265_Twelve Month Sustainability Action Plan

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 265

12 Month Sustainability Action Plan

It is sometimes difficult for me to believe that I have been living at the cabin for 30 years. I often reflect on how I went about building this isolated homestead, how much work it was and just how long it took. But I also commonly think about what I would change if I had it to do over again.

Most people would look at what I’ve done and think that such a lifestyle is completely out of their reach. However, it is easier than you think. A lot has changed since I first moved there. Technology has improved and so has our knowledge about how best to live sustainably.

If you do not believe that this is something you can do, then join me for #265 The 12 Month Sustainable Living Action Plan.

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E265 the 12 Month Sustainable Living Action Plan.

What I want to demonstrate in this episode is a solid plan of how each of us can transform our lives into something that is dramatically more sustainable in a matter of 12 months. As you will see, I am going to give you a step-by-step action plan to make that transformation. But before we get to that, let’s talk about the good news story of the week.

Good News Story of the Week

This week’s good news story focuses around yet another large environmental restoration project that involved releasing 158 giant endangered tortoises in the Galapagos Islands where they had been extinct for 180 years. These turtles were released on Floreana Island.

Driven to extinction in the mid-1800s, the Floreana giant tortoise had been absent from the island for generations. Its return signals the beginning of a new phase of re-wilding under the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project.

“After years of sustained, science-based work—requiring rigorous studies and patience—the return of the giant tortoises reflects a long-term restoration vision focused on restoring the ecological functionality of Floreana’s ecosystems.”

The tortoises released this week are the result of decades of genetic scientific research led by the Galápagos National Park Directorate.

Through a carefully managed breeding program, these individuals were raised to form a population that is genetically as close as possible to the original Floreana giant tortoise. Tortoises are considered to be a keystone species which help to maintain open habitats, promote native plant growth, and create conditions that allow entire ecosystems to function. Their absence on Floreana altered ecological processes for nearly two centuries. Their return is expected to help restore those processes naturally and drive natural regeneration processes that support a wide range of native plants and animals.

Now, project partners will continue to evaluate conditions for the next phase of re-wilding, which includes iconic species such as the Floreana Mockingbird, Floreana racer snake, Vegetarian Finch, and the Little Vermilion Flycatcher.

Now this is the kind of story that I truly enjoy, just how humanity does have the ability to restore our world. It just takes time, commitment, and a whole lot of work.

Now let’s move on to our episode.

While most of us feel as if we can do nothing about our environmental problems, much less climate change, what I want to demonstrate in this episode is a 12 month plan of how we can completely change our lives. This 12 month plan hits on several ares where all of us can make substantial changes. This of course is going to involve several steps.

•  Building sustainable systems (not just habits)
•  Producing layers of changes put into place in our lives gradually
•  Increasing your level of self-sufficiency, which in turn increases your confidence and security
•  Reducing your waste and emissions
•  Strengthening community resilience

If you think this is still beyond your ability then stick around and I will show you that this plan is designed to be realistic, cumulative, and scalable over 12 months.

🌿 12-Month Sustainable Living Action Plan

A Practical Year of Systems Change

🧭 Month 1: Awareness & Baseline

🎯 Focus: Measure Before You Modify

Actions

•  Track 30 days of:
•  Electricity use
•  Water use
•  Food waste (weigh or estimate)
•  Trash volume
•  Conduct a home energy audit (DIY or utility-supported)
•  Document weekly grocery spending
•  Identify top 5 highest-impact areas

Outcome: Identify your biggest leverage points. When doing so, I would recommend first making changes that are not going to drastically alter your lifestyle. The point here is to get into the habit of doing things differently and appreciate the value of doing so. What that means is pick something easy to accomplish.

For example, most people can easily reduce their electricity bill by at least 10% by keeping all electronic devices unplugged when not in use. That is easy.

Do a trash audit. What that means is digging through your trash to get an idea of the type of waste you are producing. Then decide what can be recycled, what can be composted. What is the most common thing you throw away. Is it single use items.

♻️ Month 2: Waste Reset

Most people produce a lot more waste than they realize. In the United States, that is almost 5 pounds per day. In many cases, this can be reduced by 50% at least.

🎯 Focus: Cut Landfill Waste in Half

Actions

•  Install a compost system (bin or tumbler). A significant portion of the waste we produce is organic material. Make it your goal to never place organic material in the trash ever again.
•  Create a recycling station. This is as easy as placing several bins in a convenient location in order to separated recyclables
•  Replace paper towels with cloth. Simply switching to using a Swedish dish cloth can save as much as 17 rolls of paper towels during its lifetime. Switching to a cotton cleaning cloth can save 50 to 75 rolls of paper towels during its lifetime.
•  Start buying 3 staple foods in bulk. Make sure these are shelf stable items such as beans, rice, pasta, nuts and seeds, or basic canned goods. Than plan meals around basic staple items to save money and avoid waste.
•  Implement “Eat First” fridge bin. This will help reduce your food waste. You can go a step further and place a dry erase board on the front of your refrigerator and list the left overs to make sure they get used.

