At Home

AT HOME

AT HOME

Every day we can take small actions at home to protect the planet. We don’t even need our parents’ permission! 

There are so many simple actions each of us can take. We can compost, turn lights off when we’re not in the room, eliminate plastics, and conserve water. We can plant gardens and avoid using pesticides, ride bikes, hang dry our clothes, recycle, unplug devices, and eat less meat. If every one of us did one small thing a day, we’d surely see our small actions make a difference. 

Committing to starting in our homes means we’re taking steps to protect our future, teach our family, and establish good habits that mirror how we can take direct action in our communities. 

Find tons of ideas about actions you can take here.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Illustrations by Kathleen Founds

NEWS

Jane Goodall on Covid, Resilience and Climate Change

By Sarah Green Carmichael 05/25/21
Jane Goodall, renowned conservationist and winner of this year’s Templeton Prize, has been a pioneer when it comes to respecting nature and animals. Has the pandemic changed her perspective at all? Goodall joined me for a live…
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We’re Handing Our Kids a Damaged Planet. And Our Excuse for Doing Nothing About It Has Now Fallen Apart

By Oliver Jeffers 07/09/20
We have often been placated with the notion that real change takes time. But this is only true where apathy is its main resistance. Change can come suddenly too.
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13 ways to save the Earth from climate change

By Allison Shaw 07/07/20
Most scientists believe that climate change is happening and causing rising seas, stronger storms, and shifting habitats for wildlife and people. But you don’t have to give up videos or totally shut down the A/C…
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10 Ways to Protect our Environment at Home

By Carol G Speake 07/02/20
Earth Day was a few days ago and lots of people talked about the environment for that one day. For me, thinking of ways to help our environment is not something I think about one…
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How to Save the Environment at Home

06/27/20
In making some small changes to the way that you do things at home, you are gradually making a difference, even as an individual. You will kill costs and improve your health at the same…
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Piedmont Climate Challenge said to have cut tons of greenhouse gases

By Linda Davis 06/16/20
Hang some clothes on the line, take shorter showers or splurge on an electric vehicle, all in the name of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for a healthier, cleaner planet.
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8 Simple Ways to Help the Environment

By Ashley Paskill 04/08/20
Whether you are shopping for food, clothes or books, use a reusable bag. This cuts down on litter and prevents animals from getting a hold of them. There are even some stores (such as Target)…
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How To Be A Climate Activist During The Coronavirus Pandemic

By Sarah Sax 03/20/20
The fight against climate change isn't going away; it's going online. ...
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Help us mark Earth Day by writing a poem

By Christina Barron 03/19/20
Staying home from school provides challenges and opportunities. KidsPost is all about finding opportunities for you. So we want to remind you about our Earth Day Poetry Contest.
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Fifty environmental activities kids can do at home

By Megan Severson 03/16/20
As people in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, and across the United States brace for weeks of school closures and social distancing, I am searching for ways to make the most of this challenging period.…
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Coronavirus Crisis Forces Greta Thunberg To Take Climate Strike Online

By Lee Moran 03/11/20
The activist urged her supporters to "find new ways to create public awareness & advocate for change that don’t involve too big crowds." ...
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A Beginner’s Guide: Getting Your Parents to Believe in Climate Change

By Sam Ford 11/26/19
The debates I have with them constantly leave me frustrated, with my mom, who’s on my side, reminding me that yelling at them about climate change won’t sway their opinions. But how else can my…
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KEY RESOURCES

Roots & Shoots

06/01/21
Our mission is to empower young people to affect positive change in their communities. You can help build a better tomorrow. It starts right here. Right now. What difference do you want to make? Explore…

Decarbonizing Space Heating with Air Source Heat Pumps

11/19/20
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) are powered by electricity, using well-established technology to move heat from outdoor air to indoor air. When powered by zero-carbon electricity, ASHPs provide space heating with almost no greenhouse gas…

What are the most important things kids can do to prevent global warming?

08/05/20
Geologist Ed Mathez answers this question.

Climate Change Is Scaring Kids. Here’s How to Talk to Them

08/05/20
Hollywood has produced quite a few fictionalized depictions of dramatic climate change. Scores of people die after Manhattan freezes in 2004’s “The Day After Tomorrow.” In “Geostorm,” released in 2017, the weather goes haywire after…

How Do I Teach My Kids About Climate Change?

08/05/20
We collected resources and advice for stress-free ways to talk to your kids about a stressful subject.

Take Action in Your Home, School, or Community

08/05/20
Take Action Toolkit: This toolkit, ideal for small groups or classroom settings, walks you through a set of questions and prompts to plan your own climate action project.

