50 Ways to Help Mother Earth
01. Snip six-pack rings!
Before you throw them away, cut each circle with scissors.
When you're out & about, pick up any six-pack rings you
see and cut them before throwing them away.
02. Stop that junk mail!
Write to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing
Association, 6 East 43rd St., New York, NY 10017.
Recycle the junk mail you already get.
03. Use a phosphate-free or low-phosphate laundry detergent.
Why? Because phosphates cause algae to become fertilized to
the point that they grow out of control. The process involved
when the algae dies uses up huge amounts of oxygen. This oxygen
is needed for other plants & marine life to survive. Lakes and
streams can die!
04. Use a low-flow faucet aerator.
Installing low-flow faucet aerators on your kitchen & bathroom
faucets can save over 3300 gallons of water per year for just one
family!
05. Stop throwing it away!
Use resusable containers to store food instead of plastic wrap.
If you have to use plastic wrap, try wax paper instead. Use towels
or rags instead of paper towels. White paper towels and coffee
filters aren't white naturally! They're bleached using chemicals.
Try to buy unbleached coffee filters if you can.
06. Turn down that water heater!
Turn the setting on your water heater down to 130 degrees. This is
hot enough to kill bacteria and still save energy. For every 10
degrees that you turn down your water heater, you save 6% of the energy used.
Please note that turning your water heater down to 120 degrees may
pose a health risk, as it may not be hot enough to kill bacteria.
07. Educate yourself!
Call your local electric and water utilities. Find out if they offer
any free information on saving energy/water. Does your local
water company offer free water conservation devices? Call
and check! Stop by your local recycling center or give
them a call. Find out what materials they collect and
where the nearest drop off centers are.
08. Use latex paint.
Oil based paint is not only toxic, the by-products of manufacturing
it are nasty pollutants! Latex paint is easier to clean up, too!
Dispose of your excess paint properly - call your recycling center
to see if they know where you can take your paint to have it safely
disposed of. Clean your paintbrushes in a sink inside so that the
water will go to a waste treatment facility instead of the earth!
09. Buy the most fuel-efficient tires possible.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated, balanced and rotated.
Radial tires improve gas mileage, but steel belted tires are generally
the most efficient. Support local and regional efforts to recycle
tires!
10. Home appliance tips...
An electronic ignition system on your stove will use 40% less gas than
a pilot light. Clean or replace the filters on your air conditioner
once a month. Set your refrigerator temperatures to between 38 and 42
degrees. Set the freezer to 0 to 5 degrees. This can reduce your energy
consumption by 25%! Wait to wash a full load of clothes. Use a warm water wash
with a cold rinse and save up to 90% energy! Clean the dryer's lint trap
after each load. Not only will this keep the air circulating more
efficiently in your dryer, but it will also help prevent a fire! A programmable
thermostat will also help cut costs & save energy.
11. Turn it off!
A running faucet puts 3-5 gallons of water down the drain every minute
it's on! Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth, when you're
shaving and when you're washing dishes. If you wash your car at home
with the hose, you're using up to 150 gallons of water! Try using the
self-service car wash and use only 5-10 gallons instead! If you use a
bucket and a sponge at home instead of the hose, you use about 15
gallons.
12. Don't top off the tank!
When you're filling up your vehicle with gas, don't pull out the gas
nozzle to "top off" the tank. This lets gas vapors into the atmosphere
and creates smog!
13. Avoid CFCs.
Don't buy halon fire extinguishers. Avoid polystyrene foam. If you're
going to use foam insulation, make sure there are no CFCs in it. Have
your air conditioner fixed properly and only at a shop that uses CFC
recycling equipment. Read the labels to make sure you're not buying
aerosols that contain CFCs.
14. Keep your car tuned up.
A well tuned car uses 9% less gasoline than a poorly tuned car. Don't
haul around unnecessary things in your car. An extra 100 pounds will
decrease your fuel economy by more than 1%. Keep your fuel filters
clean and don't let your car idle unnecessarily!
15. Buy rechargeable batteries when possible.
If it's possible, recycle alkaline batteries.
16. Use a cloth bag when you shop.
I have a great one from Save a Tree, P.O. Box 862,
Berkeley, CA 94701. It's a large, washable canvas bag
with "Save a Tree" on the side, and it's only $9.00.
Since there are pros and cons to both paper and plastic
grocery bags, why not buy string bags? You can get 4 grocery
sized bags for $16.95 from Seventh Generation, 10 Farrell St.,
Burlington, VT 05403. Request their catalog for even more
great stuff!
17. Buy or make non-toxic products
Check out the books The Nontoxic Home or Making the Switch.
You'll find it hard to believe there are so many toxic chemicals in
your home.
18. Set your lawn mower blades high.
To encourage longer, healthier roots, cut the grass so that it's
2 to 3 inches high. Leave the grass cuttings on the lawn. The
cuttings serve as a moisture retentive mulch and a natural fertilizer.