Outcome: 30–50% reduction in household trash.

🌱 Month 3: Food System Upgrade

🎯 Focus: Increase Food Resilience

What this means is to reduce your dependence on someone else for all of your food. 

Actions

•  Build 1–2 raised beds OR build a container garden
•  Plant easy crops first especially if you are new to gardening.  (greens, herbs, tomatoes)
•  Start a weekly meal planning system. This helps prevent over buying, promotes smarter shopping, improving your food storage and organization, makes certain that you use perishable items first
•  Reduce food waste by 25%. Studies prove that meal planning is one of the most effective ways to reduce your food waste.
•  Begin pantry inventory tracking. Before you go to the supermarket, shop your home pantry and fridge first. This prevents purchasing items you do not need.

Outcome: First harvest + measurable food waste reduction.

💧 Month 4: Water Efficiency

🎯 Focus: Use Water Intentionally

The average American household uses more than 300 gallons of water per day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Indoor use accounts for about 70% of this total, with the bathroom being the largest consumer—primarily due to toilets, showers, and faucets. 

•  Toilets alone use about 24% of indoor water, with older models using up to 7 gallons per flush. 
•  Showers account for 20%, with an average shower using 15.8 gallons. 
•  Faucets contribute 19%, often from activities like brushing teeth or washing dishes. 

Outdoor use, such as lawn and garden watering, makes up the remaining 30%, but can rise to 60% in arid regions

Actions

•  Install low-flow shower heads. Above all, take shorter showers. Possible over the weekends when you are not working, go a day without a shower
•  Fix all leaks in the plumbing, meaning dripping faucets.
•  Add rain barrels, which could be used for outdoor usage, meaning watering the lawn, garden, and indoor plants.
•  Transition at least 10–25% lawn to a zero scape, which means using no water at all. Use native plants that use very little if any water.
•  Install drip irrigation for garden which can save 70 to 80% over traditional sprinkler systems.

Outcome: 15–30% water reduction.

At the cabin, we use approximately 1000 gallons of water a month during the warmer time of year. That includes all water for showers, dishes, and laundry for two adults. This also includes drinking water for two adults, two dogs, and all our chickens and turkeys as well as watering the greenhouse. In the winter time we can cut that back to about 150 gallons per week.

At most we use 1000 gallons of water per month while the average household uses 9,000 gallons a month if not more. So, I know it is possible to cut back.

☀️ Month 5: Energy Efficiency Phase 1

🎯 Focus: Reduce Your Monthly Energy Demand

Actions

•  Replace all bulbs with LEDs
•  Seal air leaks with weatherstripping or caulking
•  Install smart thermostat to help regulate indoor temperatures.
•  Reduce phantom power with power strips and keep on unused electronics powered down, or at least unplugged when not in use.
•  Wash clothes cold / air dry more often, which can save 100s of dollars a year.

Outcome: 10–20% energy reduction, which is completely achievable. The average home uses about 30 kWh per day. At the cabin we use 1.5 kWh per day. I know this because I closely monitor the solar charging system.

🌳 Month 6: Biodiversity & Regeneration

🎯 Focus: Support Local Ecosystems

Actions

•  Plant pollinator garden. This type of garden is designed to attract and support pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, flies, and other insects. These gardens are essential because over 80% of flowering plants, including many food crops, rely on pollinators for reproduction. 

•  Increase compost output. Roughly 30% of what we send to the landfill could be composted.
•  Stop using synthetic pesticides. These chemicals have been linked to numerous types of cancers, birth defects, kidney and liver damage, and neurotoxicity. Additionally, they are toxic to numerous species of birds and insects and cause widespread environmental contamination.
•  Leave one area in your yard semi-wild. This helps to support local insects and wildlife.

Outcome: Your home becomes a natural organic habitat that supports the local ecosystem instead of being a toxic urban island.

🏡 Month 7: Indoor Health Reset

🎯 Focus: Reduce the Toxins in Your Home

Actions

•  Switch to low-tox cleaning supplies. There are plenty of recipes online for natural cleaning materials instead of using toxic chemicals.
•  Remove synthetic fragrances from your home because many of them contain VOC known to be carcinogens.
•  Add High Efficiency Particulate Air filter if needed
•  Replace non-stick cookware (if aging/damaged) Many of these types of cookware release toxins if over heated.
•  Improve ventilation habits

Most people do not realized that over 80K chemicals are used in consumer products in the US and less than 1% of those have been tested for potentially toxicity. One study on household dust showed evidence of 45 potentially toxic chemicals. It may not be possible to eliminate your exposure all together but it is relatively simple to at least reduce that exposure

Outcome: Cleaner air, fewer toxins, improved health baseline.

