CARE
Compassion for Animals * Respect for the Environment
Event Highlights
Join us on SATURDAY, JULY 31 - Pool Party and Potluck - 3pm. Parkesburg, PA. Pool and outdoor fun at 3 pm. Food served at 6 pm. RSVP to Lee Ruslander at 610-696-0212 or ruslander@aol.com. Visit our events page for details on this and other events.
More Information
"Going entirely vegan saves the greenhouse gas equivalent of driving 8,000 miles less per year, while eating an all-local diet only saves the equivalent of 1000 fewer miles each year." (Carnegie Mellon researchers Weber and Matthews)
Environmental Tips to Lighten One's Footprint
While it may not be possible for everyone to do everything on this list, it’s a good starting point for figuring out what you can do now and what you might be able to do in the future. Don’t get discouraged. Remember, every bit counts!
Changes in Daily Life Habits
Carry a set of utensils and a cloth napkin to avoid using disposable items in a pinch.
Bring your own containers when dining out (and anytime, as with utensils and napkins above).
Invest in a reusable water bottle.
Invest in reusable shopping bags. Use them for more than just groceries—any purchase that needs a bag can go in these.
Focus your diet on primary energy sources— plant-based foods—especially from your local area.
Reduce consumption of items in general. Buying green may be helpful for items you really need, but if you don’t need the item in the first place, it isn’t a green purchase.
Getting Around
While some may have the benefit of being able to walk everywhere—to work, to stores, to farmers’ markets—others don’t no matter how hard they try to make these changes in their lives. There are still ways to make improvements, though.
Walk, bike, and use public transit whenever possible. Consider making changes so that these means of transportation are a part of your routine (leaving earlier from home, moving, etc.).
Combine trips. Start-up emissions on vehicles are horrible, so anything you can do to reduce how many times you turn the car on—even if it only saves one less startup from home—is something.
Consider a car share for large vehicles. Instead of making SUVs and minivans a regular part of one’s driving, use these only when necessary.
Around the Home
Install dual flush toilets or composting toilets (check local regulations for legalities of composting toilets). Dual flush toilets allow the flusher to use less water to flush liquid waste. Be sure to investigate the toilet itself to make sure a specific brand works well. If you have to flush the toilet two or more times to get it to flush everything, you’ve flushed your environmental savings. The pressure-assisted EcoQuantum by Mansfield is highly-rated by Consumer Reports; from personal experience, this toilet works!
Put your roof to work. City dwellers might consider rooftop gardens. Green roofs might be best for those with sloped roofs. If a house has the right angle, solar panels may be possible. (There are companies that will handle the cost to install these in exchange for becoming your new, green electric company.)
Make your living space as energy efficient as possible.
Unplug chargers when not in use (for cell phones, laptops, etc.).
Hang laundry to dry instead of using a dryer. For those who have to dry items indoors, there are high capacity drying racks available that can fit an entire load of laundry—really.
Compost your food scraps (check with local regulations about this if you are composting outdoors). Paper goods that can’t be recycled due to food stains work well as “browns” when shredded properly. (Compost can be given away if you have more than you can use.)
Making Use of Open Space—However Small
Whether or not one can make use of the following depends on that individual’s living situation. Hopefully, there’s something here for everyone ranging from the urban apartment dweller to the suburbanite with land.
Grow food where ever you can. If you have property, use it. A monoculture green lawn doesn’t feed anyone. If you don’t have property, find someone who does and offer to share the bounty in exchange for use of the land. If you have property but haven’t the skills/time to garden, offer your land to someone who does and ask for a bit of the bounty in return.
Embrace the natural elements of a lawn - I think it goes without saying that anyone who cares about the environment is not going to use any type of lawn treatment (whether chemical or “organic”). However, many still overlook the food that a natural lawn provides, and without any work on our part! Items like common plantain, dandelions, clover, and purslane grow abundantly on lawns. Learn how to make use of these nutritious gifts of nature.
Embrace wild edibles. In addition to the bounty a lawn can provide, there are many other edible items that grow in the wild. (Be sure about what you’re picking so you don’t accidentally poison yourself.)
Try container gardening, especially if you are in an apartment and have no other options.
Install rain barrels.