Making a Difference
Here are a few ideas on how we can all make a difference
in our world....
….Make natural flea and tick repellents for your pets. Most flea repellents are concoctions of toxic chemicals – bad for your pets, bad for you, bad for the environment. You can make them yourself and know that you are using ingredients that are safe!
….Use homemade shampoos, lotions, toothpaste, sunscreens, and cleaners. You will find the expense less and the packing eliminated.
….Give a tree as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special Life events.
….Use only green dry-cleaning when you must dry-clean your clothing and other items. Many dry-clean items can be washed with cold water and air-dried. Check your labels.
….Use up your paints. Don’t store them until they dry up and have to be discarded. If you have paint left over from a project, paint something else. If you can’t find a use for the paint at home, try asking your neighbors, church, library, school, parks commission, etc. if they have a use for it.
….Use chlorine-free cleaners! One atom of chlorine has the potential to destroy tens of thousands of ozone molecules. Less ozone = more global warming.
….Do not use toxic windshield washer fluid for your vehicles. Instead, use a homemade windshield washer fluid. It’s less expensive and safe for the environment.
….Save the water from boiling foods such as eggs, pastas, and so on. You can reuse the water for your garden or flower beds or pots. Plants really like the water from boiled eggs as it is high in calcium.
….Feed your dog a vegetarian diet. Dogs thrive on a diet rich in nutrients including protein. However, that protein doesn’t have to be in the form of meat. Grains, vegetables, and legumes can be combined to create high protein foods that dogs do very well with. If you must, you can always give your dog meat as a treat.
….Use dryer balls instead of fabric softeners. The clothes will dry faster, have fewer wrinkles, and will come out soft and usually without static electricity.
….Don’t use tropical hardwoods like teak or mahogany. Look for a more sustainable alternative such as bamboo.
….Don’t buy cut Christmas trees. Buy a live tree in a tub to plant outside. It makes for a wonderful Summer Solstice or Arbor Day celebration.
….Don’t buy from companies that are involved in destructive developments in tropical forests. (You can find out more about these companies at the Rainforest Action Network and Friends of the Earth.)
….Reduce your CO2 emissions. (You can check your carbon footprint with our calculator links to come up with ideas on how you can change your daily living to reduce CO2 emissions.)
….Make your house or other buildings energy efficient. Use shade from trees to cool your home and perpetual energy from the sun to heat it.
….Buy reusable items instead of disposable items or those that create hazardous waste. Recycle or repurpose what you can’t reuse.
….Don’t use products containing chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, or methyl chloroform. These chemicals may be found in cleaning sprays, insect killers, polystyrene foam, etc.
….Don’t use polystyrene foam that contains CFCs for insulation.
….Don’t use fire extinguishers that use halon or carbon dioxide.
….Be a vegetarian. In the United States, every time a person becomes a vegetarian, they save one acre of trees and 1.1 million gallons of water used to produce meats. Second hand water pollution for a vegetarian is half what it is for those who consume meat.
….Use organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones. Fertilizer from your compost bin is great to use.
….Use drip irrigation instead of sprinklers, etc. Much of the water put out by sprinklers evaporates and never reaches the roots of your plants.
…. Use reusable containers instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap to store food.
….Use pens that can be refilled or have another cartridge of ink put in instead of disposable ones.
….Use reusable cloth coffee filters instead of paper ones.
….Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
….Use washable dish towels, cloth napkins, and sponges instead of paper disposables.
….Use reusable plates, cups, eating utensils, etc. instead of disposables.
….Old used phonebooks can be covered with adhesive-backed plastic, etc. and used as footrests, step stools, or children’s booster chairs.
….Buy in bulk.
….Buy items that have minimal packaging, or even better, no packaging.
….Don’t use helium-filled balloons.
….Old carpet or carpet remnants can be repurposed to make paths between garden rows, floor mats for vehicles, mats for pet areas, etc.
….Don’t dump used motor oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, or car batteries into the environment. Take them to a hazardous waste center or auto service center for recycling.
