The more I read, listen and learn, the more I come to appreciate that the most critical component of reducing our impact on the planet is "less is better". Less buying and consumption of everything reduces carbon output. Eating less meat, but even just eating lower total calories from all sources, requires less energy for production. Buying less stuff, holding onto things for longer (like not upgrading to the latest phone every year), driving fewer miles (regardless of whether in an electric car or gas powered car) all help reduce our impact. For sure sustainable choices are better than unsustainable ones, but the real opportunity is to look at every choice and keep working on ways to reduce our impact. This exercise was a good learning experience and reminder of how challenging this really is to reduce our impact on the planet. To quote Yvonne Chouinard (founder of Patagonia and pioneer in sustainability), "To live the examined life is a pain in the butt!"

I didn't even know there was such a thing as wave and tidal energy, but if you think about it, yes! It makes sense to harness the power of water. Unlike other power sources, wave and tidal energy is very predictable. However, there are also concerns about disturbing sea life and the initial costs. Still a very fascinating topic to study further.

I think e-bike would be great for short trips. I don't mind walking, but sometimes you need to get to a place a little faster. I am not sure I am ready to be a bike commuter though, going on a street with a lot of cars and multiple lanes is outside of my comfort zone.

I stumbled across a documentary on Netflix which was so captivating on this topic. Gather talked about many different tribes and how they are going back to traditions and teaching food sovereignty. Not only is this helping them make connections back to their ancestors, but it is also helping them pass that information on to others and future generations. Looking at Salmon, bison, root vegetables and plants, foraging and fishing. Just a great documentary!

Glass reusable throughout now.

We have already replaced all the lights in our home and have a high efficiency furnace and instant water heater. Our next step is to consider smart thermostat.

• Northern Pikeminnow: DO NOT EAT.
• Largemouth and smallmouth bass: Limit to 2 meals per month.

We can all lead by example such as continue to be energy conscious consumers, carpool and take public transportation whenever possible.

During this past week we carpooled to loan signing. We typically carpool to various events which is not only beneficial for the environment but also helps to foster good conversations with co-workers.