The following short points may help you to question your lifestyle and try to live more lightly on this planet. See my separate environmental page for a more detailed description of my own attempt to live a sustainable lifestyle, on which this list is based.
ask
questions about even the least significant aspects of your life and
lifestyle experiment
with changes that might lighten your footprint upon the earth pick
your own life style; there is no one right way to do things that applies to
everyone get
off the consumer treadmill and focus on what you really need apply
moderation, neither over-indulgence nor complete denial appreciate
good things without excess pick
your housing location to reduce your need for transport (to work, shopping,
school, etc.) occupy
the smallest size residence that meets your needs. It will be more
economical to heat, clean and maintain choose
high
quality construction with the best insulation, natural lighting, lowest
maintenance, and most environmentally-friendly materials possible install
energy-saving
light bulbs (compact flourescent are better than halogen, and LEDs best of
all) and use them only when necessary weatherstrip
the
windows and doors, and double the glazing if it is not already done and the
temperature extremes require it use
energy-efficient appliances and never leave them on standby aim
for
an efficient use of space with nothing wasted for
heating consider a low-pollution wood heater or energy-efficient heat pump lower
the thermostat to avoid excessive heating do
no open the window for a long time when the heat is on; 5 minutes to refresh
the air is sufficient collect
rainwater from the roof for toilet flushing and gardening choose
renewable electricity sources if available avoid
unnecessary electronic devices, electrical appliances and power tools, and
choose those most highly rated for energy efficiency a
microwave oven cooks faster and with less energy than other electric
cooking; induction is the most energy efficient form of electric cooking;
boil water in an electric kettle a
pressure cooker uses 50-75% less energy than cooking in normal pots try
cooking several things, or a whole meal, in the same pot in
some places, solar cookers may be practical cooking
with
a biomass fuel (wood or charcoal) is better that fossil fuel (gas other than
biogas, electricity from coal, oil or gas) if it is produced sustainably
without threatening forests or vegetation cover, you can avoid indoor air
pollution, and you are in a rural area where air pollution is not a problem if
you have a lawn, prefer a push mower to a power mower, and hand tools or
electric garden tools to gasoline/petrol driven tools (inefficient, noisy
and highly polluting) for
clearing brush, try renting a herd of goats or a flock of sheep
while some power tools are hard to replace (electric drill for masonry),
many hand tools are just as effective as their powered equivalents walk ride
a bike or electric bicycle use
public
transport, preferably trains, subway, trams or trolley-buses using
renewably-sourced electricity, or buses running on biofuels join
a car-share scheme, or rent a car only when necessary if
you cannot avoid owning a car, choose an electric, hybrid or
energy-efficient small model keep
an old car until it wears out (it takes a lot of energy to make a more
efficient new car) reserve
car use for heavy shopping and going where there is no public transport carpool
for
travel to work/school; for children, join or organize a pedibus to your
local school (children walk together with adult supervision) drive
as little as possible, combining trips where possible, lowering speed and
driving economically consider
nearby vacations or those destinations reachable by environmentally-friendly
transport avoid
air travel unless necessary for education, work or service to the community do
not choose driving long distances to avoid all air travel; the latter may
consume less fuel per passenger/kilometer carbon
credit
schemes to financially compensate for air travel or other consumption are a
poor second choice to leaving the carbon in the ground, they are better for
the conscience than for the environment favour
fresh produce, locally grown and in season if possible prefer
simple, wholesome food, with at least 5 daily portions of vegetables and
fresh fruits, and avoid snacking between meals become
a
vegetarian or at least avoid red meat and use only small quantities of meat
(as in oriental cooking); poultry or pork production generates less
greenhouse gases than goat, lamb or especially beef try
to choose fish from sustainable fisheries (MSC) or responsible aquaculture
(ASC) if
you have a garden, grow as much of your own food as possible eat
little frozen or pre-prepared food cooking
in the microwave, a pressure cooker, or several things together in a single
pot saves energy avoid
bottled water and bottled water-sugar beverages (high transport cost for
little/no benefit)pick
food shops/supermarkets that feature socially- and
environmentally-responsible items, and prefer a local farmer's market if
there is one near you drink
tap water unless it is contaminated if
the water is chlorinated, letting it stand for a day will allow the chlorine
time to escape run
faucets and the shower at low volume with water-saver attachments add
objects (brick, bottle full of water) to the toilet tank to reduce the
volume of each flush do
not let the water run when it is not immediately needed (like while you
brush your teeth) prefer
a shower to a bath; with a low-flow system, it is possible to take a
comfortable shower with 10-20 liters of water use
rainwater to flush the toilet and water the garden, if possible pick
clothing manufactured in socially and environmentally responsible ways, and
do not buy more than you really need try
to minimise the weight and volume of your clothing wear
clothes requiring dry cleaning only when necessary wash
full loads at an economy cycle with a simple no-phosphate detergent dosed
carefully avoid
an electric dryer unless there is no alternative avoid
clothes that require ironing (energy intensive) if
you plan to do dirty work, wear as little as possible use
short sleeves or no sleeves, shorts, and other styles that save on fabric wear
the minimum number of layers required by the weather (raising your
metabolism to keep warm helps to keep weight down) in
choosing a fabric, consider the best balance of criteria: synthetic fibres
wash and dry more easily, do not require ironing, and hardly wear out (nor
do they decompose in landfills); natural fibres like cotton and wool do not
come from petrochemicals and are greenhouse gas neutral, but may require
more energy and water to clean; much cotton today is produced in
unsustainable agriculture with heavy chemical and energy use, and often
health impacts on farm workers, while clothing from organic cotton is still
hard to find; blends of synthetic and natural fibres may be more practical
for shirts, pants and dresses do
not discard clothing until it is truly worn out (unless you pass it on to
others) learn
to repair things when necessary pick
conservative timeless styles, and keep clothing until it comes back in style
(this requires not gaining weight) avoid
too many chemicals in household products aim
for simplicity: simple bath soap without perfume; vinegar-based toilet and
bathroom cleaners; zero phosphate detergent for clothes-washing; simple
shampoo try
to use as little as possible, and avoid things that may leave residues or
release volatile compounds into the air avoid
pesticides unless essential for health and safety garden
without chemical industry products. try
to generate as little waste as possible, reusing what can be reused,
recycling what can be, and avoiding throw-away products plastics
and packaging are a major source of waste and a global pollution challenge
for the oceans take
advantage of all recycling opportunities available locally recycle
paper, glass, plastic bottles, aluminium, compostable organics, clothing,
etc. return
appliances and electronic goods to the stores that sell them, or take them
for recycling if possible dispose
of special wastes (batteries, solvents, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, oil,
paints, etc.) properly, not in your general trash if
you have a garden, maintain a compost pile use
cloth napkins and shopping bags, and a minimum of paper towels prefer
rechargeable batteries for most purposes buy
recycled products be
sensitive to media impact on you, and the way they subconsciously manipulate
your thinking and emotions voluntarily
limit your exposure to media messages you did not ask for use
the Internet and social media in moderation, and balance with real human
contact sitting
is bad for your health, so get up and move around often, or work standing up pay
attention
to the aesthetics of your surroundings: paintings from artists that you
admire, a few simple but beautiful objects, man-made or natural, etc. your
relationship to the natural world is important psychologically and
spiritually, so try to keep some contact with nature or living things
(plants, animals, an aquarium, walks in a park or the countryside, etc.).