Most lawn mowers can be fitted with a recycler kit available at your
local hardware store. Most lawns only need about 1 inch of water a
week! And please do not put pesticides on your lawn. The pesticides
contaminate worms, thereby endangering the songbird population. It
also pollutes groundwater.
19. Don't use styrofoam.
Why not? Because it's completely non-biodegradable. It also takes
up a lot of space for it's weight, which means it's using up huge
amounts of space at our already full landfills. Polystyrene foam
is deadly to marine life. When sea turtles eat styrofoam, its buoyancy
keeps them from diving; it clogs their systems and they starve to
death.
20. Help clean up our beaches.
The next time you go out for a day of fun in the sun, take along a
trash bag or two. While you're walking, pick up any litter you can
find. Just a few minutes of clean up can make a difference!
21. Know what you're buying.
Don't buy ivory or any other products from endangered animals or
plants.
22. Get rid of those flea collars!
I checked with my vet and according to him, they don't really work
anyways! An estimated 50 million flea collars are thrown away every
year. The pesticides and chemicals used in the collars can cause
cancer, nerve damage and birth defects in animals. Brewer's yeast
and garlic added to your pet's food works great. Products that
contain methoprene, a growth inhibitor that interferes with flea
larvae development, work well too. Check your local feed and garden
center or with your vet for chemical free alternatives.
23. Use a toilet dam.
Soak off the label on a small juice bottle. Dishwashing soap bottles
or laundry soap bottles work well too. Fill the bottle with
water, put on the cap and place it in the tank. You can put a few
stones in the bottom of the bottle to weigh it down if necessary.
Make sure the bottle doesn't interfere with the flushing mechanism.
You may have to experiment with different bottle sizes. You can save
1-2 gallons of water per flush! If you install a toilet dam, which
is available at your local hardware store, you can save 1 gallon
per toilet dam. You can install two dams per toilet.
24. Use a low flow shower head.
Low flow shower heads are available in two types: Aerated mixes
air with water to maintain a steady spray at pressures equal or
higher than a standard shower head. Nonaerated maintains heat
and gets a good, forceful spray, but the flow "pulses". This is
good if you like massage shower heads. You can cut shower water
use by about 50%!
25. Recycle your motor oil.
Have your oil changed at a gas station and make sure they will
recycle it. If you do change the oil yourself, make sure you
take the oil to a center that will accept the oil and recycle
it. Do not pour the oil into the ground or into the sewer!
A single quart of motor oil poured into the ground can pollute
250,000 gallons of drinking water. One pint of oil can create
a poisonous oil slick an acre in diameter when you pour the
oil into a sewer.
26. Keep your furnace tuned up.
A simple tune-up can increase a furnace's heating efficiency by
5%. This means an annual savings of 8,000 cubic feet of gas!
Also don't forget to change your furnace filters once a month.
27. Try using compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
They're readily available now, and produce no flicker or hum.
They're more expensive than regular (incandescent) bulbs, but
for 10,000 hours of lighting, it will take 13 incandescent
lightbulbs to match 1 compact fluorescent! During this 10,000
hour period, incandescent lightbulbs use about $40 of
electricity; compact fluorescents use $10!
28. Keep balloons on the ground.
Helium filled balloons can find their way to the ocean when
released into the air. Once they've found their way into the
ocean, they're swallowed by marine life, which can kill them!
Mylar helium filled balloons can get caught in power lines and
cause power outages.
29. Recycle your newspapers.
If you have curbside recycling, bundle your newspapers and place
them in your recycling container. If you don't have curbside
recycling, take the newspapers to your local recycling center
or a designated drop-off center.
30. Recycle glass containers.
All glass bottles and jars can be recycled except for window panes,
Pyrex and light bulbs. Glass produced from recycled glass instead
of raw material reduces related air pollution by 20% and water
pollution by 50%!
31. Recycle aluminum.
Aluminum cans, aluminum foil, pie plates, frozen food trays, window
frames and siding can be recycled!
32. Buy products made of recycled materials.
This is called "precycling"! Buy eggs packaged in cardboard cartons
instead of styrofoam. Look for the recycled logo on cereal boxes and
other grocery items. Buying in bulk sometimes pays off, check it out
to be sure. Avoid plastic containers when possible. If you have a
favorite product but the packaging isn't exactly "Earth-Friendly",
write, call or e-mail the company and ask them to change it!
33. Use cloth diapers.
This is for those who are truly dedicated! It's hard to give
up the convenience of disposable diapers. If you can, try a diaper
service or alternate between using cloth and disposables. If you read
the packaging on your disposable diapers, you'll notice the
manufacturer recommends that you wash out disposable diapers before you discard
them, but only about 5% of us do! If you truly can't give them up, at least
start washing them out before throwing them away. Thanks!
