Conserve
Take a look at the limited or “man-made” resources you utilize in your everyday life. Which can you conserve?
- Transportation: Carpool; bike; combine trips
- Electricity: Turn off lights; turn down the thermostat; unplug appliances that are used infrequently
- Water: Shorter showers; turn off water while brushing your teeth; collect rainwater for watering gardens/lawns
Buy Organic or Locally
Tied into the above transportation issue, is the idea that many foods found in the nearby grocery store may have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to make it to the supermarket shelves. Not only is there the costs associated with the fuel that's been burned to deliver these products there is also concern over the freshness and “purity” of mass-produced foods that enter the food chain.
Here's a short list of other pros to support organically (O) or locally (L) grown produce:
- Fair Price, Fair Wages (O)
- No pesticides being used, none to be consumed (O)
- Potential health problems due to antibiotic resistant microorganisms (O)
- Support of local agriculture/economy (L)
Reduce
We are always looking for ways to drop a few pounds or shed a few years off our age. Well how about shedding some bad habits of getting too much of something and then just throwing it away as waste. Some prime examples:
- Buying bulk to save a few bucks but not dividing it into portions that can be eaten before it goes bad. (ex. chips, produce, dairy items)
- Eat less meat. Animal rearing for food consumption is responsible for dozens of environmental degradations. According to a 2006 report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent - 18 percent - than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.
I could go on about the consequences of aggressive consumption and agriculture. If you're really into this, there are plenty of sources for more bleak findings. Take an active role in learning more about the effects so you can make an educated decision about your own consumption patterns.
Reuse
I have come to despise such terms as “throwaways” and “disposable”, talk about two dirty little words. All the talk about overflowing landfills and huge expenses on state budgets to have refuse hauled to other states that will receive the garbage (the real lucky ones) is simply astonishing. Their should be a nationwide, make that a worldwide competition to tackle these problems - talk about becoming a world Superpower. We should want to kick some butt! Here are a few ideas that any household/business can master:
- Use canvas bags or some variation. Say “NO” to plastic/paper from the local grocer, bookstore, novelty shop, etc.
- Reuse egg cartons, takeout containers, but ask the food provider or your grocer to use recyclable containers
Recycle
Don't be lazy. Take the time to take full advantage of the recycling program offered in your area. If there isn't one, campaign to begin one. These vary from regions to region, but don't let your municipality get away with not offering this vital public service. Another thing, make sure the refuse haulers are just as diligent with how they handle it once they pick it up. I have found a tremendous resource for items that still have some life left in them, but I just cannot use. Here's a keeper!
Visit Freecylce and sign up for a group in your area. There are even groups in other countries. The basic concept is put eloquently in their mission statement which reads, “"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."
This is a great solution for clothes you've grown/shrunk out of or household items you aren't taking with you on a move.
Eliminate Energy Gluttons
- Swap out your old light bulbs for more energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A great resource for particulars on which CFLs to use in specific-type fixtures and the proper disposable of spent CFLs can be found at Energystar.
- Similarly, replace inefficient appliances with those that have high Energy Star ratings
- Consider a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Newer vehicles that get better gas mileage cut down on greenhouse emissions.
- Regardless of the year of your vehicle, keep it well-maintained helps to make a big difference. For example, maintain an accurate tire pressure, keep your engine well-tuned and look into converting to a diesel engine that runs would run on used vegetable oil.
Let me delve into the previous idea just a bit more. This process is in its infancy, and as a result is not conventional for the masses yet. But if you want to save a few bucks today, I've read where you can take the used vegetable oil off the hands of a restaurateur, who would otherwise have to pay for its removal, filter it and put it into your converted diesel engine. Initial investment may be several hundred to a few thousand dollars, but at over $3.00 a gallon for regular gas, this transformation could pay for itself in no time.
Want to read about it yourself? Try these websites that offer more pros and cons about this concept. money.cnn.com/2006/07/21/news/economy/vegetable_cars/index.htm and http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=7818
DIY and Pass It Along
If you think your community/country is doing enough fast enough to make a difference on the whole environment crusade, roll up your sleeves and get to work. A short list of things you can start doing today to help make for a greener tomorrow:
- Grow your own vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. Even better make it organic.
- Use your organic scraps in a composter and make some dandy fertilizer for that garden
- Let nature take its course. Stop mowing the lawn and using the snow blower to clear the leaves in from the yard, sidewalk or driveway.
- Teach a child about the benefits of energy conservation, plant-based diets and maybe plant a tree with them. Create some craft projects that make use of items that you may have normally pitched in the past. (ex. newspapers as gift wrap, binoculars out of toilet paper rolls, dolls/puppets from clothing that's just ragged)
Final Thoughts
Don't be overwhelmed by the above suggestions. You might decide to take on one or two of the above initiatives or pledge to tackle them all. Whichever route you go, you can be sure it will be a greener, cleaner step in the right direction.
