Ten Tips to Help Heal the Planet
12/25/99
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Title: Ten tips to help heal the planet
Source: Environment News Network, http://www.enn.com/
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 25, 1999
Byline: Gila Reckess
This year, the National Audubon Society compiled a list of ways to
improve our planet. Based on conversations with America's top
scientists, the society is encouraging individuals to make simple
changes in daily routines to minimize human influence on the Earth's
environment.
"If each person who reads Audubon (magazine) does just one of the
resolutions, that will be 450,000 people who will have acted in some
way to preserve what we have and they will be more aware of how their
actions (or inactions) affect the planet," says Audobon's Lisa
Gosselin.
Below are Audobon's top 10 recommendations. Read carefully; some of
the suggestions may surprise you.
1. Say "no" to exotics. To help the plight of endangered species,
don't house exotic pets or purchase products that are made using
animals at risk.
2. Go veggie. Vegetarian diets put less strain on the environment.
Livestock guzzles nearly 50 percent of all water consumed in the
United States and eats nearly 16 pounds of grass and grain for each
pound of beef produced.
3. Coffee in the shade. Buying shade-grown coffee supports the
preservation of rain forests and safeguards the habitat of many
species.
4. Be picky, not fishy. When choosing fish to eat, avoid over-fished
species such as swordfish.
5. Be heard. Voice your opinion by supporting local and federal
legislation to protect the environment and its endangered species.
Every person at your town's planning-board meetings can make a big
difference.
6. Pay your dues. Some states offer the option of contributing part of
your income tax to fund the protection of non-game species. Look for
this option on your next form.
7. Buy the plate that pays. Some states donate revenue from special
license plates to wildlife conservation programs. License plates with
a conservation theme also help spread an important message.
8. Conserve energy. Buying energy-efficient appliances can
significantly decrease energy use at home. If every US household was
equipped with the most energy-efficient refrigerator available today,
10 power plants would quickly become obsolete.
9. Don't be afraid of the dark. Electricity used to generate light
produces a large amount of carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes
to global warming. Use timers or movement sensors to minimize
electricity use. Fluorescent light bulbs outlast incandescent bulbs
and yield significantly lower levels of carbon dioxide.
10. Stay cool. Make sure your furnace is working at optimal efficiency
and keep the temperature as low as possible. Decreasing the
temperature by even a few degrees lowers carbon dioxide emissions by
hundreds of pounds over the course of a year.