(A MUST SEE) The Growing Threat of Genetically Engineered Trees – Award winning documentary film explores the growing global threat of genetically engineered trees to our environment and to human health. The film features David Suzuki, who explores the unknown and possibly disastrous consequences of improperly tested GE methods.
Click to learn more about the great dangers of GMOs:
http://beawarebechange.blogspot.com/2012/09/genetically-modified-organisms-biggest.html
Additional research on GMOs: Health Guide: GMO Research
Monday
Sunday
Why Is the Global Economy Still Relying on Child Labor / Slavery?
Besides politicians and corporations, consumers are one of the main responsible's for human rights abuses, among other problems. Choose ethical and ecological products and pressure politicians to change / enforce laws and corporations to produce ethical and ecological products and services.
Boycott all corporations that abuse people, animals and nature.

In 2012, approximately 21 million people worked in forced labor worldwide, including in industrialized nations like the United States. More than one quarter of these people were children. Overall, 215 million children labor worldwide, half of them in dangerous industries, often without adequate employment and workplace protections.
74 countries have been identified as locales where child labor and forced labor are used, and much of it occurs in the context of production of basic commodities highly valued in the West, including coffee, chocolate, gold, cotton, beef and sugarcane. Children are also forced into sex work and domestic labor like cleaning and caring for children.
While the United States might have officially ended slavery with the Civil War, slavery, forced labor and related exploitative labor practices endure across the world, including in the U.S. In fact, the use of such practices has actually increased worldwide in recent years. What’s going on? Why is the global economy so heavily reliant on forms of labor that should have gone out with the dodo?
The answer to this troubling question is a complex one that lies in part in the demand for cheap, readily-available goods across the West. Companies rallying to meet this demand are also driven by internal pressures for profit, with demands from their boards and shareholders. Their desire to profit at all costs mean that they cut corners when it comes to sourcing, protecting their workers, monitoring working conditions and ensuring that their products are produced without the use of slave, forced, child and other kinds of exploitative labor.
Groups like the International Labor Organization that are concerned with the use of exploitative labor in the U.S. are attempting to address it with tools like a free program for businesses that want to commit to sourcing their labor more responsibly, but they aren’t making much headway. They’re going up against a complex and interconnected system that pits business against children and workers from marginalized populations like ethnic and cultural minorities.
Complying with the standards involved in ensuring that a supply chain remains free of exploitative labor and the use of children means careful monitoring and high levels of transparency. It also requires giving up some profits, something many companies are reluctant to do — after all, many relocate specifically to the Global South in order to evade oversight and increase profits thanks to lower labor costs and other operating costs.
The only way to change the culture of labor is to increase pressure on companies to do the right thing by their workers. Members of the public can push for slave and child labor-free goods, demanding products produced ethically, but this requires a functional and accurate system for identifying and certifying products, to prevent companies from simply claiming that their products meet standards when this is not in fact the case.
Another, and potentially far more effective, mechanism for getting children out of the workforce and into school where they belong is the application of shareholder activism. In shareholder activism, individuals and groups buy up blocks of shares and coordinate together to vote on key issues when a company brings them to shareholders for the vote. They can force people off the board, elect representatives who will promote their interests and force a company to behave with more integrity and accountability.
This kind of activism can require deep pockets, especially for multinationals, but it can be a profound way to send a message. As one company begins to establish a more responsible industry standard and customers turn to it, competitors will be forced to do the same, even if it means a drop in profits. That can create a snowball effect of change, and make the world safer for children.
Not sure about how much this affects you personally? Use the Slavery Footprint tool to get a grim and personal look at how many slaves work for you. Enter some details about your habits and lifestyle, and it will provide information about the kinds of people involved in the production of the goods and services you use.
Related articles:
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/causes/why-is-the-global-economy-still-relying-on-child-labor.html#ixzz2RlEw2JG3
Friday
A História Secreta da Obsolescência Planeada - Documentário a não perder
IMPORTANTE A NÃO PERDER | DIVULGUE
A História Secreta da Obsolescência Planeada - Como as empresas enganam o consumidor e prejudicam o ambiente:
A Obsolescência Programada é uma estratégia económica imoral utilizada pelas empresas a nível mundial, que de forma deliberada, visa fazer com que a vida de um produto tenha a sua durabilidade muito limitada de forma a que o mesmo avarie rapidamente e o consumidor seja obrigado a voltar a comprar o produto de uma forma regular.
