Do this |
Because |
|
| Buy "clean" and "cruelty-free" gold and diamonds |
Gold
production is tremendously damaging to the environment and often
happens in places with few regulations to prevent such eco-damage.
Google "dirty gold" to find better alternatives. Same with diamonds.
Additionally, diamond trade may support civil wars and horrible actions
against people. And where there is no peace and justice there cannot be
a clean environment. |
significant |
| "Regift" unwanted items |
Regifting
means giving away the presents you do not want to someone who may like
them. There is no good reason to keep (or throw away) what you do not
like to have. Giving it to another person reduces the need for the
production of a new item. Giving it back to the person you got it from
may raise uncomfortable questions but also offers a good opportunity to
talk about the environment. |
significant |
| Say "No" more often |
It is not your children`s fault to try to get what they can. That is
natural. You giving in is the problem and it may damage the environment
depending on the request. Deny requests by your children, or other
dependents to be transported everywhere anytime, receive eco-negative
gifts, travel around the planet, eat meat every day, etc. Start early
to raise the consciousness about eco-positive alternatives and it will
be easier later. |
significant |
| Register for the Green Party |
Depending
on your state, they may get some money depending on the number of
registered voters. And if there is one political party that focuses on
the environment, this is the one. |
noticeable |
| Quit small-talking when other cars are waiting |
The
longer you take at tolls, drive-throughs, border crossings, etc., the
more the cars (unless turned off) pollute. Hurry up! Talk on the phone
with your friends. Make friends when there is no one waiting whith an
engine running. |
noticeable |
| Use unwaxed, not coated paper cups, plates, etc. |
If the paper is not coated you can at least recycle or compost the stuff. |
not enough |
| Join your local library |
Printing,
selling, and buying books you only read once requires much more energy
and causes more pollution than sharing the item with others in a
library. |
not enough |
| Collect (your) dog's droppings in compostable bags |
That
way you can pitch them in your backyard where they decompose to be good
fertilizer. It may be better to keep it away from vegetable gardens
though. |
noticeable |
| Avoid gift wrapping with new paper |
Use
reusable gift bags. Use natural materials. Use recycled paper. Use
gift-wrapping paper that was made locally. Hide the presents instead of
wrapping them. There are many other options that pollute less than
using new paper (as well as decorative accessories made from plastic)
that has to be manufactured and that has such a short life-span. |
noticeable |
| Join a natural burial cemetery |
Most
of us pollute even after we are dead! Traditional cemetaries pollute by
constant maintenance of the property with fossil fuel powered machines
and pesticides, embalming your body with toxic preservatives, dressing
it in clothes that may not decay, and burying it in a coffin made from
materials that lasts for decades. In a natural burial cemetaries or
eco-cemetaries your body will be buried without being treated with
preservatives inside a natural container or cloth and in an environment
that will take care of your body the way nature intended it to do. |
significant |
| Have your body prepared for cremation |
The
human body is not all organic in many cases. Make sure that materials
that should not be burned (such as tooth fillings containing mercury)
are removed before your body is cremated. |
not enough |
| Donate your organs to a "green" person |
It
is not always possible, but it may be something to consider because
donating your organs to a person who lives a polluting live results in
more pollution even though your live has ended. On the other hand,
donating your organs to a person who spends her/his life living with
less impact may result in spreading the word a bit further and this way
reducing pollution. No guarantee though. |
noticeable |
| Have few children |
The
urge to have children is very natural. Unfortunately, having just a
single child in North America means that you increase pollution levels
significantly because North Americans pollute so much. Even if you plan
to raise a model citizen who does not pollute and will be an activist
in the struggle for a clean environment, this is just a plan. It may
turn out to be the opposite. Having just one or two children may not
result in any reduction. Not having children pollutes less for sure. |
significant |
| Read news online- Avoid newspaper delivery |
Thousands
of tons of paper are used for printing newspaper every day. It goes in
the paper recycling or garbage after only a short while. Newspaper home
delivery pollutes if it is done by car or other vehicle that requires
fossil fuels to move. Often each paper gets delivered in a plastic bag.
