/font> or check for previous versions at the Internet Archive. Yahoo! is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content.
Practice compassion: Reduce your ecological footprint

Practice compassion:
Reduce your ecological footprint

We present 100 wonderful ways to engage in the Practice of
Compassion and save our world.

First, rejoice that there are so many different ways to
choose from, as well as the opportunity to maybe one day
do them all.

Now start learning how you can be part of the solution
instead of part of the problem.

Then, take the required action, followed by a dedication to
all sentient beings whose suffering has been reduced by
the action.

Note: The following information was mainly compiled by FPMT members in
the UK and lists many UK-specific examples and websites. The
recommendations listed can be easily applied beyond the UK, especially
among developed nations which constitute both a disproportionately-large
ecological threat to the world as well as enormous capacity and resources
for change. A list of several international websites, as well as U.S.,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand-specific sites can be found at the end
of the article.

WHAT YOU CAN DO


1. Switch from traditional incandescent light-bulbs to compact
fluorescent lamps (C.F.L.). If every household in the U.K. replaced three
regular bulbs with C.F.Ls, the electricity saved could power the U.K.'s
street lighting for a year. A 30-watt C.F.L. produces about as much light as
an ordinary 100-watt bulb. Although the initial price is higher, C.F.Ls can
last twelve times as long. C.F.Ls are available at most hardware shops
and can be ordered over the Internet. According to the Energy Saving
Trust www.est.org.uk, just one C.R.L can reduce your electricity bill by up
to £7 a year.



2. Waste Online estimates that the average U.K. citizen uses about
290 plastic bags a year, which means more than 17 billion bags are
being used annually. Made from polyethylene, plastic bags are not
biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans and waterways.
According to recent studies, the oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic
that are beginning to work their way up the food chain. Invest in stronger,
reusable bags, and avoid plastic bags whenever possible. For more
information, visit www.wasteonline.org.uk



3. According to Consumer Reports, pre-rinsing dishes does not
necessarily improve a dishwasher's ability to clean them. By skipping
the wash before the wash, you can save up to 76 liters of water per dish-
load. At one load a day, that's 27,740 liters over the course of the year.
Not to mention that you're saving time, dishwashing soap, and the energy
used to heat the additional water. Better still do you really need a
dishwasher? We all managed happily without them until a few years ago
and many people still do!



4. Ignore cookbooks! It is usually unnecessary to pre-heat your oven
before cooking, except when baking bread or pastries. Just turn on the
oven at the same time you put the dish in. During cooking, rather than
opening the oven door to check on your food, just look at it through the
oven window. Why? Opening the oven door results in a significant loss of
energy.



5. Recycle glass (think beer bottles, jars, juice containers) either
through curb-side programs or at community drop-off centers. Six-
hundred-thousand tons of glass bottles are thrown out by pubs, clubs,
hotels, restaurants, and cafes annually, up to 75% of which is sent to
landfills. Glass takes more than one million years to decompose. Glass
produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and
related water pollution by 50%.


6. It sounds like common sense, but if you fill your kettle with enough
water for only the number of cups you are pouring, you will save
energy, water, and time. One cup of water can take one minute or so to
boil in a 3,000 watt kettle; four cups of water take about five minutes.
Since the average Brit drinks about three cups a day, you could watch
your life drifting away while waiting for your tea! Additionally, improve the
efficiency of your kettle by boiling an equal mixture of water and white
vinegar (it breaks down limescale left behind from hard water) in your
kettle; let it stand a few hours and then rinse out the kettle. This will also
get rid of those unpleasant white specks found floating in your tea.



7. Buy A-rated (or Energy Star-rated) appliances. The European Union
energy label rates products on a scale of A (the most efficient/least energy
used up to A++ for refrigeration) to G (the least efficient/most energy
used). By law, this labeling must appear on all refrigeration and laundry
appliances, dishwashers, electric ovens, and light-bulb packaging. If
you're comparing fridge-freezers, the label tells you the energy
consumption by kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, and for washing machines
and dishwashers, kilowatt hours per cycle. Also look for products with the
E.U. eco-label. Products must comply with strict environmental criteria to
be awarded this distinction. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection
Agency and the Department of Energy administrate an Energy Star rating
on products, services, and practices that meet energy-efficiency
guidelines: www.energystar.gov. Consumer rebates are offered by the
U.S. Federal and some State governments for purchasing Energy Star
products.



8. Buy an A-rated (or Energy Star-rated) refrigerator. To maximize the
efficiency of your fridge and freezer, set the temperature of the fridge to 4
o

Celsius and the freezer to minus 18
o
Celsius. Do not put a refrigerator
near a heat source such as an oven or dishwasher, as it will require more
energy to run. Regularly dust the coils of your refrigerator. (Dusty coils can
make it less energy efficient.) Another tip: if you have an empty fridge,
place several bottles of water inside. Refrigerators don't have to work as
hard to stay cool when the cold is effectively stored in the water.



9. Before embarking on any home remodeling, make sure your architect
has green credentials. Ask where he or she sources materials, and
request that energy-saving devices, such as solar panels, sun pipes, or a
wind turbine, be installed. (Government grants or subsidies may be
available for some of these CO
2
reducing devices.) Visit
www.greenbuilding.co.uk or www.aecb.net for more green building
information.


10. Unlike refrigerators, freezers function best when they are tightly
packed and don't have to work harder to freeze air space. Also, it's best to
match the size of your freezer with your needs. If you stockpile frozen
foods, buy a chest freezer instead of an upright one, as a chest freezer
releases less cold air when opened.



11. Abandon your clothes dryer and buy some drying racks if you
don't have a clothesline. Generally, clothes dry overnight.



12. Buy an A-rated (or Energy Star-rated) washing machine. Most
older machines use up to 100 liters of water per wash, but an A-rated
machine will typically use 9 to 10 liters per kilogram of laundry (about 50
liters per load). Whenever possible, wash your clothes in cold water using
cold-water detergents (designed to remove soils at low temperatures). And
do your laundry only when you have a full load. If you must do a small
load, adjust water level accordingly.



13. If you live in a cold climate, paint your house a darker color to
absorb the heat from the sun; if you live in a warm climate, a lighter color
will help reflect the sun's rays and keep your house cooler. Employ the
same principle when choosing a car.



14. Most paint is made from petrochemicals, and its manufacturing
process can create 10 times its own weight in toxic waste. It also releases
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that threaten public health. (VOCs are
solvents that rapidly evaporate, allowing paint to dry quickly.) They cause
photochemical reactions in the atmosphere, contributing to ground-level
smog that can cause eye and skin irritation, lung and breathing problems,
headaches, nausea, and nervous-system and kidney damage. The best
alternative is natural paints. Manufactured using plant oils, natural
paints pose far fewer health risks, are breathable, and in some cases are
100 percent biodegradable. Remember: Never throw your paint away.
Donate your paint to your community's repaint scheme, which re-
distributes collected paint to community projects and schools. Go to
www.communityrepaint.org.uk to find re-use programs in your community.


15. Have your home audited for energy efficiency, especially before
you begin home renovations or construction. If you call the Efficiency
Advice Centre (0800 512 012), an adviser will go through a home energy
checklist with you. After you provide details about your house (the year it
was built, its type of heating system), the advise