What YOU can do Care! Insist on finding out if things are dangerous before we start using them = Precaution. Live knowing that there are a finite amount of the earth’s resources and that every “product” you use has an environmental cost. Reduce your Ecological Footprint. Live knowing that you are connected to other organisms (understand food webs and connectedness through water). Be chemical aware Know if the chemicals you use are harmful to the environment and, if you have to use them, dispose of them properly. Avoid toxins in your home. Link includes which companies do not use PBDEs. Ensure that governments take on a “cradle to grave” approach to chemicals; that new chemicals must be tested and that manufactures have responsibility for the full life cycle of the chemicals. Don’t use products with these symbols! Avoid pesticides. Use biodegradable! = can be broken down by the decomposers (bacteria and fungi); it can rot. Buy smart Buy less of the things you don’t really need. Recognize the consumer forces in society and that advertising is based on discontent = programming to believe you will be happier and more successful if you buy more. Buy from fair-trade companies (environmentally & socially responsible). Boycott companies that have poor ethics. When you have a choice, buy things you need from close to home. Eat smart Never eat salmon that has been raised in open net-cage farms. Be further “Ocean Wise” in your seafood choices. Eat less food with additives. Eat organic when you can. Eat less meat since a lot of chemicals go into industrial farming. Don’t waste food! Make less waste! Reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink Use durable not disposable items e.g. non-rechargeable batteries; Styrofoam cups; plastic bags! Share things you no longer need instead of throwing them out e.g. donate to a second hand store. Fix things rather than throwing them out. Know the difference between “want” and “need” and buy less of what you don’t need (refuse). Compost more. Buy things with less packaging. Buy bulk. Clean up litter. Be responsible for your waste When you “flush away” or “throw away” - know where “away” is. Know the limits of sewage treatment and the reality of sludge (sludge is the organic material + chemicals left over that is then goes to the landfill or is used as fertilizer!). Use less water so that it does not need to be treated as often (saves energy too!) Don’t water run while brushing your teeth, washing your hands, washing dishes,etc. Don’t run the tap for cold water; keep a bottle filled with tap water in the fridge. Take shorter showers / baths. Fix leaky faucets. Wash full loads of clothes and wash in cold water Use a broom instead of a hose to clean. Know the environmental cost of bottled water. Save energy Understand the chemical cost of fossil fuels. Walk, bike, skate-board, etc more as a form of transportation. Carpool and use public transportation more. Use energy (and water) efficient things. Turn off the car – don’t “idle.” Unplug more and enjoy nature! Wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat. Turn off the lights. Make your voice count! Be aware of you and your country’s ecological footprint and what this means for other countries and other living things. Share what you know with others. Vote and participate in petitions and letters to government. Believe you can make a difference! Motivating quote for action? “A friend insists I’m too pessimistic, that I don’t trust human ingenuity to solve our crisis. He confuses realism for pessimism. I don’t think ingenuity is what we lack. What we lack is compassion, common sense, and courage. We will not engineer our way out of this. The necessary change requires a radically new paradigm. We must adopt ecological living and toss out excessive consumption the same way civilization denounced slavery and sexism. We’re attempting to green up our consumption without really changing our habits. This just won’t work. It reminds me of those who proposed laws to improve the living conditions for slaves.

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