When learning about large-scale environmental problems such as climate change, species extinctions, overpopulation, and habitat destruction, students can become hopelessly dismayed and experience ecophobia--a state of mind in which the student is fearful of the looming environmental problems but senses that there is nothing that can be done to correct them. This paper describes an approach to teaching about environmental issues that, rather than foster ecophobia, helps instill a sense of agency in the young learner. Five Small Steps to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint is a classroom activity that challenges nonscience majors to take action in their personal lives to "walk more lightly" on the planet. Students were asked to identify five lifestyle behaviors that contribute to environmental degradation and to come up with an alternative behavior to reduce their personal environmental impact. Students' response to the assignment along with the work they submitted indicates that the strategy is highly effective in encouraging them to face environmental problems in a healthy way with self-identified solutions in mind instead of feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. (Contains 1 table.)