Guest guest Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Ecological Alternatives What you can do now......................................And further along ENERGY CONSUMPTION Turning lights off when not using them Low wattage lightbulbs, except in reading lamps Turning the heater down and wearing warmer clothes in winter; gentle air conditioning in summer, by opening the house in the cool night and keeping it closed in the day Less dependence on electric blankets, knives, toothbrushes, can openers, pencil sharpeners... Using the clothes drier only on wet days Less ironing Sharing the light -working near each other near windows or outside during the day Candles for soft evening light A well insulated house -rugs and wall hangings More clothing in winter, and little in summer Real blankets, or quilts and muscles -powered try health food! Hanging clothes in the sunshine, or, on wet days, on a clothes rack near the heater. No ironing! TRANSPORTATION Combining errands - one trip is better than three Public transportation whenever possible A low-horsepower car; keeping it in good condition Low-lead or unleaded gasoline -avoid overfilling Living near where you work or working near your home Walking, bike riding, spending more time in the neighborhood Converting your car to propane, or getting and even less pollutive one (or none at all!) Sharing rides Use your "consumer votes" for less pollutive products WATER Turning faucets off -all the way off! when not using them Careful dishwashing, using water and detergents sparingly Low-phosphate, biodegradible detergents Filling the bathtub less and bathing together Enjoying gentler or shorter showers, or showering together A brick in your toilet tank (saves about one quart of water per flush) Converting part of your lawn to a garden Planning for less pavement (let the rain soak in!) Turning water on gently just enough for what you need Fewer dishes - less dishwashing Try the one-bowl trip - Your bowl. Saving bath or shower water for washing clothes, pets, rugs Flushing less often Finding out about your local water treatment systems Liberating your soil by pulling up pavement SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS Avoiding all chlorinated hydrocarbons (such as DDT) and other persistent pesticides and herbicides Demanding leas toxic cleaning agents, gasolines, food additives, paints, plastics Organic gardening -no chemical fertilizers or pesticides Non-toxic fly paper, and keeping your garden and kitchen clean Rediscovering simpler solutions -like baking soda for cleanser, tooth powder, lemon fizz ! FOODS Organic fruits and vegetables -fresh or frozen (not in tin cans) Avoiding highly processed foods Using leftovers promptly, in casseroles, soups, salads-more creativity, less waste Enjoying a less carniverous diet -exploring vegetable proteins -nuts, whole grains, beans Buying in quantity to reduce packaging waste Growing your own fruits and vegetables organically; freezing or canning enough for year-round enjoyment Treating yourself to home-baked whole grain breads, homemade jam, fresh garden salads Raising some rabbits and chickens for meat and eggs Giving vegetable scrape to the chickens Composting, for rich, healthy soil Bee keeping, for honey CLOTHING Buying good quality clothes and shoes that will last Giving extra clothes and things to thrift stores Shopping in thrift stores and/or making your own clothes Having just a few clothes that you really dig (liberation!) HOUSING A small house - leas furniture, heating, lighting; more cozy Haying well-rated used appliances and good used furniture Sharing the Household with several friends Sharing major appliances (washing machine, freezer, sewing machine) with neighbors. Building some furniture Limiting family size and/or adopting children NOISE Keeping good mufflers on your internal combustion engines Turning off power tools after 10 PM Turning off the TV or radio when you're not listening Listening before you buy appliances such as beaters, blenders, vacuum cleaners Quieter transportation - like biking Hand crafting Playing your own music; listening to sounds of Nature More peaceful housework (consider the quietness of spoons and brooms... ) LITTER, CANS, GLASS, PLASTIC Stop littering! -set a good example for others Saving aluminum, tin, and glass for recycling Re-using polyethylene bags and other plastic containers when possible; returning non-reusable plastic to the manufacturer or distributor Taking time to pick up litter you see Going on cleanup parties Buying fewer cans, bottles, and plastics Reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or foil Reusing glass jars for homemade jams and fruits, and for storing dry beans, grains, and flours PAPER Saving newspapers and magazines for recycling Canceling subscriptions you don't read Reusing paper bags and boxes, and recycling extras Encouraging manufacturers to reuse packing cases Letting wet paper towels dry for reuse; buying only white tissue (the colored dye is non-biodegradlble) Using both sides of each sheet of paper- it takes about 17 trees to make just one ton of paper Reusing envelopes by pasting tables over former addresses Sharing reading materials with many friends Using the library Taking a tote-bag to the store Instead of buying paper towels, napkins, tissues- using sponges, dishtowels, rags in the kitchen; cloth napkins at table (if needed), cloth handkerchiefs Keeping a scratch-paper drawer Making your own envelopes out of paper used on one side, or folding the letter into its own envelope from the ECOLOGICAL LIVING HANDBOOK published 1970 by The center for Ecological Living 246 Center Avenue, Pacheco California 94553 ....and all this adds up to: less contact with machines, pavement, chemicals-more contact with Nature less dependence on shopping, driving, money-making- a simpler self-reliance leas craving, competition, fragmentation - more sharing, appreciating interrelationships -- All articles are reprinted just as they were published on the date indicated. Source listings, addresses and prices have not been updated; some details may have changed and terminology may be outmoded. http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1971_March_April/Ecological_Alternatives<http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1971_March_April/Ecological_Alternatives> "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."-- Mahatma Gandhi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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