Community
Everyone can, and should, play a key role in
environmental awareness. Here are some of the basics and
tips to taking action along with a list of resources for
further reading.
- Practice the Three Rs of the Environmental movement
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. These are the key
traditional strategies for being an environmentally
responsible citizen at home, at work and at play.
- Reduce your use. Source reduction is the best
way to cut waste, help the environment, and save money
at the same time. It's also the hardest of the Three Rs
to achieve because it affects our lifestyles.
-
When it comes to reducing waste, there's no place like
home. Replacing older, worn-out appliances with new,
energy-efficient models, using compact fluorescent light
bulbs, and improving the insulation in our homes can
save a lot of energy and help reduce global warming.
-
Reuse saves. Reuse is an old strategy that has become
hot again in recent years. Reuse saves money and
resources while cutting pollution and waste.
-
Reuse at home. Choosing reusable home products over
their throw-away alternatives is a beneficial --and
money-saving--strategy to help improve the environment.
-
Recycling is the least effective of the Three Rs, but
it's still important. Once you get used to recycling,
it's not a big deal. A few minutes a day--at the
most--is all it takes.
- You're not
really recycling unless you're buying recycled. Purchase
products that contain as much "post-consumer recycled
content" as possible. Look for it and ask for it when
you go shopping.
- Help create a
sustainable world for our children and grandchildren.
Reduce our over-consumption of resources, shift to
renewable forms of energy, work for a more balanced
transportation system, stop urban sprawl, and deal with
overpopulation.
- Your efforts really do matter. Get involved!
Everyone has a productive role to play in working for a
sustainable future.
