50 Things That you can do
- Stop Junk Mail
- Snip Six-Pack Rings
- Use a Clean Detergent
- Aerate Your Faucet
- New Ingredients
- Tanks, But No Tanks
- Make a Phone Call
- Brush Up On Paint
- Time to Retire
- Home on the Range
- Don't Go With the Flow
- Gas Station Ecology
- The Twilight Ozone
- Your Gas is as Good as Mine
- Recharge your Batteries
- Attention Shoppers
- Find the Hidden Toxins
- Leave it a Lawn
- Stamp Out Styrofoam
- It's a Beach
- Buyer Beware
- Pests & Pets
- Make it a Royal Flush
- Air-Power your Shower
- Recycle Motor Oil
- Tune up the Heat
- Light Right
- Don't Let Go
- Reuse Old News
- Recycle Glass
- Don't Can Your Aluminum
- Precycle
- Use Cloth Diapers
- Put it to Work....at Work
- Recycle The Rest
- Build a Backyard Wildlife Refuge
- Help Protect the Rainforest
- The Great Escape
- Plant a Tree
- Prevent Pests Naturally
- What a Waste!
- Carpool to Work
- Start Composting
- Install a Greywater Tank
- Drive Less
- Eat Low on the Food Chain
- Start a Recycling Program
- Xeriscape
- Stay Involved
- Spread The Word
Stop Junk Mail
Did You Know?
- Americans receive over 2 million tons of junk mail every year
- About 44% of junk mail is never even opened up or read
- The average American spends nearly 8 full months of their life opening
junk mail
- Junk mail is made possible by the bulk rate offered by the US Postal
Service
- If only 100,000 people stopped their junk mail, we could save about
150,000 trees annually.
What You Can Do: Recycle the junk mail that you receive
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Snip Six-Pack Rings
Did You Know?
- Plastic Six-Pack rings are virtually invisible underwater, so marine life
often cannot avoid them
- Gulls and Terns often get them caught around their necks while fishing and
strangle
- Young animals get them caught around their necks and as they grow strangle
and die
What Can You Do: Recycle the rings with your plastic or snip the rings so that no animal can
get caught in the rings.
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Use A Clean Detergent
Did You Know?
- You may be using a high-phosphate detergent without realizing it.
- Phosphates are not necessary
What You Can Do: Use a natural organic detergent. Several manufacturers, including
Shaklee Inc., have phosphate free liquid and powdered laundry concentrates
that work just as well as, if not better than, popular brands.
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Aerate Your Faucet
Did you Know?
- The normal faucet flow is about 3 to 5 gallons of water per minute (gpm).
What you can do: Install a low flow aerator or contact your local plumber for more water
saving options
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New Ingredients
Did you Know?
- your coffee filters, paper towels, etc. are white because they're
bleached. but this isn't a benign aesthetic; the process of bleaching
paper is responsible for creating dioxin, a deadly toxic which has been
dumped into American waterways.
- in many cases, paper is bleached despite the fact we rarely look at it.
for example; Americans buy millions of bleached coffee filters every year,,
and then throw them away after one use.
- To make plastic wrap cling, manufacturers add "plasticizers," potentially
harmful chemical that can work their way into you food.
What you can do: Use
reusable containers, use unbleached coffee filters or a multi-use filter,
clean with rags, etc.
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Tanks, But No Tanks
Did you Know?
- Many people keep their water heaters at 140°,
hotter than needed. Not only does it waste energy but it reduces the
life of the unit.
- For every 10° you turn down your water
heater, you save 6% of the energy used.
What You Can Do: Keep your water heater set at around 130°.
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Make a Phone Call
Did you Know?
- Just making a phone call to your utility
company can provide you with information to save energy and money.
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Brush Up On Paint
Did you Know?
- According to the San Francisco Household
Waste Facility, paint and paint products account for 60% of the hazardous
waste dumped by individuals.
- Not only oil-based paint is toxic, but the
by-products of manufacturing are nasty pollutants.
- Disposing of any paint by pouring it onto the
ground is risking groundwater contamination. And letting any oil-based
paint products evaporate pollutes the atmosphere.
What Can You Do: Keep you paint lids on tight. Call your
local waste authority and find out how best to dispose of paint and paint
products.
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Time To Re-Tire?
Did you know?
- Tire inflation preserves the life of the tire
- Tire inflation reflects on the fuel economy
of your vehicle
- Recycling tires takes 71% of the energy to
produce new rubber for tires
What you can do: Keep your tire properly inflated, drive less,
and recycle your old tires.
