Fashion & Beauty      Relationships      Travel      Real Lives      Balance      My Home      Books

WHAT'S NEW

30 tips for eco-friendly living

From buying fluorescent bulbs to purchasing groceries from a local farmer's market, take some easy steps to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

By Alana Mitchell

Increasingly, Canadians are taking the environment into their own hands rather than waiting for the government to make changes. We know that the main issue is global climate change and all the uncertainty it's bringing to our communities. Slowing the pace of climate change means focusing on how we use energy and create waste.

Creating an eco-friendly lifestyle is increasingly easier as individuals take the lead and environmentally friendly ideas works its way into mainstream thinking. Whether it's small steps or big lifestyle changes, Canadians are rising to the environmental challenge and inspiring others to live greener.

Green living: 10 small steps to leave a lighter footprint
1. Replace burned-out lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (or LED bulbs).

2. Don't idle your car. If you're pulling over for more than 20 seconds, it's worth stopping the engine.

3. Keep your car in good running condition. That means getting regular oil changes so you'll produce fewer emissions and making sure tires are properly inflated so you'll use less fuel.

4. Buy products that come in less packaging. Check that the packaging is recyclable.

5. Plug your TV and DVD player into a power bar and then switch off the power bar when you switch off the TV. These and other devices draw power even when off.

6. Disconnect your home's downspout from the municipal drains. When the rain flows straight into your yard or into cisterns, you have to water less and the earth regulates all that water before it floods your municipality's streams, rivers or lakes.

7. At least once a week, walk to do your errands instead of driving.

8. Use rotting leaves in your garden instead of peat moss. It's better to leave the peat in bogs, where it's helping the environment.

9. Recycle every last can, glass bottle, newspaper and whatever else your municipality allows.

10. In winter set your thermostat a few degrees lower while you sleep than during the day. In summer set your air conditioning a few degrees higher than you set your daytime temperatures during winter.

Click to continue...

Page 1 of 2

1. 10 small steps to leave a lighter footprint
2. 20 more tips for environmentally friendly living
Articles

Trend watch: Eco-friendly clothing

Eco-friendly cleaning products
More
 more articles
Related articles
Trend watch: Eco-friendly clothing
Eco-friendly cleaning products
10 ways to save money -- and the environment
New in Life & Times
Letter from Kenya: a mother and daughter tell all
15 summer sandals and shoes
Slideshow: 8 great things to do in Hong Kong
New on this site
Andrew's ingredient of the month -- Lamb
Healthy ways to cook meat without a frying pan
All about onions
Enter our contests


October Issue
Next Issue

All rights reserved: © 2008 Transcontinental Medias inc.
A Transcontinental 3W web site
Updating of web site content: Homemakers.com
Optimized for Internet Explorer 5, 800x600