What is Climate Change?

08/05/20
Climate change refers to the long-term changes in global temperatures and other characteristics of the atmosphere.

The Teenagers at the End of the World

08/05/20
Young climate activists like Jamie Margolin are building a movement while growing up — planning mass protests from childhood bedrooms and during school.

Climate change

08/05/20
What is climate change? What could happen? Get all the facts you need to know.

How To Talk To Kids About Climate Change

08/05/20
A few months ago, I was standing at the sink in the kitchen. Suddenly my daughter, who's seven, said, "You're lucky you got to have your adulthood before the planet was completely destroyed by climate…

Just for Kids: What’s Climate Change? And What Can I Do?

08/05/20
Climate Reality is teaming up with National Geographic Kids to share resources for kids to learn about climate change – and for parents and teachers to teach kids how to take action! This is the…

How To Teach Your Kids To Be Eco-Friendly

08/05/20
Climate change is a global problem that has already had a big impact on our planet. It's important for kids to understand climate change and what they can do to help.

10 Things Kids Can Do After the Climate Strike

08/05/20
Here are 10 more things you and your kids can do to help solve the climate crisis and protect the future.

Climate Basics for Kids

08/05/20
We explain the science behind climate change, the impacts of climate change, and how you can help. We’ve also created a list of resources and activities for educators to do with students of all ages.

Educational resources

07/07/20
Need help while kids are at home with you? Check out our lessons, games, and videos to keep them engaged in science. Click on the link or thumbnail below to get things started.

NASA Climate Kids

07/02/20
What can we do to help? Yes! We can all take notice of our environment. We can learn how our planet works. We can learn how to live on it without making a mess of…

CliMate, the climate conversation coach

05/06/20
This fun, simple chatbot on Facebook Messenger will teach you how stop arguing and start understanding people. In a guided practice conversation, you’ll get to choose responses from a set of options, and CliMate will…

How to Talk With Kids About Climate Change [2022 Guide]

06/16/22
It may not be the “birds and the bees” talk you were anticipating having with your kids. But the truth is, the birds and bees are dying, and children aren’t oblivious to the adverse effects…

Fridays for Future

04/30/20
#FridaysForFuture is a youth-led and -organised movement that began in August 2018, after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against…

MORE WAYS TO TAKE ACTION

Use less disposable containers

01/16/19
Plastic takeout containers, utensils, and bags all take energy to produce and pollute the environment.
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Plant a tree

01/16/19
Trees help to slow climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. They also provide shade, which helps keep streets and houses cooler in the summertime and reduces the need for air conditioning.
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Recycle

08/15/18
Recycling conserves natural resources, reduces the need for landfills, prevents pollution, saves energy, and creates jobs.
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Choose recycled goods

08/15/18
Look for the recycle logo on the things you buy, like paper, tissues, and paper towels.
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MORE NEWS

10 Things You Can Do to Help the Environment at Home

08/28/19  
Efficiency measures may not sound like the coolest or most exciting solution to reducing our collective carbon footprint, but they are one of the most important. There are a multitude of programs in New York…
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How to Radicalize Your Parents on Climate Change

By Shayla Love   07/31/19  
It's possible to change someone's mind on climate change—if you're related to them.
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Children Change Their Parents’ Minds about Climate Change

By Lydia Denworth   05/06/19  
Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg became famous this spring for launching a student movement to compel adults to take action on climate change. Instead of going to school, Greta has been spending her Fridays in front…
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What you do can at home to help the environment

By Rhett A. Butler   04/01/19  
Think about packaging before you buy products. Individually-wrapped candy uses resources and generates a lot of trash, while fruits and vegetables are healthier and mean less waste.
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How can I convince my parents to care about the climate?

By Eve Andrews   03/13/19  
Caring about climate change and the environment is obviously a much more serious passion than any of these examples, as it has to do with the shared fate and potential demise of humanity. And you…
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9 Things You Can Do About Climate Change

By Jeff McMahon   01/23/17  
That leaves us. Fortunately, there are lots of things we can do ourselves. I’ve listed nine of them below. They might look like small things, but they are powerful things.
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50 easy ways to save the planet

08/22/02  
Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last eight times as long and use a fraction of the energy.
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Why this kid is poring through climate data

By Daisy Simmons   02/13/18  
After realizing with alarm the dire climate change consequences his generation would inherit, Edgar McGregor, a California high school student, set about trying to understand what he and his contemporaries are up against. Now, he…
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