no impact man....

David and I just watched this documentary and really enjoyed it. You should watch it. Then I went and read 100 ways to live greener. I hope to come back and post on the ideas I have tried and succeeded at.


101 Easy Ways to Have a Greener 2010
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If you’re looking for a green New Year’s resolution, never fear, the Almighty Beckster’s got you covered! This list includes everything from the obvious to the obscure, the simple to the “you gotta be kiddin’ me”. But I can honestly say that I’ve done everything on this list, and these really are doable things. I’m betting everybody can find at least one thing on this list that they can do to have a greener 2010!

1) Live beneath your means. Nothing will give you the freedom to explore a greener lifestyle like the peace of mind that comes from having some money in the bank and the assurance that you have choices!
2) Use cloth napkins & handkerchiefs instead of paper napkins and tissue. You can even make them yourself from pieces of old clothing.
3) Use washable cloth wipes instead of toilet paper (at least for number one – really, it’s not as gross as it sounds).
4) Use washable rags instead of paper towels – there’s no better use for an old threadbare washcloth or towel.
5) Never use paper plates, cups etc. Even at parties, use real plates, glasses and silverware. You can borrow some from a friend if you don’t have enough.
6) When you use the microwave, cover your food with a glass lid or upside down bowl or plate instead of a paper towel (but never put plastic in the microwave).
7) If you must buy any paper products, buy recycled.
8) Use your clothes drier for emergencies only – use a clothes line or drying rack most of the time.
9) Don’t wash your clothes, sheets or towels until they’re actually dirty. “Dirty” means that they have visible dirt on them or they smell bad.
10) Find a sunny, well ventilated spot to hang your towels so they dry quickly and don’t need to be washed as often.
11) Wash your clothes in cold water, or even better, use grey water from bathing.
12) Buy a washboard or clothes plunger/agitator, and wash the small stuff by hand (use grey water from bathing).
13) Recycle everything that is recyclable. To make your life easier, get separate garbage cans so you can sort as you toss.
14) Buy goods made from recycled items. Look for the highest quantity possible of post-consumer content… and it’s not just for paper. You can get recycled plastics, aluminum foil and even building materials such as countertops made from recycled glass and decking made from plastic bags.
15) Avoid buying items that come in non-recyclable containers.
16) Bring your own bags when you shop. This includes produce and bulk foods bags; you can buy or make net or muslin bags or even just reuse the plastic ones.
17) Buy in bulk as much as possible, and bring your own bag or container.
18) Avoid buying pre-packaged food, shop for ingredients instead of ready-made meals.
19) Don’t buy any produce grown in a “hothouse”.
20) Don’t buy any produce flown in from half way around the world.
21) Don’t buy fresh fish unless you live where it was caught.
22) Eat less meat & dairy.
23) Cut back on ordering takeout meals. Dine in or cook at home instead, but either way save and eat your leftovers. And if you do splurge and choose to have something delivered, remember to recycle, reuse or compost the containers.
24) Plant a Garden – even a few pots on a balcony can yield a great deal.
25) Join a CSA farm – there is no better way to learn how to cook with a variety of seasonal veggies!
26) Shop at your local farmer’s market.
27) When you have a surplus of something that’s in season, freeze it for the winter months.
28) Buy organic whenever possible.
29) Buy locally produced food whenever possible.
30) Use bottled water for emergencies only. Get a good filter and reusable water bottle instead.
31) Buy fresh instead of canned. Think of canned food as something to be used for emergencies only.
32) Use locally produced honey instead of sugar – you’ll be helping to support the bee population, and cutting down on environmentally destructive sugar cane farming.
33) Use a crock pot or slow cooker, and cover it with a thick towel or pillow to retain the heat and make it more efficient.
34) Build (or buy) a solar oven and use it especially in the summer months so you don’t heat up the house when you cook.
35) Save your big cooking projects for cold days or evenings and let the heat from cooking warm your house. Eat lots of salads and cold dishes in the summer.
36) Cook way more than you need and freeze the leftovers.
37) Never throw away food leftovers. Freeze them, use them as ingredients for new dishes, make a broth - get creative – but never toss edible food.
38) Compost your food scraps and yard waste.
39) If you have cats, switch to a natural kitty litter – preferable one made from a waste product such as corn cobs.
40) Compost your natural kitty litter (but in a separate place from your food compost, and use it only on ornamental plants).
41) Feed your cats & dogs food made from chicken or other poultry products rather than beef.
42) Break the habit of the morning shower and bathe only when you’re dirty (i.e. when you smell bad or are visibly dirty).
43) If you’re a slow bather, choose a bath over a long shower (you’ll use less water).
44) In the winter, don’t pour hot water down the drain. Let it sit until it cools so you’re not pouring all of that heat down the drain.
45) In the summer, take a quick cool shower in the heat of the afternoon or early evening instead of a hot shower in the morning.
46) Use soap sparingly, and only on hands, armpits and privates.
47) Go “No Poo” (meaning stop using shampoo and conditioner). Opt instead for a baking soda wash with a vinegar rinse. Don’t use any other hair products either.
48) Don’t blow-dry your hair or use hot irons or hot rollers. If you must curl, then use the old fashioned kind.
49) Invest in a re-usable razor or use one where only the heads are disposed of. You can even get them made from recycled plastic.
50) Get an eco-toothbrush that has changeable heads so you don’t have to toss all of that plastic every few months.
51) Use a crystal deodorant rock.
52) Turn your hot water heater down to the lowest setting that you can get away with. Uusually that’s the lowest setting that lets you still bathe comfortably – adjust it for the changing seasons.
53) Insulate your hot water heater.
54) If your furnace has a pilot light, shut if off during the warm months of the year.
55) In the winter time, close your drapes at night and open them during the day only when you need light or when direct sunlight is shining through the windows.
56) In the winter time wear a sweater and turn down the furnace a degree or two.
