Remember those magazine quizzes you could take to see if you were likeable or a good friend? My sister and I would sit on the front porch, pencils in hand, filling them out just for fun. Some of the questions were ridiculous, some were funny, but some actually forced us to think about our actions and how we treated people.
I was listening to a news story about, what else, Climate Change and how once the topic is brought up, most people shut down. I get it. Watching what’s happening to our planet right before our eyes is tough to face and I even have my moments when I want to avoid the subject, but that’s not going to help any of us.
Instead of bombarding you with gloomy information I’ve decided to give you a quick quiz to test how good a friend you are to the planet.
Answer as honestly as possible, and don’t forget to check your score at the bottom. You may be surprised how you rate…
Are you a good friend to the planet?
Take this quiz…
1. I think about Climate Change…
a. So much I wake up in the middle of the night
b. Only when a storm cloud threatens my softball league night.
c. Never. This is a normal cycle the planet has gone thru before.
2. I believe the politicians we elect can make or break our Climate future.
a. Yes, politicians enact bills that can help or hurt us.
b. Kinda, they have some say but it’s up to us to do the right thing.
c. No, politicians can’t do much to combat what’s happening to our planet.
3. The biggest impacts on the Climate come from…
a. Food waste and fossil fuels
b. Textiles, big animal farms and deforestation.
c. “Clean coal” is a good alternative and worth supporting.
4. A plant based diet can reduce carbon emissions by…
a. 70%
b. 50%
c. 0%… Pork is the other white meat and eating this must help in some way.
5. LED light bulbs use…
a. over 70% less energy than CFLs.
b. 50% less energy than CFLs.
c. 0% less energy than CFLs… I love the light my old bulbs cast in a room.
6. When I do laundry, I use…
a. Only cold water.
b. Cold water to wash, warm to rinse.
c. Hot water… it’s the only thing that gets my whites white.
7. When I clean out my closet, I…
a. Send the good stuff to Thred Up, Poshmark or another consignment retailer and use the rest as rags to clean my house.
b. Donate most of it to Goodwill, except my “personals”.
c. Pitch it. No one wants my old clothes!
8. Once a week I have and toss this much trash…
a. One bag or fewer ‘cause I compost and reuse or up-cycle as much as possible.
b. Two bags or fewer ‘cause I recycle a lot.
c. Three bags or more ‘cause whatever I do makes little difference.
9. When I go shopping…
a. I bring my own bags and containers and try not to buy anything that comes in single-use plastic.
b. I have bags in my trunk (I always forget to bring ’em inside the store), look for healthy, organic products and make sure the containers are recyclable.
c. I go for price and don’t care about packaging.
10. When I mow my lawn or work in the garden I…
a. Never use weed killers and plant flowers that attract bees and butterflies.
b. Sometimes use weed killers, but only in spring when dandelions are at their worst.
c. Spray the heck ‘outta the weeds cause the only way to get rid of ’em is weed killers.
SCORE
How’d you do?
All ‘a’ answers get 3 points. These are true and the best way to mind the planet.
All ‘b’ answers get 2 points except for Questions #2 and #3. Those ‘b’ answers got you 3 points cause they’re as true as ‘a’.
All ‘c’ answers get zero. Are you living under a rock?
24 – 30 points — You’re a GREAT Friend of the Planet!
You know that our politicians have the power to enact bills that can ward off Climate Change and protect us from the negative effects it’s having. You’re aware that food waste and fossil fuels are still the biggest offenders but that textiles, big farms and deforestation are right up there too.
You may even be Vegan or Vegetarian because you know animal farming is responsible for over 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and by sticking to a plant based diet you can reduce your footprint by over 70%.
You switched all your lights to LEDs to save 70% on your energy bill… sweet bonus!
You see the value in up-cycling your clothing and you know most donated clothes end up in the landfills anyway, so you might as well use them as rags to clean your house.
You believe in the power of composting and you seek out products that don’t come in plastic containers.
You shop smart and have mastered most of the low-impact living checklist, including plenty of repurposed items.