….Front loading clothes washers use less energy and less water than top-loading models do.
….Keep water in a reusable jug in the refrigerator instead of using tap water that has to run for a while before it’s cold enough for you to drink. Better yet, teach yourself to drink water that is not icy cold.
….If you enjoy cool water, use an earthenware or ceramic countertop water cooler that employs the use of evaporation to cool rather than energy.
….Don’t use a garbage disposal. They use a lot of water. Compost your food scraps instead.
….Wash your car less often. When you do wash your car, use a bucket full of soapy water instead of running water from a hose. Use the hose only for rinsing, and rinse quickly. If you use a commercial car wash, use one that recycles its water.
….Don’t hose off driveways and walks. Sweep them instead.
….If you have a lawn, water it in the evening or early morning to reduce water loss through evaporation.
….Plant native plant varieties. They will do better with just the average precipitation amounts and minimal watering than non-native varieties.
….Use a chest freezer instead of an upright freezer. Upright freezers loose more cool air when the door is opened than chest freezers do.
….If you are building a house, make it highly energy efficient or superinsulated. If you already have a house, you can retrofit it to make it more energy efficient.
….Use LED light bulbs instead of compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs have proven to create health hazards in many studies.
….Use light from windows and skylights instead of artificial lights.
….During the winter, disconnect the circuit breakers on air conditioners. If they aren’t disconnected, a small heater inside the compressor on the air conditioner runs continually and uses energy.
….Use kitchen utensils made out of sustainable bamboo instead of slow-growing hardwoods.
….Heavy curtains or window quilts can be used on windows to help regulate heating and cooling.
….Use a laptop computer instead of a desktop. Laptops consume less energy to run and create less electronic waste when they are discarded.
….Use handkerchiefs instead of tissues. Handkerchiefs do not add much to a load of laundry.
….Use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. You’ll keep about a ton of soiled diapers out of the landfills.
….Use undyed cloth sanitary napkins instead of disposable ones. You can also use “diva cups” or sea sponges instead of tampons. They are better for the environment, for you, and for your budget. You only have to buy them once.
….Use cloth napkins and fingertip towels instead of paper napkins and towels.
….Use old t-shirts to cut into rags for cleaning.
….Use LED light bulbs instead of CFLs. The LED bulbs are not toxic, are more energy efficient, and last longer.
….Use an electric or push lawnmower instead of a gasoline lawnmower. For larger lawns, you can purchase larger pull-behind motorless units for use with an ATV (electric, of course).
….Use electric cars instead of gasoline cars. Hybrid vehicles are a good start. Air-powered vehicles are on the horizon, too.
….Let your lawn grow to at least 1 ½ inches to avoid
unnecessary watering, especially in hot weather.
….Buy furniture made from softwood (like spruce, cedar, or pine) rather than hardwood. Softwood grows much faster than hardwood and is more easily renewed. You can also find furniture made from sustainable bamboo or coconut.
….Use cork or other natural materials rather than artificial fibers for flooring.
….Compost! Compost! Compost! This is one way that we can give back to the Earth what we have borrowed from her.
….Don’t use palm oil. Palm plantations are replacing Indonesian forests and their inhabitants (like the last orangutans and Sumatran tigers). Use oils from less destructive farming practices like sunflower, safflower, olive, or coconut (organic, of course).
….Don’t use mothballs. Mothballs contain the toxic chemicals naphthalene and dichlorobenzene. Instead, use cedar disks, lavender bags, or mixes of herbs and spices such as rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
….Use real turpentine instead of turpentine substitute. Real turpentine is natural and biodegradable. Synthetics are not.
….Use a dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes and only run it when it is full. An energy and water efficient model can have less of an impact on the environment than washing dishes by hand. Be sure that it is set to air-dry and use the low temperature setting. And, use eco-friendly dishwasher powder or tablets.
….Unplug electronics when they’re not in use. Electronics can use as much energy while in standby or sleep mode as they do when they’re in use. Unplugging them can cut your electric bill by 10%.
