Getting Involved In Being Eco-Friendly, Don't Just Read About It!

There are hundreds of things you could do to become more eco-friendly while learning about ways to make change to the environment.

First off, we invite you to submit articles to Eco-Informer. Whether your a seasoned activist or a newbie, you can help us spread the word about the environment. The best way to conduct change, is living it and letting others know.

Aside from that, we have compiled a list of 100 different things that you can do today in order to help the environment.

Top 120 Things You Can To To Protect The Environment

• At Home
• In The Yard
• On The Road
• At The Office
• Protecting The Air
• Protecting And Conserving Water
• Creating Less Trash
  

Top 120 Things You Can Do To Be More Eco-Friendly & Help The Environment

Be Energy Conscious In Your Home

• Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities ( Green Mountain Energy ).
• Quite smoking if you are currently a smoker.
• Use alternative energies if possible at your home. Consider wind energy products ( 3 to 5 years investment recouped ), solar energy products ( 20 to 30 years investment recouped ), and/or Geo Thermal energy products ( 2 to 5 years investment recouped ).
• Patronize companies that are helping to combat global warming.
• Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
• Buy local Goods, as foreign made goods required international shipping and/or trucking transport which are of the leading causes of transportation pollution.
• If you have central air conditioning, close vents in unused rooms.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
• Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
• Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
• Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
• When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
• Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
• Unplug seldom used appliances.
• Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
• Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
• Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
• Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
• Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
• Only use electric appliances when you need them ( Only if you have a green energy provider )
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
• Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
• Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
• Insulate your home as best as you can.
• Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
• Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
• Plant trees to shade your home.
• Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
• Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
• Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
• Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
• In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity
• Eat less red meat and cut down on your processed food intake.
• Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers).
• Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
• Buy the right amount of paint for the job.
• Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.
• When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.
• If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.
• Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
• Have your home tested for radon.
• Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.

Be Energy Conscious On The Road

• If you currently driving an SUV or Truck when not required for your trips purposes, take the car instead.
• If your car is a gas guzzlers consider get one that is more economical ( Electric Car or Diesels with Bio-Diesals Fuels are currently the best options - Read more about it on our alternative vehicles page ).
• If your car is leaking oil or burning oil, get it fixed or get another car.
• Keep your tires properly inflated so that your achieve maximum miles per gallon.
• Get regular tune-ups so that your car will operate more efficiently.
• Rotate your tires when required so that your tires last longer.

Be Eco-Friendly Your Yard

• Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.
• Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one. ( Only If Your Have A Green Energy Provider )
• Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.
• Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.
• Use only the required amount of fertilizer or use manure.
• Minimize pesticide use or use organics to rid of bugs and plants.
• Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.
• Plant a tree.
• Grow your own vegetable garden. It's healthly then store bought produce.
• Water grass early in the morning.
• Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.
• Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).
• Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.

Environmentalism At The Office

• Find out if your company uses a green electricity provider, if not suggest that they switch.
• Discuss environmentalism with people that may be interested in learning about it
• Have a recycle paper bin, and recycle it.
• Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.
• Recycle printer cartridges.
• Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
• Copy and print on both sides of paper.
• Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
• Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.
• Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
• Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
• Use recycled paper.
• Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
• Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.
• Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.

Ways To Protect Our Air

• Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency.
• Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.
• Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.
• Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.
• Use solar power for home and water heating.
• Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.
• Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.
• Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.
• Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.
• If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.
• Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
• Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.
  

Ways to Use Less Water

• Check and fix any water leaks.
• Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
• Use a energy efficient dishwasher.
• Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.
• Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.
• Install a low-flow shower head.
• Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.
• Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks.
• Report people that do not properly dispose of their vehicles oil after an oil change.

Ways to Protect Our Water & Protect The Environment

• Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.
• Never dump anything down a storm drain.
• Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
• Use a septic sprinker system which recycles matter and disseminates fertilizer throughout the yard.
• Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
• Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.
• Learn about your watershed.

Create Less Trash & Help The Environment

• Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.
• Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.
• Buy products that you can reuse.
• Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
• Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.
• Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
• Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
• Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.
• Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.
• Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.
• Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.
• Compost your vegetable scraps.
• Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.