This is my nephew, Sebastian, going green at an early age, and there’s no better time to start. According to recent polling firms, 86% of American
adults now consider themselves environmentalists – but do we walk our talk? In
most cases, no. We must start to align
our actions with our intentions. Says Frances Beinecke, President of the NRDC
Action Fund, "Leading scientists are telling us loud and clear that if we don’t act now to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the window of opportunity will soon shut forever, and the outcome will be devastating."

In the words of my dear friend Trathen Heckman,
founder of the pioneering Daily Acts
and the ever popular Sustainability
Tours, “The revolution of one has begun.” So use your power. And  because many of you have asked, I’ve compiled an easy to read and print out list of

10
Things You Can Do to Sustain Your Planet, Sustain Your Home and Sustain Your
Self.
Download and_print.doc

1. Change a light.
Replacing just 5 regular light bulbs with a Compact Fluorescent bulb will save
750 pounds of CO2. If every household in America did this, it would be
equivalent to taking 8 million cars off the road. (Daily Acts)

  2. Reduce your garbage.
69% of Americans still don’t recycle. Start. Cutting down garbage by
just 10% can save 1,200 pounds of CO2 and less junk around the house means less
mess for you to clean up (so buy
products with less packaging as well). For recycling tips visit www.earth911.org

3. Buy local, organic and
fair trade.
Reduces fossil fuel waste from items shipped from far away, reduces pesticides
in your body and your ground water, reduces child labor and sweat shops, and
with your dollars, promotes a consumer movement based on securing a better
world. Plus, I’ve found that eating organic and buying locally somehow leads to
healthier eating habits and more walking, so you’ll save a couple thousand
pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere and shrink a couple of inches from your
waist.

4. Turn off and unplug
electronic devices.
Simply turning off your TV, DVD player, and computer will save thousands of
pounds of CO2 and by unplugging chargers, etc., you can dramatically reduce you
and your family’s exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Candle light dinners
are good too - your kids will think it’s fun and it adds a little romance for
you!

5. Drive less.
Carpool, walk and ride bikes – it’s good for your health and your
environment. If just 25% of the moms in
the United States drove 10 miles less a week, over 11 billion pounds of CO2
emissions would be saved (and you’ll save traffic headaches).

6. Do less laundry.
By reducing the number of loads you do and using cold or warm water instead of
hot, you can save over 1,200 pounds of CO2 and countless hours of folding. If
you live in a place where you can line dry, nothing beats the smell of fresh
air on your clothes and you’ll save even more of our precious resources (added
bonus: your kids will have fun playing tag in between your hanging pants!).

7. Plant a tree.
Make it a
celebration with your kids to honor special occasions and watch the tree grow
as they do. A single tree will absorb one ton of CO2 over its lifetime.

8. Check your tires.

Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage significantly and
every gallon of gas saved keeps 20 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Plus,
with gas prices as they are, save your self $$$ too.

9. Buy carbon offsets.
Reduce mom guilt and balance out what you can’t change quite yet – like
the SUV. Offsets are the alternative energy option that is kind of like eating
too many brownies one day and jogging an extra mile the next. For more info.
check out www.nativeenergy.com

10. Treat yourself.
When you buy yourself organic skincare, body products and clothing, you feel better about indulging because you know your choice is also having a positive impact globally - our economy is the world’s largest democracy. Your planet is worth it and so are YOU!