….When you boil eggs, don’t dump the water down the sink. Instead, pour it your garden or your houseplants once it’s cooled. Since the water will have calcium in it, it will feed your plants, and save a little water.
….Wash your clothes on a warm setting (1oo degrees) instead of a hot setting (140 degrees). Your washing machine will use 30% less energy and your clothes will last longer.
….Use paperclips instead of staples. The paperclips are reusable, and you will keep literally tons of steel out of the landfills.
….Travel by land or sea instead of flying. Trains produce 20 times less
emissions than planes do. Ships produce almost 200 times fewer emissions!
….Don’t use bottled water. Invest in a reusable water bottle instead and keep the plastic bottles out of the recycle bins and the landfills.
….Use low flow showers and faucets. They reduce water flow by 50%.
….Use a watering can, soaker hose, or drip system to water your garden or flowerbeds. More water will go to your plants’ roots than if you used a sprinkler. (A sprinkler uses 150 gallons of water per hour, so you’ll be saving a lot of water, too.)
….Water your lawns, gardens, and/or flower beds during the evening or early morning when it is cooler and less water will evaporate.
….If you’re replacing your washer, think about buying a steam washing machine. They use 30-40% less water and 20% less energy than regular washing machines.
….Use a centrifugal (spin)dryer before you put your clothes in the regular dryer. The spinning action removes about 90% of the water requiring only a few minutes of regular dryer time to remove the last of the dampness – or better yet, hang the damp clothes on the clothesline for that fresh air smell.
….Use LCD screens with your desktop computer. LCDs are more efficient than the cathode-ray models, using 30% less energy.
….Use hemp – for as much as you can. It is a hardy plant that requires no pesticides or herbicides to grow and has more uses that we can list here. (Look for hemp links throughout our website.)
….Don’t use peat for your gardening needs. Peat bogs are irreplaceable habitats. Using peat in soil mixes is threatening their existence, along with all the different forms of Life that live in these bogs. Make your own compost/soil mix instead, or buy a peat-free soil mix.
….Use rose petals or biodegradable, naturally dyed confetti made from recycled materials instead of confetti that can’t be returned to the soil.
….Use a fountain pen instead of a non-refillable plastic pen.
….Use rechargeable batteries instead of non-rechargeable ones. Rechargeable batteries have no toxic metals, but non-rechargeable batteries contain toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and nickel.
….Don’t use aluminum foil. It takes a lot of resources and energy to produce aluminum. If you have to use aluminum foil, make sure it’s 100% recycled. Recycle it when you are done with it.
….Use eco-friendly tires for your car. Tires are available now that use natural ingredients such as cornstarch instead of non-renewable petroleum-based chemicals.
….Buy a piece of rainforest. An area the size of Massachusetts is being cut down every year in the Amazon alone.
….Instead of using chemicals to get rid of ants, use natural alternatives, like basil, or cucumber peel or peppermint for ants.
….Use latex paints instead of oil-based paints. Latex paints have fewer dangerous chemicals than oil-based paints. They don’t need hazardous solvents for thinning or brush cleaning, either, and they work just as well indoors or outdoors as oil-based paints do.
….Always make sure old car batteries are disposed of properly. The average lead acid car battery contains more than 2 quarts of sulfuric acid and almost 18 pounds of lead. They are a danger to people and the environment if not disposed of properly.
…. Don’t use ionizing smoke detectors. They contain a small amounts of radioactive materials. Instead, use photoelectric smoke detectors that don’t contain any radioactive material at all.
….Recycle!!!
….Reuse!!!
....Repurpose!!!
These are only a few ways you can help to bring about positive changes in our world. This is a very small list of things that you can do, but we hope that it will help you to get your “thinking green” juices flowing. Remember that everything we can do helps. Even little things add up when we all do them. We'd Love to add your ideas to this list to share with others. You can send ideas to us here.
Be sure to check our “Favorites” page out, too. We have helpful ideas and links there for you. You can also find some great ideas on our "Repurpose It!" and "Recycling Center" pages.
