Simple Ways to Help the Environment
Posted on January 19, 2008
Photo by iko
This is the first article that I have written on the environment, I really love nature and the outdoors and feel that it is our job as humans to take care of not only each other, but the wonderful place we call Earth. I am not an extremist when it comes to the environment, but I try to do the small things that can really make a difference. I have always been against WASTE! I hate to see a person WASTE their mind. I hate to see someone WASTE their passion. I hate to see someone WASTE energy or water. I hate to see WASTE in any form.
I have put together a list of simple things that everyone of us can do to help the environment. Each item on this list has probably been said before, but it is really time we ALL do our part and pitch in! This list is in no way all encompassing and here at the “Juice” I always love to hear your thought, opinions, and comments. Feel free to add your ideas and contributions to the list with a comment. Be sure to check out the links at the end of my list so you can see some ideas from others too.
1. Purchase local and organic foods! By purchasing local and organic foods you will help the environment in two different ways. Buying local foods not only helps your local farmers and economy, it has much less harmful impact on the environment. Think about it, the foods we purchase from over seas or even across the country must be shipped by rail, truck, ship, or plane. All these transportation means contribute to polluting the environment. Purchasing organic foods impact the environment in a friendly way too because commercial pesticides and fertilizers are not used on organic crops. Many commercial pesticides have been linked to causing cancer and disease.
2. Go digital! I know you are thinking what does going digital have to do with the environment. Well it actually has a lot to do with the environment if you think about it. Here are just a few ways that going “digital” can help the environment:
- Pay your bills online. Save your self the cost of a stamp, the merchant the cost of mailing a bill, and the environment a whole lot of wasted paper. Many banks will help you pay online for free or you can just go to directly to the merchant or vendors web site.
- Email instead of sending a thank you card, birthday card, letter, or invitation. I have always been a proponent of hand written notes, but there are so many ways now to make a digital message just a personal. Check out Evite, Blue Mountain, American Greetings, Hallmark, Hipster Cards, egreetings, and e-cards.
- Get rid of that old camera and buy a digital one. How many times have you thrown away pictures that were not good, out of focus, had someone’s head cut off, the lighting was bad or flash did not go off, or you just took a picture on accident. With a digital camera you can instantly see how good or bad the picture is and you can select the pictures that you print. This not only saves paper, it saves ink from the developer.
3. Stop all the junk mail! I personally did not know I could do this until researching for this article. I get at least 5 credit card offers every week and countless other pieces of mail that I never read or even open. It is so ridiculous the amount of wasted paper that companies send out every day. Below are two services that I’m personally going to try and encourage your to follow suit, unless you like junk mail then by all means skip to number 4.
- Direct Marketing Association – Mail Preference Service, allows you to remove your name from individual organizations mailing list and also remove your name from “prospect” list.
- Consumer Credit Reporting Industry – Opt-Out Prescreen, allows you to opt-out from receiving pre-screened or pre-approved credit and insurance offers.
4. Use water wisely. Use the water that you consume wisely, make sure that you are actually using the water and not letting it go down the drain. Stop the water off when you are brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, use aerators in your sinks and showers, use well designed, and low flow toilets (I recommend Toto). There are also many smart ideas to reduce water use out doors too. Use buckets to catch rain water to water your plants, water in the morning or evening so the water is not evaporated by the sun (watering at night will cause a fungus and mold problem in many areas), use the water from cooking to water indoor plants after it has cooled (don’t use water if it has a high salt concentration, it will kill your plants), use drip irrigation, and make sure you do not have any faucets dripping.
5. Make your home more efficient. Make sure you stop all those pesky drafts and leaks in your HVAC system. Check out EnergyStar’s tips on containing leaks and improving your home’s efficiency. Replace your windows with energy efficient ones. Use a programmable thermostat (they start at $30) to control your home’s heating and cooling. Use cold water to wash your clothes.
Other great list
The Good Human – Top 10+ Ways to Save Money and Help the Environment
Bangalla – Ten Easy Ways to Help the Environment
Practical Environmentalist – 21 Practical Ways to Help the Environment
The Positivity Blog – 20 Simple Ways to Help the Environment by Using Your Computer
Mitchieville – 5 Simple Ways to Help the Environment
How to Save the World – Ten Simple Ways to Help the Environment
Thinkquest.org – Ways to Help the Environment
Cosmo Girl – Ten Steps to Living Green
National Home Gardening Club – Five Easy Ways to Help the Environment
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