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Transition Fort Collins~~~ What We Need to Do to Save ourselves and the Earth! "HOW YOU LIVE IS YOUR TRUE RELIGION"…..Kelly O’Donnell copyright 2000

WAKE UP and realize your personal power~

101+ simple things you can do to live a sustainable life.
The day to day way you live your life is a great force.
Every item you purchase and the way you spend your time is projecting your future and the worlds future.
We are all Dreaming up our reality.
Take stock of your choices. The following is just a partial list to get your started thinking.
Every single thing you do or buy could be analyzed.
If you spray pesticides you might be polluting the ground water and poisoning the food chain.
If you do not compost your vegetable scraps, you are taking from the earth and not giving back.
If you are not living in a passively designed solar house, you are using more fossil fuels than you need to.
If you are smoking cigarettes, you are using farm land to produce disease in yourself and others.
If you buy lots of Barbies ,then you are supporting an unrealistic, ideal view of women for your children.
If you throw away any usable item into the landfill then you are polluting the earth.
If you are eating a lot of processed foods, you are wasting resources on excess packaging.
If you don’t have an open mind you are limiting your growth.
If you listen or watch too many commercials, you are being programmed with desires.
If you put labels on yourself or others beyond being a member of humanity then you are creating an US and Them reality.
If you are not treating others with love, then you are creating a world with out love.
If you don’t think about the effect of how you live and it’s consequences, then you are either unaware or selfish and don’t care.
So How can we live in Harmony with the Earth?
The following are some ideas. You can print this list as a check list if you like
.
In your home.~~~
Choose an apartment or build a home that has passive solar design which is large south facing windows with few north facing windows.
Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil.scrap metal etc.
Investigate local recycling centers that take items your garbage hauler doesn't (scrap paper, plastics, appliances etc.
Save your Vegetable kitchen scrapes for the compost pile.
Spread the compost you make - especially on polluted areas                Raising the soils organic activity planetwide by 1% would allow the earth to "absorb" more CO2 (carbon dioxide) thus halting > reversing global warming.
Try to avoid eating meat. It takes more land to produce 1lb of beef than grain which would feed alot more people on the earth.
Try to use phospate-free laundry and dish soaps.
Avoid the use of household pesticides.
Clean your windows with vinegar and water instead of chemical products.
Use cold water in the washer unless it's necessary to use warm or hot.
Use washable rags, not paper towels, for cleaning up spills and other household chores.
Crumpled-up newspapers are great for washing windows.
Use cloth diapers. The plastic in disposable diapers takes over 500 years to break down.
Use cloth, not paper, napkins.
Don't put hazardous substances down your drain or in your trash (paint thinner, furniture polish, etc.)
Don't use electrical appliances for things that you can do by hand.
Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic liners.
Re-use bread bags, butter tubs to store foods in, not plastic wraps or foils.
Re-use rechargable batteries.
Write to companies that send unwanted junk mail and ask them to take you off their list.
Try to send cards and pictures online to save trees or if you recieve a card, cut, save and try to reuse the front half if it isn't written on, or save as artwork.
Save you coat hangers and return them to the cleaners.
When possible, try to get information on line or at the Library as apposed to buying books or magazines.
Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop.
Donate $ to charity or give $ directly to poor families.
Try to fix things that break.
Make new things out of disgarded items.
If you see something good being thrown away, get it and if you can't use it give it to charity.
Don't leave water run needlessly.
Install a water saving shower head.
Take short showers.
Set your water heater at 130 degrees
Keep the fireplace damper tightly closed when not in use.
Glass doors on a fireplace saves energy.
Burn only seasoned wood in your fireplace.
Get a free energy audit.
Turn the heat down and wear a sweater.
In the Summer, a 5 degree highter temperature setting conserves energy when you're away during the day.
In the winter, lower the thermostat by on degree per hour for every hour you will be away or asleep.
Make insulated window quilts for windows and seal with magnetic strip at night or use velro and make a reusable plastic window cover or better yet totally block off north facing windows buy building a wall with insulation inside.
If possible, design the house with less windows on the north and more windows facing south for solar heat.
Earth berm the north side of buildings for increased insulation.
Avoid having high ceilings because heat rises and it will take more energy to heat that room, unless you live somewhere where heating isn't an issue..
Use floressent bulbs where possible and low wattage regular bulbs where possible.
Let hair dry naturally instead of using a blow dryer.
Hang clothes to dry
use reusable Gift bags instead of wrapping paper for gifts, or wrap gift boxes so that the lids can be opened instead of ripping the paper. Save all bows for next year Raise Chickens. Buy Local food.
in Your Yard.~~~
Start a compost pile.
Plant shrubs and trees in your backyard that provide food and shelter for birds and other creatures.
Put up bird houses and baths. Birdwatch - keep a life list.
Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.
