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Water We may not be aware of it, but drinking
from a specialty water bottle may be making a personal statement or
wealth statement about us that the leading water companies are hoping
that we'll want to make. Even though these specialty water's
aren't sometimes any more beneficial to us than the water from our own
kitchen, many of us have bought into the image and hype. Our
theory is that in the next few years, anyone carrying a consumable
plastic water bottle around will be looked at with disgust by the newer
green-living people, much like the huge SUV and Hummer drivers are
treated with disdain today. Plastic bottles are clogging up our
landfills and often times are not being recycled. Tap water is
free. If you don't like the taste of your local water you can
purchase a filter
( waterfiltercomparisons.net ) for your faucet or purchase a Brita or
similar water pitcher. It's certainly cheaper than buying all of those
plastic bottles. After all, you're not paying for the water (it's
free in America). You're paying for the opportunity to carry
around a label-rich bottle and provide them with free advertising while
you sip your free water.
Lighting
Turn off the lights when you leave a room like mom said.
Florescent bulbs do save a bunch of energy, but we're not a fan of the
ugly yellow light they put out. Who looks good in that? If you get
them, seek out the one's that put out the whitest light. Of course
in storage areas and the laundry room, who cares if the lighting is
yellow.
www.Energystar.gov
Eat less Beef and Meat
It takes many more acres to raise a cow that feeds
only a few people than it does to raise potatoes or grain that can feed
hundreds or thousands.
Buy Local Vegetables / Fruits / Meats / Honey's
Foods purchased from your local producer or farmers
market is not only tastier but also cheaper. Food travels shorter
distances to get to you. Check out localharvest.org for markets in your
area.
Buy Recycled
Buying recycled Toilet paper, paper towels, copy paper and more can save
hundreds or thousands of trees over your lifetime. Isn't it worth
it? See
www.StopGlobalWarming.org
Plant a Tree
Visit www.Arborday.org to see
which trees will work best in your climate.
Habitat for Humanity runs Salvage Stores in many communities,
under the name ReStore featuring all sorts of home building items, most
of which is salvaged stuff from rehabilitated homes.
Stop the Junk Mail
Subscription Services
www.Greendimes.com and
www.41pounds.org promise they can lighten your junk mail load.
Remove your name from the lists outlined from this site and stop credit
card offers, supermarket mailers etc.:
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm
InfoMiss News You Can Use
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The Bathroom
Regarding Pee and Poop: If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown
flush it down. It's just an option.
Cleaning Solvents
Check out the green products like Greening the Cleaning at
www.imusranchfoods.com or make your own cleansers. Vinegar,
Baking Soda and lemon Juice make a handy cleanser. Other tips at:
www.eartheasy.com
Recycling Facts
#1. (PET) Cardboard, Newspaper, Office paper
#2. (HDPE) plastic, aluminum, steal + glass
*Most cities recycle most valuable items that make up of our waste.
*Easiest to recycle – Clothes (reused) to charities. Aluminum cans
– cleaned and melted.
* Difficult – Milk cartons, plastic, foil, tennis shoes (materials must
be separated before plastic can be recycled)
Office products commonly recycled are paper (twice) corrugated,
cardboards, aluminum cans. |
