Линия заданий 17, ЕГЭ 2027 по английскому языку

Online learning

I graduated with academic honours without ever meeting my professors or attending a class in person, even though I sometimes embarked on all-nighters alongside classmates online. I was an online-only student, and as online degree programmes grow in popularity, my past three years of study were a crash-course in the unique challenges of learning online, as well as a glimpse into what the future of higher education might look like.

My school day looked very different than most: rather than loading up my backpack and heading to class, I would wake up, eat breakfast while doing my first round of schoolwork for the day, and spend a few hours finishing assignments. Then, I’d head off to work, maybe tucking in a study session during lunch before wrapping up homework or preparing for exams in the evening. Saturday and Sunday became two of my busiest school days and I became an expert at working everywhere from my desk to the car.

Some of my most vivid undergraduate memories are of completing a term paper on the floor backstage at the ballet performance I was managing, and stumbling home after a full day of work to begin school that evening. Just like traditional universities, I had papers, exams, and grades — only, there were no office hours and no such thing as sick days.

Enrolment in online learning programmes has grown over the past few years, with more than a quarter of students enrolled in at least one online course. But too many misconceptions still persist around the experience of being an online-only student — for example, that an online degree doesn’t carry the same level of prestige as a traditional one. By contrast, online learning enabled me to hone skills such as self-motivation and time management that ultimately made me a better student, and later, a more prepared young adult.

There are differences between traditional university time management, and the commitment required to study online. You attend an in-person class for a select period of time in which you are entirely focused on that subject. In an online programme, you must be able to self-motivate and manage multiple courses in the limited time that you are able to provide for yourself. Although online study may eliminate the social aspect of in-person education, it can counter that loss through the ability to increase personal productivity.

With no set class hours, an online student defines their own schedule, a significant reason why so many working students are drawn to online degree programmes. Given that about 70% of students work while attending school and that students in the USA and the UK want more flexibility than ever from their education, gone are the days of a “typical” university experience.

In terms of academic tradition, it is important to point out that distance learning is hardly new, although developments in technology are recent. The concept of higher learning through “correspondence courses” is more than 170 years old, and with the addition of modern technology and desire for increased flexibility, is an inarguable part of the future of universities.

I may not have spent afternoons sprawled out on the campus quad, but my online experience added more things to my education than it subtracted. As the world changes rapidly and the workforce evolves with it, options like online learning create fabulous opportunities for students to take charge of what their learning and life will look like. What more can we ask from education, really?

Time management

Everyone has the same number of hours in the day. As a student, it never really seems like there’s enough time to do the things you want to do, let alone the things you have to do, right? What are the best time management tips for students that can help with this?

My first tip is to set a schedule. As they used to say, “Pencil it in.” Sure, we’ve come a long way from relying on agenda books, but schedulers and agendas (digital or print) can play a huge role in how we manage time daily. You can either be really serious about scheduling by breaking your time into 15–30-minute blocks and outlining what you’ll be doing, or be a little more lenient with yourself by roughly planning your days in advance. But make sure you put in time for family, jobs, and, most importantly, leisure. If you are under pressure, ask for help from your friends and family with your other chores. You may be surprised just how happy they are to help so you can succeed.

It is important to set realistic goals. Our society tells us to aim high and “shoot for the stars, so if you fall, you land on the clouds.” But sometimes, it makes more sense to set realistic and smaller goals so that you can pass those hurdles and gain momentum to accomplish bigger goals. In my opinion, slow progress is better than no progress, and by being able to complete the small steps, you’re making collective moves to accomplish your long-term goals.

This method also works to manage time because you can’t see so far into the future. By setting up your goals day in and day out, you’re creating good habits that are within your control that accumulate over time to cause big changes. For example, if you want to run a marathon, you’re going to start training daily with just a few miles and build up from there. In that same manner, you can train your brain and mind to grow stamina for studying. If you want to learn a new language, you can do daily lessons, and over time, you’ll realise how much you’ve learnt as all the short lessons accumulate.

It may sound too simple, but it really works — wake up early. Begin by going to bed at the usual time, then wake up at 5.30 a.m. You may struggle the first morning, but make sure you get up. Go to sleep early that night, and again wake up at 5.30 a.m. the next day. After that your body clock will reset, and your new wake up time will be easy. By setting that alarm clock for the early hours of the morning, you’re setting up your day to maximize your time.

