1. Take Care of Yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Take time to move your body, recharge your
batteries (at Woodlander Gatherings, for instance), reflect on the day and eat well: lots of water and good food.
2.
Practice the Three R's
Reduce. Waste reduction means consuming and throwing away less (here's where composting comes in).
This also includes buying durable, long-lasting goods and downsizing just about anything you can think of.
Reuse.
Repair items or donate them to charity or community groups. This includes using cloth napkins, refilling bottles, using durable
coffee mugs, etc.
Recycle. Turn waste into resources and keep it out of the landfill. Recycle as much as you possibly
can, including glass, plastic, metals, cardboard, all papers, junk mail, clothing, etc. Visit www.epa.gov/garbage/reduce.htm
Look for appropriate places and times to practice the three R's. Our local Farmer's Market just stopped selling bottled
water and offers water in paper cups. It's a start.
More and more people are taking their own bags back to the grocery
store. When IKEA started charging 5 cents a bag, there was a dramatic decrease in bags. In Dublin last year, I was asked at
the grocery store whether I wanted my groceries in a bag, when I said yes, I was charged 15 cents. Next time I took a bag
back with me. We are in the early modeling stages of sustainable behaviors.
3. Find locally produced goods to reduce
transportation costs and embodied energies.
4. Support businesses and organizations that reflect your core values.
5. Volunteer in your community. Sustainable Living is community-building.
6. Use cleaning/laundry products
that are environmentally friendly, non toxic and will improve your indoor air quality.
7. Dry your laundry in the
great out doors if possible. It's very cost effective.
8. Use compact fluorescent bulbs, if appropriate. Not every
lighting application is a good candidate for CFLs. Don't use them in lights that get turned on and off frequently; this can
dramatically shorten the bulb life (up to 70%). The best energy saving and long life results come when the light fixture can
be left on at least 2 to 3 hours.
Return them to the store for disposal (they contain mercury).
9. Use the National
Green Pages from Co-op America. Visit www.coopamerica.org for information on green discounts, recycling items you thought
you couldn't, socially responsible investing and much more.
10. Participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
group, if one is available to you, or grow your own vegetables if you have the space. If you cannot do either of those, buy
food that is in season.
11. How big is your carbon footprint ? Go to www.carbonfootprint.com.
Start a local Low
Carbon Diet Group.
12. Use low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints
13. Avoid vinyl if at all possible.
(Vinyl is very toxic to manufacture, and difficult to recycle.) This is easier said than done. Vinyl appears
in many products ranging from vinyl siding and fencing to medical products to Elmer's Glue. Over 50% of PVC (polyvinyl
chloride) products, however, are used in construction. It shows up in piping of all kinds, flooring (both sheet goods
and tile), roofing membranes and windows. Just be on the lookout for vinyl and avoid what you can.
14. Automobiles.
Try one less errand a day. Try to walk to one errand a day. Consider ride-sharing for business
and social events.
Buy used vehicles.
If you do buy new, get a hybrid vehicle, tho it take 17 years to pay back the
carbon costs of creating even a hybrid.
15. When you need to buy a new appliance, look for the Energy Star label and
research durability and repair records at www.ConsumerReports.org.
16. Water: Consider a water filtration system instead
of bottled water. And in most places the standards for tap water are stricter than for bottled water.
www.coopamerica.org
can get you started on this.
Look into greywater use in the garden and yard, but be sure and check with your local building
codes department first to see if it is allowable.
17. If you're planning to remodel, add on or build a new house, get a copy of Your Green Home from www.BuildingGreen.com,
publishers of Environmental Building News. Depending on the size of your project, you may want to consult with a design professional who
is familiar with sustainable building design. Consider tracking down a green builder.
Natural Home magazine is available
at news stands or
www.NaturalHomeMagazine.com
18. Add insulation to your attic.