A Obsolescência Programada começou primeiramente com as lâmpadas, que antes duravam décadas trabalhando ininterruptamente (como a lâmpada que está acesa há mais de cem anos num posto dos bombeiros dos EUA) mas, depois de uma reunião com o cartel dos fabricantes, passaram a fazê-las para durar apenas 1.000 horas.
Essa prática generalizada a nível mundial que foi aplicada em quase todo o tipo de produtos, tem graves efeitos sociais e especialmente ambientais, e gerado montanhas de resíduos, transformando algumas cidades de países de terceiro mundo em verdadeiros depósitos tóxicos, sem referir a matéria prima, energia e tempo humano desperdiçados.
VER DOCUMENTÁRIO:
A História Secreta da Obsolescência Planeada - Como as empresas enganam o consumidor e prejudicam o ambiente:
A Obsolescência Programada é uma estratégia económica imoral utilizada pelas empresas a nível mundial, que de forma deliberada, visa fazer com que a vida de um produto tenha a sua durabilidade muito limitada de forma a que o mesmo avarie rapidamente e o consumidor seja obrigado a voltar a comprar o produto de uma forma regular.
A Obsolescência Programada começou primeiramente com as lâmpadas, que antes duravam décadas trabalhando ininterruptamente (como a lâmpada que está acesa há mais de cem anos num posto dos bombeiros dos EUA) mas, depois de uma reunião com o cartel dos fabricantes, passaram a fazê-las para durar apenas 1.000 horas.
Essa prática generalizada a nível mundial que foi aplicada em quase todo o tipo de produtos, tem graves efeitos sociais e especialmente ambientais, e gerado montanhas de resíduos, transformando algumas cidades de países de terceiro mundo em verdadeiros depósitos tóxicos, sem referir a matéria prima, energia e tempo humano desperdiçados.
VER DOCUMENTÁRIO:
Thursday
12 Tips for Choosing Greener & Safer Toys
You’re probably careful about avoiding choking hazards and other common safety issues with toys, but did you know there are a wide variety of synthetic chemicals and heavy metals that could be in them? From lead and cadmium in paint, plastics, and jewelry to xylene, toluene, and phthalates in play cosmetics–when did toy boxes become a toxic minefield?
Make your toy box healthier for your child and the planet. Here are 12 ways you can reclaim the fun and reduce worry when it comes to playtime.
1. Go au natural. Look for safe toys made of natural materials like solid woods (with no finish or a non-toxic finish) and organic textiles (like cotton, wool, and felt).
2. Simplify. Buying fewer toys is eco-friendly. It’s better for the planet (and your pocketbook!).
3. Re-purpose. Can something you already have be used as a toy? An empty box or set of stainless steel bowls can provide hours of safe and happy play, depending on the age of your child.
4. Look for items that will last. Safe, high quality toys may cost a bit more, but they will last much longer and can be handed down to younger children. Also, if you decide to sell them, you’re more likely to make your money back.
5. Read labels. Before you buy, ask yourself “What’s this toy made of? Where does it come from?” Get to know a toy before you buy it. This is important for pet toys, too.
6. Look for local. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by buying local as well as healthy. If you’re shopping globally, opt for European, Canadian or Japanese toy imports. Other countries may have lax toy safety regulations.
7. Opt for open-ended toys. Look for items that encourage creativity and are capable of being used for many different types of play. Wooden blocks, colorful scarves, smooth stones, and even cardboard boxes are fun, safe toys that can be the foundation for innumerable creative adventures.
8. Avoid cheap jewelry and kids’ cosmetics. Both of these types of dress-up products are high-risk. Cheap jewelry often has high lead levels and kids’ cosmetics can have any number of questionable and unsafe chemicals.
9. Purge plastics. Okay, this is nearly impossible these days, but make your best effort. If you do buy plastic, look for safer plastics like those labeled #2, #4, or #5 in the chasing arrows symbol usually found on the bottom of the product. Not labeled? Call the manufacturer. This is key for buying safe pet toys, too, as they’re obviously chewing on toys–a direct route of ingestion.
10. Text for Healthy Toys. HealthyToys.org is a database to help you find safe toys. You can even access it from your mobile phone. Just text keywords and you’ll receive information immediately regarding any testing that’s been done to determine whether or not a particular toy is safe. They even rank pet toys by safety.
