Community recycling programs make conservation more accessible.
Protecting our water and natural resources is essential because of their finite nature. Healthy biological ecosystems can start to be maintained by the responsibility of protection being placed on individuals and communities. In addition to the consequences of the physical depletion of natural resources such as water and timber, conflicts over the depletion of oil and other petroleum products has led to violent civil conflict in many nations. Forming a community that depends less on these nonrenewable resources has proved to mitigate the escalation of these conflicts. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Things you can do
1. Conserve water. Toilets that were installed before 1992 lack a toilet dam that is now installed during production. If toilets in your house are of this era, buy a toilet dam to reduce water flow by as much as 35 percent. Install low-flow shower heads in your home; the heads can reduce home water usage by as much as 60 percent. Check your appliances and pipes for leaks, and fix or replace any leaking ones. If you decide to replace your appliances, buy water-saving models. Use a rain barrel to collect rain water for lawn irrigation.
2. Do not use dangerous pesticides that can contaminate the local water supply. Research natural ways to deal with pests and problems with weeds in your lawn or garden. For example, many native insect species can be introduced into a lawn or garden to help quell a pest population. Detrimental fungus can often be killed by using natural food additives, such as cinnamon.
3. Buy local and organic food. Buying local meats and cheeses will help quell the high environmental cost of transporting these foods in petroleum-fueled convoys. Organic produce is often grown without the use of pesticides, and if pesticides must be used, they are natural and do not cause substantial water contamination.
4. Encourage your power company to begin to use renewable power, such as wind and geothermal. Begin the transition yourself by installing a home solar power system. Conserve carbon-based energy by turning off appliances when they are not in use and keeping all your home appliances running efficiently. Paint the exterior of your home in a light color to reduce air conditioning in warm weather. Open window blinds during the day instead of turning on electric lights.
5. Recycle paper products, and buy paper products made from recycled paper. Use a computer as much as possible to do business and pay bills. Make a habit of using totes as shopping bags and use the community recycling program to recycle any other paper or plastic wastes.
Tags: your home, help quell, lawn garden, much percent, natural resources, paper products, your appliances