Top Ten Things YOU Can Do to Protect the Environment
10. Be Aware
Next time 6 p.m. rolls around try to catch the local or national news. If TV isn't your thing, check out CBC.ca. You may also want to pick up An Inconvenient Truth, or other related documentaries. Being informed is the first step in taking action.
9. Walk, bike, carpool or take Public Transit Global warming has become an international problem, and with Canada's issues meeting Kyoto standards, it only makes sense that we each do our part to lessen our footprint. Not to mention, leaving your car at home will lessen the strain on your pocketbook for parking expenses.
8. Recycle, recycle, recycle We've all heard this one before. Aside from the city recycling, you will want to check out www.freecycle.org. Here you can connect with your community to recycle household items to new homes for free. Recently the London Freecycle group has posted items ranging from furniture to electronics and even a hot tub. You are saving the unwanted item from going to a landfill and your junk could be someone else's treasure. You might even find some treasures for yourself.
7. Reuse and Reduce Most of our daily waste can be reduced by reusing items you likely already have. Whether it be shopping tote bags instead of plastic grocery bags, bringing a travel mug for your morning coffee, investing in rechargeable batteries or using both sides of your printer paper. Simple steps make a big difference.
6. Dispose of your waste in friendly ways If it can't be recycled, free-cycled, reused or composted, there just might be another way to dispose of it without causing environmental damage. The Fanshawe Bookstore has a container at the register for spent batteries to be disposed of, and the City of London has special programs for electronic goods and household chemicals.
5. Buy close to home The further it has to travel, the more emissions it takes to get there. With summer on its way it will be easy to find locally grown produce in your local market. Also take a look at the other products in your home. You may be surprised at how many things travelled overseas to get to your bathroom cabinet.
4. Buy green Recently Kleenex has been facing criticism for using ancient growth forests to produce its tissues. On the other side of the spectrum, PC Green uses 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper, with no chlorine bleach. Next time you're looking, check for the amount of post-consumer content in your tissue. The forests and growing list of endangered species will thank you for it.
3. Be energy efficient Replace those old energy-sucking light bulbs with new energy efficient bulbs. They are a little pricier, but will save you in the long run. Also, turn off and unplug your electronics at night. If your computer is plugged in to a power bar, shut it all down. Small stand-by lights may seem insignificant, but over the long run it's still wasted energy.
2. Say NO to chemicals If it's toxic to us, it's toxic to the environment. Simple home remedies can reduce the chemicals and money you're sending down the drain. For ideas on how to change the way you clean your home check out www.eartheasy.com or www.care2.com.
1. Get involved Try the David Suzuki Nature Challenge (www.davidsuzuki.org). Be active in Greenpeace campaigns. Fanshawe Green Club is also looking for members to participate in summer projects. Please contact fanshawegreenclub@hotmail.com for more information. It's a win-win situation. You'll feel good about your contribution and the earth will benefit too.
9. Walk, bike, carpool or take Public Transit Global warming has become an international problem, and with Canada's issues meeting Kyoto standards, it only makes sense that we each do our part to lessen our footprint. Not to mention, leaving your car at home will lessen the strain on your pocketbook for parking expenses.
8. Recycle, recycle, recycle We've all heard this one before. Aside from the city recycling, you will want to check out www.freecycle.org. Here you can connect with your community to recycle household items to new homes for free. Recently the London Freecycle group has posted items ranging from furniture to electronics and even a hot tub. You are saving the unwanted item from going to a landfill and your junk could be someone else's treasure. You might even find some treasures for yourself.
7. Reuse and Reduce Most of our daily waste can be reduced by reusing items you likely already have. Whether it be shopping tote bags instead of plastic grocery bags, bringing a travel mug for your morning coffee, investing in rechargeable batteries or using both sides of your printer paper. Simple steps make a big difference.
6. Dispose of your waste in friendly ways If it can't be recycled, free-cycled, reused or composted, there just might be another way to dispose of it without causing environmental damage. The Fanshawe Bookstore has a container at the register for spent batteries to be disposed of, and the City of London has special programs for electronic goods and household chemicals.
5. Buy close to home The further it has to travel, the more emissions it takes to get there. With summer on its way it will be easy to find locally grown produce in your local market. Also take a look at the other products in your home. You may be surprised at how many things travelled overseas to get to your bathroom cabinet.
4. Buy green Recently Kleenex has been facing criticism for using ancient growth forests to produce its tissues. On the other side of the spectrum, PC Green uses 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper, with no chlorine bleach. Next time you're looking, check for the amount of post-consumer content in your tissue. The forests and growing list of endangered species will thank you for it.
3. Be energy efficient Replace those old energy-sucking light bulbs with new energy efficient bulbs. They are a little pricier, but will save you in the long run. Also, turn off and unplug your electronics at night. If your computer is plugged in to a power bar, shut it all down. Small stand-by lights may seem insignificant, but over the long run it's still wasted energy.
2. Say NO to chemicals If it's toxic to us, it's toxic to the environment. Simple home remedies can reduce the chemicals and money you're sending down the drain. For ideas on how to change the way you clean your home check out www.eartheasy.com or www.care2.com.
1. Get involved Try the David Suzuki Nature Challenge (www.davidsuzuki.org). Be active in Greenpeace campaigns. Fanshawe Green Club is also looking for members to participate in summer projects. Please contact fanshawegreenclub@hotmail.com for more information. It's a win-win situation. You'll feel good about your contribution and the earth will benefit too.