11. Sign-up for recall alerts. The Consumer Product Safety Commission posts recalls online, as does the website Recalls.gov. If a toy you own is recalled, take it out of rotation immediately and follow the company’s instructions on how to get a safe replacement.
12. Have fun! Playtime isn’t about what you have, it’s about what you do. Get down and dirty with your kids. Laugh and simply enjoy spending time together.
For more on the benefits of safe and healthy playtime with your kids, read more here:
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-tips-for-choosing-greener-safer-toys.html#ixzz2RUKPyA7Z
Monday
HOME - The world is our home | HOME - O Mundo é a nossa casa
TRAILER HOME:
Full documentary bellow - Please share widely
Documentário completo abaixo - Por favor partilhe massivamente
A MUST SEE DOCUMENTARY - We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate. The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.
This visually dramatic special illustrates the planet's fragile state entirely from a birds-eye view in stunning high definition. With spectacular aerial views from more than 50 countries, viewers will see the extent of human impact on our landscapes. And not a moment too soon: In the past 50 years -a single lifetime - the Earth has been more radically changed than by all previous generations of humanity.
HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.
HOME official website: http://www.home-2009.com
WATCH DOCUMENTARY:
Option 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
Option 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XA8A-aUyQ
DOCUMENTÁRIO A NÃO PERDER - Home é um excelente documentário artístico sobre o ambiente, que contem imagens de uma beleza impressionante. Foi produzido pelo jornalista, fotógrafo e ambientalista francês Yann Arthus-Bertrand, e lançado em 2009. O filme é inteiramente composto de imagens aéreas de vários lugares da Terra. Mostra-nos a diversidade da vida no planeta e como a humanidade está ameaçando o equilíbrio ecológico.
Vivemos em tempos excepcionais. Os cientistas nos dizem que temos 10 anos para mudar a maneira como vivemos, evitar o esgotamento dos recursos naturais e a evolução catastrófica do clima da Terra. As apostas são altas para nós e nossos filhos. Todos devem participar no esforço, e HOME foi concebido para levar uma mensagem de mobilização para cada ser humano. Maravilhoso documentário com belíssimas imagens e linda música de Armand Amar. Excelente para ser passado numa sala de aula, certamente irá despertar muitas consciências para os perigos do actual rumo civilizacional. HOME mostra as origens da vida no planeta e o equilíbrio existente entre as espécies. Revela a actuação do homo sapiens, que em apenas 50 anos, dos seus 200 mil anos de existência, está mudando completamente as características da vida no planeta, que existe há 4 bilhões de anos. O filme clama pela atitude do indivíduo e da união de força dos povos para que ainda possamos salvar o que restou dele. Este filme é um alerta e uma declaração de amor ao nosso lar: a Terra.
Todos devem participar no esforço, e Home foi concebido para levar uma mensagem de mobilização para cada ser humano.
Website oficial do HOME: http://www.home-2009.com
VER DOCUMENTÁRIO:
Opção 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00xcQDTr1RM
Opção 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XA8A-aUyQ
Full documentary bellow - Please share widely
Documentário completo abaixo - Por favor partilhe massivamente
HOME - THE WORLD IS OUR HOME:
A MUST SEE DOCUMENTARY - We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate. The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.
This visually dramatic special illustrates the planet's fragile state entirely from a birds-eye view in stunning high definition. With spectacular aerial views from more than 50 countries, viewers will see the extent of human impact on our landscapes. And not a moment too soon: In the past 50 years -a single lifetime - the Earth has been more radically changed than by all previous generations of humanity.
HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.
HOME official website: http://www.home-2009.com
WATCH DOCUMENTARY:
Option 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
Option 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XA8A-aUyQ
HOME - O MUNDO É A NOSSA CASA:
DOCUMENTÁRIO A NÃO PERDER - Home é um excelente documentário artístico sobre o ambiente, que contem imagens de uma beleza impressionante. Foi produzido pelo jornalista, fotógrafo e ambientalista francês Yann Arthus-Bertrand, e lançado em 2009. O filme é inteiramente composto de imagens aéreas de vários lugares da Terra. Mostra-nos a diversidade da vida no planeta e como a humanidade está ameaçando o equilíbrio ecológico.