⚡ Month 8: Energy Phase 2 (Electrification Plan)

🎯 Focus: Plan Fossil Fuel Exit

Actions

•  Get quotes for heat pump for your home, which is far more efficient that traditional air conditioning.
•  Evaluate the feasibility of adding solar power to your home. The cost of solar has dropped dramatically over the last several decades. Our homestead is run entirely off of solar.
•  Replace one gas appliance if possible. This is yet another way to get away from using fossil fuels.
•  Research incentives & rebates on energy efficient home improvement.
•  Create 3-year electrification roadmap so that you can be free of fossil fuels.

Outcome: Concrete plan toward fossil-fuel independence.

🛒 Month 9: Consumption Audit

🎯 Focus: Buy Less, Buy Better

Actions

•  30-day “no non-essential purchases” challenge. This is also known as a no-buy, no-spend, low-buy challenge. It is essentially a personal commitment to stop buying things unless it is absolutely essential. The goal is to reduce unnecessary spending, build financial discipline, and foster mindful consumption.
•  Identify 5 recurring wasteful purchases
•  Shift to quality-over-quantity purchasing. If you want to take that a bit further, go back and listen to my episode on Buy It Once Buy It for Life
•  Repair 1 item instead of replacing it. This may require learning something new and you will be happier for it.
•  Start a sharing network for tools. Instead of buying something new, share tools with others.

Outcome: Reduced material footprint.

🥕 Month 10: Food Resilience Phase 2

🎯 Focus: Preserve & Buffer

Actions

•  Learn 1 food preservation skill (canning, dehydrating, freezing) My advice would be to start with something that is easy and requires minimal financial investment. Learning how to freeze food or dehydrate food is a great place to start. Home canning has a small learning curve but is far easier than most people think.
•  Create 2-week food buffer. All you have to do here is spend a few extra dollars every time you go to the supermarket. Focus on shelf stable foods such as beans, pasta, cereals canned goods, and basic staples such as flour, cornmeal, and oats. Before you know it, you will have several months of extra food.
•  Expand garden for next season and increase your home food production.
•  Reduce meat consumption 1–3 meals/week
•  Connect with local farm through a CSA organization. This is a great way to acquire local, organic produce. You will be wonderfully surprised to learn how much longer perishable food keeps in your refrigerator when they come directly from the farm.

Outcome: Increased independence from food supply chains that you cannot control and to also increase you self sufficiency and resilience in the event of an emergency.

🤝 Month 11: Community Resilience

🎯 Focus: Build Collective Strength in Your Community

Most people have the impression that we live on a mountain top in the middle of no where and we are completely isolated and independent. But the reality is that while we are somewhat isolated, we actually live in a very small community of close friends. That helps to produce a certain amount of resilience in the event that something goes wrong.

Most recently, we has a severe wind storm that blew down numerous trees, took out power lines and completely blocked our access road. Three of us got together with chainsaws for about half a day to cut and move trees. No one else, including the local utility cooperative, showed up for three days. Now that is a good example of community resilience.

Now there are a lot of different faucets to community resilience. But there are some small things you can do to get that going.

Actions

•  Join or start a local sustainability group
•  Participate in seed swap
•  Share surplus produce
•  Create tool-sharing list
•  Host small workshops or discussions on important sustainability or environmental topics.

Outcome: Resilience beyond your property line.

🔄 Month 12: Reflection & Expansion

🎯 Focus: Optimize & Scale

Actions

•  Compare what you discovered in Month 1 to where you are at now
•  Calculate estimated waste reduction
•  Estimate carbon reduction
•  Identify next major upgrade (solar, orchard, grey water usage, rainwater collection, increasing your own food production, etc.)
•  Create 3-year sustainability vision

Outcome: You now operate a high-efficiency, regenerative household.

🌍 End-of-Year Transformation

After 12 months you should have:

•  40–70% less landfill waste
•  Measurable reduction in water usage
•  Lower home energy use, which in turn saves you money and reduces your emissions
•  Onsite food production. Try to produce at least 25% of your own food.
•  Compost-based soil fertility instead of using chemicals
•  Reduced toxin exposure in your home
•  Stronger community ties which also increases your local resilience
•  Clear electrification plan

🧠 The Bigger Picture

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s about redesigning your home and your life and producing your own:

•  ✔A climate solution, which means reducing your environmental impact.
  ✔ Building your food resilience, which means personal independence and security
  ✔ Increasing local biodiversity
  ✔ Reducing your own toxin which increases your health and well-being
  ✔ Potentially becoming a community leader in sustainability