….Use homemade shampoos, lotions, toothpaste, sunscreens, and cleaners. You will find the expense less and the packing eliminated.
….Give a tree as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special Life events.
….Use only green dry-cleaning when you must dry-clean your clothing and other items. Many dry-clean items can be washed with cold water and air-dried. Check your labels.
….Use up your paints. Don’t store them until they dry up and have to be discarded. If you have paint left over from a project, paint something else. If you can’t find a use for the paint at home, try asking your neighbors, church, library, school, parks commission, etc. if they have a use for it.
….Use chlorine-free cleaners! One atom of chlorine has the potential to destroy tens of thousands of ozone molecules. Less ozone = more global warming.
….Do not use toxic windshield washer fluid for your vehicles. Instead, use a homemade windshield washer fluid. It’s less expensive and safe for the environment.
….Save the water from boiling foods such as eggs, pastas, and so on. You can reuse the water for your garden or flower beds or pots. Plants really like the water from boiled eggs as it is high in calcium.
….Feed your dog a vegetarian diet. Dogs thrive on a diet rich in nutrients including protein. However, that protein doesn’t have to be in the form of meat. Grains, vegetables, and legumes can be combined to create high protein foods that dogs do very well with. If you must, you can always give your dog meat as a treat.
….Use dryer balls instead of fabric softeners. The clothes will dry faster, have fewer wrinkles, and will come out soft and usually without static electricity.
….Don’t use tropical hardwoods like teak or mahogany. Look for a more sustainable alternative such as bamboo.
….Don’t buy cut Christmas trees. Buy a live tree in a tub to plant outside. It makes for a wonderful Summer Solstice or Arbor Day celebration.
….Don’t buy from companies that are involved in destructive developments in tropical forests. (You can find out more about these companies at the Rainforest Action Network and Friends of the Earth.)
….Reduce your CO2 emissions. (You can check your carbon footprint with our calculator links to come up with ideas on how you can change your daily living to reduce CO2 emissions.)
….Make your house or other buildings energy efficient. Use shade from trees to cool your home and perpetual energy from the sun to heat it.
….Buy reusable items instead of disposable items or those that create hazardous waste. Recycle or repurpose what you can’t reuse.
….Don’t use products containing chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, or methyl chloroform. These chemicals may be found in cleaning sprays, insect killers, polystyrene foam, etc.
….Don’t use polystyrene foam that contains CFCs for insulation.
….Don’t use fire extinguishers that use halon or carbon dioxide.
….Be a vegetarian. In the United States, every time a person becomes a vegetarian, they save one acre of trees and 1.1 million gallons of water used to produce meats. Second hand water pollution for a vegetarian is half what it is for those who consume meat.
….Use organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones. Fertilizer from your compost bin is great to use.
….Use drip irrigation instead of sprinklers, etc. Much of the water put out by sprinklers evaporates and never reaches the roots of your plants.
…. Use reusable containers instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap to store food.
….Use pens that can be refilled or have another cartridge of ink put in instead of disposable ones.
….Use reusable cloth coffee filters instead of paper ones.
….Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
….Use washable dish towels, cloth napkins, and sponges instead of paper disposables.
….Use reusable plates, cups, eating utensils, etc. instead of disposables.
….Old used phonebooks can be covered with adhesive-backed plastic, etc. and used as footrests, step stools, or children’s booster chairs.
….Buy in bulk.
….Buy items that have minimal packaging, or even better, no packaging.
….Don’t use helium-filled balloons.
….Old carpet or carpet remnants can be repurposed to make paths between garden rows, floor mats for vehicles, mats for pet areas, etc.
….Don’t dump used motor oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, or car batteries into the environment. Take them to a hazardous waste center or auto service center for recycling.
….Front loading clothes washers use less energy and less water than top-loading models do.
….Keep water in a reusable jug in the refrigerator instead of using tap water that has to run for a while before it’s cold enough for you to drink. Better yet, teach yourself to drink water that is not icy cold.
