Ten hard things you can do to reduce carbon

1. Get a good quality bike and outfit it with excellent lighting, fenders, a rack, panniers, trailer, and rain gear for yourself, then ride it for all the trips you can.

2. Construct the needed sidewalk in front of your home, then get a backpack and use the sidewalk to walk to work, shop, visit your neighbors and recreate,

3. Grow a garden, buy local foods, eat meat infrequently, compost the rest.

4. Get a bus pass and use it.

5. Perform a complete home energy audit. Take steps to eliminate the largest energy drains.

6. Install a solar-thermal system for water heating and/or solar-photovoltaic panels for electricity.

7. Install a ground source heat pump for best and quietest heating efficiency.

8. Install xeriscape (drought-tolerant) plantings and water them with a roof catchment system.

9. Lobby for complete streets with sidewalks, curbs, with on- street paid parking in high-demand commercial zones.

10. Write your newspapers and legislators demanding legislation that favors climate solutions like conservation (#1), renewable energy, and transit-oriented development. Get letter-writing tips and the latest legislative information from 1Sky Washington.