34. Cherish the Earth at work!
Bring a coffee cup to work instead of using a disposable cup. Reuse
manila envelopes by putting gummed labels over the old addresses.
Set up a recycling area for newspapers, glass and aluminum. Try
substituting paper cups for styrofoam cups at the coffee pot or water
cooler. Use old memos or other letters you don't need for scratch
paper.
35. Recycle plastic!
Check with your local recycling center to see if it will accept
plastic soda bottles, plastic wrap, water bottles, coffee can lids, clean milk
bottles and laundry and dish soap detergent bottles. Also ask if they
accept corrugated paper, kraft paper and stationery.
36. Provide wildlife with food & shelter.
No, I'm not saying to ask them to move in...just give them a little
birdseed! Set up a hummingbird feeder or a heated birdbath. Animals
that are active in the daytime, such as squirrels and rabbits, will
be more likely to visit if you have some type of shelter in your yard,
as in shrubs or some type of wall. Check with your local feed & garden
store to find out what types of wildlife you have in your area and for
the best ways to attract them. A pinecone stuffed with peanut butter
and rolled in birdseed is a good way to feed birds during the winter.
37. Support the rainforests.
Consider alternatives to tropical hardwoods in furniture, lumber, and
plywood. Write to the Rainforest Action Network for a list of woods
you can substitute for tropical hardwoods. Their address is:
The Rainforest Action Network
301 Broadway, Suite A
San Francisco, CA 94133.
Support organizations involved in rainforest conservation.
38. Insulate your home.
If there's no insulation in your home, you're costing yourself and
the environment a fortune. If you do have insulation, check to see
if you have enough. Even add-on insulation pays itself back in about
2 years. Check for energy leaks everywhere in your home. Caulk and
weatherstrip your windows.
39. Plant a tree.
If you do plant a tree, don't just stick it in the ground and ignore
it. Trees need a little care for the first 2 years. Check with the
nursery or feed & garden store. If you don't have a place to plant a
tree, get involved with your town or city's beautification program!
40. Try alternatives for pesticides.
I've been told Pennyroyal oil, mixed with 70% alcohol and sprayed on
your clothes, works wonders against the mosquito population! Or try
that infamous oil, Avon's Skin So Soft!
Beats using DEET!
41. Don't dump hazardous waste!
This sounds like a no brainer, but it's surprising what materials in
your home qualify as hazardous waste! Paints and paint thinners, car
batteries, oven and drain cleaners, mothballs, floor and furniture
polish, brake or transmission fluid, antifreeze, rug and upholstery
cleaners, pesticides, furniture strippers and even some toilet
cleaners are hazardous! Keep these things in their original containers with
the label intact. Recycle whenever possible, such as motor oil and
car batteries. Check with your city or town hall to see if they have
a local collection program.
42. Carpool.
Ride with co-workers to work. Gather up a group of friends if you're
going out. It makes a difference!
43. Start your own compost pile.
The easiest way? Just start a pile of leaves, grass clippings and
weeds in a corner of your garden. If you want to really try your
hand at composting, build or buy a small enclosure to create the
compost. Sort your garbage to separate the organics from the rest.
Learn how to stack and layer the compost and turn it occasionally
to avoid odors and to allow the air to circulate. Check with your
local hardware store or feed & garden store for more information,
or send a self addressed, stamped envelope to:
The Berkeley Ecology Center
2530 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
Ask for their "Composting" fact sheet.
44. Use a trigger nozzle on your garden hose.
This can save you at least 20 gallons of water when you wash your car.
And don't forget, you can wash out those plastic baggies and reuse
them!
45. Use alternative transportation or car pool.
Doubling up with some friends on your way to work or shopping not
only saves on gas, it also gives our ozone layer a little break.
If it's possible, why not try the bus, subway or train? If it's a
nice day, walk to the store if it's nearby or ride your bicycle!
46. Consume less meat.
To produce 1 lb. of beef, we need 16 lbs. of grain & soybeans, 2500
gallons of water, and the energy equivalent of 1 gallon of gasoline.
If Americans reduced their meat intake by just 10%, the savings in
grains & soybeans could feed approximately 60 million people - the
number of people who starve to death worldwide each year.
47. Grow what you can.
Try growing things you can eat in your own garden. Even apartment
dwellers can grow plants in pots or start a community garden. Support
your local farmer's markets. Locally grown produce is fresher, cheaper
and has less pesticide residue than produce that has been shipped long
distances.
48. Buy organically grown produce.
If you garden, do it organically. You'll love knowing that the food
you've grown is safe & pure! Check your grocery store for organic
produce. If they don't carry it, request it!
49. Stay educated!
Read the newspapers, watch the news broadcasts. Stay on top of what's
happening in our world.
50. Get involved!
Keep in contact with your local government officials in regards to
what they're doing for our environment. Join an environmental group,
whether it be local or nationwide. Spread the word to everyone you know! |
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