NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5307

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Subject: Short Environmental Tips -- redistribute!
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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 23:49:00 GMT
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                  <<< USER$DISK24:[NOTES$LIBRARY]QC.NOTE;1 >>>
                             -< The Quiet Corner >-
================================================================================
Note 36.49                       Save the Earth!                        49 of 49
GALLUJ::11ASHETTLE                                  288 lines  22-JUL-1992 17:21
                         -< Short Environmental Tips >-
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    [This file is provided as a free service to those who are
    committed to saving the Earth.  It was written by Andrea
    Shettle, but most of the information contained within was
    compiled from "50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the
    Earth."  A few ideas were borrowed from "The Next Step:
    50 More Things You Can Do to Save the Earth" and a few
    were Shettle's own.  Both books are available in bookstores
    or from EarthWorks Press #25, 1400 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
    CA 94709.  This file may be freely copied, redistributed
    or crossposted throughout the net as long as this notice
    remains intact.  This file may be published in whole or
    in part in any publication, provided the information within
    is attributed to "50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the
    Earth."  I would appreciate, but do not require, notification
    of any crosspostings or publication of this list to:
    [e-mail] .]


                        SHORT ENVIRONMENTAL TIPS
                        ------------------------

    Ridiculously Simple Things
    --------------------------

    Wildlife can strangle to death in those plastic six-pack
    holders.  Cut all the circles before you throw them out.

    Use less laundry detergent.  Chances are, the directions
    on the box suggest more dergent than you really need.

    Reduce use of foil and plastic in the kitchen.  Use
    reusable containers to store food instead.

    Heating water uses a lot of energy.  Most clothes don't
    need to be washed in hot water or rinsed in warm:  a
    warm-cold cycle should generally work just as well.
    (Remember, the rinse is just to get the soap out--the
    temperature of the water used for rinsing doesn't
    affect cleanliness.)

    The litter you leave behind at the beach kills over
     a million seabirds and other animals every year.  Don't
    litter.  If you're feeling ambitious, bring a trash bag
    with you next time, and spend a few minutes picking up
    litter.

    Next time you're waiting for the bus, pick up any litter you
    find near the bus stop.

    Next time you go out for a walk, try to pick up one piece
    of litter and throw it away.

    Save up to nine gallons of water a day:  turn off your water
    faucet when you brush your teeth.

    Making ice takes energy:  take only as much as you _need_.

    Don't waste resources.  Next time you get food at a fast food
    stand or a cafeteria, take only as many paper napkins as you
    will actually use.  Pocket leftover napkins for later use.

    Balloons endanger wildlife--especially those that live in
    the ocean.  (e.g. balloons can look like jellyfish underwater,
    which attracts the whales)  Even if you live in the midwest,
    your balloon could get to the coast in as little as two days.
    Don't release your helium balloon.


    Good for the Environment
    Good for Your Pocketbook
    -------------------------

    Turn your water heater down to 130o Farenheight -- hot enough
    to kill bacteria (120o is inadequate) and still save energy.
    or put it on an "energy conservation" setting.  If you have a
    dishwasher without a backup heater, you may have to stay with
    140o.

    Go to the hardware store and get a pre-fab "blanket" to
    insulate your water heater -- but if it's a gas heater,
    be sure not to block off the air vents.

    Save gas.  Rotate your tires every 6-8,000 miles.

    Also:  keep your car tuned up.

    And:  clean your car's fuel filters.

    Extra weight uses extra fuel.  Take only what you _need_
    when you go out for a drive.

    Air conditioners add weight to your car and leak CFC's
    (bad for ozone layer) even when you don't switch it on.
    Only buy a car with an air conditioner if you really feel
    you need it.

    Here's a way to waste energy:  switch your air conditioner
    to a setting lower than your target when you turn it on.
    Your room (or car) won't get cold any faster, so this is
    futile, wastes energy, AND wastes money.

    Save some work for the poor fan in your air conditioner
    (and some money on your energy bill):  clean or replace the
    filters at least once a month.

    Tune up your gas furnance every two years.

    Tune up your oil furnance annually.

    Fill a bag or bottle with water, or buy a toilet dam, and install
    it in your toilet tank.  Experiment to find what size will
    reduce water use while maintaining adequate pressure for your
    toilet to flush.

    If your light fixture takes three bulbs, try using two.  Put
    a burned out bulb in the last socket (it's safer).

    Buy products in economy-size whenver possible -- the bigger
    the better.  It saves you money AND helps the environment:
    one big package uses proportioanlly less packaging material
    than many small ones.

    The production of livestock meat uses three times the fuel
    energy, twenty times the land, and many times the water it
    takes to produce a vegetarian diet.  Also, meat is more
    expensive.  Maybe you don't want to become a pure vegetarian.
    That's okay.  But you'd do a lot of good for environment
    and pocketbook alike if you tried having one, two or more
    "meatless" meals every week.  Buy a vegetarian cookbook
    and experiment with a few dishes.  You might discover a
    few new favorites.

    Buy fuel-efficient tires.

    Buy a low-flow showerhead.