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Home On the Range
Did you know?
- If all consumers raised the settings of their
air conditioners by 6 degrees, we could save 190,000 barrels of oil every day
- More than 25% of the average city apartment
dweller's electrical costs goes to refrigerators
- Washing machines use about 14% of the water
consumed in the home
- Microwaves use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much energy
as conventional ovens. Toaster ovens are more energy efficient too
What you can do: Keep your appliances clean and they will run
more efficiently. Turn down the AC just 6 degrees.
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Don't Go With The Flow
Did you know?
- A running faucet puts 3 to 5 gallons of water
down the drain every minute
- You can easily use 5 gallons of water if you
leave the tap run while you are brushing your teethe
- Washing dishes with the tap running can use
an average of 30 gallons of water
- If you shave with the water running you use
an estimated 10 to 20 gallons of water
- If you wash your car at home with a hose you
use about 150 gallons of water
What you can do: Do not let the tap run when it is not needed,
and wash your car in an automatic car wash or use a bucket and sponge to rinse
also.
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Gas Station Ecology
Did you know?
- Butane is a component of gasoline and when
you pump fuel the vapors are released into the air and add to the greenhouse
gasses
What you can do: Let your vehicle get lower on fuel and then fill
the tank from empty. Less of the vapors will escape this way.
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The Twilight Ozone
Did you know?
- Freon from air conditioners creates CFC's
which deplete the ozone
- 10% of the aerosol sprays still you CFCs
What you can do: You the air conditioning only when you must, and
by spray bottles instead of aerosols and if you must but aerosols buy those with
no CFCs
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Your Gas is as Good as Mine
Did you know?
- Autos and light trucks emit 20% of this
country's fossil fuel carbon dioxide-The key ingredient in the "greenhouse
effect"
- The amount of CO2 a car emits is directly
related to the amount of gas it uses.
- Cars give off 20 lbs. of CO2 for every gallon
of gas consumed
- Cars also cause acid rain by emitting
34% of the nitrogen oxide spewed out in the U.S. That is more than 7
million tons every year
- Cars emit 27% of the hydrocarbons that cause
tree killing, lung damaging ozone smog.
What you can do: Keep your car tuned up well. This will
reduce emissions. Keep track of your gas mileage, if there is a sudden
drop you can catch the problem early and fix it.
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Recharge Your Batteries
Did you know?
- Prolonged exposure to mercury can not only
make you sick, but can even effect behavior. In the 1600's hatmakers who
used mercury to treat felt and fur began acting strangely. Since no one
knew that the hatters were showing the effects of mercury poisoning it was
assumed that they were just going crazy.
- About 50% of the mercury and 25% of the
cadmium used in the U.S. goes to batteries
- The average annual use of mercury in
batteries exceeds the federal limits on mercury allowed in garbage by 4 times
What you can do: Buy and use rechargeable batteries
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Attention Shoppers
Did you know?
- Plastic shopping bags are not biodegradable
- Paper shopping bags are never made from
recycled materials because manufacturers say they need the long fibers they
can only get from the virgin pulp.
What you can do: Take your own reusable canvas bags to the store
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Find the Hidden Toxins
Did you know?
- Permanent-press cloths and no iron linins are
treated with formaldehyde resin in such a way that it becomes a permanent part
of the fiber, and result in toxic fumes in the home.
- Air fresheners do not actually freshen the
air. They coat and deaden your nasal passages with oil. Many of
these oils contain chemicals such as; xylene ethanol, naphthalene, etc.
- Mothballs "Made from 100%
paradichlorobenzene," which is harmful to your liver and kidneys.
What you can do: Buy a good air purifier that will remove the
toxins from the air instead of adding them. Buy clothing and linins that
are not permanent press and use an iron. There are many organic pest
control products that are safe for anyone of any age to use an will not effect
pets or children.
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Leave it a Lawn
Did you know?
- Home owners use up to 10 times more toxic
chemicals per acre than farmers
- The average home owner uses 5 to 10 pounds of
pesticide per lawn, with a national total of about 25 to 50 million ponds.
What you can do: Shaklee's Basic H cleaner is used by many to
keep pests from their lawn and home, as it is 100% organic, non-toxic, and safe
it even fertilizes the lawn. And at around $12.00 for a bottle that makes
48 gallons it will benefit your wallet at the same time!
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Stamp Out Styrofoam
Did you know?
- Polystyrene foam is completely
non-biodegradable
- Because of it's very structure it takes up a
lot of space in the landfills
What you can do: Do everything you can to avoid buying products
that are packaged with it, and let the companies know that you are against them
using it for packaging and that there are alternatives to foam packaging.