57) In the summer time, wear skimpy clothes and turn up the air conditioner a degree or two.
58) Get a programmable thermostat.
59) Put a thick pad on your mattress during the winter (several old blankets will do the trick). You’ll stay much warmer at night and you can comfortably turn down the furnace a few more degrees. You can also pre-heat your bed with a hot water bottle (you can just use an old soda or water bottle instead of buying a real one).
60) Never run the air conditioner at night. Instead open the windows and consider a whole house fan. Get locks for your windows so you can leave them a few inches open and still be safe.
61) If you have a whole house fan, cover and insulate the opening during the cold months of the year.
62) Upgrade your attic insulation and add weather stripping to all of your doors and windows. Seriously, this makes a HUGE difference.
63) If you keep a porch light on at night, be sure it has a CFL or LED bulb. Even better – turn it off!
64) Use only CFL or LED bulbs, and use them sparingly. If you want constant light – try getting some solar LED Christmas lights and string them inside your house. You can put the charger in a window and you’ll always have a nice low level of lighting.
65) If you use candles, choose the beeswax variety as opposed to paraffin.
66) Go to bed earlier! Try as much as possible to sleep when it’s dark and be awake when it’s light. You’ll use less energy and you’ll also feel better!
67) Turn your computer off when you’re not using it.
68) Don’t leave the TV on when you’re not watching it. If you like to listen while you work, then get a TV tuner for your computer so you’re not gobbling extra power, or choose a small radio instead (you can even get a solar-powered one)!
69) Put everything on power strips and turn them off when you’re not using the devices.
70) Buy your electricity from green sources. Many utility companies offer green electricity at a slightly higher rate than the standard coal/gas produced variety.
71) Other than socks & underwear, buy all of your clothing used.
72) Have a “clothing exchange” with your friends and donate the surplus to charity. This works great for kids clothes too.
73) Don’t buy things that you don’t need. Everything you buy comes with its own carbon footprint, so make sure that you really need it before you buy it.
74) If you really need an item, try to buy it used. And check out Craigslist and Freecycle… you might be able to get it for free!
75) If something breaks, try to fix it. You may not succeed, but if it’s already broken you don’t have much to lose, and you might learn something along the way!
76) Have a “stuff exchange” with your friends… sort of like a communal free garage sale, and donate the leftovers to charity.
77) Use your local library instead of buying books, DVD’s etc.
78) Never throw away anything that still has useful life left in it. If you can’t use it yourself, give it to a friend or neighbor, donate it to a thrift store, offer it for free on Craigslist or Freecycle, or even put it out on the curb with a sign that says “free”.
79) Use rechargeable batteries.
80) Get a hand-push lawnmower, and use the power variety for emergencies only – and make the power backup mower an electric model (gas mowers are terribly polluters).
81) Mulch your lawn clippings, or at the very least compost them, but never throw them away.
82) Don’t use chemical fertilizers on your lawn; opt instead for compost or manure.
83) Replace as much of your lawn as possible with native plants or vegetable plots.
84) Don’t use weed killer. If you landscape with plants that thrive in your climate you shouldn’t have much of a weed problem. When you do get weeds, pull them by hand.
85) Never use gas powered trimmers or leaf blowers; they are gas guzzling, polluting monsters.
86) Plant a shade tree on the west side of your house to provide natural cooling on hot summer afternoons.
87) Commute less. Just how to do this will vary greatly depending on your circumstances. But here are some suggestions – walk, bike, carpool, take public transportation, telecommute, re-negotiate your working hours to four 10-hour days per week, get a job that’s closer to home, or a home that’s closer to work, or quit your job and start a work-at-home business (but only if you have a viable plan and/or a spouse who is willing to support you!)
88) Walk or bike to run your errands. You’ll be amazed to find how much less meaningless crap you buy if you actually have to carry it all home!
89) Get yourself off of junk mail lists. Write to this address and they will remove your name and address for you: Mail Preference Service, c/o the Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
90) When you purchase something from a company, be sure to ask NOT to be put on their mailing list. And whenever you get a catalog in the mail, go immediately to the computer/telephone and request to be removed from their mailing list.
91) When you donate to charity, be sure to ask that they not share your name and address, and ask to be taken off of the mailing list.
92) Don’t subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. Get your news online instead.
93) Pay your bills online, and take advantage of automatic payment options. The stress reduction alone makes this one worthwhile, not to mention no more late payment fees!
94) Go “paperless” with all of your bank statements, credit cards etc. Not only will you save a few trees, but you’ll have so much less clutter to deal with!
95) Use a video-conference, conference call or other collaborative technology to avoid making business trips. It will cost much less money, take less time and leave you with less stress.
96) Choose “low-carbon” recreational activities like reading, walking, hanging out with friends as opposed to sky-diving, motocross, etc.
97) Take a “stay-cation” instead of travelling somewhere. Turn off the phone, don’t check your email, sleep as late as you want, and thoroughly enjoy pampering yourself at home. Not only will you generate less carbon, you’ll save a lot of money and stress in the process.
98) Cancel your gym membership and get your exercise by walking, biking and doing things by hand instead of using a machine to do it for you.
99) Become a “little green thorn” in the side of the businesses you patronize as well as your politicians. If you see practices that should be greener, don’t wait for somebody to start a campaign, just write a letter or email right then and there. Nothing gets the attention of business owners and politicians like feedback from their customers/constituents.
100) Resolve to actually implement at least one thing from this list.
101) Forward this list to your friends and challenge them to implement at least one of the things on this list!