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Priorities for Green Living
For the first time in history human activities have altered the environment on earth.
- Wildlife are vanishing in record numbers.
- There's a giant hole in our atmospheric ozone layer.
- The six warmest years in history have occurred in the past 15 years.
At this delicate time understanding priorities is crucial, for even the most dedicated among us doesn't do everything we should. Toward that end Worldwatch Institute, a nonprofit think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., prepared the following six criteria for ecological living.
- Minimize Fuel Consumption
- Reduce the Household Waste Stream
- Conserve Water
- Eat Less Meat
- Reduce Use Of Toxic Chemicals
- Decide Which Companies To Patronize
Read on for more details!
1. Minimize Fuel Consumption
The most tenacious and threatening challenges facing the earth right now - acid rain, air pollution, global warming - are the byproducts of burning fuel. Two practical ways to minimize your own personal fuel consumption are to use energy more efficiently, and switch to renewable resources for heating and cooling. Here are some tips:
- Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
- Caulk windows and doors and weatherstrip door sweeps.
- Cool naturally. Plant shade trees on the south and west sides of the house. Use ceiling fans, whole house fans, and natural ventilation.
- Choose energy efficient appliances when replacing worn-out ones.
- Set the furnace thermostat at 66 to 68 degrees F. during the day in winter. When away, set it at 55 degrees. At night, choose a setting between 55 and 60 degrees.
- In summer set the air conditioner thermostat between 76 and 78 degrees F. Turn it off completely when you are away.
- If you frequently change manual settings on your furnace and/or air conditioner, install an automatic setback thermostat.
- Install compact fluorescent light bulbs.
In the end, the measure of a household's "green-ness" comes in the water, gas, and electricity bills and at the gas station. The green household spends less for utilities.
2. Reduce the Household Waste Stream
Make "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" your mantra. Begin by reducing the amount of items you buy. You'll be amazed how much you don't need. Avoid styrofoam and other materials that don't biodegrade. Build a backyard compost pile for disposal of organic and lawn wastes.
Understand the impact packaging has on the environment and choose the least-packaged option whenever you can.
3. Conserve Water
More than five billion of us depend on less than five percent of the earth's water. Conserving water is imperative for a healthy planet. Here are a few tips:
- If you think your water bill is higher than it should be, check around the house for leaks.
- Use showers, not baths.
- Don't run water unnecessarily for washing, shaving, or brushing your teeth.
- Wash only full loads of laundry.
- Install low-flush toilets.
- Turn your water heater thermostat down to 120 degrees F.
- Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.
4. Eat Less Meat
Meat is by far the most resource-intensive part of our diet. To produce one pound of beef takes 16 pounds of grain and soybeans and 2,500 gallons of water - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Livestock production uses more than half the water consumed in the United States. If living ecologically is high priority, eat less meat.
- Eat more organically-grown fruits and vegetables.
- Grow your own food to be sure of what you're getting.
5. Reduce Use Of Toxic Chemicals
The amount of synthetic chemicals has burgeoned since World War II. Today, more than a quarter million new substances are introduced into the U.S. marketplace each year. There is no health information on 79%of them. No one can keep track of what they do, what they are, what they do to the environment. Among them are thousands that save lives and improve our standard of living. Among them, too, are many that harm our health. If you strive to live ecologically:
- Cut down on your use of synthetic chemicals.
- Don't smoke cigarettes.
- Read labels so you know what is in the products you buy.
- Avoid purchasing clothes that need to be dry cleaned.
- Make your own pesticides and cleaning products.
6. Decide Which Companies To Patronize
The bottom line is what most manufacturers understand best. Hit them where they can feel it.
- Don't buy products by known polluters.
- Buy superior products from manufacturers who value ecological living.
How long can the biosphere support our consumptive lifestyles? Each time we buy something we must ask ourselves, "Do we really need it?" "How much is enough?" We must begin to walk softly upon this earth we all call home.
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