Sustainable Living

What We Need to Do to Save ourselves and the Earth!

WAKE UP and realize your personal power and invite others to Transition Fort Collins
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.

HOW YOU LIVE IS YOUR TRUE RELIGION…..Kelly O’Donnell copyright 2000

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.
_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)

Email me if you have any other Earth Saving tips: Info A T TheSuntribe