When you’re up early, you rush less, and in turn, stress less. Since the body and mind are getting up from a fresh night’s sleep, it’s the best time to get all your complex thinking tasks out of the way so that you can be productive and set the tone for your day. Waking up early has a lot of other benefits, too. For one, you’re up before most other people, so it automatically helps to eliminate distractions. It also gives you the time to exercise and get some “me time”, before all your other commitments take centre stage.

Distractions are everywhere, especially the digital kinds. There are many apps that can help lock you out of the internet if you can’t help but check your apps while trying to work or study. And if you are not ready to install another app or software, try leaving your phone in a different room and create a specific location from where you will just work. And, this isn’t just a good idea to try when you’re busy working. It’s also a nice exercise when you’re with friends and family because you can truly be present with them.

Time management is important, especially when you’re a student trying to fit loads of things into your busy life. Even learning some basic tips can do wonders. Every minute is precious, don’t waste it doing something that isn’t adding any value to your life.

Educational technology

The COVID-19 outbreak showed all of us that education online is possible. Moreover, it can be even effective if we learn to implement educational technology available today.

Educational technology is the use of tools in the classroom to develop an engaging and personalized learning experience. Beyond the use of computers, students and teachers can use interactive platforms, devices, and even analytical software to better gauge students’ progress using data in real-time. Learning has never been a one-size-fits-all endeavour, and with educational technology, teachers can better serve students’ individualized needs.

The benefits of technology in education are far-reaching and growing with each day. Let’s take a look at some of the upsides of how technology impacts education positively.

The first thing that comes to mind is 24/7 availability and accessibility. Technology like the internet and the ability to record lectures, upload learning resources to a platform, and host discussion forums make it possible to expand one’s access and availability to learn. For example, at many universities around the world students can earn their degrees entirely online through the use of an online learning system. Students used to have to be physically located inside a classroom to obtain their education. These days, online learning (by choice or by circumstance) has led to a revolution in education that makes it accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Furthermore, technology offers great metrics for tracking progress. With technological platforms, students and teachers can report and review progress based on each individual’s performance. Through the use of analytics, teachers can easily visualize how a student is progressing or being thwarted by difficulties. This can help teachers spot inefficiencies or areas that are ripe for improvement or attention.

Follow-up activities in online education are more diverse. Once a student leaves their designated class time, homework is a standard follow-up. However, when handing out paperwork, there may be missed opportunities. With education and technology, teachers can design personalized follow-up activities and grant each student the ability to learn at their own pace, even when they are outside of the classroom. For example, teachers can host a variety of options online for follow-up activities, and students, based on their level of understanding, can choose their course of action.

What the opponents of online education usually say is that you lack communication. But I think using technology actually means increased collaboration. Classroom management tools make it easier than ever for students, parents, and teachers to collaborate. For example, it’s not always easy to get students to work together in groups. But, with online portals and discussion forums, students can contribute in their own space and time to work with other students. Additionally, teachers can communicate and collaborate in an organized manner with parents for feedback and the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and/or concerns.

Lastly, just because schools or institutions use educational technology, it doesn’t mean that the need for a teacher is removed. Teachers are necessary to implement the technology properly, devise creative lesson plans, and support students’ needs, among other things.

To conclude, technology in education has led to more accessibility, lower costs, and personalized learning experiences. From education data platforms to online schools and everything in between, it’s easy to see how technology has affected education, and continues to do so with each innovation.

The dangers of microplastics

With recent research, it appears that phasing plastic out of our lives should be accelerated. About a month ago it was reported that microplastics had been found in human blood.

The finding was reported in a study co-authored by Professor Vethaak, who asked whether the particles were retained in the body or transported to certain organs. These are questions that scientific research has yet to answer, showing how limited our knowledge is about the effect of such an invasive material on our bodies and our culture.

We have learned to shake hands with this devilish commodity, holding its hand while we carry groceries, and unknowingly consuming it in the food we eat. Even worse, infants are the most vulnerable to it. Babies often play and interact with plastic items from birth. From chewing on plastic teething rings to playing with plastic tub toys, children have a lot of exposure to plastic and its additives. According to a study released in September 2021, that exposure may be a cause for concern.

We need to urge our local governments to support bills that limit our usage of single-use plastics that are very often dumped into our environments, whether by holding businesses and manufacturers accountable through taxes or by making environmentally friendly packaging more accessible.

