This sheet offers a number of steps we can take to reduce the impact of our ecological footprint on the Earth. Please look over this list of actions and, if you feel inspired, commit to a few or more of them by marking the blank with a “√” (check). If you already are currently practicing the step, mark an “X” on the blank. When you are done, please copy your commitments onto a piece of paper that you can carry with you as a reminder. Please share your commitments with your Sangha, allowing other practitioners and friends to see and to be inspired by your actions.

I,_______________________________, commit to:

____   Walk or bike to work _______ days per week.

____   Walk or bike to places within five miles.

____   Carpool to work or use mass transit.

____   Reduce air travel to less than ________ flight hours per year.

____   Purchase energy credits to compensate for travel.

____   Have a car-free day once a week.

____   Have a car-free day once a month.

____   Work at home one day a week.

____   Reduce car trips by   _____ %.

____   Use stairs, not elevators and escalators.

____   Have an electricity-free day once a week.

____   Get an energy audit of my home and improve its efficiency.

____   Purchase and install solar panels at home.

____   Purchase renewable-source electricity (wind, geothermal).

____   Air-dry clothes (without a dryer).

____   Reduce the use of hair dryers and appliances.

____   Support farmers and reduce food-miles by buying local produce.

____   Grow produce at home.

____   Do not use pesticides or herbicides.

____   Purchase _____% organic food.

____   Join a community-supported agriculture group near my home.

____   Replace light bulbs at home with compact fluorescents.

____   Eliminate the use of air conditioning at home.

____   Reduce air conditioning at home by ____ degrees.

____   Reduce heating at home by _____ degrees.

____   Install a programmable thermostat at home.

____   Install energy-efficient insulation and windows at home.

____   Eat only vegetarian food.

____   Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.

____   Avoid purchasing disposable items with lots of packaging.

____   Replace paper napkins, towels, and plates with reusable equivalents.

____   Use a library instead of buying books, as much as possible.

____   Use cloth or other reusable bags for shopping, etc.

____   Use biodegradable cleaning products.

____   Compost kitchen waste.

____   Encourage office/school to recycle.

____   Share magazines and catalogs by donating them to clinics, etc.

____   Reuse and recycle all items possible.

____   Buy clothing in used clothing/thrift shops.

____   Plant native and drought-tolerant plants where applicable.

____   Plant _____ trees in my neighborhood.

____   Turn off computers while not in use.

____   Install a power strip for appliances to avoid drawing ghost electricity.

____   Set computer and display to turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

____   Reduce use of hot water by _____ %.

____   Take short showers, using warm water rather than hot water.

____   Install a solar water heating unit.

____   Re-use greywater.

____   When urinating only, do not flush the toilet.

____   Turn off faucet while brushing teeth and shaving.

____   Reduce overall water use by _____ %.

____   Install a system to capture and store rainwater.

____   Pick up trash along walking/jogging route.

____   Educate myself on ecological issues.

____   Write articles and stories to help others get in touch with their ecosystem.

____   Meditate once a week on my relationship to the ecosystem in which I live.

____   Meditate once a week on how I can reduce my consumption, and act on this.

____   Write to local and national politicians calling for more effective environmental legislation.

____   Support local environmental organizations.

____   Encourage a friend to commit to items on this list.

My own commitment proposals:

I make the commitment to practice the items that I have checked above so that I may reduce the ecological impact of my way of living.

Signature:  ____________________________________

Date:  ____________________________________

The Earth Peace Treaty Commitment Sheet is available in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology from Parallax Press.