People sometimes ask what they should do to improve the Earth, or the way they live on it.

One answer: The world is more interesting if it's barely aware you're there.

Hiking through the forest, if you take care to move quietly — avoiding breaking branches underfoot, for instance — you're more likely to see the wildlife that helps make the forest so fascinating.

Riding down the road with the wind in your hair is very different from varooming in a loud car with the air conditioner blasting and stereo pounding: You're more likely to notice a change in the weather, the smell of a flower, the approach of something dangerous.

Stepping lightly on the land is increasingly understood as a superior approach.

No-till farming was once the technology of the most retro organic farmers, but it's moving into the mainstream. By growing crops without tearing up communities of earthworms and other helpful soil critters, costs are reduced, water is conserved, soil loss is minimized.

"No-till agriculture produces crop yields similar to or better than those obtained with conventional tillage practices, protects soil against erosion and results in increased storage of carbon in the soil," says the U.S. Department of Energy.

Producing less waste minimizes the cost of landfilling; recycling minimizes the need for new raw materials; using less water leaves it in the ground, where it can flow to springs that support wildlife and brackish estuarine habitats.

Sometimes living lightly means you need to do the second or third thing you think of, rather than the first.

Did you see a roach in the house? One of the first options many will think of is to spray insecticides — but that means you have to live with the insecticides that kill the roaches. Greenpeace suggests using a trap: Lightly grease the inner neck of a milk bottle and bait it with a little beer or a raw potato.

In your yard, is the plant you're thinking of installing going to require permanent irrigation support? That means the water department's going to have to pump that water, you're going to have to pay for the water, you'll need to maintain the irrigation system, and you may need someone to take care of the yard anytime you go on a vacation.

A plant native to the area, or at least appropriate to the climate, won't need all that help. And in addition to saving you money and helping the planet, it will give you a precious gift: time.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.