Comments on: How to practice Living Green ?

By: byderule

byderule — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Here is a list with something for everybody
Everybody is different with different lives here are a 101 Ways To Live More Ecologically,may be you find something that applies to you

1. Avoid disposable in favor of reusable
items.
2. Avoid drying rags in a clothes dryer.
3. Avoid power appliances when handpower works.
4. Avoid highly processed foods.
5. Avoid using styrofoam—it can’t be recycled.
6. Avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
7. Be responsible and creative with leftover foods.
8. Buy in bulk goods to reduce wasted packaging.
9. Buy energy efficient electric appliances.
10. Buy foods without additives.
11. Buy foods without preservatives.
12. Buy food and goods from sources you trust
13. Buy large quantities to reduce shopping trips.
14. Buy living Christmas trees.
15. Buy locally grown food and produce.
16. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
17. Compost your food scraps.
18. Discover and protect watersheds in your area,
19. Don’t burn trash or other smoky materials.
20. Drain cooking grease onto paper bags, not paper towels.
21. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
22. Drive less: walk, bicycle, carpooland use public transportation.

23. Eat foods low on the food chain; avoid meat.
24. Eat more natural, nutritious foods.
25. Educate elected representatives on ecology.
26. Exercise regularly.
27. Explore and learn about your bioregion.
28. Grow your own food, even a small amount.
29. Hang dry some or all of your clothes.
30. Heat your home less and wear warmer clothes.
31. Heat your home more with renewable energies.
32. Hold a potluck dinner to discuss local ecology.
33. If you use a dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle.
34. Install a water-conserving device in your toilets.
35. Install a water-conserving showerhead.
36. Insulate your home to maximum efficiency.
37. Invest for social responsibility as well as profit.
38. Invest in solar power, where practical.
39. Invest in well-made, long-lived clothing.
40. Keep hazardous chemicals in safe containers.
41. Keep appliance motors well adjusted for efficiency.
42. Mend and repair rather than discard and replace.
43. Oppose meddling in ecological balance.
44. Oppose private development of special areas.
45. Oppose roadside use of defoliants.
46. Organize or join a neighborhood toy exchange.

47. Pick up litter along streets and highways.
48. Plant native trees and shrubs around your home.
49. Plant trees throughout your community.
50. Plant your living Christmas tree.
51. Practice preventive health care.
52. Practice responsible family planning.
53. Prepare only as much food as will be eaten.
54. Protect your favorite distinctive natural areas.
55. Purchase goods in reusable/recyclable containers.
56. Put a catalytic converter on your wood stove.
57. Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
58. Recycle aluminum.
59. Recycle glass.
60. Recycle newspaper.
61. Recycle old clothes.
62. Recycle plastic.
63. Recycle used motor oil.
64. Recycle your unneeded items.
65. Re-use paper bags.
66. Re-use plastic bags for storage and waste.
67. Save up for full loads in clothes washers.
68. Save up for full loads in dishwasher.
69. Shop by phone, then go pick up your purchases.
70. Speak out about your values in community groups.
71. Support efficient energy sources in your bioregion.
72. Support elected representatives on ecological issues.
73. Support energy conservation in your bioregion.

74. Support global ecological improvement efforts.
75. Support local credit unions.
76. Support local merchants before large chains.
77. Support neighborhood food cooperatives.
78. Support proper waste water and sewage treatment.
79. Support the cultural diversity in your bioregion.
80. Support the plants and animals in your community.
81. Take shorter showers.
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom.
83. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
84. Turn off the lights when not needed.
85. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
86. Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
87. Use cloth diapers.
88. Use cloth table napkins.
89. Use less tapwater whenever possible.
90. Use non-toxic pest control.
91. Use only medications you trust/understand.
92. Use rags or towels instead of paper.
93. Use rechargeable batteries.
94. Use the second side of paper for scratch paper.
95. Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
96. Volunteer for work in a community garden.
97. Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
98. Wash clothes in cold water.
99. Wash dishes in still, not running water.
100. Weather-seal your home.
101. Work to unlearn poor ecological habits.

http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1996/ip960321...

