavier items that take extra time, energy, and carbon emissions to haul around the world, purchase foods that are produced locally and organically. A well-balanced diet of vegetables and fruits can easily serve you over 20 different delicious pesticides each day! And before you even take your first bite, all those pesticides are affecting the soil, the water, the farm workers, the wildlife, and the planet. So each time you buy organic food, you help break that cycle.
I commit to...	2. Turn Off Your Car The next time you find yourself idling your car for any longer than 2 minutes, in a long traffic jam, construction site, border line up, or just waiting for someone, cut your engine! While you’re at it, try using your car one less day per week too. With a little planning, we can all use our cars less and save both money and carbon emissions. You will save costs not only in fuel, but also in fewer trips to the gas station. And as the price of fuel rises, you’ll benefit right away!
I commit to...	3. Eliminate Plastic Bags – Bring Your Own Bag We’re all used to the convenience of free plastic shopping bags, but at current rates we’ll each add over 10,000 bags to the planet in our lifetimes. So put some reusable bags in your car, purse, pack, or briefcase, and consider the mountain of plastic you won’t be leaving behind! When you need plastic bags for your garbage, etc. purchase your biodegradable bags instead. So next time you’re asked “Paper or plastic?” say “Neither!”
I commit to...	4. Use Green Cleaners A lot of cleaning products can leave a real mess behind for Mother Nature. Petroleum-based cleaners with synthetic scents can also create indoor air pollution. Read the labels and try to choose cleaning products made from plant-based, non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients that won’t leave behind a toxic residue.
I commit to...	5. Turn Off the Lights It’s easy to see when we leave a light on – so just switch it off. And while you’re at it, switch all your light bulbs to Compact Fluorescents (CFLs). These new bulbs last up to seven times longer, and use much less energy than all others. While plugged in, all your other electronics are silently stealing energy. Power transformers we have for battery chargers can use a lot of energy even when they’re doing nothing. Rather than unplug them, why not put them all on a power strip you can easily switch off?
I commit to...	6. Turn Off the Taps North Americans use more water per person than anywhere else on earth, and its risen by more than 20% in the last 25 years. Yet water use habits are easy to change: waiting to run full loads in our dishwashers and washing machines can save 1,000 gallons a month. And by upgrading to newer low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads they’ll do the water saving for you!
I commit to...	7. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Three R’s aren’t just an activity – they are a way of thinking. Garbage doesn’t “go” anywhere except the Earth, and who wants to live in a garbage dump? Before you go to buy something, consider whether you even need it. If you do, think about whether the packaging is excessive, and whether you have a way to reuse, or at least recycle it. Whenever possible, buy recycled products and not only save energy, but also create a greater demand for such things as the paper and plastics you recycle.
I commit to...	8. Compost Throwing compostable material in the garbage just speeds up the need for new and costly landfills. Garbage disposals waste both electricity and water. Composting, on the other hand, is nature’s time-honoured way of returning valuable nutrients to the soil to be reused. Start a compost bin and do your plants – and your planet – a favour!
I commit to...	9. Bring Your Own Bottle Some plastic bottles may be recyclable, and some disposable coffee cups may be biodegradable, but either way there’s a significant amount of material and energy that goes into the millions of cups and bottles we use each year. If we each have just one stainless water bottle and one high quality mug, it will keep us from using thousands of one-use wonders to quench our thirst.
I commit to...	10. Teach Your Children Well With your help, children can develop a strong and healthy sense of what’s right and what’s wrong for the earth. Satisfy their natural curiosity about the world by teaching them about where food comes, or how energy works, and why taking care of our home is important.