Stop World Hunger with Ten Grains of Rice a Day

    Save a few dollars each month and donate it to a different charity. One great option for your donation is through freerice.com. For each correct answer in their online quizzes, they donate ten grains of rice to the World Food Program to help end world hunger. Think about how much rice will be donated if even half of the population did this!

Lessen the Landfill in Your Daily Decisions

    Diaper with a conscience. By the time a child is potty trained, a parent will have changed between 5,000 and 8,000 diapers, adding up to approximately 3.5 million tons of waste in US landfills each year. Whether you use cloth or a more environmentally friendly disposable alternative, you’re making a choice that has a gentler impact on the planet.

Share the Positive

    When you read an online article that you found helpful, moving, or enlightening, take a  moment to leave a positive comment at the bottom of the page. Acknowledge the writer for their style or content, or even add some additional information that you have about the topic. The writer- and other readers- may appreciate what you have to say. If it inspires you, share it too. I started subscribing to lifehack.org and every morning, I come in to read some truly excellent and uplifting ideas in my inbox. I share the very best ones and have heard from Facebook friends and fellow Tweeps that they love ‘em. So as the old saying goes, accentuate the positive!

Please, Mr. Postman

    Look into a pen pal. Writing to someone in a foreign land- whether it be a soldier, a fellow student, or a long-lost relative-can really help you gain perspective and will do the same for the person you are writing to. Check out this website for more details on how to find a pen pal: penpalworld.com. Letter writing is more meaningful than an email or text- this beautifully old-fashioned tradition will bring lasting enjoyment to you and your pal.

Save the Rainforest

    Tropical rainforests take in vast amounts of carbon dioxide (a poisonous gas which mammals exhale) and through the process of photosynthesis, convert it into clean, breathable air. In fact, the tropical rainforests are the single greatest terrestrial source of air that we breathe. What’s truly amazing, however, is that while the tropical rainforests cover just over two percent of the Earth’s land surface, they are home to two-thirds of all the living species on the planet. Additionally, nearly half the medicinal compounds we use every day come from plants endemic to the tropical rainforest. If a cure for cancer or the common cold is to be found, it’ll almost certainly come from the tropical rainforests. Tragically, the tropical rainforests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. According to Rainforest Action Network, more than an acre-and-a-half is lost every second of every day. That’s an area more than twice the size of Florida that goes up in smoke every year! According to savetherainforest.org, “If present rates of destruction continue, half our remaining rainforests will be gone by the year 2025, and by 2060 there will be no remaining rainforests remaining.”

Let’s Not Contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

I don’t know about you, but photos of the big patch of plastic and garbage floating in the ocean scares me more than almost anything else. Nearly 90% of plastic bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. If you are used to toting around your green tea, juice, or iced coffee in plastic, get a cool-looking thermos instead. This is a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. You can guzzle as much as you want and still be green.

National Solo Vacation Day

    Go on vacation by yourself. Pick a town, state, or country that you have always wanted to go to and go there, alone! Think about it: you can make your own schedule, wake up when you want, stay out, stay in, and eat what you feel like. This is your chance at making a memory that will last you a lifetime and add to the story of your life.