Standby means that your computer, television or mobile phone is not completely switched off, but is merely “asleep” or still has a light on, and the devices can be easily switched on again with the remote control. Standby power consumption is often criticised and extrapolated. If a television consumes 5 watts in standby mode, for example, that amounts to 120 watt hours (Wh) per day, or approximately one-eighth of a kilowatt hour, which costs about 35 pence. Hardly anyone is going to get up from the sofa for 5 pence a day to press the switch on the television, or switch off the WiFi router at night, or shut down the computer. Or are they? And how many watt hours could be saved every day in all households? Would this consideration influence your actions?

Do you leave the lights on when you are no longer in the room? Modern lamps consume little electricity, but it is still worth not leaving them on unnecessarily, for example when we are not in the room for a long time.

This may only be relevant once you start earning your own money. Offsetting greenhouse gas emissions is highly controversial. Someone flies (CO2 in the upper atmosphere), drives a car (CO2) or hosts a barbecue (methane from burping and farting cows) and donates an amount for the associated greenhouse gas emissions to a service provider that promises greenhouse gas reduction/sequestration projects (e.g. through reforestation). Unfortunately, many providers prove to be bogus because they do not achieve the promised effect. Therefore, only reputable providers should be supported. Furthermore, offsetting should not be misunderstood as a free pass. It is therefore important to avoid emissions as far as possible and only offset the remainder (see also the section on donations). Children and young people usually have little money at their disposal. If money is not an issue or if you decide that your trips, school parties, etc. should be compensated, you can of course be very proud of yourselves for taking on more responsibility – for a better world.

Do you have a large (0), medium (1), small (2) or no (3) room of your own? The space we need to live in means the area that is sealed, the building materials that are required and the space that needs to be heated – and all this against the backdrop of social justice. When more people live in a household, they share rooms such as the kitchen, living room or bathroom. In fact, the per capita area is increasing continuously because more older people are living alone and longer in large houses and because there are more single households. Not everyone can renovate or move out, but those who take these steps can be proud of reducing their living space. Very few children and young people can now decide how big their rooms are. But those who have a small room or share it with siblings can be proud of it and collect the points.

Long, hot showers mean water and energy consumption and ultimately high costs. The further effects are even more impressive when considered in context – did you know that long showers can be responsible for refugees and the quality of life in Germany?http://www.imodeler.info/ro?key=Ceju1XNHCFZBJc2MpbAOl5Q

Let's be honest – do you walk around your flat in a T-shirt in winter too? Most living rooms and bedrooms are too warm in winter – we walk around in T-shirts instead of putting on thick slippers and jumpers. The potential energy savings here are considerable.

Parents usually do the shopping, but perhaps you can have a say in the matter or your parents will listen to you. Or you could buy something just for yourselves that may have been transported unnecessarily long distances. Food from the region, from the weekly market and from farm shops has not been transported far (there are exceptions, of course) and strengthens the local economy. However, there are also inefficient short transport routes when vehicles with small loads drive to the points of sale. E-mobility and cargo bikes can help here. Unfortunately, regional products are often played off against organic products: regional, sprayed food is not as good as regional organic food, and regional meat is not as good for the environment as not eating meat at all.

Organic is extremely important for biodiversity. We have the greatest species extinction since the extinction of the dinosaurs and the consequences are greater than those of climate change. Pesticides and mineral fertilizers endanger our future. In addition, soils from organic farming usually store more carbon and thus help against the climate catastrophe. The counter-argument is often that the yields in organic farming are lower than in industrial agriculture and therefore more forests have to be cut down. This is true, for example, with cereals that are not unrestrictedly healthy. But if we eat less meat, waste less food and eat more healthy legumes, we have plenty of additional space available and can feed the entire world organically and even plant a little more forest. Organic is more expensive. But on the one hand, many costs can be saved by less meat and on the other hand, it can be bought and cooked intelligently …. of course, it is also to be questioned whether there must be such a low livelihood at all - environmental policy is also social policy.

Fortunately, tap water has long been a trend. Schools have drinking fountains and pupils bring their own water bottles, and managers also bring their water bottles to workshops. Many children are not even accustomed to unhealthy sugary drinks. Tap water is more strictly controlled than bottled drinks and saves a lot of energy and packaging. Even in motorhomes or boats, or in places where the water smells of chlorine, we can save a lot of money, energy and packaging by using good filters that are changed regularly.

