Personal Solutions to Environmental Problems

Here are a few solutions to environmental problems.  A websearch will give you hundreds of more solutions.  Most of these save money as they save the earth.  One should be able to reduce greenhouse gases and other pollution substantially without lowering living standards, and saving money.

USE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

• Buy wind generated electricity from  companies like GREEN MOUNTAIN, www.greenmountain.com
• solar panels, wind generators, small-scale hydro-generators, cogenerate.

REDUCE consumption. 

• Buy things that last.
• CONSERVE ENERGY:
  • turn off lights not in use
  • DRIVE LESS:
    • run multiple errands
    • live close to work/school
  • off engine in drive-thrus
  • cycle, walk, bus
  • Insulate home
  • Passive solar home
• Buy ENERGY EFFICIENT:
  • compact fluorescent bulbs
  • car, hybrid car, plug-in hybrid or electric.  With plug-ins plugged into wind powered electricity (e.g., from GreenMountain), you can get off oil for most of your driving.
  • appliances — the SunFrost frig used 1/10th the energy (see www.sunfrost.com )
• CONSERVE WATER:
  •  low-flow showerhead, toilet (our low-flow showerhead with off-on switch has saved us $2000 in hot water over the past 20 years).
  •  off water while brushing teeth
  •  don’t water lawn (grass is a drought-resistant plant), or
  •  water early morning or evening, and not on windy days.
  •  fix leaks
  •  Xeriscape (drought resistant plants)

REUSE, avoid throwaways.  Use:

• back side of paper (I get lots of good used paper from the library)
• ceramic cups, cloth napkins & diapers
• artificial Christmas trees
• take a hanky to wipe hands in public restrooms (nothing is too small for God who loves all our offerings)

RECYCLE & BUY RECYCLED PRODUCTS (paper, etc.)

PLANT TREES

EAT ECO-FOOD:

• REDUCE MEAT, reduce impact on land   & energy use, & improve health.
• Eat ORGANIC
• Buy organic produce from  SOUTH TEX ORGANICS in Mission, phone 585-1040
• Eat raw produce, good for health & earth.
• Buy locally grown produce, become a “locavore.”

SAFE(R) ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDES & OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS.

• Safer Pest Control Project has tips at: www.spcpweb.org
• www.GardensAlive.com – for non-toxic pesticides.  Call:  513-354-1483
• learn about and reduce exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals, see http://leas.ca/UserFiles/File/PowerPoints/HormoneDisruption.ppt

This is just for starters.  I’ll add more and more under comments here.  And please do also offer your suggestions.

For great tips see the “Living with Ed” program on the Planet Green channel – www.livingwithed.net ; and for Planet Green – http://planetgreen.discovery.com .  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if EWTN could have an environmental program from the Catholic perspective.

For some further information about efficiency that could really help our nation and the world, see Rocky Mountain Institute – www.rmi.org and read NATURAL CAPITALISM ( www.natcap.org ) for great ideas on how our nation can reduce its energy by 75% without lowering productivity.