40 Things you can do for CLEANER AIR!
February 21, 2008
1. Carpool
2. Walk or ride a bike.
3. Shop by phone or mail.
4.Ride public transit or telecommute
5. Accelerate your car gradually.
6. Obey the speed limit.
7. Combine your errands into one trip.
8. Keep your car tuned.
9. Don’t top off at the gas pump.
10. Replace your car’s air filter.
11. Keep your tires properly inflated.
12. Look for the most efficient, lowest polluting model or even a zero-polluting electric car.
13. Use water-based paints. Look for paints labeled zero-VOC.
14. Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.
15. Store solvents in air-tight containers.
16. Use a push or electric lawn mower.
17. Start your barbecue briquettes with an electric probe. Or use a propane or natural gas barbecue.
18. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
19. Replace energy-hungry incandescent lights with fluorescent lighting.
20. Check with your utility company for energy conservation tips.
21. Use a programmable thermostat that automatically turns off the air conditioner or heater when you don’t need them.
22. Don’t exercise on unhealthy air days.
23. Add insulation to your home.
24. Use an EPA-approved wood burning stove or fireplace insert.
25. Insulate your water heater.
26. Install low-flow showerheads.
27. Choose recycled products.
28. Choose products with recyclable packaging.
29. Reuse paper bags.
30. Recycle paper, plastics, and metals.
31. Print and photocopy on both sides of paper. INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.arb.ca.gov/images/white.gif” \* MERGEFORMATINET
32. Avoid using leaf blowers and other types of equipment that raise a lot of dust. Try using a rake or broom.
33. Drive slowly on unpaved roads.
34. Drive less, particularly on days with unhealthy air.
35. Some products such as cleaning agents, paints, and glues contain dangerous chemicals. Use them outdoors or with plenty of ventilation indoors.
36. Use safer products, such as baking soda instead of harsher cleaners.
37. Have your gas appliances and heater regularly inspected and maintained.
38. Clean frequently to remove dust and molds.
39. Write to your local paper. Support action for healthy air.
40. Let your elected representatives know you support action for cleaner air.
This fact sheet prepared by Alice Miller-Keyes and Tim Keyes from information provided by the Evangelical Environmental Network and the Georgia Conservancy.
5 Ways To Save Water, Money, & Energy
February 21, 2008
Top 5 ACTIONS For SAVING WATER, MONEY, and ENERGY NOW!
With so many ways to save water, here are the highlights for 5 key actions to help you capture the water savings around your home.
1. Stop Those Leaks!
Many silent leaks allow water and your money to go down the drain. To help detect unseen leaks go to our website. Studies have shown homes can waste more than 10% due leaking, which costs both you and the environment.
Another large water waster can be leaks in your irrigation system. Fix irrigation system leaks quickly and check for water in the gutters or mud puddles. Inspect your sprinklers and drip sprayers regularly for leaks during the daytime since the optimal time to water is in the nighttime hours when you cannot observe leaks. If you have an older irrigation system, over 50% and even more than 75% of the water can be lost to leaks.
2. Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home.
If your home was built before 1992 and the toilet has never been replaced, then it is very likely that you do not have a water efficient 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. You can check the date stamp inside the toilet by lifting the lid and looking at the back of the toilet at the manufacturer’s imprint of the make, model and date of manufacture.
3. Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water user in your home.
Energy Star™ rated washers that also have a Water Factor at or lower than 9.5, use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load. This saves you money on both your water and energy bills. There is a current qualifying products listing of water efficient clothes washer models maintained by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.
4. Plant the right plants with proper landscape design & irrigation.
Whether you are putting in a new landscape or slowing changing the current landscaping at your home, select plants that are appropriate for your local climate conditions. Having yard with 100% lawn turf area in a dry desert climate uses significant amounts of water. Also consider the trend towards Xeriscape™ and a more natural landscape.
5. Water only what your plants need.
Plants need no more than one inch of water every 7 to 10 days! Most water is wasted in your garden by watering when you plants do not need the water or by not maintaining the irrigation system. Be attentive if you are manual watering by setting your oven timer or some other reminder to move the water promptly. Make sure your irrigation controller has a rain shutoff device and that it’s appropriately scheduled. Learn more about using the features that you have in your garage for efficient watering like your hose and irrigation controller timer . . . Be sure to call your local water provider for more information and potential incentives.
For more information about saving water see the fun and interactive website h2ouse.org.
This fact sheet adapted by Alice Miller-Keyes and Tim Keyes from Evangelical Environmental Network and
Water Saver Home Website.
Be A Deep Green Family
February 21, 2008
Being green is not a fad, not a fashion. It’s not about politics or posturing. It’s about caring for creation in a way that’s deeply rooted in faith. Here are ten ideas for your family:
* Give Thanks
Thank God for his beautiful creation, and ask for his help to care for it.
* Go Deep
Read what God’s word says about caring for creation and the people who depend on it at CreationCare.org.
* Recycle
Everyone in the family can help. Paper, cans, bottles, jars. Batteries, chemicals, paint. Find out what you can recycle at your curbside, and for everything else, go to Earth911.org.
* Get out!
Spend at least an hour a day outside. Turn off the TV, computer, and video games and encourage your kids have more “green time” than “screen time”. For ideas about what to do once you’re outside, go to DeepGreenConversation.org!
* Save energy
Turn off lights when leaving a room, buy EnergyStar appliances, and turn the thermostat down in winter, and up in summer. Use your ceiling fans. Find more energy-saving tips here at PowerIsInYourHands.
* Do a home energy audit
Let the kids help do a home energy audit, based on your last 12 months of utility bills. Then get recommendations on how to make your home more energy efficient with Yardstick and Home Advisor.
* Garden for Wildlife
Invite creation to your yard by creating a backyard wildlife habitat. Suggestions for plants and garden plans that attract butterflies and birds to your yard can be found at ABNativePlants.com.
* Combine trips
Poll the family before heading out in the car to see how trips can be combined. Keep a list of all your errands in one place, and don’t leave until you have a few.
* Light the way to a new energy future
Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent lamps and save real money, while reducing pollution from power plants. Recycle your old lamps rather than throw them away - go to LampRecycle.org to find out how.
* Read up
Become a supporter of the Evangelical Environmental Network and get four issues of Creation Care magazine each year, to keep you up-to-date and down-to-earth. Visit CreationCare.org for more information.
Finally, inspire others - log on to DeepGreenConversation.org to post ideas, ask questions, or encourage others to be deep green.