Vivemos em tempos excepcionais. Os cientistas nos dizem que temos 10 anos para mudar a maneira como vivemos, evitar o esgotamento dos recursos naturais e a evolução catastrófica do clima da Terra. As apostas são altas para nós e nossos filhos. Todos devem participar no esforço, e HOME foi concebido para levar uma mensagem de mobilização para cada ser humano. Maravilhoso documentário com belíssimas imagens e linda música de Armand Amar. Excelente para ser passado numa sala de aula, certamente irá despertar muitas consciências para os perigos do actual rumo civilizacional. HOME mostra as origens da vida no planeta e o equilíbrio existente entre as espécies. Revela a actuação do homo sapiens, que em apenas 50 anos, dos seus 200 mil anos de existência, está mudando completamente as características da vida no planeta, que existe há 4 bilhões de anos. O filme clama pela atitude do indivíduo e da união de força dos povos para que ainda possamos salvar o que restou dele. Este filme é um alerta e uma declaração de amor ao nosso lar: a Terra.
Todos devem participar no esforço, e Home foi concebido para levar uma mensagem de mobilização para cada ser humano.
Website oficial do HOME: http://www.home-2009.com
VER DOCUMENTÁRIO:
Opção 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00xcQDTr1RM
Opção 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4XA8A-aUyQ
Earth Day (April 22) - Learn how we can protect the planet
Nature + Humankind + Animals
Make the Connection
A MUST SEE | PLEASE SHARE
Do Your Part and Protect the Earth - Think Globally, Act Locally
"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi
LEARN WHAT YOU CAN DO:
100 Simple ways to help change the world!
1. Open an ethical bank account with Smile/Co-OP www.smile.co.uk or
http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk
2. Invest your other savings ethically www.eiris.org
3. Change your electricity supplier to a renewable one
http://www.npower.com/yourhome/green/juiceandwindpower or
http://www.unit-e.co.uk
4. Buy local http://www.buylocalfood.co.uk
5. Buy less! Save yourself time and money as well as the planet
www.buynothingday.co.uk
6. Buy organic www.soilassociation.org
7. Eat seasonal food www.foodlinks.info/buying/VegSeasons.php
8. Volunteer www.csv.org.uk
9. Give to charity www.charitychoice.co.uk
10. Buy fair trade www.fairtrade.org.uk or www.maketradefair.com
11. Get on your bike – get fit, get around and see the world at an entirely
different pace www.sustrans.org.uk
12. Compost your garden and kitchen waste in a heap or a wormery.
Reduce the waste you send to landfill sites and get lovely compost for
your plants into the bargain! - www.compost.org.uk or
www.wigglywigglers.co.uk
13.Get a rain butt and use the water to give your garden a drink not the
hose
14. Grow stuff, indoors and out, to eat, clean the air in your house or to
give to friends instead of cut flowers www.permaculture.co.uk or
www.ecocities.net/Gardening.htm
15. Install a nesting box/bird table or feeder to attract feathered friends
www.rspb.org/gardens/whatyoucando/nestboxsmallbird/index.asp
16. Carbon neutralise your holiday. For further details visit
futureforests.com, chooseclimate.org, carbonneutral.com.
17.When on holiday: ask for your towels to be washed every other day, or
less, instead of every day (only 17% of people do this when on
holiday)
18.Switch off your air conditioning when you are out for the day (only
18% of holiday-makers do this). If just 50% of people did, it is
estimated that across the world 5m tonnes of CO2 emissions would be
prevented each year.
19.Use water sparingly when abroad. The average tourist uses as much
water in 24 hours as a villager in the developing world uses in 100
days.
20. Follow Tourism Concern's traveller tips; put money into local hands by
drinking local beer and fruit juice rather than imported brands; stay in
locally owned accommodation; stick to footpaths, don't stand on coral,
and don't buy products made from endangered animals or plants; wear
respectful clothing; and always ask people if you can take their
photograph www.tourismconcern.org.uk
21. When cleaning the house: Avoid all the expensive and dubious
chemicals such as the ‘Mr Muscles’ of this world as they often contain
anti-bacterial agents more dangerous than the bacteria they are
designed to eliminate! Instead why not make effective cleaning
products yourself from cheap, easily available household products.-Make a window cleaner by mixing vinegar with water; or neat,
with a few drops of tea tree oil, it can be used as a disinfectant.