One of these types of plastics that can be found in our blood is polyethylene, the kind used in carrier bags and food containers. This type of plastic is especially concerning because plastic bags are extremely common in our waste. Because of wind and careless littering, they have also become a plague on the natural world.

Plastic can be found in our solid and liquid waste. It can damage human cells and be found in placentas, the essential organ that babies depend on until birth. It can be deduced from this that there is a potential for cancer risks and for us to be born with these invasive plastics in us. Truly chilling.

We have an opportunity to ban these bags. The risk of future generations having embedded plastics in their diet and bodies should outweigh any argument based on convenience.

It isn’t just the potential for plastic to ruin our health that’s terrifying, but the fact that our hubris as a factory-fueled civilization has led to this point; that taking part in its norms comes with the risk of having an infamously irremovable man-made material within us.

Plastic is just as bad as lead, a material that was also once widely used, if not even worse. It was a material widely used in paint, car gas, and toys. With research, though, scientists figured out the psychological and physical tolls of lead, and now we use it far less openly. At least paint companies no longer advertise how great lead paint is to the youth.

As animals and agricultural goods get exposed to these plastics — even trace amounts of it — they permanently become a part of the ecosystem, ecosystems we feed ourselves from today. It can get in our salt, our water from leaching plastic bottles we drink from, or from pollution that even filters cannot remove completely, and even at that, it is unfortunate that some solutions remain behind a paywall.

It is important we take measures into our own hands and support the banning of plastic bags on a mass-market scale, reminding our lawmakers that short-term inconvenience is no excuse for long-term harm whose full extent has not yet been researched; one thing is certain: this manufactured material will continue to cause damage.

College stress

The first time we leave home and start preparing for adult life, college presents intense pressure to achieve high grades and shape successful careers. Students tend to push themselves to the limit both in their academic performance and in their recreational outlets. Yes, being a student can be tough. With the transition to adult life, making new friends and busy schedules for studying, college stress is commonplace for most students.

Stress is your body’s response to uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations and can surface through a range of physical, emotional, or mental symptoms. The situations that lead to stress can be either negative or positive. Yes, even a high exam score can cause stress among college students, piling on the pressure to maintain the high average!

The important thing to remember about stress is that it should only be temporary; otherwise, it can lead to burnout, or physical and emotional exhaustion. If you find yourself stressed for long periods, first of all, take some time off and do something to distract from the pressure. Here are some other tips on how to reduce it.

One of the most important lessons you can learn during college is to ask for and accept help. Whether from a friend or a professor, being surrounded by a strong support system will help ease the transition into some of the best years of your life. Admitting what you don’t know and studying with a friend could be the difference between a 60% and 80% on your next exam. Asking your professor for an extension on your next paper might give you the time you need to write that last page. Try not to put so much weight on every situation and remind yourself that college is a time for clarification and exploration and should be enjoyed.

The next vital tip is to manage your health. Eating healthy food can make a huge impact on alleviating stress and positive thinking. Make sure you avoid fast food and energy drinks as the fix will be temporary and will cause you to crash. Instead, eat lots of stress busting food. Green leafy vegetables like spinach contain folate that produces dopamine, a pleasure inducing brain chemical that will help you feel calm. Protein foods like eggs and meat help produce serotonin that regulates hunger and feelings of happiness and well-being. Omega 3 foods such as salmon have anti-inflammatory properties that help counteract the negative effects of stress hormones.

Other foods such as blueberries, seeds, dark chocolate, avocado, nuts, yoghurt and oatmeal also help counter stress.

Many daily strategies also can help you keep stress at bay. Try relaxation activities, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises and muscle relaxation. Programs are available online, in smartphone apps, and at many gyms and community centers.

Stay positive and practice gratitude, acknowledging the good parts of your day or life. Accept that you can’t control everything. Find ways to let go of worry about situations you cannot change. Learn to say “no” to additional responsibilities when you are too busy or stressed.

Finally, stay connected with people who keep you calm, make you happy, provide emotional support and help you with practical things. A friend, family member or neighbour can become a good listener or share responsibilities so that stress doesn’t become overwhelming.

Yes, college can be a scary and overwhelming time in a person’s life, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. Stress that college students feel can often affect their academic achievements as well as their personal life. However, everything is manageable if you tackle it wisely.

