The Clean Dozen

Hard things to do for the environment

by Anonymous
Are you bored with those endless easy lists of things to do for the environment? How about working a really hard list? Here’s a list for the hard core people who want to do the most. Let’s call it the X list for the environment.

The Eco-X List (in no particular order)

  1. Stop driving.
  2. Do zero waste.
  3. Go vegan.
  4. Cool it! (Get off the grid.)
  5. Give ‘til it hurts (time and money).
  6. Do politics! (whether you like it or not)
  7. Recruit others.

    The Xtra Credit List (not quite as hard, but still challenging and worthwhile)

  8. Go Native! (plants that is)
  9. Cisterns and “gray water” (go native with water)
  10. Buy only locally grown, organic food.
  11. Wear organic.
  12. Keep it clean (stop using products with toxic ingredients)

Behind the X List

1. Stop driving. Leave your car behind.

The love affair of Southern Californians with their cars is legendary. The damages are huge. Consider our dependence on foreign oil. Global warming. Air pollution. Traffic. Walk and bike. While our transit system isn’t one of the best, if you live and work in certain places, you actually can function acceptably in San Diego without a car.

2. Do zero waste.

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Really! Limit your purchases to things that are recyclable or can be reused when you’re done with them. Going zero waste uncouples you from the pollution and wasteful impacts of landfills and all the pollution related to collecting, storing and monitoring tons of waste. Compost your food waste in your garden or with a worm bin. Go hard-core by composting your own waste in a composting toilet. These systems are found mainly in Canada and Scandinavia, but can work just fine here in the USA. Google it.

3. Become a vegan.

Stop eating meat and consuming or purchasing other byproducts of animals. Jerry Garcia’s summary was: don’t consume anything that has a face! Not only does meat production contribute hugely to water pollution and global warming, but you can disconnect yourself from the moral hazards of factory farming.

4. Be a global cooler.

Calculate your carbon footprint (your household’s contribution to global warming carbonfootrpint.com, carboncounter.org and new for California: www.coolcalifornia.org). Purchase offsets for those things you can’t stop. Get off the grid. Remove your home from ‘big energy’ and fossil fuels. First, install all the most energy efficient items you can from light bulbs to appliances. Heat all your water with passive solar heating. Go solar electric! There are now solar chargers for batteries, computers and all manner of electric stuff. If you have a house, get yourself solar panels.

5. Get active. Give ‘til it hurts.

Making a difference requires giving time and money. There are hundreds of environmental groups spanning the spectrum of things you can help save or restore. They all need more donations and most need more volunteers. The difference you can make is only limited by your creativity and commitment. Get started at the EarthFair in Balboa Park on April 20th. Sign-up to volunteer online at www.earthdayweb.org.

6. Do politics (whether you like it or not).

Politics is where the power is at. I’m sick of whiners who say they don’t like politics or all politicians are corrupt. Those are the excuses that support the status quo. The system is designed to discourage people so the people don’t take their power back. Politics is a group game so don’t go it alone. A good place to start is to join the Political Committee of your local Chapter of the Sierra Club. In San Diego, they meet the first Thursday of most months. The local contact number is: 619-299-3061

7. Recruit others.

Often the hardest thing for most people is to enroll others to the cause effectively. This requires assertiveness, sensitivity and good listening skills. Pay attention. Be humble. Don’t offend more people than you recruit. Results matter more than righteousness.

Xtra credit:

8. Go Native!

If you have any land to call your own, use only native plants that require no extra irrigation other than the rain provides.

9. Cisterns and “gray water”

Collect the rain that lands on your roof for use in the garden to grow your own produce and even your shower (get the right filters).

10. Buy only locally grown, organic produce.

We’re lucky to live in a sunny climate with the highest number of organic farms in the State of California. If you can’t grow your own, buy at your local farmer’s market.

11. Wear organic.

Lots of organic renewable fibers are coming on the market: cotton, hemp and bamboo. Even shoes.

12. Keep it clean

Stop using products with toxic ingredients

So there you have it: some hard things to do, each of which makes difference. Get busy; we all have the same 24-hours in the day. Don’t you need a new challenge to stir things up for a change?