Try baking soda as an all-purpose cleaner or scourer, salt as an
abrasive for cleaning pots and pans, and lemon juice as an
alternative to bleach. Just re-label your old spray bottles to
dispense them
Use bicarbonate of soda to deodorise carpets or with white
vinegar to scrub stainless steel, clear drains, remove tea stains
from mugs and remove permanent marker pen from skin.
Vinegar is a good replacement for limescale remover. Unscrew
your showerhead and leave it in vinegar overnight; the next
morning it will be free of limescale.
22. If you must buy cleaning products then use biodegradable or
environmentally friendlier products such as Ecover Squirteco, an allpurpose
cleaner that relies on plant- and mineral-based surfactants to
provide its cleaning oomph, and Ecover washing-up liquid
www.ecover.com
23. Get your family and workplace to perform a waste audit to determine
how much they throw away. Hopefully, this will shock them into action.
www.globalactionplan.org
24. For recycling to work, recycled goods have to be a profitable industry.
Do your bit by buying recycled goods whenever possible.
www.recycledproducts.org.uk
25.If practical, build or set aside an area dedicated to sorting recyclable
waste.
26. About 80% of what we throw away is recyclable. Find your nearest
recycling point at www.wastepoint.co.uk
27.Crush the rubbish you send to the landfill as small as possible. This
way, it will take up less space.
28.Try to avoid drink cartons that are made of a paper/polyethylene mix,
which are notoriously hard to recycle.
29. Rid yourself of junk mail, sign-up with the Mailing Preference Service
(www.mpsonline.org.uk tel: 0845 703 4599).
30. Get inspiration from others. See how New Zealand is putting the rest of
the western world to shame with its Zero Waste policy
(www.zerowaste.co.nz).
31.Be careful to note the subtle difference between various "mobius
loops" - the circle of arrows seen on packaging. Only arrows with a
dark background mean that the item is made with recycled materials.
Arrows on a light background mean the item can be recycled - a big
difference.
32.When buying plastics look out for the following recyclable types: PET
(polyethylene terephalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and
LDPE (low-density polyethylene).
33.Follow the lead of Friends of the Earth and the Women's Environmental
Network which urge you to post excessive packaging to the guilty
firm's HQ.
34.Avoid buying anything that boasts on its packaging that it is disposable
- gloves, paper towels, cleaning cloths, bin liners, nappies, plastic cups.
35.Buy products with less packaging
36.Buy in bulk
37.If you use the dry cleaner, ask them to put several items in one plastic
covering.
38. If you can't think of a use for something you don't want, take it to a
charity shop.
39. Re-use good packaging such as paper, boxes, bags and bubble wrap or
wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon; both are reusable and prettier
than paper and sticky-tape.
40.The best way to re-use is to repair rather than throw away.
41. Get children interested in our waste problem. Start by getting them to
visit www.recyclezone.org.uk
42. Buy your own bee hive: without bees the planet would last for only 60
years (and honey is good for your health) www.bbka.org.uk
43. Use a nappy washing service: they use 32% less energy and 41% less
water than home washing. UK Nappy Helpline: 01983 401959
44.Slow down. Driving at 50mph uses 25% less fuel than 70mph.
45.Wash your clothes with your flatmates' instead of wasting water on
half-empty loads.
46.Turn down your central heating and put on a jumper.
47.Install a new condensing boiler, they are up to 30% more energy
efficient than traditional systems
48.Take a brisk shower, not a leisurely bath, to save water.
49. Hold a Tupperware party. Airtight food containers can be reused;
sandwich bags and plastic wrap cannot. www.tupperware.com
50.Choose energy-efficient appliances when you replace old ones.
51. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last eight times as long and
use a fraction of the energy. www.saveenergy.co.uk
52.Join a library instead of buying books.
53.Get to know your neighbours; they are more likely to keep your home
safe than energy-guzzling security lamps. You might even like them!
54.Recycle your car oil at a recycling depot or petrol station rather than in
your driveway; it contains lead, nickel and cadmium and oil in the
drainage system covers water in a thin layer suffocating life
underneath.
55. Let them carry you off in a biodegradable cardboard coffin, saving
trees, instead of burning your body at the crematorium.
www.naturaldeath.org.uk
56. Raise your glass to organic beer; conventionally grown hops are
sprayed up to a dozen times a year. www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk
57.Take the plunge and move in with your partner so you light and heat
one home rather than two.