Seeing the big picture

In my very first experiences of interning or doing part-time work, I was usually placed at the very bottom of the food chain. One summer I was an administrative assistant, and now I hold a part-time job as an accounts receivable clerk. Because I usually started with little experience, I had to be trained and mentored by the employees there. Most of the time, I get paired with an employee who introduces me to their daily tasks. After a few times experiencing this, and having the position of an outsider who is given a glimpse of the inner workings of a company, I’ve started to notice something that companies have in common. Most of us are missing the big picture.

As an employee starting a career in a specific company, in a non-decision-making position, we are often given a set of instructions for our daily tasks. These are the things that need to be done (by us) in order for the organisation to run well. It could be creating clippings of real estate advertisements from the newspaper. It might be processing a payment by following a detailed set of instructions. It could be very tedious stuff that might lead you to start to think: “Why am I doing this?”

I completely understand that sometimes there just isn’t enough time or resources to explain everything to everyone in the team. But here is why I think understanding the big picture is great for everyone in the organisation.

First and foremost, not understanding the significance of what you are doing kills motivation. When you are stuck repeatedly doing the same things, for weeks and months... no matter how good of an employee you are, you will get bored. Especially if you don’t understand the contributions that you are making as you work. When you lose motivation, then the quality of your work will automatically decrease. This is bad not just for you, but for the entire company as well — because now you are inefficient.

On the other hand, if you understand the reasoning behind your tasks, why it has to be done, you will feel that you are important to your organisation — that you belong, and that what you do matters. Most of the time, the quality of your work improves if you are motivated.

For example, every day I have to input the page numbers for the ads in our school paper. It’s tedious work. At first, I didn’t know why I was doing it, and I was getting frustrated with having to do it every day. After a while, however, I realised that this was important because it was the only way for us to make sure that the ads were there, and that we can always use the page number that we’ve inputted to track an advertisement from weeks or months ago, when needed (e.g. when a client requests to see a screenshot of the ad as proof.) After realising this, I started to take this daily task more seriously. Well, I didn’t become super passionate about it either, but I see the importance.

I feel like entrusting this knowledge to interns, admin-level employees, the newbies in a club, or other similar positions, is beneficial for both the organisation and the individual. By doing this, you are educating them about the bigger things going on at work, and also reminding them that their efforts matter. You are encouraging them to become problem solvers, and to look at things the way you would look at things.

I’ve seen a lot of people complain every day saying things like, “I don’t understand why they can’t just do it properly! It’s not that hard!” If that’s the case, maybe take a step back. You might know how to do it perfectly because you know the big picture. Maybe, they don’t know how to do the tasks properly because they’re only seeing a small part of the picture, and that’s not enough.

Why I write my journal

Before I started writing my bullet journal, I kept asking: “Is it a to-do list, a planner, or a diary?” This was my main question, and I was very annoyed when they told me it was all of these things. But it is all of these things!

I like bullet journaling because it’s a great way to track my day-to-day activities, as well as my long-term goals. Planners and to-do lists typically only focus on what you’re doing in the future, and diaries typically focus on what you did that day. But all of these things give us a complete picture of who we are. Before I started bullet journaling, the idea of keeping my diary, my personal to-do list, and my work tasks in the same place seemed absurd. But now I understand both how to organise that, and also why it makes sense.

I’m amazed at how many things I left out of my old diaries — I basically just wrote about boys I had crushes on and nothing else. I didn’t write nearly enough about my friends, cool things I was reading, or simply what my daily routine was like. Bullet journaling helps you record all of the things that are going on in your life, and makes it easy to keep track of the things you want to do in the future.

It also gives me a space to literally record anything else that doesn’t fall into any of these categories — I have used my journals to take notes in class when I forgot my subject notebook, in meetings, in info sessions. I’ve used it to plan essays and presentations. I even used it as an art journal, where I would draw or just stick random things onto the pages.

However, many might think that journaling is too time-consuming. “How do you keep up with it?” — this is the question that I get every time I show someone my journals. Yes, it can be time-consuming — if you make it to be. Like the general consensus, I realised quickly that setting up the planner layout at the beginning of every month was too time-consuming, and resorted to using the journal to record all of my random thoughts and ideas before they float away into nothingness. I used it as a combination of a diary, planner, and to-do-lists — where I could write whatever’s on my mind and whatever’s necessary. Pay attention to the key word: necessary. Don’t feel pressured to keep up with a structure and to set aside a time to journal when you don’t actually have the time. The journal is yours and it’s meant to help you!