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It's a Beach
Did you know?
- Every year on September 23, the Center for
Marine Conservation sponsors a nationwide 3 hour beach clean-up.
- It is quite effective
- Taking the garbage from the beach saves
millions of lives.
What you can do: Get involved with a beach clean-up at your
favorite beach you go to on vacation. Three hours out of your vacation
will not ruin it, and if everyone did the same your favorite spot would be
beautiful and clean for years to come.
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Buyer Beware
Did you know?
- 25 years ago there were 1.5 million elephants
in Africa, but because of poaching and the market for their ivory there are
only 750,000
- Many dolphins are still being killed by tuna
fisherman
What you can do: Boycotting really works well. If
enough people boycott a product and state the reasons for the boycott companies
will mend their ways. Without consumers to purchase a product there is no
reason for it harvest and or production.
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Pests and Pets
Did you know?
- An estimated 50 million flee collars are
discarded annually
- The pesticide on some flea collars finds its
effectiveness in permanent nerve damage
- The Chemicals found on flea collars can cause
liver damage, and the DDVP on the collar is a carcinogen.
What you can do: Order citrus oil sprays, or adding brewer's
yeast or garlic to your pet's food
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Make it a Royal Flush
Did you know?
- Each time you flush your toilet uses 5 to 7
gallons of water
- You can get a low cost displacement device
which will lower the amount of water held in your tank
What you can do: Call your plumber and have him/her install a
displacement unit or tank
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Air-Power Your Shower
Did you know?
- Shower account for about 32% of the water used in the home
- According to the Department of Energy heating water is "the 2'nd largest
residential energy user."
What you can do: Install a low-flow shower head. It will save on the water
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Recycle your Motor Oil
Did you know?
- Some experts say that 40% of the pollution in America's waterways is from
used crankcase oil.
- About 2.1 million tons of used oil finds it's way into our streams every
year
- Pouring oil into a sewer is like pouring it directly into a stream or
river
- Tossing oil in the trash is essentially the same thing as pouring it out.
The oil will be dumped in a landfill, where it will eventually seep into the
ground
What you can do: Recycle your used oil
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Tune Up the Heat
Did you know?
- According to Worldwatch, home heating is responsible for spewing 350
million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year.
- About 12% of U.S. emissions of sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide come from
home heating
- if you heating system is running inefficiently, 30 to 50% of the energy it
uses is wasted.
What you can do: Have your furnace cleaned and tuned up. Make sure that it is working
properly and you will not only be helping the earth but your wallet at the same
time
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Light Right
Did you know?
- Compact fluorescent lights use 1/4 of the power a standard bulb uses
- A standard bulb lasts about 750 hours, but the fluorescent last 7,500 to
10,000 hours
What you can do: Use compact fluorescent bulbs
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Don't Let Go
Did you know?
- Balloons released at special events can travel hundreds of miles
- When a balloon lands in the water, they quickly lose their color and
appear like a jellyfish which are some marine animals favorite food
- for some odd reason squids seem to gather around plastic in the water and
sperm whales love to eat squid. So when they eat the squid they end up
eating the balloon also
What you can do: Do not release balloons
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Reuse Old News
Did you know?
- Americans use 50 million tons of paper annually
- Making new paper from old paper uses 30 to 50% less energy
What you can do: Recycle paper.
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Recycle glass
Did you know?
- The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100
watt light bulb for 4 hours
- Al glass bottles and jars can be recycled
- Glass produced from recycled glass instead of raw material reduces
related air pollution
- Because glass takes so long to decompose the bottle you threw away will be
in the landfill for about 3000 years
What can you do: Recycle glass
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Don't Can Your Aluminum
Did you know?
- If you throw an aluminum can out of your car window, it will still litter
the Earth up to 500 years
- If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than is used
daily by each of a billion human beings in poorer lands
- The energy saved from recycling one can will power a TV for three hours
What you can do: Recycle your aluminum
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Precycle
Did you know?
- Each American uses about 190 pounds of plastic a year
- About 30% of plastic produced is for packaging
- Roughly 5 million tons-more than half of all the plastics we throw away
each year-are packaging
What you can do: Recycle plastic
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Use Cloth Diapers
Did you know?
- About 1% of all of America's landfill space is occupied by disposable
diapers. They can take up to 500 years to decompose in a landfill.
- Cotton diapers can be reused 100 times
- Manufacturers recommend that people wash out disposable diapers before
discarding them, but only about 5% of us do
- Environmental Action estimates that because of disposable that because of
disposable diapers, "3 million toms of untreated feces and urine end up
in landfills rather than in the sewage system every year."
