Charley & ML from Houston, TX write: Don't know if this will help anyone, and didn't have time to read through all the tips (today, that is), but we (hubby and I) sell on ebay. All our packing etc. is recycled. To pack, we shred everything that we don't use. Mail order catalogs, junk mail, neighbors newspapers, etc. And any boxes, envelopes we come across. It just makes sense. While we are new to all of this, and have a lot to learn (obviously), it seems a small step to at least re-use all this waste at least one time.

Jennifer Gardino of South Lee, MA makes an impassioned plea "Don't litter, and stop cutting down trees in the rainforest so the animals will have a home." The first one is SO basic, and yet SO easy to forget. If you wouldn't think of littering, make sure your child wouldn't either. Kids need to be taught about the environment, and teaching them not to litter is the first step toward helping them build respect for our planet.  

Denise from AOL tells us her experience of recycling rubber bands received FROM her mailman back to the Post Office. She says the first time she did it they looked at her like she had three heads, but now they're used to seeing her! Not only is the recycling tip a fine one, but the more important lesson is the example she's setting in her "spreading the Gospel" of environmentalism. Perhaps the postal workers, exposed to new ideas thanks to Denise, will begin to follow her lead in THEIR lives. Kudos Denise!  

Cathi Peters makes a strong case for composting in her tip. "Send all your kitchen scraps (except meat) to the compost pile. Leaves, grass cuttings, coffee grinds, even the paper filters can all go into the heap. If you don't know how, visit your local bookstore or library for info." We compost everything we can so I can attest first-hand to its effectiveness at reducing waste and landfill needs. It's also great organic fertilizer!  

GCAMERON from parts unknown sends along this: "How about growing your own food? It reduces transportation needs and promotes a sense of responsibility for the land around you." Mama couldn't agree more and can't believe this was overlooked below! Thanks GC.  

Just interested...does anyone out there consider living environmentally revolutionary? We didn't think so, but the more I think about it, the more it appears so. Is there a certain economic subversiveness to trying to end conspicuous consumption? Is spurning mass produced plastic junk toys and petroleum based clothing and cleansers downright unAmerican? After all, don't we fight wars these days over petroleum? We REALLY want your feedback on this...Please write now. There's an e-mail link at the bottom of the page. 

Eileen Mooney, editor of our local NEWSletter, reminds us about our local Lions Clubs. Remember, they recycle used eyeglasses. Any old glasses WITH lenses in frames (just one or the other won't do) can be brought to most local opticians for distribution to someone who NEEDS them. Call your local Lions Club for details.  

Elizabeth Ames from Queensland, Australia wrote to tell us about food storage. She recommends instead of using plastic wrap or tin foil that you try shower caps, either bought or taken from hotel stays. They're reusable and less expensive than plastic ware.

Biogeogra from AOL sends along some simple, elegant tips for reuse of packaging. Use bread bags for packing sandwiches, rinsed out cottage cheese or other plastic containers (they are top rack dishwasher safe) for pudding or salads and fast food bags for packing the lunch. An entire lunch sent to school or work with NO packaging purchased...and you save money too! Schools could even invent contests to encourage creative reuse! 

Betty Brown from Networth.com has some ideas about dying green...which IS a part of living green! She says that even casket choice can and should be Earth-Friendly. Choose wood as it returns to the Earth fastest, and leave off the metal "enhancements." However, as Betty says, be considerate of the rainforest and do NOT use mahogany!   

Alan Dunn from San Francisco kills two birds, or solves two problems, with one Tip! He suggests reusing the rubber bands wrapping your mail or newspapers to keep pairs of socks together in the wash. No more rubber bands clogging landfills...and no more mismatched or missing socks!   

ReNae Vorgert from Epping, ND writes about natural pest control in what seems to have become "The Year of the Mosquito". Instead of rubbing lots of chemicals on your skin, plant a "mosquito plant" on your deck or yard, rub some of the leaves on your skin & carry some in your pocket. ReNae swears this works!  

Ed Haskell from the Finger Lakes writes that he and his kids take regular "trash walks" through the neighborhood keeping their little piece of Earth clean. TERRIFIC idea...and with enough kids and wagons it's almost like a 4th of July parade!

•  Everyone knows about "Low-Flow" shower heads...Install them!
• Shower instead of taking a bath (Uses 70% less water!)
• Save a Flush!! (Don't flush EVERY time!)
• Fill an old plastic bottle with water and place it in your toilet tank...you save as much as you displace every flush! (ie. a 1 liter bottle saves a liter per flush)
• When shaving or tooth-brushing...run water only when necessary.
• FIX THOSE LEAKY FAUCETS!! A leak will waste as much as 50 gallons of water per day...and if it's HOT water...you're wasting energy too, not to mention all that money going down the drain.
• Wash clothes and dishes ONLY with full loads.

Energy Saving:

• Set thermostats to 66 in Winter, 78 in Summer, then use a blanket or fan. Push your limits...see if you can handle 62 or 80!
• PUT ON A SWEATER...or TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES!
• Build a fire...buy a wood stove.
• Cuddle...Body heat is VERY efficient...and it's FREE
• Make sure your heating/cooling system is running at peak efficiency by having it checked every year. Many state utilities will do this for FREE.
• Turn your water heater down.
• When replacing appliances...make sure you get an energy-efficient unit.
• Use the placement of your house to your advantage...open the shades on the sunny side in winter to increase solar heat...close them in summer to decrease heat.
• INSULATE...INSULATE...INSULATE
• Turn off the TV and...play a game, take a walk, read a book, paint a picture...explore your creative side.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs as they expire with Compact Fluorescents.

Fossil Fuel Conservation: 

•  PLAN for "Car Free Days", days where NO ONE in the family uses the car.
• Carpool, rideshare, use Mass Transit.
• Ride a bike...Take up rollerblading...WALK!
• Preplan so that car-based errands are run in groups, instead of individually.
• Use refillable "Woody" pens (See General Store!) instead of disposable plastic.
• Recycle Plastic
• Wear Natural (Organic if possible!) fibers instead of petroleum-based nylons, polyesters, etc.
• Erase the word "disposable" from your vocabulary (eg: use matches instead of disposable lighters).
• Support LOCAL products reducing the need for shipping.

In General...

• Reduce...Reuse...Recycle.
• Compost Compost Compost.  Waste disposal is a MAJOR cause for concern.
• Urban Sprawl...Suburban Sprawl.  Get involved with your communities planning and/or zoning boards.  Go to the public meetings.  Preserve green space.
• Don't buy rainforest products...Like mahogany, teak, etc. Reducing the market reduces the drive to clearcut.
• Eat Organic...reducing pesticide pollution in groundwater and runoff

Send us YOUR tips!!