It's Easy To Be Green, Week 12

This the last installment of Lichterman Nature Center's twelve week It's Easy To Be Green program that MLGW employees are participating in. (We got a little behind as the grand finale of this program was Earthfest, which was held April 26th at Lichterman.)

Congratulations on a job well done! Remember what you learned during the past 12 weeks. Your daily behavior can make a difference on our environment. Just by completing this program you have made a difference already!

Action items:

• Your unwanted household items (e.g. small appliances, tableware, clothing, furniture, toys, and sports equipment) can have a life again if you donate them to charitable organizations. Many of these charitable organizations also provide employment opportunities. Your household clutter becomes a job opportunity for someone.

• Donate your used books to the library.

• Don’t just throw away things if they are broken. Repair them yourself or take them to a specialist repair shop. If an object is beyond repair, dismantle it and salvage parts to reuse, donate or sell.

• Keep your neighborhood clean. If you see trash on the ground, toss it into the trash can.

• Rent or borrow infrequently used tools such as ladders, chainsaws, rug cleaners and garden tillers.

• When shopping, ask yourself, “Is this purchase a want or a need? You will be amazed how much money you can save when you consciously exercise your purchasing impulse control.

• Use networks like Craig’s List and Freecycle to find things you need and to unload things you no longer want.

• Tell them what you think. If you are concerned about how air and water pollution are affecting your family, write a letter to your city council, mayor or local newspaper. Tell them what you are doing to help keep the earth clean and ask them for their help.

You make purchasing decisions every day. Whether you buy groceries, clothes, toys, furniture, electronics or appliances, your selections determine the type and volume of waste you will have to discard. Buying with the environment in mind minimizes the impact on our planet.