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Take Action at Home

Practice the three R's: first reduce how much you use, then reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest. Then, dispose of what's left in the most environmentally friendly way. Read the tips below.

SAVE A TREE
READ FOR FREE!
Reading electronic books is free, and it saves habitat. To jumpstart your library,  you can receive entire collections on  CD or DVD. They are free to our members, include some of the greatest books ever written, and span a variety of subjects. GO

You can also go online right here, and start building your own personal library book by book. Just Click Here

Save habitat by purchasing paper and wood with FSC labels (Forest Stewardship Council). These products are made from trees harvested with rigorous scientific and conservation standards.

SEND A LETTER
You can help by writing a letter to President Lula of Brazil.

Red Jellyfish  Internet service, long distance, local telephone service, and DSL donate a portion of the revenue to protect vital rain forests.

CLICK TO SAVE HABITAT Save 118 square feet every day for FREE!

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TAKE A SAFARI

GREEN VOLUNTEER
Hundreds of projects that protect species and habitat.

Volunteer for a Conservation Projects
These conservation projects put you to work in stunning locations with local people who carry out wildlife conservation. Experience is unnecessary, just bring enthusiasm.

Volunteer Vacations.

Take a volunteer vacations in Peru, or Costa Rica. These short-term adventures last one to two weeks, and  they focus on cultural-awareness and sus

tainability. They are often compared to a "mini peace corps". All program costs, including the cost of airfare, are tax-deductible.

You need no special skills nor do you need to speak any foreign language. Immerse yourself in a new culture. Enjoy befriending people in new and interesting countries, and experience the reward of helping them on meaningful community projects.

• Use the Energy Star program (www.energystar.gov) to find energy efficient products for your home. The right choices can save families about 30% ($400 a year) while reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases. Whether you are looking to replace old appliances, remodel, or buy a new house, the can help. ENERGY STAR is the government's backed symbol for energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR label makes it easy to know which products to buy without sacrificing features, style or comfort that today's consumers expect.
• Replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. Just one 100w CFL reduces global warming pollution by 1,300 pounds!
• Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
• Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
• Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
• Have leaky air conditioning and refrigeration systems repaired.
• Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
• Insulate your home, water heater and pipes.
• Keep in mind that every trip adds to air pollution. Learn more at It All Adds Up (www.italladdsup.gov).

Use Less Water

• Don't let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
• Take short showers instead of tub baths.
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• Buy high-efficient plumbing fixtures & appliances.
• Repair all leaks (a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day).
• Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best).
• Water plants differently according to what they need. Check with your local extension service or nurseries for advice.
• Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only – not the street or sidewalk.
• Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation systems for trees and shrubs.
• Keep your yard healthy - dethatch, use mulch, etc.
• Sweep outside instead of using a hose.
• More information about using water efficiently at home
• Learn how to plant trees, build a pond, compost, and more from the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard).

Reduce / Reuse / Recycle
Practice the three R's: first reduce how much you use, then reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest. Then, dispose of what's left in the most environmentally friendly way. Read the tips below and explore the Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste (www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/catbook)

• Reduce:
  • Buy permanent items instead of disposables.
  • Buy and use only what you need.
  • Buy products with less packaging.
  • Buy products that use less toxic chemicals.
• Reuse:
  • Repair items as much as possible.
  • Use durable coffee mugs.
  • Use cloth napkins or towels.
  • Clean out juice bottles and use them for water.
  • Use empty jars to hold leftover food.
  • Reuse boxes.
  • Purchase refillable pens and pencils.
  • Participate in a paint collection and reuse program. For information on handling household solid waste, visit www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/citizens.htm or call 1-800-424-9346.
  • Donate extras to people you know or to charity instead of throwing them away.
• Recycle:
  • Recycle paper (printer paper, newspapers, mail, etc.), plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans. If your community doesn't collect at the curb, take them to a collection center.
  • Recycle electronics. More information is at www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/eCycling.htm
  • Recycle used motor oil (read an EPA brochure in PDF format; 8pp., 750K; epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/recy-oil.pdf).
  • Compost food scraps, grass and other yard clippings, and dead plants.
  • Close the loop - buy recycled products and products that use recycled packaging. That's what makes recycling economically possible. Learn more at epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/buyrec.htm

Handle Toxics Properly
Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides contain hazardous components. Although we cannot completely stop using hazardous products, we can make sure that leftovers are managed properly. The best way to handle household hazardous waste is to give leftovers to someone else to use.

Many communities have set up collection programs to keep hazardous products out of landfills and combustors. More than
3,000 HHW collection programs exist in the United States. More information is provided at epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/reduce.htm#hhw      (Read More)

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