58. Give a colleague a lift to work; if no one is going your way, join a
carshare scheme to find a passenger. Www.liftshare.com
www.carclubs.org.uk
59.Cook for friends. Large quantities of food use less packaging than the
same quantity in individual portions (and take less energy to cook).
60. Copy Government Ministers by holidaying in Britain (but unlike them,
skip the follow-up trip to Tuscany) there are thousands of amazing
places to visit right here on our own little rock (no promises on the
weather!). www.visitbritain.com
61.Refuse plastic carrier bags, or at least reuse them. Cloth bags are
better.
62. Donate your leftover paint to a community project; Britons fail to use
6.2m litres of the paint they buy each year.
www.reuze.co.uk/paint.shtml
63.Drink tap or filtered water, not bottled. It is no accident that ‘Evian’ is
naïve spelt backwards!
64.Invest in a washing line; tumble dryers devour electricity.
65. Put a ‘hippo’ or plastic coke bottle full of water in your toilet cistern to
reduce the flush volume and save water www.hippo-thewatersaver.
co.uk
66.Turn off TVs and stereos instead of switching them to standby.
67.Lighten up: paint your walls a pale colour, so you need less artificial
light.
68.Only flush toilets if really needed; follow the Australian maxim: "If it's
yellow that's mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
69.Improve the ambience and dine by candlelight, saving electricity.
70.Insulate your home. Cavity wall insulation can cut heat loss through
the wall by up to 60%.
71. Buy from companies with eco-friendly policies; boycott those without
www.ethicalconsumer.org
72. Soak up the sun; even in Britain, solar panels can produce a surprising
amount of energy. www.solarcentury.co.uk
73.Clean the back of your fridge. Dusty coils can increase energy
consumption by 30%.
74.Avoid air travel; it produces three times more carbon dioxide per
passenger than rail.
75.Choose a car with a 3-way catalytic converter, to reduce nitrogen
oxides and hydrocarbons emissions by 90%.
76.Ban blinds. Heavy curtains keep in more heat in winter.
77.Change materials as well as rooms; MDF and chipboard release
formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Buy sustainably produced wood instead.
78.Cut up the plastic rings from packs of beer; they are invisible in water
so wildlife can choke on them or trap themselves.
79.Bring a mug to the office instead of using polystyrene cups.
80.Snap up a 36-exposure film instead of 24, reducing waste from
packaging and processing. Better still get a digital camera!
81.Cancel that expensive gym membership and walk to work instead.
82.Drink more water, most of us are dehydrated most of the time
83. Reflect! Take time out from your day and spend 15 minutes thinking
about yourself, your friends, family and the rest of the world, a great
way to reduce stress (hopefully) and be more positive
www.stressbusting.co.uk and www.calmcentre.com
84. Improve yourself! Do a course of study or activity at your local
education centre…learn a language, how to dance the fandango or knit
sweaters from the fur of obscure south american mammals
www.learndirect.co.uk
85. Get out of debt if you can, we all get into difficult financial situations
but there’s always a way out. www.nationaldebtline.co.uk or
www.cccs.co.uk
86. Be independent. Set up your own business, be your own boss and do
something you really believe in www.businesslink.gov.uk
87. Work flexibly, get a work:life balance www.w-lb.org.uk
88. Buy wood only from sustainable sources www.fscoax.org
89. Vote! Get out there and make your voice and opinions count! –
www.electoralcommission.gov.u k
90.Smile
91.Buy chocolates from proper chocolate stores, so they are not
individually wrapped
92.Pretend Christmas has come early; turkey is more likely than chicken
to be produced in the UK, while British-grown brussel sprouts require
less transport than Kenyan mangetout.
93.Tell your friends and family about this list of simple things to do
94. Switch off your television and go out and do something less boring
instead in a ‘Why don’t you’ style www.whitedot.org
95.Laughter is the best medicine – see the funny side of life
96. Do something amazing, donate blood www.blood.co.uk
97. Carry a donor card and enable someone to www.uktransplant.org.uk
98. Buy only Marine Stewardship Council accredited fish products
www.msc.org
99.Don’t fill the kettle to the brim every time you make a cuppa – save
energy by only boiling as much as you need
100.Instead of buying yourself an expensive new outfit swap your clothes
with your friends to reinvigorate your wardrobe
This list compiled by FUTERRA with the help of Friends of the Earth
and Leo Hickman’s Guardian column on ethical living
www.futerra.org
101 Ways To Live More Ecologically
1. Avoid disposable in favor of reusable
items.