Getting such short-lived information online requires much less energy
and creates less pollution. Just don't print what you find online. |
significant |
| "Walk-in" rather than "Drive-thru" |
If
you choose drive-thru you pollute more than parking your car, turning
off the engine, and going inside. Of course opening the door of a
building that has A/C running pollutes a bit, but maybe one day the
decision makers change dress codes that require A/C and stop using it. |
significant |
Use e-mail rather than the postal service |
Letters,
cards, bills, invoices, receipts, orders, ... all this can be sent via
electronic mail reliably, much faster, and with less pollution than
driving or flying a physical item to its destination. Paper is not
needed, does not need to be recycled, nobody feels guilty for not
knowing where to put/store the sent items, and in most cases the
message arrives just fine. |
significant |
| Talk to your post office to not receive junk mail |
They may be able to leave a note on your mailbox so that you do not receive mail that is not addressed to you. |
noticeable |
| Cancel catalog mailings and magazines |
The
fewer paper you receive in the mail, the less you pollute. Don't blame
them for sending you stuff you do not need or have time to read. The
senders believe it works for them, otherwise they would not do it. You
have to call and tell them to stop. Shop or read online instead. |
noticeable |
| Choose carefully which magazines you really need |
Magazines
and newspapers have to be printed and transported. They also require
paper which then needs to be recycled. Computers need electricity, but
most likely you go read only what you really want to read. Make sure to
not receive magazines in the mail you do not have time to read. |
noticeable |
| Re-use shipping containers and supplies |
Re-using
containers and supplies results in less need for the productions of
those items. Keep boxes, cushioning materials, ribbons, decorative
ties, wrapping paper, etc. until you need to use it again yourself. |
noticeable |
| Choose your Christmas tree wisely |
Christmas
trees are grown on tree farms. They are most likely exposed to
human-made pesticides (which use energy to be manufactured and pollute)
that end up in your living room for you and your family to enjoy.
Depending on where you live, the trees get hauled by truck from far
away locations. If you have to have such holiday decoration, at least
buy organic and from a local source. How about decorating a house
plant, or the tree in your yard? |
noticeable |
| Buy LED holiday lights |
If you really need to buy decorative holiday lights, at least buy LED lights. They use a lot less energy and will last hundreds of times longer. |
noticeable |
| Put holiday decoration on timer |
Putting
your holiday lights on a timer will pollute less since you can program
the lights to be only on at times when it makes sense, meaning when it
is dark and many people are still out and about. At other times the
lights are turned off and less electricity is consumed - less pollution
occurs. Of course you could just turn them on and off manually, but
some people forget. |
not enough |
| Have no holiday decoration that uses electricity |
Not
using electricity to celebrate holidays requires less electricity
production and pollutes less, especially if your electricity is made by
burning fossil fuels. |
significant |
| Avoid printing receipts at gas stations |
If
you have the choice do not get receipts printed. Saves electricity,
paper, maintenance, etc. Less pollution is the result. Not much though.
|
not enough |
| Have a plant-eating pet |
Dogs
and cats pollute more because the production of meat costs so much
energy and is so inefficient. At least feed your meat-eating pet
organic products. Of course, there may not be much real meat in the
food your dog/cat is eating. But how about a
goat/llama/rat/chinchilla/sheep/etc.? |
noticeable |
| Watch fewer movies and less TV |
Watching
TV, DVDs, or video at home requires some electricity and manufacturing
costs. Going to a movie theater adds energy requirements for
transportation, building maintenance, heating, and A/C. Furthermore the
production of movies and TV shows costs a lot of energy and resources.
Generally, the environmental impact of television productions or movies
is not considered at all. What decides is good, old-fashioned
marketing. If it looks better and/or is cheaper - it is done. And
polluting is still cheap. |
noticeable |
| Get local flowers that are grown organically |
Fresh flowers grow with the help of man-made herbicides and
insecticides, occasionally in heated green houses, are transported in
air-conditioned trucks, maybe even airplanes, are stored in coolers to
stay fresh longer, and are often grown in areas where environmental
regulations are less tough. All of this pollutes. Avoid the pollution
that comes with "regular" fresh flowers, avoid exotic flowers, and
choose local flowers that are grown organically. Best: Ask a local
farmer if you can pick some flowers on their property. |
not enough |
| Shovel snow |
Shoveling
the snow rather than blowing it or plowing creates no pollution. Hire
some kids to do it if you cannot or do not want to do it. It depends on
the length of your drive way too. Shorter drive ways are better. |
significant |
