# What are you doing to make the world a better place? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328 "2005-10-01T13:31:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/21 "2005-10-03T02:49:00Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I give a big Yes to this and stuff. Yay! šŸ™‚ and stuff šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/22 "2005-10-03T03:09:31Z")
What am I doing to make the world a better place? I work in environmental remediation/consulting. Where I am working now, I deal with gas stations doing ground water monitoring to keep an ā€œeyeā€ on gasoline components in that may have or already have leaked shallow groundwater. This summer I did a big project dealing with soil sampling to find out where the leaks were coming from. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/23 "2005-10-03T03:32:17Z")
My four-cheese garlic & oregano mashed potatoes that I made today certainly make the world a more pleasant place to live. ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/24 "2005-10-03T03:36:43Z")
I guess I should add fundraising/housebuilding for Habitat for Humanity and my wifeā€™s and my involvement with Community Action and the local food bank. We also donate to educational causes when we can. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/25 "2005-10-03T06:24:37Z")
I beat up people who email me stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/26 "2005-10-03T06:39:32Z")
32 years as a volunteer firefighter. Cat person for injured and homeless kitties. Offeror of stern glares to mindless souls who play thumpa-thumpa sounds from rice rockets with farting raccoon mufflers. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/27 "2005-10-03T16:51:14Z")
I edit and administrate Wikipedia. I make regular contributions to the Wikimedia Foundation, the Peer Directed Projects Center, and the ACLU. I write free software (when I can find the time). I use mass transit when I can. I donā€™t shop at Wal-Mart. I vote. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/28 "2005-10-03T18:15:17Z")
Okā€¦ - Teaching my kid to be a good student, good person and a good citizen. - Heading a foundation thatā€™s given out almost $700K in the past 9 years to support educational programs outside of the curricuum in local public schools. - Raised and gave out over $15K in the past few years to scholarships based on a record of community service (helping those that canā€™t help themselves) - Adopted a stray cat. - Ran my 92 buses on biodiesel before it was either trendy or mandatory. - I vote. - Clean my plate. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/29 "2005-10-03T18:52:49Z")
I donā€™t own a car. Havenā€™t for years. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/30 "2005-10-03T19:05:12Z")
I just joined the volunteer fire department here, and I may have helped cure myocardial infarctions. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/31 "2005-10-03T19:10:30Z")
Not a penny of mine ever goes to a charity. Why? i work for a not-for-profit. We are trying to discover the causes of prematurity and birth defects. I forward Snopes links to people, and teach them to check their facts. Iā€™m not having kids in an already crowded world. Iā€™m nice to people. ---
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/32 "2005-10-03T19:46:01Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > I donā€™t own a car. Havenā€™t for years. Does that count? Heck yes, it does. Thatā€™s my contribution - I donā€™t have a car out here. I ride my bike or take the bus to get everywhere. Occasionally I get rides in other peoplesā€™ cars, but I never drive by myself. Out where Iā€™m originally from, driving is all but impossible to avoid, so Iā€™m hoping not to move back any time soon. I also work at an after-school program for the middle school in a nearby city. And I donā€™t shop at Walmart. On the other hand, I have been known to shop at Target. Hmm. Hey, Iā€™m doing what I can. ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/33 "2005-10-03T19:47:02Z")
I volunteer for a charity which provides contacts and information to people with a very obscure disease. Since the disease can kill if not properly treated, I help save lives. I recycle ā€“ everything. Looking at everything I have to put in the regular trash makes me a better consumer, as I choose to buy items that have less packaging. I have never owned a car. I check the companies that get my money to see how they spend theirs ā€“ where they donate, how they treat their suppliers, how they treat their employees. When I choose to avoid a company, I tell them why. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/34 "2005-10-03T19:50:44Z")
I give blood. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328/35 "2005-10-03T19:55:34Z")
> [@Gut](#): > > What am I doing to make the world a better place? > > Not having children. Bah-dum-cha ! Ooh, you beat me to it! Other things I can add: I commute by way of mass transit. I recycle. Iā€™ve adopted several cats from shelters, and had all of them spayed/neutered. I do my best to exercise patience and consideration with others, especially with cashiers & waitstaff who might be having a stressful day. Sometimes I smile at everyone I see, for no reason at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-doing-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/324328.md?page=1)