You know that feeling when you have a job in front of you that’s so big you don’t know where to start? That’s what gave rise to the first Task of the Month program: people saying they wanted to reduce their home energy use, but there is so much information out there it’s hard to know what’s most important to tackle first.
Since then, people have asked “Why isn’t ___ (insert almost any unsustainable lifestyle habit) included in the program?” The most common answer — that this is a program for reducing home energy use, and the issue you’re talking about is transportation/consumption/waste/etc. — didn’t seem satisfying.
Because of this, and because home energy use is actually only one part of our sustainability problem, we’re now developing more programs to tackle more of the issues.
Click each topic below for more information, or go straight to the programs themselves.
What is a Task of the Month program?
How to use the Task of the Month programs
You can start a ToM program any time and work through each month’s task on your own. To make it more fun, get a group to do it along with you: your neighborhood, workplace, school, congregation, playgroup, or any other group. Challenge each other, create a friendly competition, support each other with reminders or assistance, and celebrate your collective accomplishments! You can take on as many programs as you can keep up with. All we ask is that you report your achievements (see The Bucket) — and, if you’re able, support our work with a donation so that we can continue bringing these resources to you.
The Programs
Task of the Month Program for Reducing Household Energy Use. This program will help you save money on your utility bills, by implementing conservation and efficiency practices. The main tasks are listed below, but alternate tasks are included in the program in case you have already completed some of these or, for whatever reason, are unable to do so.
Task of the Month for Reducing Plastic Use. This program will help you move toward eliminating single-use plastic from your life.
Task of the Month for Eating Lower on the Food Chain. This program will help you transition to a more plant-based diet.