This one might have you wrinkling your noses. I know I'm showerishly selfish, and wouldn't want to share that space with someone else. But depending on your bathroom situation, doubling up on a shower or bath could be an efficient use of resources. Your shower buddy could be a relative, a friend, a partner, or even a pet. Mind you, if you use this time to engage in non-cleanliness-related activities, the energy savings will be lost.
Effort involved: no additional effort, just packing in an additional body.
This is an easy one. Whether it's a case of plastic forks, paper towels, light wood chopsticks or [insert scientifically plausible material] batteries, using reusable versions instead is cheaper and more environmentally sensible. They're also just as easy to find. Depending on what you choose, you may want to do a bit of research on this one. For instance, you may or may not find menstrual cups a satisfying substitute for tampons and maxi pads. Apologies if that mental image itself is not very satisfying.
Effort involved: the only difference is saving and washing, rather than discarding and re-buying. One advantage is that you get to invest in something real purty.
Image from: http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/home-gifts-master-crane-chopsticks.html
www.wikipedia.org is arguably the single most useful and interesting website that will ever exist. (That "arguably" keeps this statement from seeming too overblown, although in this case I think it's a horn worth loudly blowing...or something.) Whether you already contribute to the site or not, there are plenty of ways to support it:
1) You could become a contributor. All you have to do is create an account, read one of the site's handy guides and begin adding content.
2) If you already write for the site, you could encourage others to do so as well. This democratization of knowledge thing tends to work better as more and more people get involved.
3) If you're not interesting in adding content, you could review existing content for accuracy. This is just as important for keeping the site reliable.
4) You could make a donation. This would help keep Wikipedia advertising-free.
5) Or...?
Effort involved: opening your wallet, typing some lines, doing some research, yadda yadda.
Image from: http://fayinc.wordpress.com/category/w/
www.globalgirlfriend.com is a pretty smiley business all around. First, its products are fairly traded and environmentally responsible. Second, they're also pretty reasonably priced. Third, 5-30% of each purchase goes toward Camfed's micro-grant program, which gives women in sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to start their own businesses. Fourth (well, this one is dubious), a package labeled 'Global Girlfriend' arriving on your doorstep will make everyone think you've sent away for a very tiny mail-order bride. Well, three out of four ain't bad.
Effort involved: looking at pretty things, buying pretty things, enjoying pretty things. An easy three-step process.
Image from: http://listverse.com/2010/02/17/top-10-facts-about-mail-order-brides/
The UN Environment Programme has developed Green Passports - travel guides focused on social, economic and environmental sustainability - for Brazil and Ecuador. You'll need to speak Portuguese/Spanish to benefit from these, but there's also a general guide for everyone who's not traveling to these countries and/or doesn't speak these languages. This is full of mostly common-sense tips to ensure that your impact on the areas you visit is as beneficial as possible. We've all seen the clueless entitled tourists staggering around obliviously and destructively, plonking all their money into foreign-owned businesses that do little to benefit the local economy, right? And we've all thought "Gee, I don't want to be that guy" or "Gosh darn it, I should stop being that guy," no? Well, even if you answered no to both questions, http://www.unep.org/greenpassport/ is worth checking out.
Effort involved: the reading is easy, the putting into practice may be slightly tougher.
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