I lowered my carbon footprint and I waste very little. What about you?

Not only do many of these things save our planet, they also save big-time in your wallet.

What is more important: to live in a race for the greatest level of wealth and fun and then die early on a ruined planet or to live soberly and satisfied and healthily for a long time?

I’m not saying that I’m a saint — I’m not. But setting a personal example should go a long way — especially if it comes from you. If we were stupid enough to ruin life on earth together, we should be smart enough too to restore a healthy earth together.

I don’t do drugs, including coffee. Do you know that a good talk or cry can set you free more than anything? Do we really need to pollute our blood and waste our health in order to numb or pacify our every dissatisfaction? Time is so valuable. Are you being generous but without over-extending yourself? How can we protect out-there when we can’t stand up for in-here?

I’m a vegan. I eat no animal produce. Could you really not lower your consumption of non-agricultural foods? It’s probably the most you can do to save the environment. If you must have a pat, can’t it be small and a herbivore?

I hardly eat refined foods. Do you really need to stuff yourself with white flour, white rice, white pasta, white sugar and white/red meat, that need salting, seasoning and spicing because they taste like nothing of their own and must be eaten in bulk since in small portions they can’t satisfy?

I don’t fly. Are you sure you need as many plane flights as you take? There is nothing worthwhile to see closer to home? Can’t you meet virtually? There is very little that pollutes as much as planes.

I don’t have a car. Do you really need one? Couldn’t you settle for public transportation, and an occasional taxi ride when you really need to?

I don’t travel every day. Do you really need to live so far from your workplace? What’s wrong with walking your shoes or pedaling a bike? Do you need to do your shopping so often and so far away? Do you really need to eat imported foods and put imported flowers on the table? (Plastic ones last much longer need far less water.)

I’m frugal. Are you? In winter, do you put on extra clothes at home, heat only one room, have insulation (the windows!)? Do you stop taps from dripping and toilets from running? Their small wastes add up big-time.

I use little water. Don’t you have a save button for flushing your toilet? Do you really need a garden that needs water? Can’t you water it with your shower water? Do you really need more than 15 liters of water to shower?

All my lights are low-energy light bulbs. They are more expensive but last much longer and hardly use electricity. Are your appliances low-energy? Do you really need such a giant TV — don’t you have anything useful to do after work, like improving the world and seeing friends?

I have no air conditioners. Do you need to shiver in summer and sweat in winter for your prestige? A smile can give you a good name too.

I’m frugal. Do you really need to replace clothes, furniture, electronics, everything you own every half year? Is it really so important to look fashionable, follow trends and show off your wealth? Why replace it if it’s good? Heard of repair? Why not buy more second-hand stuff? Why buy cheap stuff that needs to be replaced soon?

Do you try not to waste food? Do you recycle, buy second-hand and reduce and separate waste? Do you compost?

I collect. Is it really so important to hold on to everything? Have less, live smaller and you waste much less.

I don’t use tissue. Do you really need six sheets of paper to blow your nose or wipe your hands once? Heard of handkerchiefs and towels?

I’m a long-term pacifist. Do you still scream at other people? At your kids? Do you support the military, also when it’s aggressive and not protecting anyone, or tries to show off weapons to promote their sale? War is so destructive.

I like to learn Torah. Must your hobby be car racing or parachute jumping or anything else that cost our environment dearly? Don’t buy books — live close to an excellent library. (I have a book collection of my own, I know.)

The issue is not to do all of the above; just: the more the better.

Jews may be the world’s survival experts but we did not copyright it!