Living green
Green living involves choices, large and small, to preserve the earth.
In order to make the right choices, it is very helpful to have solid, reliable information that tells us:
What behaviors are positive and which are negative. In quantitative terms, which actions will make the greatest difference, and should be prioritized. Appropedia is a green living wiki, so you can create and edit content to share information and collaborate with others on how we can lighten our ecological footprint and live in harmony with nature and our environment. A key aim of Appropedia is to provide this information, to enable the best choices.
Contents |
[edit] Green living tips
Save Wood and Paper
- Return unwanted mail and ask for your name to be removed from the mailing list.
- Always use both sides of a sheet of paper.
- Use e-mail to stay in touch, including cards, rather than faxing or writing.
- Re-use envelopes.
- Always recycle paper after use.
- Share magazines with friends and pass them on to the doctor, dentist or local hospital for their waiting rooms.
- Use recyclable paper to make invitation cards, envelops, letter pads etc.
In your Home
- Turn off equipment like televisions and stereos when you're not using them.
- Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.
- Save water: some simple steps can go a long way in saving water like for e.g: you should always turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth. And try to collect the water used to wash vegetables and salad to water your houseplants.
- Let clothes dry naturally.
- Keep lids on pans when cooking to prevent your cooker having to work extra hard. Prefer to use gas ovens, Geysers etc in place of the electric ones.
- Recycle your paper, glass, plastics and other waste.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Send e-greetings instead of paper cards.
In your Garden
- Water the garden early in the morning or late in the evening. This reduces water loss due to evaporation. Don’t overwater the garden. Water only till the soil becomes moist, not soggy.
- Explore water efficient irrigation systems. Sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation can be adapted to garden situations .
- Make your garden lively - plant trees and shrubs which will attract birds. You can also put p nest boxes and put food.
- Try growing sturdy grass in bare patches of land , and convince people in your neighbourhood to do so too.
- Put waste to work in your garden- sweep the fallen leaves and flowers into flower beds or under shrubs . This will increase soil fertility and also reduce the need for frequent watering.
- If you have little space in your garden , you could make a compost pit to turn organic waste from the kitchen and garden to soil enriching manure .
- Don't use chemicals in the garden - as they will eventually end up in the sea and can upset the delicate balance of lifecycles.
- Organic and environmentally friendly fertilisers and pesticides are available - organic gardening reduces pollution and is better for wildlife.
Reuse and Recycle
- Use washable nappies instead of disposables if you can.
- Recycle as much as you can.
- Give unwanted clothes, toys and books to charity shops or jumble sales.
- Use mains electricity rather than batteries if possible. If not, use rechargeable batteries.
- Use a solar-powered calculator instead of one with a battery.
- Instead of a plastic ballpoint, use a fountain pen with bottled ink, not plastic cartridges.
- Store food and other products in ceramic containers rather than foil and plastic wrap
While Shopping
- Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season to help reduce enormous transport costs resulting from importing produce and, where possible, choose locally produced food.
- When buying fish look out for a variety of non-endangered species and buy local fish if possible.
- Prefer vegetarian options for your meals.
On-line Shopping
- Purchase solar powered products.
- Send e-cards, if you can, rather than buy paper cards.
- Shop online, not only will this reduce fuel consumption and emissions by not driving to the shops, but each time you buy something on-line WWF receive a donation. You may even buy products from the nature shop.
At your workplace
- Use printers that can print on both sides of the paper ; try to look into this option when replacing old printers.
- Use the back of a draft or unwanted printout instead of notebooks. Even with a double-sided printer there is likely to be plenty of spare paper to use!
- Always buy recycled paper - for your business stationery and to use in your printers.
- Switch off computer monitors, printers and other equipment at the end of each day. Though in standby mode they're still using power - and that adds to global warming.
- Always turn off your office light and computer monitor when you go out for lunch or to a meeting.
During Holidays
- Go on holiday during the off-peak period to prevent over straining resources - you'll also avoid the crowds.
- Find out about your destination before you go on holiday - it may be an environmentally sensitive area. Doing this will also ensure you are informed of what to see and any local customs.
- Find out about places before you visit. You may be visiting a environmentally sensitive area, in which case you must take extra care to stay on footpaths and follow signs.
- Don't travel by air if you can avoid it because air travel uses up large amounts of fossil fuels and creates greenhouse gases.
- Avoid taking things on holiday that you will throw away.
- Dispose of any rubbish responsibly - it can be hazardous to wildlife.
- Ask your travel agent or tour operator what they are doing to be environmentally responsible.
- Use public transport, cycle or walk instead of using a car.
- Use facilities and trips run by local people whenever possible.
- Don't be tempted to touch wildlife and disturb habitats whether on land, at the coast or under water.
- Be careful what you choose to bring home as a holiday souvenir. Many species from coral and conch shells to elephants and alligators are endangered because they are killed for curios or souvenirs.
- Don’t leave any rubbish at the beach - turtles are often killed by plastic bags they've mistaken for jellyfish and many items take years to degrade as well as being dangerous.
- Boats and jet-skis create noise and chemical pollution which is disturbing to wildlife - don't keep the engine running unnecessarily.
[edit] Principles of personal green living
Daily living
Be early - you'll not only avoid having to catch taxis, driving your car, or wishing you still had a car; you'll also be a lot more relaxed. Don't forget to take a book - you'll have time to read on the train and also when you arrive early.
Medium term decisions
- Support a local car-share program that uses highly fuel efficient vehicles.
- Use your car less, and consider selling it.
Major decisions
Live close to public transport and good bike routes.
[edit] Organic Food: Worth the Cost?
Words like “organic” and “natural” get tossed around a lot these days, especially when people talk about food. But before any food item can honestly call itself organic, it has to meet standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- only then can it wear the coveted green and white USDA Organic label.
What makes organic food different is the way it’s grown and produced. For example, only fertilizers like compost or manure can be used; chemical fertilizers are out, as are most synthetic herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics. Animals must be raised on organic feed and have access to the outdoors.
[edit] External links
These links should be organized or culled:
- Greenlivingpedia- a wiki focused on green living
