THANKSGIVING 2007: THINGS TO DO FOR EARTH BECAUSE YOU CAN

On that list of things to give thanks for: The ability to take action on behalf of something as precious and magnificent as this little green and brown and blue ball floating around in the infinite I wonder...

84 ways you can help the planet
Meaghan O’Neill, November 18, 2007 (Boston Globe via International Herald Tribune)

Apologies to Meaghan O’Neill for deleting her engaging text. Brevity in blogging is a virtue. The 84-thing to-do list:

Happy Thanksgiving

“SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF—MAKE SURE "OFF" IS OFF…REDUCE, THEN REUSE, THEN RECYCLE…AND THEN RECYCLE EVEN MORE…CONDUCT AN AUDIT…STOP HAND WASHING THE DISHES…REPLACE WITH ENERGY STAR…POWER THE GRID…BUY RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS…CLEAN UP YOUR CLEANING PRODUCTS…GO NATIVE…COMPOST. SERIOUSLY…PASS ON PARTICLEBOARD…PLUS: Buy food at farmers' markets to help support local agriculture. Turn the water off while shaving and brushing your teeth. Use aerating shower heads and faucets. Insulate your hot water heater's tank with a $20 insulating jacket from the hardware store. Insulate yourself with a cardigan, and turn the thermostat down to a comfortable 68 degrees this winter. (Lower it to 55 while you're out or sleeping.) Seal the gaps around windows and doors; a typically leaky US home has the equivalent to a 3-by-3-foot hole in the wall, according to the nonprofit research and lobbying organization Natural Resources Defense Council. Use a clothesline if you can. According to Energy Star, washers and dryers account for 6 percent of the average home's annual energy bill. Learn more about how your home and your lifestyle choices affect the environment by visiting the Nexus Green Resource Building Center, which is free and open to the public (38 Chauncy Street, seventh floor, Boston, 617- 374-3740, greenroundtable.org). Recycle obsolete computers and home electronics (it costs just $10 per large item, like a monitor, at Staples stores)…

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IN THE COMMUNITY—PUT YOURSELF IN THE PUBLIC EYE…JOIN AN ADVOCACY GROUP…SHAKE UP YOUR TOWN…REACH OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORS…GET INVOLVED IN SCHOOL DECISION MAKING…SIGN A PETITION…MINGLE…PRAY FOR CHANGE…PLUS: Vote for eco-friendly policies and candidates. Contribute money to a "green" nonprofit. Don't know how much to give? A good guideline is to pick an organization whose mission you like and then donate the cost of the last pair of shoes you bought. Vote with your wallet by buying goods and services from companies that support a healthy planet and use organic ingredients and eco-friendly packaging…

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AT WORK—WATCH THE THERMOSTAT…START (OR JOIN) A GREEN TASK FORCE…CONDUCT A WASTE AUDIT…USE LESS PAPER…CHOOSE RECYCLED PAPER…TURN OFF THE LIGHTS…GO ENERGY STAR…MAKE MACHINES LAST…KNOW - AND USE - YOUR BENEFITS…STOP USING STYROFOAM…BREATHE BETTER… FIND A GREENER GIG…PLUS: Show them the money. Since ecological rewards don't always motivate higher-ups but cost-cutting measures do, frame your suggestions for saving the planet around saving money by using fewer resources. Drink at the sink. According to the Container Recycling Institute, Americans used nearly 30 billion single-use plastic water bottles in 2005, and, despite being recyclable, the majority wound up in the trash - at a rate of about 845 bottles each second. Shut down at night. It's a myth that leaving a computer on overnight is more efficient than rebooting in the morning. Use EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (epeat.net). It's an online guide to greener computers and can help purchasers evaluate, compare, and select machines based on environmental attributes. BYO. Bringing your lunch from home helps cut down on waste related to disposables and packaging, and not driving your car to a restaurant saves carbon emissions, too. Get matching donations. Does your company offer to match your charitable contributions? Find out if the environmental organization of your choice could benefit…