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20 Green life tips... ;)
- Avoid the toxic chemicals (and high price tags) of many commercial cleaning products by making your own. A teaspoon of liquid soap or borax dissolved in a quart of warm water makes a dandy all-purpose cleaner. For tougher jobs, use one-half cup borax, one-half teaspoon liquid soap, and a splash of vinegar in two gallons of warm water.
- Feeling fishy? Opt for Wild Alaskan or Pacific salmon over the farmed kind. It’s better for you, and the ocean. To download a handy reference guide to potentially dangerous or overfished seafood, go to sierraclub.org/mercury/fishguide.pdf.
- Food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,000 miles to reach our plates -- but not if you buy it from one of the more than 1,200 small U.S. farms that offer fresh produce "subscriptions." Find one near you at foodroutes.org.
- When traveling, look for a hotel that is working to save water and energy and reduce waste. Get listings at greenhotels.com or greenseal.org/programs/lodging_propertie
- Little steps add up. If organic foods made up just 10 percent of everyone’s diet, it would restore more than 6 billion pounds of carbon to our soil, and eliminate more than 2 million pounds of antibiotics used in livestock and more than 2 billion barrels of imported oil annually. Find out more at Mission Organic 2010, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=k
- Change a light, change the world: If every U.S. household replaced its most commonly used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, we'd cut our electricity use for lighting in half -- and lower our annual CO2 emissions by about 62.5 million tons.
- The main solvent used in dry-cleaning, perchloroethylene (or perc), is a likely carcinogen that also contaminates our soil and water. Opt for greener alternatives like wet cleaning (a kind of high-tech version of hand-washing) and liquid-CO2 dry cleaning. Or just avoid clothes that require dry cleaning in the first place.
- Only 10 percent of cosmetic ingredients have been screened for safety. Find out what's in your favorite brand at safecosmetics.org.
- More than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste is dumped into landfills each year. Find a responsible recycler for your old computer at http://www.computertakeback.com/.
- Americans use 400 million miles of toilet paper each year. Look for recycled rolls with at least 20 percent postconsumer content.
- A hefty portion of the 100 million pounds of household pesticides Americans purchase each year is poured on their lawns and yards and can end up in streams and groundwater. Find out how to tend your turf organically at safelawns.org.
- While we have focused on recycling and re-using, many of us have ignored the importance of reducing. Consider what goes into making the products we thoughtlessly buy and the impact they have on the environment. Do you really need another coffee mug?
- Clothes dryers use the equivalent of 58 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year nationally. Why not give a clothesline a try? Get tips from Project Laundry List, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=9
- Why burn coal every time you flip a light switch? Find local providers of renewable energy at green-e.org.
- Even in cold climates, homes can be weaned off fossil fuels with a remodel that integrates passive solar techniques. A sunroom, double-paned south-facing windows, and overhangs can create a bright, efficient abode. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association provides good resources at nesea.org/buildings/passive.
- Next time you peel your oranges, tangerines or citrus fruits, instead of tossing the peels or composting immediately, place in a small dish and leave in your bathroom for fresh and fragrant natural potpourri.
- Green your kitty by switching to biodegradable corn litter, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=j
- Keep your coffee green. Not only is fair trade the way to go, but you can forget the filter too. Use a coffee press for your morning beverage. Not only will you save money and waste on filters, but you'll also have some of the best tasting coffee around! Don't forget to compost the grounds -- your garden will love it.
- Take time once a week to take action and contact your representative about supporting environmental initiatives. Look for your representative's webform online to cut down on paper.
- You can go to freecycle.org for almost everything now. It saves the planet by recycling household items. You can place unwanted items on their website frequently. Something that would have possibly been thrown out now has a home and will continue to have a home because you can pass it back to freecycle when you have no need for it. You cannot imagine the money saved either!
- Feeling fishy? Opt for Wild Alaskan or Pacific salmon over the farmed kind. It’s better for you, and the ocean. To download a handy reference guide to potentially dangerous or overfished seafood, go to sierraclub.org/mercury/fishguide.pdf.
- Food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,000 miles to reach our plates -- but not if you buy it from one of the more than 1,200 small U.S. farms that offer fresh produce "subscriptions." Find one near you at foodroutes.org.
- When traveling, look for a hotel that is working to save water and energy and reduce waste. Get listings at greenhotels.com or greenseal.org/programs/lodging_propertie
- Little steps add up. If organic foods made up just 10 percent of everyone’s diet, it would restore more than 6 billion pounds of carbon to our soil, and eliminate more than 2 million pounds of antibiotics used in livestock and more than 2 billion barrels of imported oil annually. Find out more at Mission Organic 2010, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=k
- Change a light, change the world: If every U.S. household replaced its most commonly used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, we'd cut our electricity use for lighting in half -- and lower our annual CO2 emissions by about 62.5 million tons.
- The main solvent used in dry-cleaning, perchloroethylene (or perc), is a likely carcinogen that also contaminates our soil and water. Opt for greener alternatives like wet cleaning (a kind of high-tech version of hand-washing) and liquid-CO2 dry cleaning. Or just avoid clothes that require dry cleaning in the first place.
- Only 10 percent of cosmetic ingredients have been screened for safety. Find out what's in your favorite brand at safecosmetics.org.
- More than 2.5 million tons of electronic waste is dumped into landfills each year. Find a responsible recycler for your old computer at http://www.computertakeback.com/.
- Americans use 400 million miles of toilet paper each year. Look for recycled rolls with at least 20 percent postconsumer content.
- A hefty portion of the 100 million pounds of household pesticides Americans purchase each year is poured on their lawns and yards and can end up in streams and groundwater. Find out how to tend your turf organically at safelawns.org.
- While we have focused on recycling and re-using, many of us have ignored the importance of reducing. Consider what goes into making the products we thoughtlessly buy and the impact they have on the environment. Do you really need another coffee mug?
- Clothes dryers use the equivalent of 58 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year nationally. Why not give a clothesline a try? Get tips from Project Laundry List, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=9
- Why burn coal every time you flip a light switch? Find local providers of renewable energy at green-e.org.
- Even in cold climates, homes can be weaned off fossil fuels with a remodel that integrates passive solar techniques. A sunroom, double-paned south-facing windows, and overhangs can create a bright, efficient abode. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association provides good resources at nesea.org/buildings/passive.
- Next time you peel your oranges, tangerines or citrus fruits, instead of tossing the peels or composting immediately, place in a small dish and leave in your bathroom for fresh and fragrant natural potpourri.
- Green your kitty by switching to biodegradable corn litter, (http://action.sierraclub.org/site/R?i=j
- Keep your coffee green. Not only is fair trade the way to go, but you can forget the filter too. Use a coffee press for your morning beverage. Not only will you save money and waste on filters, but you'll also have some of the best tasting coffee around! Don't forget to compost the grounds -- your garden will love it.
- Take time once a week to take action and contact your representative about supporting environmental initiatives. Look for your representative's webform online to cut down on paper.
- You can go to freecycle.org for almost everything now. It saves the planet by recycling household items. You can place unwanted items on their website frequently. Something that would have possibly been thrown out now has a home and will continue to have a home because you can pass it back to freecycle when you have no need for it. You cannot imagine the money saved either!
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