Use organic fertilizers good old manure conditions soil instead of herbisides.
Learn about natural insect controls as alternatives to pesticides.
Landscape with plants that aren't prone to insect and fungus problems.
Ignore caterpillars and most native leaf chewing insects. Let birds and insect predators take care of them.
Use beer traps for slugs instead of baiting with poisons.
If you use pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, don't throw leftovers in the trash, down your drain or into a storm sewer.
Compost your leaves and yard debris or take them to a yard debris recycler. Burning them creates air polution and putting them in the trash takes up landfill space.
Use mulch to conserve water in your garden.
Xeriscape- Plant things that don't need much water.
Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.
Large espanses of lawn are not good habitat for other creatures, plus they usually must be maintained with chemicals and extensive watering. Dig up some of your grass and plant native shrubs or trees instead.
Plant short, dense shrubs close to your home's foundation to help insulate against cold.
Plant a windbreak of large evergreens 50ft beyond where the prevailing winds come from.
Plant shade trees on the south side of house. Leaves in summer shade and keep house cool. In winter the leaves fall and let the sun in.
On Vacation~~~
In the winter, turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you go.
Carry re-usable cups, dishes and flatware.
Make sure your plastic trash doesn't end up in the ocean.
Don't buy souvenirs made from wild animals.
Watch out for wildlife... give consideration to all living things you see crossing the road.
Build smaller camp fires.
Stay on the trail.
Don't pick flowers or collect wild creatures for pets..leave animals and plants where you find them.
In Your Car~~~
Drive sensibly...don't waste gas.
Keep your car tuned up.
Carpool
Use public transit.
Ride you bike or walk instead.
Recycle your engine oil.
Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
Recycle your old tires.
Keep your wheels aligned to save your tires.
Don't litter.
At your business~~~
Start an office recycling program for office and computer paper, cardboard, etc.
Use scrappaper for informal notes to yourself and others.
Print things on recycled paper.
Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
Use smaller paper for smaller memmos.
Re-Use manila envelopes and file folders.
Hide the throw-away cups and train people to bring their mugs to meetings.
Use Email instead of paper when possible.
Route things around the office or post non-urgent communications rather than making multiple copies.
Use the staires instead of the elevator.
Office building landscape doesn't have to be sterile lawns and bedding plants. Plant trees and shrubs the birds will like.
Xeriscape with low water ussage plants.
When you are shopping~~~
Don't buy food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers if there's an alternative. (Milk and egg cartons made of styrofoam can't be recycled and take fossil fuels to make.
Don't buy "disposable" anything. Paper plates and towes, styrophone cups, etc. are extravagant wastes of the world's resources.
If you must buy disposables...buy paper products rather than plastics, rather than styrofoam. The manufacture of styrofoam depletes the ozone layer.
Buy durable products and keep them a little longer. Cheap furniture, clothes and appliances often have short life spans.
Check the energy rating on major appilances you buy. Buy only energy efficient models.
Put your parcels into on big sack instead of collecting several small ones.
Take your own reusable cloth bags to the grocery store. Some stores will give you a bag credit.
Don't buy things with excess packaging (individually wrapped cheese slices, apples on a paper tray wrapped with cellophane etc.)
Buy in bulk: reduce pollution that comes from the manufacture and disposal of many small packages.
Don't buy products made from endangered animals
Ask questions...don't buy products that are hazardous to the environment or that were manufactured at the expense of important animal habitats.
Buy Locally grown food and locally made products when possible.
Buy organic foods that are grown with out the use of pesticides
Don't keep exotic pets
Personal efforts... ~~~
Join a conservation organization.
Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
Give money to worthy conservation/environmental causes.
Check you lifestyle...think about the effects of your daily actions on the environment.
Support your local zoo, but Circus's force animals into unatural situations and stress the animals so avoid these.
Save the Rainforests -if you eat no or less beef, they won't be burning down the rainforests to graze cows.
Vote for canidates that share your sentiments.
Read books and articles on wildlife and environmental issues.
Watch nature programs on T.V.
Subscribe to conservation or environmental publications. (on line if possible) Celebrate the Solstices to increase consciousness about the natural Solar Energy Cycle
Spread the word...~~~
Convert by example...encourage other people to save resources, too.
Convert a ghetto trashed lot into a garden.
Persaude or shame your family, friends and neighbors for not recycling, not being energy consious.etc.
Complain to merchants about excess packaging, use of plastics, etc.
Write letters to companies.
Patronize merchants who are environmentally conscious.
Write your legislators when you have and opinion about pending legislation on environmental, land use and other issues.
Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Help them to plant a tree, take them to the library to get nature books.
Send people to this website!
Pray, wish send positive thoughts into the universe that we will create a Eco-utopia on Earth.
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Email me if you have any other Earth Saving tips: Sunngypsie@aol.om