5 easy things you can do to take some pressure off the planet
Look for Earth-friendly actions to take at home, from installing a water-filtering rain garden to repairing rather than replacing broken items.
There’s a fix for that: You don’t have to be handy to salvage broken appliances or furniture. Groups around the world convene to restore items in disrepair, to keep them out of landfills. Most meetups are on hold for now, but some have gone virtual. fixitclinic.org
Don’t lose your cool: Feeling the heat even when your cooling system is on? Take a look at your windows. Seal any cracks around the edges with caulk or weather stripping, to keep cooled air from escaping. And consider insulated cellular—or honeycomb—shades, which can reduce solar heat coming through the windows by up to 80 percent. More tips: energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool
A 2017 analysis found 26 different drugs in samples of drinking water from across the United States. Don’t flush or toss medications; find a directory of safe disposal spots at safe.pharmacy/drug-disposal