    Keep your refrigerator between 38o and 42o farenheight, and
    your freezer between 0o and 5o.  Any colder and you waste
    unnecessary energy.


    Good for the Environment
    Good for your Health
    -------------------------

    It would take you forty-five days of turning off the water
    faucet while brushing your teeth to save the same amount
    of water you'd save by passing up one serving of chicken.
    But eating less meat is not just good for the environment
    or your pocketbook, it's better for your health.  Eating
    meat, dairies (milk, cheese, butter) and eggs can significantly
    increase your risk of heart attack, certain kinds of cancer,
    and other health problems, especially when they are part
    of a high-cholestrol, high-saturated fat and high-protein
    diet.  Also, many meats are full of antibiotics, as is much
    of the milk you drink.

    Toxic products and hazardous wastes are often as bad for
    your health as they are for the environment.  Educate
    yourself by purchasing a copy of "50 Simple Things You
    Can Do to Save the Earth," or by locating some other source
    for this information.

    Use latex paint, not oil-based paint.


    Good for the Environment
    And Cruelty Free Too
    ------------------------

    Not every one is "into" animal rights -- but whether you are
    or aren't, things good for one are often good for the other.
    You might want to consult the "Animal Rights Handbook:
    Everyday Ways to Save Animal Lives", available from Living
    Planet Press, 558 Rose Ave., Venice CA 90291 or in bookstores,
    for more information.

    Animal rights activists object to eating meat on the grounds
    that it is wrong to kill animals for food, and on the
    grounds that the livestock industry (as well as the egg
    and dairies industry) often involves inflicting a great deal
    of suffering on animals while they live.  Animal rights
    activists say they are not interested in sentimentalism,
    only in justice:  suffering is suffering (say the activists)
    whether its on the part of a defenseless infant or elderly
    person, or on the part of an equally defenseless animal.

    Don't buy ivory, tortoiseshell, coral, reptile skins,
    cat pelts, or other products from endangered animals.

    The pesticide on some flea collars can cause nerve damage,
    cancer, or other problems in your pet.  Order citrus-oil
    sprays instead, or add brewer's yeast and garlic to your
    pet's food, or look for products containing methoprene.


    Save the Environment
    With a Little More Effort
    --------------------------

    Buy detergent that is phosphate-free (or at least low-
    phosphate).  Liquid detergents are usually okay.

    Use unbleached coffee filters or reusable cotton filters.
    Check your local supermarket, or contact Rockline Inc., PO
    Box 1007, Sheboygan, WI 53082.

    Use rags, not paper towels, on spills in the kitchen.  Wash
    and reuse the rags.

    Wrap sandwhiches in biodegradable wax paper.

    Buy cellulose or various recycled products (including many
    kinds of paper) from Earth Care Co. Box 3335, Madison WI 53704.
    [phone].

    Buy various environmentally-healthy kitchen products, as well
    as mesh-string bags for grocery shopping, from Seventh
    Generation, 10 Farrell St., South Burlington, VT 05403.

    Clean your dryer's lint trap after every load to keep the
    air circulating efficiently.

    Contact local plumbing supply stores for information on
    buying an "ultra low-flush" toilet.

    Use e-mail, not snail mail, whenever feasible; print out
    only what urgently NEEDS to be printed out.

    If you see a recycling bin for alumin, then for gosh sakes
    don't put your candy wrappers in there.  An excess of
    unrelated and unwanted materials in recycling bins can lead
    to the whole load being thrown out.  If your trash doesn't
    belong, then either redirect it to the appropriate recyling
    bin or find a general-purpose garbage can.

    Set aside a box in your home for newspapers, so they can
    be recycled.

    Set aside wastebaskets or other containers for various
    recyable materials.  A good place may be right next
    to regular wastebaskets, so recycling becomes a matter
    of depositing your trash a few inches to one side or the
    other.  Remember, not all your recycling containers have
    to be located in the same spot.

    If you're buying just a little bit, why take a bag?  Save
    energy and landfills by using reuseable bags whenver you can.

    Ask for paper plates and cups at fast food places, not styrofoam.

    Teach and encourage others to use e-mail.

    A good way to keep unwanted items out of your local landfill
    is to pass them on to other people via yardsales.  Go to
    yardsales/flea markets when you can, and hold a few of your
    own.

    Carpool to work.

    Drive less.  If it's a mile or two, walk.  If it's a little
    further, see if you can bike.  Use public transportation when
    you can.  When running errands, try to combine trips.

    Try to recycle tires.

    Check aerosol lables.  Don't buy stuff with CFC-11, 12, 113,
    114, or 115.

    Try to recycle oil.

    Buy flourescent light bulbs.

    Clean your lightbulbs:  dirt absorbs light, wasting energy.

    Plant a tree.

    Buy copies of "50 Simple Things" and give them to friends,
    families, and local libraries.  If you can, buy other books
    available at EarthWorks Press, such as "The Next Step:
    50 More Things You Can Do to Save the Earth," "The Recycler's
    Handbook," and "30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save
    the Earth," again for friends and, especially, for local
    libraries.

    Distribute this list, or the information contained within,
    any way you can.  (E.g. by crossposting it, or passing it
    on to someone you know.)