Ways you can protect the natural environment:

Spend less money.
Unfortunately, every dollar you ever spend will probably end up financing something that's bad for the planet. But obviously you can't stop spending altogether - you'd starve to death, or if not, your landlord would get angry at you when rent stopped coming in. So here's the compromise. Before you buy anything, ask yourself these six questions:

Do I really need this?
How long will it last?
How far did it have to travel to get here?
How much unnecessary packaging is there?
Could I borrow or rent one instead?
Can I find a more environmentally friendly alternative? (i.e. something that's cheaper, or lasts longer, or is made closer, or has less packaging?)

Eat less meat.
Meat requires more natural rescources to make than fruit and vegetables, basically because animals eat fruit and vegetables too. So when you're eating meat, you're effectively consuming the food the animal ate as well. Eating less meat can significantly reduce your negative environmental impact. If vegetarian dishes never seem satisfying, you might not be getting enough protein - try eating more beans and nuts.

A note for any readers who happen to own meat packing plants: Sorry. We know this isn't what you want to hear. But remember - it's your planet we're trying to save too.

Use less energy.
Always switch appliances off at the powerpoint when you're not using them. Use cold water rather than hot whenever you can - in your washing machine, for instance. If you're leaving your computer on because you'll only be gone a little while, switch off the monitor to save 70% of the power. Heating and cooling your home requires a lot of energy. So if you're too hot, open a window (for best results, pick a high one). If you're too cold, put on some more clothes.

Travel differently.
Here are the most common ways to travel, listed from most environmentally efficient to least. Bear all the options in mind when making your travel plans.

Walking
Cycling
On a train
On a bus
In a car with a group
In a car on your own
In an aeroplane
Pogo stick (the key word here is "efficient")

Get a plant.
Plants make good pets - they don't bark, they don't make messes on your carpet, and they rarely bite visitors, with a couple of rare exceptions. More importantly, they suck up carbon dioxide, strip away the carbon atoms, and release it back into the air as oxygen. With a plant, your home will smell better, look better, and be better for the planet.

Don't have kids.
Even if your offspring are as environmentally aware as you, reproducing will double your negative impact on the environment. The reason we're all having to work so hard to preserve our planet's limited rescources is that there are already way too many of us. So ask yourself if you really need kids - and if you decide that you do, consider adopting them. There are lots of children out there who need parents. Whatever you do, repress the urge to have a large biological family (three or more children) - sadly, we can't afford to think like that anymore.

A message from Jack:

"I know this all seems like a lot of work and not much fun. Protecting the planet is never going to be easy. But there are plenty of environmentally friendly ways to have a good time. Instead of constantly buying things you don't need out of boredom, learn to find happiness in the company of your friends and family. Conversation is free, healthy, easy, and doesn't hurt the planet. Sport and excercise are good too - they're usually environmentally friendly, and they makes you happy as well as fit. Much more so than 'retail therapy', or 'comfort eating'.
"And, you know which portable entertainment device is good for your brain, requires no energy to use, very few rescources to make, has no packaging, is completely recyclable, and can be infinitely reused for decades, sometimes even centuries? A book. My bias is embarassingly obvious - but if you stop and think about it, you'll see that reading is one of the cleanest ways to have a good time."