The only reason why I’ve kept up with it for so long is that I’ve forgotten how to function as well as I do now without one. I honestly need it to sort out all the projects I’m involved in, and to keep myself sane. It’s a productivity tool as well as therapy. But I don’t always “keep up” with my journal. If I’ve set aside a page to track my spending, and suddenly I don’t feel like that’s useful anymore, I’ll just abandon it. It’s your journal, your rules.

Personally, I write literally everything. I’ve shamelessly recommended journaling to many people over the past year and many people have told me that they are too scared to write. Some mention that they don’t know how to make their pages look pretty. I always say the same thing: it really doesn’t need to be pretty for it to be useful. I try to make mine nice to look at because I wanted to be creative with it. It was one of my goals when I started a journal. But if you aren’t into aesthetics, feel free to use a pen and a blank journal.

You also don’t have to write that much. Why force yourself to write pages and pages if you have nothing to say? Just write down things that you find interesting, and things that you need to write down — like... a grocery list, or, the homework problems given in class. And if you make a mistake, just turn over to a new page and start over. After all, that’s the beauty of a blank journal.

What I learned from student clubs

At the end of last semester, I was elected president of the Asian Studies Club at my university. It’s a pretty cool deal — the school gives us a lot of support to host fun events, like foreign movie nights, happy hours, and special receptions. We also sponsor speakers to give special talks on Asia-related topics.

It goes without saying that becoming a leader or an officer in a student club will help you develop leadership skills that will be invaluable in all areas of life. Being in different roles, I realised that it requires a combination of leadership, advocacy, and community. And I also learned that managing people is not easy... especially students.

This lesson is probably pretty obvious, but it’s something that I didn’t fully understand until I experienced it myself. Taking on leadership positions is one of the most intimidating things I’ve ever done. However, it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences, because I learned a lot about the nuances of managing teams, people, and expectations.

First of all, when adopting a leadership role, I struggle to find the right balance between being “one of the team” and being taken seriously. I always avoid becoming an overly authoritative figure and I try to become super friendly to the people I work with. As a result, people stop taking my deadlines and requests seriously. I used to be scared of imposing real consequences, and I thought I could get things done just by being best friends with my team. I learned the hard way that this does not always work — it is important to set expectations on the very first day of a project and to have tough conversations once in a while.

Additionally, I cannot emphasise how much I came to value the importance of communication. I realised that I am usually the most frustrated when I’m working on projects where communication is lacking. This is when people don’t respond to group messages (or when they do, it’s very minimal), don’t share their concerns or challenges, don’t participate in discussions, or are generally just disengaged.

This happens a lot in student clubs (or even class projects). One of the unique challenges of working with students is that they have tons of other things going on, and it’s hard to know if the thing you’re working together on is even in their priority list. If you’ve ever worked in student groups, you are probably familiar with people saying something similar to this: “Oh, I’m so sorry. I had a midterm and another homework assignment going on, so I couldn’t finish it. Can I do it by next week?”

I realised that I actually don’t mind it when my team moves things around to fit their schedule, but this requires communication. I’ve come to appreciate when people inform me that they have other things that they have to prioritise, and then work out alternatives together with me. This experience made me very conscious of my own communication skills when I have to work with others. I try to keep myself accountable and be on top of communicating my priorities, expectations, and especially challenges to my managers and teammates.

Overall, leading student clubs taught me the importance of setting expectations and communication (and that students are probably the hardest group of people to manage). Nevertheless, I enjoyed identifying people’s strengths to build an executive board of students who are truly passionate about change and community. Serving as a leader of a student club presents a visible platform for me to help people bring their best selves to the table and think outside of their comfort zone, as college is a time to discover who you are and what intrigues you.

Should students join clubs on campus?

Student clubs are an important part of the social and emotional development of young adults. Engagement in student organisations and activities can further develop self-awareness, self-management, and foster empathetic connections with others.

I recognize a few downsides to the number of student organisations on my campus, especially in how resume-building opportunities appear to drive these numbers more often than a personal desire to help your community. But that doesn’t outweigh the positive impact such memberships can have on social and emotional development for college students and on boosting their soft skills. Soft skills are “people skills” that allow us to effectively interact with others, like communication and work ethic.