When it comes to gardening, you know no bees and butterflies means no food. You know that using any pesticide is horrible for our planet and if you really want a solid future, you’ll tell those politicians to outlaw ALL of them.
Woo hoo, you’re a GREAT friend to the planet!
18 – 21 points — You’re a GOOD Friend of the Planet, but you need to up your game a bit.
Yup, you know the people we vote into office have some power over the fate of our planet and you’re aware of your own actions and how you impact it.
You know you should be giving up meat and cutting way back on animal products, but you’re worried you’ll always be hungry. Besides, you’re not a big lover of vegetables. Let ME remind you that it’s 2020 and there are lots of delicious meat alternatives now. Try Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods instead or go heavy on the legumes. There are entire websites dedicated to vegetarian and vegan cuisine that tastes just like “regular” food.
You’re worried your clothes won’t get as clean if you don’t use that warm water rinse but, trust ME, cold rinse works just fine. Besides… 70-90% of the energy your washer uses goes to heating the water. Go a step further in making laundry a greener chore and start using felted wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets full of chemicals.
You feel you’re doing your part by pitching every container into your recycling bin but deep inside you know it’s a crap shoot, literally. Most recycling is currently sitting on our shores waiting for a taker and most of the containers people are throwing in their recycling bins are going right into the landfill anyway. Make sure your containers are empty, clean, dry and actually recyclable before putting them in that bin and um… start forcing yourself to bring those reusable bags inside the store!
You care about the products you’re buying and shopping for healthier alternatives, but you need to step it up and look for the organic/healthy products you love in eco-friendly packaging. It’s important to start supporting the companies doing everything right like selling package-free products or using compostable packaging.
Ya just need to do a little more research!
Finally, our bees and pollinators are dying off at alarming rates. You may think those pesky dandelions MUST be terminated by spraying a few drops of RoundUp on them once a year, but those few drops of pesticide can decimate an entire bee colony. No bees = no food and soon all you’ll be eating are those dandelions… if you’re lucky.
Step it up a little! You’re almost a Great Friend…. but the planet needs you NOW. Make some tweaks and soon you and planet Earth will be Besties.
23 points and under — You ain’t NO Friend of the Planet.
Maybe no one’s told you this before but you’re not a good friend! It’s time to wake up and stop being so selfish. Yup, your behavior is selfish and that could explain why your energy is low and your energy bills are high.
It’s time to make an effort to learn more about the candidates you vote into office and make sure they have a concise, clear plan to fight Climate Change.
Climate policy should be number one ’cause if we don’t set regulations to protect the planet, well… none of us will be around to do much else.
Take that knowledge one step farther and look at the corporations you invest in. Do they care about the planet and how their business impacts it? Trust ME, in the very near future, any company that doesn’t have a written Climate Policy or a Sustainability program will be defunct so support the ones operating responsibly.
As for your own health, kick the red meat habit and use the extra energy you have to change out those old Edison bulbs with new LEDs. Most no longer have that white fluorescent cast to them, and they last a lot longer than the old ones, so you won’t have to change them as often.
You have some work to do. Start by reading the Great and Good Friend results listed above. You’ll learn a lot and even save a little money. Finally, time to get your priorities straight and stop using pesticides on your lawn. If you really hate the weeds, make it a workout and pull them the old-fashioned way or hire a kid from the neighborhood to do it. Even using a little bit of pesticide will destroy the pollinators we need to grow our food and without bees and butterflies, we’re outta luck.
Now you know how you rate… We can all be a GREAT friend to the planet.
Everything we do has an impact and it’s up to us to change our fate.
We have the power to collectively change what’s happening just by changing who we vote for, the products we purchase and the companies we support.
You may not be able to call each other on the phone, but the Planet’s always been there for you, now be there for the Planet!
“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” – Leo Buscaglia
– Germaine Caprio, MAJAMAS EARTH Company Owner & Designer
Let ME know:
What other ways are you friendly to the planet?
Please share your own thoughts with us – let’s get a conversation started in the comments below!