….If you enjoy cool water, use an earthenware or ceramic countertop water cooler that employs the use of evaporation to cool rather than energy.
….Don’t use a garbage disposal. They use a lot of water. Compost your food scraps instead.
….Wash your car less often. When you do wash your car, use a bucket full of soapy water instead of running water from a hose. Use the hose only for rinsing, and rinse quickly. If you use a commercial car wash, use one that recycles its water.
….Don’t hose off driveways and walks. Sweep them instead.
….If you have a lawn, water it in the evening or early morning to reduce water loss through evaporation.
….Plant native plant varieties. They will do better with just the average precipitation amounts and minimal watering than non-native varieties.
….Use a chest freezer instead of an upright freezer. Upright freezers loose more cool air when the door is opened than chest freezers do.
….If you are building a house, make it highly energy efficient or superinsulated. If you already have a house, you can retrofit it to make it more energy efficient.
….Use LED light bulbs instead of compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs have proven to create health hazards in many studies.
….Use light from windows and skylights instead of artificial lights.
….During the winter, disconnect the circuit breakers on air conditioners. If they aren’t disconnected, a small heater inside the compressor on the air conditioner runs continually and uses energy.
….Use kitchen utensils made out of sustainable bamboo instead of slow-growing hardwoods.
….Heavy curtains or window quilts can be used on windows to help regulate heating and cooling.
….Use a laptop computer instead of a desktop. Laptops consume less energy to run and create less electronic waste when they are discarded.
….Use handkerchiefs instead of tissues. Handkerchiefs do not add much to a load of laundry.
….Use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. You’ll keep about a ton of soiled diapers out of the landfills.
….Use undyed cloth sanitary napkins instead of disposable ones. You can also use “diva cups” or sea sponges instead of tampons. They are better for the environment, for you, and for your budget. You only have to buy them once.
….Use cloth napkins and fingertip towels instead of paper napkins and towels.
….Use old t-shirts to cut into rags for cleaning.
….Use LED light bulbs instead of CFLs. The LED bulbs are not toxic, are more energy efficient, and last longer.
….Use an electric or push lawnmower instead of a gasoline lawnmower. For larger lawns, you can purchase larger pull-behind motorless units for use with an ATV (electric, of course).
….Use electric cars instead of gasoline cars. Hybrid vehicles are a good start. Air-powered vehicles are on the horizon, too.
….Let your lawn grow to at least 1 ½ inches to avoid
unnecessary watering, especially in hot weather.
….Buy furniture made from softwood (like spruce, cedar, or pine) rather than hardwood. Softwood grows much faster than hardwood and is more easily renewed. You can also find furniture made from sustainable bamboo or coconut.
….Use cork or other natural materials rather than artificial fibers for flooring.
….Compost! Compost! Compost! This is one way that we can give back to the Earth what we have borrowed from her.
….Don’t use palm oil. Palm plantations are replacing Indonesian forests and their inhabitants (like the last orangutans and Sumatran tigers). Use oils from less destructive farming practices like sunflower, safflower, olive, or coconut (organic, of course).
….Don’t use mothballs. Mothballs contain the toxic chemicals naphthalene and dichlorobenzene. Instead, use cedar disks, lavender bags, or mixes of herbs and spices such as rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
….Use real turpentine instead of turpentine substitute. Real turpentine is natural and biodegradable. Synthetics are not.
….Use a dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes and only run it when it is full. An energy and water efficient model can have less of an impact on the environment than washing dishes by hand. Be sure that it is set to air-dry and use the low temperature setting. And, use eco-friendly dishwasher powder or tablets.
….Unplug electronics when they’re not in use. Electronics can use as much energy while in standby or sleep mode as they do when they’re in use. Unplugging them can cut your electric bill by 10%.
….When you boil eggs, don’t dump the water down the sink. Instead, pour it your garden or your houseplants once it’s cooled. Since the water will have calcium in it, it will feed your plants, and save a little water.
….Wash your clothes on a warm setting (1oo degrees) instead of a hot setting (140 degrees). Your washing machine will use 30% less energy and your clothes will last longer.
