make a smaller ecological footprint

This web site have 12 step to go green

http://altadena.patch.com/articles/12-steps-to-go-green-in-2012-e17e925c 1 month ago

certainly true – but willalways need to keep it under review 3 months ago

It’s a constant underlying theme. I made a lot of changes since 2007, but no doubt could still do more. 4 months ago

I’m finally getting my paycheck direct deposit. The advantage so far is that it has already been deposited as I type this. In the past, I had to wait until I got off work on Friday to cash or deposit my check and it wasn’t actually added to my bank balance until the next business day which was Monday. Currently, I will receive a voided dplicate copy of my check mailed to my house. I know this doesn’t actually save any trees but until everything is set up by my employer to give all employees online access to view their paychecks, it is the only way I can see how much I made gross to see if it matches up to my hours and find out how much I have taken out for deductions and taxes. Soon, no one will be receivng a paper check at work on Fridays. They are also offering a debit card for those who do not have checking accounts and do not want their paychecks snail mailed to their homes. Supposedly, there will be no fees involved to use it or obtain cash at any ATMs. Employees would be able to check their balance with a phone call anytime day or night. I thought it might be nice to have one and put maybe 5-10% of my net pay on it each week and just let it accumulate until I need the money for Christmas shopping or whatever. My employer says I can do that in addition to direct deposit. 6 months ago

But there are a LOT of things I could do to improve. And after I’m satisfied with myself, I can start helping other people recycle and do other things for the environment. Most people I know say it’s too much work or worry about the up-front costs, so if I’m willing to put in some of the effort for them, I could help them make a difference.

Here is my list of things I want to change:
1) Buy more things in bulk and avoid buying any products with unnecessary/non-recyclable packaging (or using disposable bags/foil myself)
2) Get new things I want from Freecycle, swaps, or thrift stores (or at least buy used)
3) Give away things I don’t want so that other people can give them a second life
4) Have as little garbage as possible by recycling, possibly composting, and making crafts or returning things to companies that can’t be recycled
5) Buy local produce that’s in season (shop at farmers’ markets)
6) Take shorter showers
7) Use the computer less
8) Unplug things I’m not using
9) Learn to fix some things that stop working instead of throwing them away
10) Buy rechargeable batteries when possible
11) Try to eat more raw foods and use less gas/electricity for cooking
12) Eat all the food I buy before it goes bad
13) Try to find uses for the parts of vegetables/fruits that I don’t usually eat
14) Try not to buy products that have been shipped from far away
15) Walk more instead of driving, get a bike, and try to carpool when it’s too far
16) Find greener feminine hygiene products
17) Make my own cleaners, shampoos, etc. instead of buying prepackaged, unnatural ones
18) Use greener driving techniques when I do drive
19) Try to weatherize my home as best as possible with cheap/DIY techniques
20) Give back to the environment when I have the opportunity (through cleanups, planting, educational endeavors etc.) 7 months ago

My city offers a free service for greening your home. I signed up for it last year and was glad I did. They checked several things, including sprinkler water run times, gallons flushed in toilets, temperature of refrigerator, and gave me free low flow shower heads/faucets & CFL light bulbs. But the best part is that they found the insulation in my attic was low. SO, a few months later they sent a contractor out and blew in new cellulose insulation for free.

There was a marked difference in the temperature of the house after this. I’m very pleased with the whole experience and have been suggesting it to neighbors. 7 months ago

to be picked up by the city. The paper we separate is used by the city’s electrical plant as fuel which results in burning less coal for electricity. We have a retired friend who collects our aluminum cans and takes them to the recycling center to help suppliment his social security. I’m still at a quandary as how to reduce our other trash. I am no longer buying liquid laundry detergent. Although I mostly wash in cold water, I run just enough hot or warm in the washer to desolve the dry detergent. It doesn’t take very much and collapsing the paper detergent boxes for recycling to be picked up by the city is preferable to having plastic bottles thrown in the trash or taking up room in the basement while waiting for enough acumulate to make it worthwhile to make a trip to the recycling center ourselves. 7 months ago

I’ve gotten my family on board with recycling plastics and aluminum, and I bring them over the week’s collection over to my boyfriend’s house.

I’ve also taken up gardening. Right now I’m growing sugar snap peas, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, and catnip (for my cat, haha). It’s all indoors except for a few tomatoes and bell peppers since my boyfriend’s dad gave me the tomato topsy turvy thing, so we’re trying that out. I saw my first bell pepper today. I’m really excited about this. I’ve also got okra and squash that will be planted soon. Hopefully this will reduce the amount of vegetables my family buys, which will not only save us a bit of money, but also help reduce the amount of fuel we consume by driving to the store and buying vegetables that traveled thousands of miles to get there.

My next project will probably be to get rain barrels and a compost bin. Right now, my family disposes of fruit peels, mowed grass, and the like outside near our tree trucks. They eventually compost (or birds eat them) and help fertilize our trees. However, I think it’d look way better if we had a compost bin. The rain barrels will probably be in the coming months because it hardly rains here in the summer, and getting on now would be a waste (especially since I’m on limited funds).

I’m trying to think of other things I can do to further reduce my carbon food print. I’m sure I’ll think of other things. I’m having a lot of fun with this goal though. It makes me feel so good! 8 months ago