What you can do: Use disposable diapers
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Put It To Work...At Work
Did you know?
- The Average office worker throws away about 180 pound of high grade
recyclable paper every year
- Each ton of recycled paper saves more than 3 cubic yards of landfill space
- Every ton of recycled paper is collected from office buildings and
industrial plants for recycling
What you can do: Get your work place to recycle their paper waste or do it yourself.
Take the initiative and do the right thing
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Recycle the Rest
Did you know?
- We'll repeat it: In the U.S., we throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles
every hour
- Recycled plastic can be used to make a number of different products
What you can do: Recycle your plastic
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Build a Backyard Wildlife Refuge
Did you know?
- You can attract specific animals to your garden with certain plants
- Animals that are active in the daytime will visit yards if shelter such as
walls a shrubs is provided
- Birds are often desperate for water in the winter, when the ground is
frozen. A heated bird bath can help hundreds of birds
What you can do: Plant bushes and trees in your yard and make it more attractive for the local
wildlife to visit
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Help Protect the Rainforests
Did you know?
- Even though the rainforest take up only 7% of the earths surface they
support over half of the worlds animal and plant life
- 80% of the deforestation of the rain forest has taken place since the
1980's
- Deforestation contributes to 10 to 30% of the CO2 emissions
What you can do: Support organizations that are active in conservation of the rainforest.
Consider alternatives to tropical hardwoods. Boycott companies that are
involved with the deforestation of the rainforest
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The Great Escape
Did you know?
- If every gas heated home was properly insulated the natural gas saved
annually would be enough to heat 4 million homes
- Nearly half of all the energy used in our homes is wasted
- Attic insulation can save 5% or more on heating costs
What you can do: Have your home checked by a qualified professional and properly insulated
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Plant a Tree
Did you know?
- In some places deforestation is proceeding at a run away rate
- When trees in a forest die naturally or are responsibly harvested the
trees are replaced
What you can do: Plant a tree
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Prevent Pests
Did you know?
- Ironically, pesticides don't seem to be improving agricultural yield
- According to the EPA, at least 74 pesticides have been found in the
groundwater of 38 states
What you can do: Buy organically grown food or even have your own organic garden
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What a Waste
Did you know?
- Hazardous wastes often found around the home include: paints and paint
thinners, car batteries, mothballs, drain cleaners, batteries, light bulbs
etc.
- People seem to have little idea when they are dealing with hazardous
wastes.
What you can do: Keep everything in the original container and read all warning labels.
You can also look on the internet to see the proper disposal criteria for
certain products
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Carpool to Work
Did you know?
- One third of all private auto mileage is racked up going to a from work
- The average commuter car carries 1.3 riders
- If each commuter car carried just one more person we'd save 600,000
gallons of gas a day and prevent 12 million pounds of carbon dioxide
What you can do: Talk to people who work with you and arrange a carpool schedule.
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Try Composting
Did you know?
- Every year we throw away 24 million pounds of leaves and grass
- Leaves alone can account for 75% of the solid waste in the fall
- The average American family produces more than 1,200 pounds of organic
garbage every year
- It costs $65.00 per ton to dump solid waste in a landfill
What you can do: Start composting your organic garbage and if you do not have the area to do
it find someone that does and is or talk to someone that has the ability and get
them to do it with you
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Install a Greywater Tank
Did you know?
- Greywater makes up 60 to 65% of the total indoor water consumption
- Greywater systems are tricky and you should consult a professional
concerning laws and safety
What you can do: Look into the what you can do if anything
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Drive Less
Did you know?
- On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel
almost 4 billion miles a day
- The ecological effects are staggering
What you can do: Keep your trips to a minimum but if you must run errands try to do several
along the way to and from you furthest destination
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Eat Low on the Food Chain
Did you know?
- According to Diet for a New America: If Americans reduced their meat
intake by just 10%, the savings in grains and soybeans could adequately feed
60 million people
- 220 million acres of land have been deforested to produce livestock
- Live stock produce a lot of methane which is a green house gas
What you can do: Eat less meat
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Start a Recycling Program
Did you know?
- Many areas still do not have a recycling program
What you can do: Find out more about your local recycling program and if there is not one get
one started
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Xeriscape
Did you know?
- If you live in a dry are you are not force to water of plant cacti
- There are a lot of plants that you can plant
What you can do: Go to your local nursery and find out what you can plant in you area
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Stay Involved & Spread the Word
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