Do you sometimes throw food away? Or do your parents throw away food that you didn't eat in time? Food is wasted from the field to the factory and transport routes to the point where we, restaurants and supermarkets throw it away. Ultimately, this means that more land is needed for cultivation, which leads to deforestation and endangers biodiversity with pesticides and fertilisers. We can shop more selectively, avoid throwing away goods just because of their best-before date, save food in the household (e.g. freezing bananas or making long-life spreads and soups from leftover vegetables), saving specifically rescued food (e.g. goods that are too small or shriveled) and, in many places, donating leftover food, e.g. to food banks.

Not having your own car, although there would be a driver's license, means not only saving money, but also raw materials, parking space and a lot of energy. In addition to flexibility and necessity in rural areas, car ownership means above all status, distinction and attribution (the infamous "phallus substitute with roaring sound). Alternatives are the bicycle, public transport and car sharing. For young people, the renunciation also means solidarity with those who cannot afford mopeds - as difficult as it is. Most households have never calculated the actual costs of their car ownership - from the purchase to taxes and insurance to energy and wear https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/05/one-less-car-how-this-country-is-encouraging-green-mobility/

Local public transport and also long-distance transport by train and bus (in the case of bus, the road infrastructure is still required) means considerably less energy and resource requirements than individual transport with cars or motorcycles. Long-distance buses only perform so well because they are limited to well-used routes, while the train also runs at unfavorable times and has to connect remote places, which then leads to less than half-full trains.

Parent taxis is the name for parents who drive their children to school and to numerous other events by car. There are generally alternatives to school, not always to other activities (sports club, music school, ....). In front of the schools, these parent taxis are a real danger for the other children and annoying for the school buses. It is simply ruthless towards the other students. Parents should at least organize carpools for leisure events.

No question - leaving the car and taking the bike is a proud feeling and healthy. If you don't want to exhaust yourself (for example, on the way to work), you can consider an e-bike. If you have a lot to transport, a cargo bike. Often we can also share a cargo bike with others. And if you shy away from bad weather, you will find great cycling clothing today, which completely refutes the argument.

Consistently separating waste, including green waste, glass and paper, is not as self-evident as can be assumed. Many make little effort here and don't really know what belongs in which bin. But also special waste, such as batteries, incandescent lamps, electrical appliances, etc. must be disposed of properly.

Non-recycled paper is often cheaper, but means cutting of forests, contamination of water during production and a high energy requirement. Recycled paper for toilet paper, writing paper, packaging, envelopes, wrapping paper, etc. should be a matter of course today. But we have to pay attention to it and choose it. Recycled paper is also snow-white, but it should then not be bleached with chlorine but oxygen.

Canned drinks are truly awful! After buying unpackaged goods and drinking tap water, the best thing we can do is to buy our food in reusable containers. (Incidentally, there are also reusable shipping boxes for office supplies, as well as some regional delivery services). It is also important to ask whether the containers are transported empty throughout Germany, or whether North German beer is poured into empty Bavarian beer bottles and vice versa. The next question is how much energy it costs to clean the containers. Composite packaging or easily recyclable cans are the better alternative in some studies. In such studies, it is important to look closely at what is being compared. Ultimately, the aim is to close regional cycles. The next question is whether the containers should be made of glass or plastic – glass is recycled more often, while plastic is lighter and requires less energy to transport.

A lot of things are actually thrown away, even though others could still use them. It is more convenient for us not to repair them than to have a stall at the flea market or to have to send them off for little money. But the good feeling of doing the right thing is motivating.

Do we harm the regional organic farmers if we now plant something in the garden ourselves? No, because hardly anyone will be able to take care of themselves. Rather, the main problem is the use of land. English lawns, ornamental plants, weed destruction, etc. harm the soil and biodiversity. Instead, nature-friendly crops are needed. It's a great feeling to grow something yourself, be it the smoothie grass on the windowsill or the tomatoes on the balcony. If you have little time for the garden, you should deal with permaculture and perennial plants.

There are basically three types of banks – low-cost online banks with great terms and conditions, local savings banks and cooperative banks or branches of major banks, and a few genuine eco-banks (GLS Bank, Triodos, etc.). The savings interest rates offered by eco-banks are quite decent, while the short-term interest rates and fees are less attractive. On the other hand, they do not finance all kinds of things without regard for ethical and ecological standards. Even local banks focus on maximum returns here. Green finance already plays a huge role globally. Investors pay attention to ethical standards and thus exert pressure on industry to adhere to standards or even become pioneers. Your first account as a young person is usually with a local bank. But these banks will only improve their offerings if more and more people choose genuine eco-banks.