Campus clubs are spaces where students are encouraged to be themselves, make potential mistakes, miss deadlines, and use their experiences to grow in a supportive environment. Joining a student organisation presents many opportunities to learn more about yourself, your goals and your strengths. You can learn from how others handle certain situations and test your current knowledge. You can also find out what you’re good at, whether that’s multitasking, staying organised, generating ideas, or serving others. This self-awareness will be beneficial in your future career.

Some of my peers have mentioned the issue of over-committing when they’re pressured to be involved. When classroom work increases and time feels like it’s running out, it may feel like there is no other option than to drop a commitment or two. In my experience, many student clubs welcome conversations about needing some time. In spaces run by others who may be struggling with work-life balance, I have never had a club tell me that stepping back isn’t an option or that there won’t be space for me when I feel ready to return. From sports and wellness focused organisations to cultural, or creative groups, there is space for everyone in a student club on my campus if students choose to seek out those opportunities.

On the other hand, student clubs don’t really foster a community. They divide the student base. While student clubs can bring a sense of community to students, oftentimes this creates a problem for students with social anxiety to feel that they can fit in. When there are a lot of different student groups, it can become overwhelming to attempt to fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Many student clubs also require funding in some part from students, or at least investment from students to fully participate in their group, which becomes a factor that may leave those who join the clubs left out.

Some student clubs promote themselves as good job experience for the real world. But resources to help students succeed in life should be available to students from the outside. Additionally, student clubs require a time investment to reach these opportunities. This allows for the attitude of earning one’s way to an advantageous position in society when it all comes down to knowing the right person. Thus, the problem of alienation goes beyond how many people someone can know around campus. Shouldn’t success be valued on the effort someone makes, and not on the luck of knowing the name of a different person of repute?

If you want to assist the community, seek ways to increase the benefit toward those outside of your set social circle to see how many people the campus community really has that can benefit from your resources — both formal and informal. Student clubs are a great way to contribute, but only if they create an inclusive environment.

Slow down climate change

Rising sea levels. Raging storms. Searing heat. Ferocious fires. Severe drought. Punishing floods. The effects of climate change are already threatening our health, our communities, our economy, and our children’s future.

What can you do? A whole lot, as it turns out. Americans, on average, produce 21 tons of carbon a year, about four times the global average. Personal action is, of course, no substitute for meaningful government policies. We still must limit carbon pollution and move away from dirty fossil fuels and toward cleaner power.

But it’s important to remember the equally vital contributions that can be made by private citizens — which is to say, by you. “Change only happens when individuals take action,” says clean energy advocate Emily Dain. “There’s no other way, if it doesn’t start with people.” Here are some easy, effective ways each one of us can make a difference.

First, weatherize. Building heating and cooling are among the biggest uses of energy. Indeed, heating and air-conditioning account for almost half of home energy use. You can make your space more energy efficient by sealing drafts and ensuring it’s adequately insulated. In the USA it is possible to claim federal tax credits for many energy efficiency home improvements.

Next, invest in energy-efficient appliances. Since they were first implemented in 1987, efficiency standards for dozens of appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air. That’s about the same amount as the annual carbon pollution coughed up by nearly 440 million cars. Energy efficiency is the lowest-cost way to reduce emissions. When shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, and other appliances, look for the Energy Eco label. It will tell you which of them are the most efficient.

And when you’re ready to swap out your old machines, don’t just put them on the curb. Recycling an old refrigerator through a special appliance disposal program can prevent an additional 10,000 pounds of carbon pollution because the global-warming pollutants in the refrigerants and foam would be properly captured, rather than vented to the air.

Reduce water waste. Saving water reduces carbon pollution, too. That’s because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat your water. So take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and switch to water-efficient appliances. It is estimated that if just one out of every 100 homes were equipped with water-efficient fixtures, about 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year would be saved.

As for other spheres, eat the food you buy — and compost what you can’t. Approximately 10 percent of energy use goes into growing, processing, packaging, and shipping food — about 40 percent of which winds up in a landfill. If you’re wasting less food, you’re likely cutting down on energy consumption. As for the scraps you can’t eat or the leftovers you don’t get to, collect them in a compost bin instead of sending them to a landfill where they release methane. Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits, including improving soil health, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts.

We need to make urgent changes to address the climate crisis — from adapting to the damage we can no longer avoid to preventing the worst-of-the-worst from happening. And while the urgency surrounding climate action should inspire us all into action — so should the progress we’re already making.