What a beautiful earth we have! My very favorite thing is to be outside with the people I love. I wish every day were earth day. If you don’t think right now is a good time to buy a Prius or change your roof to solar panels, here are some easy ways to help take care of this beautiful earth. The following post offers an ecclesiastical endorsement for those interested.-Re-use plastic bags, even sturdy baggies
-Better yet- buy reusable shopping bags
-Use 1/2 dryer sheets and 1/2 paper towels
-Use cloth napkins
-Use fluorescent light bulbs
-Buy in bulk
-Buy on sale
-Don't waste food odds and ends
-Turn off lights you’re not using
-Unplug appliances when not in use (even when they’re off they still use a little electricity)
-Be sensitive about your water use—don’t have the faucet or shower on full power
-Don’t take short-cuts—stay on sidewalks and marked trails
-Go through your closet and donate clothes and shoes you’re not using (check out freecycle for a way to donate)
-Use second-hand items when possible
-Repair what you can (like shoes)
-Eat vegetarian one day a week, or when you can
-Plant a garden- even some herbs in a planter box if you don’t have space for more
-Buy local or organic
-Recycle
-Organize your schedule so you can do all your errands at once
-Turn down heat and AC
-Whenever possible, walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
-Turn off the computer and play outside!
There are lots of great websites to checkout-This one has tips for sustainable living, this one shows you how your diet can effect the environment, and this one shows how many earths it would take if everyone lived like you. I don't know how they could really calculate that, but it's interesting to see which habits have the biggest effect on the environment.
Feel free to share any of your own ideas for how to take care of this beautiful earth!
9 comments:
"Don’t take short-cuts—stay on sidewalks and marked trails"
BYU has changed you man. You used to be a proud Ute that walked where ever the heck he wanted. Now you're a "cougars don't cut corners" guy.
I never thought the day would come...
Oh wait. I see that the last post was by Ariel. My bad. Keep walking proud wherever you want.
Unplug your cell phone charger unless it is actually charging. (Yes. It, too, drains electricity.)
Do NOT buy bottled water. If you don't like the taste of local water, get a cheap Brita filter and use that water to fill the heavy plastic water bottles that go on bikes or hiking belts. Wash and reuse. Use a gallon thermos for a group.
Don't buy fruit that comes in the pretty, clear plastic clam shells (like fancy Washington apples). Buy it loose or bagged in mesh.
Use paper plates and cups as little as possible. If the party is at home, use real dishes. You can get plastic (melamine) at the DI if you're worried about your good dishes and children.
Wait until you have full loads to run the washing machine. Set dishwashers to end the cycle on "air dry" not "electric dry."
In the summer keep the thermostat at 78, open up windows and doors at night to cool things down. When the temperatures inside and outside are equal, close up. Do active work in the morning -- quiet work in the afternoons.
In winter set the thermostat at 68 to 70. Wear a heavy sweater (Jimmy Carter) or long johns. The less you use a forced-air furnace, the fewer the upper respiratory infections. True story.
Don't cook those cute dinners in aluminum foil. Don't cook anything in aluminum foil unless you reuse it 6 times. (Actually, try not to use aluminum foil. Or plastic wrap. Store leftovers in designated re-usable containers or empty jars with screw lids.)
The worst offenders are plastic foams -- popcorn, pressed drinking cups, etc. Pack things for shipping in old newspapers or those hated plastic grocery bags.
After a while, these practices become second nature. Automatic.
A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO:
Hang-dry laundry. Dryers are awful energy suckers! On my mission, we had indoor racks we'd set up... worked great!
Cloth diaper when I get the courage.
Become a seamstress.
Get my own sheep and spin my own yarn (I may not do this until the Millennium...)
Don't live in Los Angeles.
**For those of you with limited gardening space, check out www.squarefootgardening.com. I'm going to do this now!!!
Great ideas, love! Thanks for sharing! It sure does feel good to apply them.
One more: don't forget to dim your computer screens (Function and the down button), especially when you're not using them, or using them to take notes. Big battery/energy saver.
Save on!
great post, Ariel. thanks for the link!
And I forgot one of my favorites: Unless what you print is for someone else, print "en verso" -- on the back of a sheet that has served its purpose. This might require drawing a big X in some bright color on the "disregard" side so you don't confuse yourself as to which side is outdated and which current. Saves lots of paper.
During the Depression, people liked their "hash." We don't have much left-over roast beef and beef gravy these days, but there are modern equivalents. Here's one: Almost any left-over vegetable, sauteed with chopped onion, folded into scrambled eggs, sprinkled with cheese, wrapped in a warm tortilla, and served with salsa. Hard not to like.
Question about the cloth diapers:
With cloth you have to do a lot more laundry, right? And that uses a lot more water. So does that cancel out the benefit?
That's a good question, Dave. Actually, there's more water used in the manufacturing of disposable diapers than is used to wash cloth diapers. But cloth diapers aren't better by a huge margin.
Post a Comment