Chocolate, tea, T-shirts... young people can be fair too. When we think of fair trade, we usually think of the label of the same name – which is no longer discredited. But there are other labels too – some are more about greenwashing, but others are genuinely trying to do better. Fair does not always mean organic, and organic does not always mean fair (although some labels combine both). The significance is immense: fair working conditions around the world mean less migration, more climate protection and a more peaceful world. The background to chocolate and the connection between child slavery (!) and popular products from Nutella to Kinder Chocolate to Mars bars is extremely remarkable: https://www.aktiv-gegen-kinderarbeit.de/2020/07/fuer-unsere-schokolade-werden-kinder-in-westafrika-entfuehrt/

Much of what we afford, we afford because others do too. What we then have and do goes far beyond what we need to be happy. Therefore, every euro donated on our site is first and foremost a sacrifice in consumption. Whether the donated money simply leads to consumption elsewhere is open to question. What does the youth fire brigade do with the donations, what does Greenpeace do, what does Plan Germany do, what do the Reef Reporters do, etc.? A useful perspective here is to look at so-called sources and sinks. The crate of beer is gone, a sink. But if it leads to more people wanting to get involved in the youth fire brigade, it is a source of more good. However, many donations are also questionable – for example, when it comes to the scandals behind clothing donations or when some organisations spend most of their money on administration. With a little research and by paying attention to donation seals, we can find great opportunities. It is also popular not to give your own family gifts in kind, but rather specific donations such as hygiene items or goats in developing countries. Plan Germany, among others, offers this. When your own children are proud that they are not getting more stuff, but can tell their friends what good they have done in the world with their Christmas present, then we are already in a better world. The benchmark for willingness to donate can be your own wealth, which the linked online calculator calculates. If you have more than those around you, you should definitely consider donating more. Children and young people should not donate their limited funds, unless they themselves feel they have enough. One option is to give meaningful gifts, as is possible with Plan: https://www.plan.de/spenden/sinnvoll-schenken.html Putting something like this on your wish list instead of more toys you don't really need will impress your grandmother and parents. But this really only applies to those who have a lot!

Do you ever wear very old or second-hand clothes – perhaps from your older siblings? Many people enjoy the variety that new clothes bring, or simply grow out of their clothes quickly. Those who only wear clothes for a short time should try second-hand clothes and at least sell the clothes they no longer wear or donate them to a charity shop. Others wear few clothes without any desire for variety until they fall apart. Of course, this works best with higher-quality clothes.

Even large, conventional clothing stores sometimes take back old clothes and promise to produce new yarns from them. Often the problem is the quality of short-lived clothing, which is then difficult to recycle and yet ends up in the waste incineration plant or on the dump in developing countries. With the points for clothing, if you do not buy conventional cotton, but choose sometimes recycled and sometimes organic cotton, you can give yourself a full 3 points for both.

Vegan shoes and belts are no longer distinguishable from their leather variants. And who pays attention to the fact that the tanning processes do not allow heavy metals to enter the environment or that the leather is certified accordingly? We should be careful with some plastics, such as PVC with plasticizers, which are also not good for the environment.

Organic cleaning products can be found in all supermarkets and chemists. Their key features are their biodegradability and, of course, their plant-based raw materials as an alternative to petroleum-based raw materials. Even though conventional cleaning products are classified as harmless, organic cleaning products are certainly safer.

It is amazing what we can make with citric acid and household vinegar on our own cleaners.

Many furniture cannot stand being moved or even disassembled and reassembled. They are primarily cheap and the business model is that after a few years we want to buy new furniture. Looking at how valuable the furniture is and then being able to repair it takes us a whole lot further on the way to a better world. It is also amazing what good pieces there are on the used market.

Do you use old devices? Green IT starts with devices and extends to power consumption, from streaming to the use of IT to increase efficiency. When it comes to devices, the focus is on using used or refurbished devices, repairable devices, recycling materials and minimising the use of questionable raw materials.

Many devices from vacuum cleaners to cordless screwdrivers to TVs are amazingly inexpensive today. Relying on valuable devices that last a long time, or even buying used devices, helps to save raw materials and energy. Look for refurbished products.

Precisely because devices are so inexpensive, we tend to buy all kinds of devices ourselves and not borrow them, whether from the neighbors or from the tool rental company. The large DIY stores now all offer a rental service.

Unfortunately, many devices can no longer be repaired at all, for example if the control unit breaks down from the washing machine and costs more than a new washing machine. And yet there are workshops that also repair mobile phones, washing machines, lawn mowers, etc. - and even if it is as expensive as a new device, it is the good feeling of having done something for a better world again.