You can make every day Earth Day with these tiny climate actions

Consider starting your day with a less steamy shower, using cold water to wash your laundry and dishes, and adjusting your thermostat settings. These actions can help you use less energy and reduce your contribution to planet-warming emissions — while also saving you money.

Home heating and air conditioning are responsible for the biggest share of residential energy use, with water heating right behind. Big picture: We need to build more efficient homes and use renewable energy sources. But habits matter, too.

Adjusting your air conditioning or heating by just 1 degree can reduce your energy use by about 1 percent, and a 7-to-10-degree adjustment at night or when you are out could save as much as 10 percent annually, according to the Energy Department. Similarly, washing laundry in cold water uses about one-tenth of the energy of washing with warm water. If the average American household switched from warm to cold for half its loads for a year, according to the American Cleaning Institute, it could avert the carbon emissions equivalent of driving nearly 1,000 miles in a gasoline car.

If your commute involves any walking, you need to take the dog out or you’re just enjoying the spring weather, consider “plalking.” That’s the term — first popularized in Sweden — for picking up litter as you go. It not only helps keep your community clean, but it also averts water and soil contamination and helps keep plastics and other materials out of habitats where they can be harmful to animals. To be fully equipped for plalking, bring a bag, reusable gloves and a grabber tool.

Since we have you thinking about trash, you may want to take a few minutes to properly sort your recycling. Brush up on your local guidelines and discard common recycling myths. You may be tossing things that are actually recyclable or unknowingly putting non-recyclables into your bin — a mistake known as “wishcycling” that can complicate the recycling process, jam machinery and even contaminate entire loads. The Environmental Protection Agency says, yes, you should be able to recycle those greasy pizza boxes, as long as you get rid of the food scraps. Plastic items three inches or smaller typically can’t be recycled.

If you’re looking to liven up your home or office, growing plants is a great way to feel connected with nature. Plants are also a great renewable resource. When your pothos or monstera gets too leggy, you can take cuttings and share them with friends, family, co-workers or neighbors in local plant swap groups. No one needs to spend money on a new plant — or have one shipped across the country from a nursery to their door — if you learn the basics of propagation.

Spring is the ideal time for cuttings. Plants respond best to pruning at the beginning of their growing season, and cuttings intended for propagation have the best chance of thriving when there’s plenty of warmth and sunlight to fuel root growth. Once you snip, you will want to move quickly to get your cuttings into soil or water. Depending on the type of plant, it could take a few weeks to root.

If you are among the 3.2 billion people in the world who play video games, consider switching into eco mode. The studios behind many popular video games have begun offering that option to help shrink gamers’ energy use. Since these modes are optional, you might have to go into your game settings to opt in.

Most gamers won’t notice the minor differences in graphics quality — but using power-saving mode can have a noticeable impact on greenhouse emissions. Video games in the United States each year alone create more greenhouse pollution than 5 million cars. And the legion of gamers and power-hungry devices is only expected to grow.

You can eat healthier and help the planet with a few tweaks to your diet. For most Americans, that means eating less red meat and getting more protein from nuts, lentils, beans and peas. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor if you try one of The Post’s recipes. A meal like Leeks and Lentils With Fried Halloumi can take just 30 minutes to prepare.