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One of the easiest ways to be a good environmental citizen is to reduce, or cut back, in key areas of your life. Three of the most important resources you can reduce your consumption of are:

Energy
Water
Solid waste

Here’s a quick breakdown of how reducing affects these areas:

Energy—Energy is generated and consumed with most activities, and it often results in releasing carbon into the environment. In addition, there is a finite amount of energy available from traditional (non-renewable) methods such as coal and oil. Developing alternative, renewable energies (such as solar, wind and geothermal) helps to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources to power our lives.

Water—Water covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, but relatively little is suitable for consumption. In many parts of the world, drinkable water is in very short supply. Every time a drop of water goes down the drain, it becomes unsuitable for consumption unless properly treated.

Solid Waste—There is only so much room available for solid waste disposal, and because landfills are so tightly packed, it takes a great deal of time for material to decompose. The easiest way to reduce solid waste is to reduce your consumption of daily products. Be cautious of what you buy, and whether anything you are going to put in a trash can really belongs there.

Communities as well as individuals are always looking for new ways to address the concern of reduction in the above areas. The most common form is found in household waste and recycling. For example, a new type of waste reduction program is being explored known as a Pay-as-You-Throw (PAYT) trash collection program. Residents will pay a fee per bag of garbage instead of a lump sum for the service. In turn, the curbside recycling program component is offered at no charge or a reduced fee.

The ideal outcome of PAYT is that residents will start recycling more in an effort to save money. According to the EPA, about 75 percent of what is found in the average garbage can is recyclable, so a PAYT program rewards people who choose alternative forms of disposal for this content, such as curbside recycling or composting.

Reuse is simply the act of finding a second (or third, or tenth or hundredth) use for a product to prolong its life. Reuse is an important step after you’ve already reduced, but before you are ready to recycle.

Reuse is a process that many of us already implement in our everyday lives without realizing it. Any time you buy or sell a product second-hand, such as from Craigslist, eBay or Goodwill, you are providing an additional use for this product, while at the same time, not requiring another one to be created.

The important thing to consider when you want to reuse is that “creativity is king” in the process. The creativity also provides the opportunity to be thrifty, by reusing what you already have for new, innovative purposes.

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make another product. The internationally recognized symbol for recycling includes three arrows moving in a triangle. Each arrow represents a different part of the recycling process, from collection to re-manufacture to resale. Recycling reduces our waste sent to landfills, and making new products out of recycled ones reduces the amount of energy needed in production.

The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, which goes well beyond what you toss in your recycling bin at home or at school. Recycling serves two key purposes:

It keeps valuable material such as aluminum and paper out of landfills, so this material can be reused in other forms and not wasted.
It prevents hazardous materials and chemicals such as lead and mercury from ending up in landfills, which can contaminate soil and leach into our drinking water

Because of the second purpose, it’s important to recycle lots of products, including those that you might not initially think of recycling. This includes batteries, electronics, motor oil, paint and any product that has “Caution” or “Warning” on the label.

Agriculture - What You Can Do

Keeping toxic chemicals away from wildlife and your family
You do a lot to keep you family healthy, but you may not have considered all the potential dangers of toxic chemicals in your surroundings. Toxic chemicals can be found in virtually all creatures and in all environments. Enormous quantities are released every day and once in the environment, many toxic chemicals can travel great distances, persist for years, and grow more concentrated in living things as they move through the food web.

An estimated 1,000 new chemicals enter the market every year, in addition to the tens of thousands of chemicals already in commercial use. Very few of these have been tested adequately for the threats they may pose to wildlife and humans. There is growing evidence that many of these chemicals can alter sexual and neurological development, impair reproduction, cause cancers, and undermine immune systems.
Here is a list of actions you and your family can take to reduce your consumption and use of toxic chemicals at home and in your community:

1. Buy organic cotton clothing, fruits and vegetables, and other goods.

2. Wash and peel fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

3. Stop using pesticides. Green up your yard using natural methods:

Use traps and biological controls such as parasites and natural predators.
Use disease and pest-resistant plants. Include in your garden plants that repel insects such as basil, chives, mint, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.
Use compost and mulch to improve soil health and reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers.

4. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products in your home:

Don't buy or use chlorine bleach.
Use simple and inexpensive cleansers such as soap, vinegar, lemon juice, and borax
Avoid air fresheners and other perfumed products: Freshen your air by opening windows or using baking soda, cedar blocks, or dried flowers.

5. Urge your schools and communities to use non-toxic cleaning products and to stop using pesticides.

Use these easy household recipes to help make your home toxic-free:

All purpose cleaner
3 tsp. liquid soap, or
¼ cup vinegar, or
¼ cup lemon juice, or
¼ cup Borax
(per gallon of water)

Oven Cleaner
Sprinkle salt on spills immediately
Baking soda
Vinegar
Salt
#000 steel wool

Clean grease with rag and vinegar. Sprinkle salt on spills. Let it sit for a few minutes, then scrape the spill and wash the area clean. For stubborn spots, use baking soda and steel wool.

Window Cleaner
½ cup vinegar
1 gallon warm water
Fill your own spray bottle.

Stain Remover
Soak fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, or white vinegar.

Controlling Cockroaches and Ants
Powdered Sugar
Borax

Combine in equal parts and sprinkle where they crawl.

THINK PLANET FRIENDLY AND RECYCLE!

Above information from Planet Friendly, Inc.