30 Ways To Save The Earth

Today is Blog Action Day. This is my contribution

30 Ways GAIAM.Community Members Are Saving The Earth

GAIAM Community asked their members to tell them what they are doing to reduce their impact on the Earth, and the answers came flowing in. The ideas were so interesting -- from creative ways to reduce waste to 'greening' your neighborhood -- I wanted to share them with everyone here in my blog. And invite you to join the conversation to add more ideas!

1. "My boyfriend and I decided to take less long car trips this summer, to save money on gas and also lessen our contribution to polluting the air. When we can, we try to walk to the grocery store, church, coffee shops, etc. in our neighborhood." -Iamgranola

2. "We use natural, earth friendly products for laundry and household cleaning." -Cat

3. "We've got chickens that are free range and whose eggs get traded in at the local health food market." -neogirl710

4. "My mother raised us to not waste water and I still continue this practice. I gather rain to water my organic garden and compost all year long." -Sharon

5. "We turn up our thermostat by 5 degrees in the summer and down by 5 in the winter." -BlueSky

6. "My husband and I are planning our retirement home and it is going to be a green home. We're putting every type of green building product in it we can afford." -NTxWriter

7. "We have a solar water heater and are replacing all our light bulbs with CF bulbs. We are conscious about reducing our car trips and take our bikes for short trips to the post office." -Kalalea

8. "About a month ago I bought a little 50cc scooter and tool all around town on it with my 5-year-old daughter. It gets more than 100 MPG in the city and costs about $5 to fill up an empty tank with super premium. I added a big basket on the back and I go grocery shopping, take her to gymnastics, visit the grandparents." -ScooterSister

9. "We recycle religiously and I bring stuff we can't recycle at home to drop-off centers for hard-to-recycle items." -BlueSky

10. "We always buy recycled paper products and cleaning products made by companies that are authentically environmentally responsible. I won't use products with toxic fumes anymore." -SuperMom

11. "My husband started riding the bus to work. Since he drives a truck this makes a big difference." -BlueSky

12. "I have sold my home (in a horrible market!) donated almost everything I own, bought a hybrid and will soon be moving to live in an intentional community that is in the early stages. Currently there is solar power already in place and a spring feeds three ponds." -neogirl710

13. "We try to support environmentally conscious and sustainable products and services." -Kalalea

14. "Most of my lights have CFL bulbs, my yard and garden are organic, I drive a hybrid, pay extra for green energy (wind and small hydro), try to keep the heat down and the AC off, walk when I can, and shop locally." -SuburbanTomboy

15. "We try to use less packaging. For a while we were putting Horizon's single-serving chocolate milks in our son's lunchbox, but that packaging is totally guilt inducing, so we just bought some small spill proof reusable plastic containers and we make chocolate milk in those and pack in his lunches." -SuperMom

16. "I bought a yurt which and plan to build a straw bale home in the future." -neogirl710

17. "I installed a surge protector on my microwave so that I can turn off all power to it when it's not in use, and now it's used as an expensive bread box." -SuburbanTomboy

18. "We try to get to the farmer's market several times each summer or we ask people we know to pick up produce for us when they go. We also get produce from my sister's garden." -BlueSky

19. "We recycle and compost. My son has a little neighborhood recycling pickup business. We don't have household pick up for recycling so we take in recycling for our neighbors, hopefully encouraging them to recycle more." -Kalalea

20. "We use CF bulbs whenever possible, unplug every single electric item in the house when it's not in use, and use our own grocery bags at as many local farmer's markets as we can find. My daughter is always asking, "Is that green, Mama?" So at least she is getting the message." -ScooterSister

21. "I just bought a laundry line so I can stop using the dryer in the warmer months." -SuburbanTomboy

22. "I try to grow everything I can so I do not have to buy produce in the grocery store. I grow things that can store easily like potatoes and carrots. A large garden can take a lot of work but the payoff is so great." -Sharon

23. "We buy organic regularly in many items and give preference to local produce when we can get it at our supermarket." -BlueSky

24. "I've been a vegetarian for 10 years. Being vegetarian can have a big environmental impact. Also, we eat organic and buy locally grown organic produce." -Kalalea

25. "I'm very good at recycling everything that I can. I unplug the big appliances like microwave, TV, lamps, etc when I'm not using them." -Iamgranola

26. "I bring my own bags when I go shopping everywhere, and happily explain to the checkout person why when they ask." -SuburbanTomboy

27. "I'm helping to grow most of the non meat foods (I've been a vegetarian for nine years) along with another girl. We also want to grow herbs to sell to restaurants in town." -neogirl710

28. "We use reusable shopping bags and keep them in the car, though I admit we forget them sometimes. I opt out of a bag when buying just one or two things that are easy to carry." -BlueSky

29. "I moved to a higher density area with some walkable amenities. And I try to use my job as an urban planner to shape more walkable, sustainable communities and push builders towards clustering new development to conserve more open space and farmland while still allowing for necessary growth." -SuburbanTomboy

30. "Our daughter is an architecture student and very interested in green building because we raised her to believe that is important." -NTxWriter

(End of Article)

This is an article from GAIAM Community.

Gaiam.com is a health-conscious, environmentally responsible lifestyle company whose goal is to bring LOHAS to the mainstream. The Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) concept is centered on the idea that our own health and happiness is connected to the health of our planet. Taking a holistic approach to our content and product selection, we encourage wholesome lifestyle choices with healthy, green products for your home and body.

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