Our beloved old earth continues to take a terrible beating, despite the bountiful lip service furnished in her behalf by well-meaning humans.
As humans ourselves, and, worse yet, Americans, or at least visitors, you and I have a lot to answer for. The least guilty among us are self-sufficient backwoods dwellers willing to subsist in a very primitive but sustainable lifestyle, and homeless people surviving on other people’s castoffs. The rest of us share a responsibility to help set things to rights.
So here, in time for Earth Day, is a crude little checklist of Things to Do, some easy and simple, others harder or more expensive, but all designed to lighten your imprint at least a little bit. Many will save you money as well. Not all will fit your situation, but many will. You’ve heard about a lot of them before. How many have you acted on?
Energy
Get your electricity from renewables. Wind, passive solar, hydropower, photovoltaics, and geothermal are all possibilities. Saving energy is equally important, and anyone can do it. Buy and install energy efficient light bulbs. Turn off lights when not in use. Consider putting outdoor lights on a timer. Use solar powered outdoor lights for walkways. Avoid light pollution by using shades or drapes. Insulating shades or drapes keep winter warmth inside and summer heat out. Outside lights should be shaded and aimed downward. Insulate your water heater using foil bubble wrap and duct tape. Insulate hot water pipes with rubber insulation made for the purpose. Plant deciduous trees for shade in summer and sun in winter. Plant windbreaks for shelter in exposed locations. Buy only energy efficient appliances. Install accessible switches to turn off computers, printers, TVs, and other electronic devices when not in use, rather than leaving them on standby.
Building
If you decide to build or remodel a house, make sure your architect is experienced in green building. Use plenty of insulation, and take full advantage of natural features and solar orientation. Use only energy efficient appliances. If you have land with your building, keep some native habitat for birds and animals. Add some birdhouses and a bird feeder.
Water
Conserve water with energy efficient toilets and showers. If you don’t like tap water, buy a filter for your home use. Avoid buying bottled water. Irrigate using drip irrigation. Stop leaks.
Shopping
Use your own canvas bags for your purchases. Buy organic food whenever possible. Local is best. Patronize the farmer’s market or buy a share in community supported agriculture. Buy meat and eggs from local growers. Avoid buying genetically modified foods.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Recycle cardboard, newspapers, office paper, glass, certain types of plastic, and cans at the local recycling center. Donate unwanted items to a thrift shop or charity that will accept them. Sell extra building materials to Construction Junction. Dispose of batteries and hazardous materials according to instructions from the landfill. Turn over old electronic items to a depot able to dispose of them responsibly. Pick up litter.
Put a stop to the flood of catalogs and publications you can do without or read online. Phone calls will handle this, or there are organizations to do it for you.
Travel
Live as close as possible to your work place. Walk or ride a bike whenever practical. Arrange carpools for yourself and other family members. Combine trips to reduce travel. Work at home on certain days. Use public transportation where practical. If you have a car, hybrid is best. In any case, keep it properly tuned and serviced. If you have more than one vehicle, use the more efficient one as often as possible. Consider telecommuting in place of some of your trips.
Nature
Get outside and appreciate the gifts nature has bestowed on you. Remember that air, water and land are irreplaceable precious gifts, and must be cherished. Support sustainable agriculture, and be a champion for wilderness, wildlife, instream flow, and land preservation. Join groups that protect our natural heritage and teach young people to value these treasures. Oppose saturating the biosphere with pesticides and other pollutants.
Politics
Know your politicians and candidates, and find out where they stand on issues that matter to you. Support the best candidates, and thank them when they do the right thing. Lobby for the things you care about, both as an individual and as a member of one or more groups that advocate for saner policies.
Write letters and opinion pieces for the local media. Become an organizer yourself. Become a candidate yourself.
Be informed.
Here are some local groups to get you started. You can widen your horizons from there:
— Aspen Valley Land Trust (preservation of local ranches and other open space): 963-8440;
— Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (environmental education for all ages): 925-5756;
— Community Office for Resource Efficiency (renewables and energy efficiency): 544-9808;
— Rocky Mountain Institute (energy, green building, transportation and more): 927-3851; and
— Wilderness Workshop (preservation of wilderness and responsible management of public lands): 963-3977.
Connie Harvey can be reached at cmharve@gmail.org.