….Use paperclips instead of staples. The paperclips are reusable, and you will keep literally tons of steel out of the landfills.
….Travel by land or sea instead of flying. Trains produce 20 times less
emissions than planes do. Ships produce almost 200 times fewer emissions!
….Don’t use bottled water. Invest in a reusable water bottle instead and keep the plastic bottles out of the recycle bins and the landfills.
….Use low flow showers and faucets. They reduce water flow by 50%.
….Use a watering can, soaker hose, or drip system to water your garden or flowerbeds. More water will go to your plants’ roots than if you used a sprinkler. (A sprinkler uses 150 gallons of water per hour, so you’ll be saving a lot of water, too.)
….Water your lawns, gardens, and/or flower beds during the evening or early morning when it is cooler and less water will evaporate.
….If you’re replacing your washer, think about buying a steam washing machine. They use 30-40% less water and 20% less energy than regular washing machines.
….Use a centrifugal (spin)dryer before you put your clothes in the regular dryer. The spinning action removes about 90% of the water requiring only a few minutes of regular dryer time to remove the last of the dampness – or better yet, hang the damp clothes on the clothesline for that fresh air smell.
….Use LCD screens with your desktop computer. LCDs are more efficient than the cathode-ray models, using 30% less energy.
….Use hemp – for as much as you can. It is a hardy plant that requires no pesticides or herbicides to grow and has more uses that we can list here. (Look for hemp links throughout our website.)
….Don’t use peat for your gardening needs. Peat bogs are irreplaceable habitats. Using peat in soil mixes is threatening their existence, along with all the different forms of Life that live in these bogs. Make your own compost/soil mix instead, or buy a peat-free soil mix.
….Use rose petals or biodegradable, naturally dyed confetti made from recycled materials instead of confetti that can’t be returned to the soil.
….Use a fountain pen instead of a non-refillable plastic pen.
….Use rechargeable batteries instead of non-rechargeable ones. Rechargeable batteries have no toxic metals, but non-rechargeable batteries contain toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and nickel.
….Don’t use aluminum foil. It takes a lot of resources and energy to produce aluminum. If you have to use aluminum foil, make sure it’s 100% recycled. Recycle it when you are done with it.
….Use eco-friendly tires for your car. Tires are available now that use natural ingredients such as cornstarch instead of non-renewable petroleum-based chemicals.
….Buy a piece of rainforest. An area the size of Massachusetts is being cut down every year in the Amazon alone.
….Instead of using chemicals to get rid of ants, use natural alternatives, like basil, or cucumber peel or peppermint for ants.
….Use latex paints instead of oil-based paints. Latex paints have fewer dangerous chemicals than oil-based paints. They don’t need hazardous solvents for thinning or brush cleaning, either, and they work just as well indoors or outdoors as oil-based paints do.
….Always make sure old car batteries are disposed of properly. The average lead acid car battery contains more than 2 quarts of sulfuric acid and almost 18 pounds of lead. They are a danger to people and the environment if not disposed of properly.
…. Don’t use ionizing smoke detectors. They contain a small amounts of radioactive materials. Instead, use photoelectric smoke detectors that don’t contain any radioactive material at all.
….Recycle!!!
….Reuse!!!
....Repurpose!!!
These are only a few ways you can help to bring about positive changes in our world. This is a very small list of things that you can do, but we hope that it will help you to get your “thinking green” juices flowing. Remember that everything we can do helps. Even little things add up when we all do them. We'd Love to add your ideas to this list to share with others. You can send ideas to us here.
Be sure to check our “Favorites” page out, too. We have helpful ideas and links there for you. You can also find some great ideas on our "Repurpose It!" and "Recycling Center" pages.
© Copyright 2012-2014 The New Gaea Foundation Green Living Resource Center™ All Rights Reserved. No portion of this page may be reproduced, copied, or downloaded in any form or through any media without the written permission of The New Gaea Foundation Green Living Resource Center™.