By: girl_cool_fun

girl_cool_fun — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

start by recycling things like your milk jugs, cardboard boxes aluminum cans glass bottle and such. next if your going to get rid of your clothes or furniture bring them to a good will or donation center dont throw them. Next use washable plates not paper plates even if its nice to just throw them away and not wash them. Next take more showers not baths but take a fast one and when your brushing your teeth don’t keep the water running! Good luck being eco friendly!!!

By: gale

gale — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Try these websites. I hope they help.

By: smbelaen

smbelaen — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Properly dispose of your toxic chemicals for good. Use baking soda, vinegar, tea tree oil, liquid castil soap, borax for cleaning everything in your home, including the dishwasher(except laundry, still haven’t figured that one out yet).

Clean up your physical and mental health by eating less, eating healthy, and exercising daily so that you can eliminate your use of pharmaceuticals (which indirectly affect the environment through our bodily wastes).

Walk or use your bike more, drive less.

Noise pollution also indrectly affects our environment. Spend more time out doors instead of listening to the television that nobody is watching.

By: robert l

robert l — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Well there are things you can do to help reduce the amount of harm you are causing the enviroment, you can do this by offsetting your carbon on websites such as; http://www.co2debt.com . On these sites you are able to prevent climate change by funding ethical reforestation projects. I personally found that http://www.co2debt.com was the best site for this because of their strong relationships with other non-profit organizations

By: P

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

when you buy some food ..lets say vegetables or fruit.. dont buy that much at the time… but do it more often.. (according to some statistics i’ve read about, we chuck about 1/3 of our "untouched" consuming)

By: j-blueman07

j-blueman07 — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

for starters, if nobody’s using it, turn it off! by this I mean, if you’re not going to leave a room in your house, turn off the light in that room. buy energy saving bulbs, they produce the same amount of light while using less electricity.
when buying a new electrical device, try to find one with energy star on it. these devices use less electricity than their regular counterparts.
when and if possible in your community, recycle. the more people recycle, the less need there will be for production of new materials.
when driving, if your forced to wait in line say at a drive through, turn off your car until your finally allowed to moved foward. a very large percentage of fuel consumption is while idling in traffic or waiting in a line. this is good way to conserve fuel a little hear and there. BUT use common sense lol DON’T do this at every stop light, best place is rush hour traffic, when you’re stuck in one spot without moving for many minutes.

By: kattsmeow

kattsmeow — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Here is an idea that I have used for 3 years and I haven’t seen it mentioned here. That is freecycle.org. I lived in the Metro area of Washington D.C. and moved to Florence, SC. I had MANY bags of clothes as well as furniture and many misc. items that I posted on Freecycle.org for Alexandria, VA and I never had anything that wasn’t picked up and taken away. The ultimate recycle. If you can’t use it, see if someone else can, no money exchanges hands. So, here I am in a MUCH smaller place, Florence, South Carolina and I went on Freecycle.org more for curiosity than anything else. I figured in such a smaller place it probably wasn’t even listed, wrong! There were things I had moved that I had no use for here, or I decided to buy a different item than what I had. I am glad to say Freecycle.net is alive and doing fine in Florence, SC. Try the link and see what you might want to give to someone else.

By: Jeremy R

Jeremy R — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Plant deciduous trees!

Maple.
Oak.
Poplar(Tulip tree)
etc,
etc.

By: Belladonna

Belladonna — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:24:45 +0000

Jeremy R Brilliant Answer

AND plant lots and lots of fruit and nut trees
If you do not have the room even 3 ballerina apple trees in big planters will do.

One fifth of a couple’s food production can be grown on a small balcony of a high rise flat (See Permaculture Concept by Bill Mollison on Youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g2mmqqEn08&mode=related&search=