2. Avoid drying rags in a clothes dryer.
3. Avoid power appliances when handpower works.
4. Avoid highly processed foods.
5. Avoid using styrofoam—it can't be recycled.
6. Avoid watering driveways and sidewalks.
7. Be responsible and creative with leftover foods.
8. Buy in bulk goods to reduce wasted packaging.
9. Buy energy efficient electric appliances.
10. Buy foods without additives.
11. Buy foods without preservatives.
12. Buy food and goods from sources you trust
13. Buy large quantities to reduce shopping trips.
14. Buy living Christmas trees.
15. Buy locally grown food and produce.
16. Buy organic, pesticide-free foods.
17. Compost your food scraps.
18. Discover and protect watersheds in your area,
19. Don't burn trash or other smoky materials.
20. Drain cooking grease onto paper bags, not paper towels.
21. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
22. Drive less: walk, bicycle, carpooland use public transportation.
23. Eat foods low on the food chain; avoid meat.
24. Eat more natural, nutritious foods.
25. Educate elected representatives on ecology.
26. Exercise regularly.
27. Explore and learn about your bioregion.
28. Grow your own food, even a small amount.
29. Hang dry some or all of your clothes.
30. Heat your home less and wear warmer clothes.
31. Heat your home more with renewable energies.
32. Hold a potluck dinner to discuss local ecology.
33. If you use a dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle.
34. Install a water-conserving device in your toilets.
35. Install a water-conserving showerhead.
36. Insulate your home to maximum efficiency.
37. Invest for social responsibility as well as profit.
38. Invest in solar power, where practical.
39. Invest in well-made, long-lived clothing.
40. Keep hazardous chemicals in safe containers.
41. Keep appliance motors well adjusted for efficiency.
42. Mend and repair rather than discard and replace.
43. Oppose meddling in ecological balance.
44. Oppose private development of special areas.
45. Oppose roadside use of defoliants.
46. Organize or join a neighborhood toy exchange.
47. Pick up litter along streets and highways.
48. Plant native trees and shrubs around your home.
49. Plant trees throughout your community.
50. Plant your living Christmas tree.
51. Practice preventive health care.
52. Practice responsible family planning.
53. Prepare only as much food as will be eaten.
54. Protect your favorite distinctive natural areas.
55. Purchase goods in reusable/recyclable containers.
56. Put a catalytic converter on your wood stove.
57. Put toxic substances out of reach of children.
58. Recycle aluminum.
59. Recycle glass.
60. Recycle newspaper.
61. Recycle old clothes.
62. Recycle plastic.
63. Recycle used motor oil.
64. Recycle your unneeded items.
65. Re-use paper bags.
66. Re-use plastic bags for storage and waste.
67. Save up for full loads in clothes washers.
68. Save up for full loads in dishwasher.
69. Shop by phone, then go pick up your purchases.
70. Speak out about your values in community groups.
71. Support efficient energy sources in your bioregion.
72. Support elected representatives on ecological issues.
73. Support energy conservation in your bioregion.
74. Support global ecological improvement efforts.
75. Support local credit unions.
76. Support local merchants before large chains.
77. Support neighborhood food cooperatives.
78. Support proper waste water and sewage treatment.
79. Support the cultural diversity in your bioregion.
80. Support the plants and animals in your community.
81. Take shorter showers.
82. Teach your children ecological wisdom.
83. Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
84. Turn off the lights when not needed.
85. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
86. Use biodegradable soaps and detergents.
87. Use cloth diapers.
88. Use cloth table napkins.
89. Use less tapwater whenever possible.
90. Use non-toxic pest control.
91. Use only medications you trust/understand.
92. Use rags or towels instead of paper.
93. Use rechargeable batteries.
94. Use the second side of paper for scratch paper.
95. Use water from cooking vegetables to make soup.
96. Volunteer for work in a community garden.
97. Volunteer to maintain local parks and wilderness.
98. Wash clothes in cold water.
99. Wash dishes in still, not running water.
100. Weather-seal your home.
101. Work to unlearn poor ecological habits.
http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1996/ip960321.html
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