Washington Life Magazine : April 2008

1. REUSE BAGS
In order to produce just 700 new grocery paper bags, a 15-year-old tree must be sacrifi ced. An even greater concern is the use of disposable plastic bags, which take a thousand years to decompose. Save many trees by purchasing and reusing eco-friendly grocery bags www.reusablebags.com

2. DRINK SMARTER
A sure way to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emission is to bring in use your own mug to coffee shops. And if you brew your own coffee, purchase fair trade organic beans. Learn more about fair trade at www.transfairusa.org.

3. STOP THE JUNK
Save time and a great amount of carbon dioxide by calling up catalogue companies and asking to be removed from the mailing list. Check out www.stopjunk.com for more tips

4. REPLACE CONVENTIONAL CLEANING PRODUCTS
Healthy alternatives include making your own products using items like baking soda, vinegar and borax; or purchae products fromlocal health food stores. Check out www.ecover.com.

5. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Adjust your thermostat either up two degrees in the summer or down two degrees in the winter. To make this easier, have a programmable thermostat installed. See www.energystar.com.

6. BUY ORGANIC CLOTHING
Try organic products from designers such as Beau Soleil, and consider clothing made from hemp, soy, and even recycled plastic bottles. For more go to www.edun.ie; www. allnaturalclothes.com; or www.fashionethics.com.

7. BUY EFFICIENT… AND UNPLUG!
Leaving your TV on standby for a whole day uses the same amount of energy as driving 25 miles in your car. When not using an item, unplug it. Or, purchase a Smart Strip to shut down numerous electrical devices at once. www.energystar.gov

9. REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE
Reduce your consumption by eliminating purchases that are not necessary, reusing items that we already own and purchasing used versus new items. Get your RR&R started at: www.secondchanceinc. org or www.loadingdock.com, and www. earth911.org.

8. PURCHASE LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC PRODUCE
Local produce reduces gas emissions and energy that would otherwise be wasted by truck drivers who deliver similar goods all across the country. For more go to: www.sweetearthorganicfarm. com; www.localharvest.org; or www.bestofwhatsaround.org.

10. USE SOLAR POWER
Solar power chargers capably power electronics, such as iPods, cell phones, cameras, etc. by storing energy received by the sun. Simple, right? Shop online for the Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger (www.solio. com). Additionally, consider purchasing clean power at www.cleancurrents.com.

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