PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING
The following short points may help you to question your lifestyle and try to live more lightly on this planet. See my separate environmental page for a more detailed description of my own attempt to live a sustainable lifestyle, on which this list is based.
General principles
Be content with
little, and freed from all inordinate desire
(Baha'u'llah)
ask questions about even the least significant
aspects of your life and lifestyle
experiment with changes that might
lighten your footprint upon the earth
pick your own life style; there is no one right way to do
things that applies to everyone
get off the consumer treadmill and focus on what you
really need
apply moderation, neither
over-indulgence nor complete denial
appreciate good things without excess
Housing
pick your housing location to reduce your need for transport (to work, shopping, school, etc.)
occupy the smallest size residence that meets your needs. It will be more economical to heat, clean and maintain
choose
high quality construction with the best insulation, natural
lighting, lowest maintenance, and most environmentally-friendly
materials possible
install
energy-saving light bulbs (compact flourescent are better than halogen,
and the new LEDs best of all) and use them only when necessary
weatherstrip
the windows and doors, and double the glazing if it is not already done
and the temperature extremes require it
use energy-efficient appliances and never leave them on standby
aim
for an efficient use of space with nothing wasted
for heating consider a low-pollution wood heater or energy-efficient heat pump
lower the thermostat to avoid excessive heating
do no open the window for a long time when the heat is on; 5 minutes to refresh the air is sufficient
collect rainwater from the roof for toilet
flushing and gardening
Energy
See energy-efficient housing mentioned above, and transport below
choose renewable electricity sources if available
avoid unnecessary electrical appliances, and choose those most highly rated for energy
efficiency
a microwave oven cooks faster and with
less energy than other electric cooking
a pressure cooker uses 50-75% less energy than cooking in normal pots
try cooking several things, or a whole meal, in the same pot
in some places, solar cookers may be practical
cooking
with a biomass fuel (wood or charcoal) is better that fossil fuel (gas
other than biogas, electricity from coal, oil or gas) if it is produced
sustainably without threatening forests or vegetation cover
Transport
In order of priority:
walk
ride a bike or electric bicycle
use
public transport, preferably trains, subway, trams or trolley-buses
using renewably-sourced electricity, or buses running on biofuels
join a car-share scheme, or rent a car only when necessary
if you cannot avoid owning a car, choose an electric, hybrid or energy-efficient small model
keep an old car until it wears out (it takes a lot of energy to make a more efficient new car)
reserve car use for heavy shopping and
going where
there is no public transport
carpool for travel to work/school
drive as little as possible, combining trips where possible, lowering speed and driving economically
consider nearby vacations or those destinations reachable by environmentally-friendly transport
avoid air travel unless necessary for education, work or service to the community
do not choose driving long distances to avoid all air travel; the latter may consume less fuel per passenger/kilometer
carbon
credit schemes to financially compensate for air travel are a poor
second choice to leaving the carbon in the ground, they are better for
the conscience than for the environment
Food
Calculating
the energy cost
and environmental impact of food is complicated: vegetables grown
locally in a heated greenhouse may require more energy than those
shipped from far away, and bulk transport may use less energy than your
drive home from the supermarket
favour fresh produce, locally grown and in season if possible
prefer simple, wholesome
food, with at least 5 daily portions of
vegetables and fresh fruits, and avoid snacking between meals
become a vegetarian or at least avoid red meat and use only small quantities of meat (as in oriental cooking)
try to choose fish from sustainable fisheries or responsible aquaculture
if you have a garden, grow as much of your own food as possible
eat little frozen or pre-prepared
food
cooking in
the microwave, a pressure cooker, or several things together in a single pot. saves
energy
avoid bottled water and bottled water-sugar beverages (high transport cost for little/no benefit)
pick food shops/supermarkets that
feature socially- and environmentally-responsible items, and prefer a local farmer's market if there is one near you
Water
drink tap water unless it is contaminated
if the water is chlorinated, letting it stand for a day will allow the chlorine time to escape
run faucets
and the shower at low volume with water-saver attachments
added objects to the toilet tank to
reduce the volume of each flush
do not
let the water run when it is not immediately needed (like while you brush your teeth)
prefer a
shower to a bath; with a low-flow system, it is possible to take a shower with 10-20
liters of water
use rainwater to flush the toilet, if possible
Clothing
pick clothing manufactured in socially and environmentally responsible ways
Washing clothes uses energy and water or dry-cleaning
chemicals and produces pollution, so:
try to minimise the
weight and volume of your
clothing
wear clothes requiring dry cleaning only when necessary
wash full loads at an economy cycle with a simple no-phosphate
detergent dosed carefully
avoid a dryer unless there is no alternative
avoid clothes that require ironing (energy intensive)
if you plan to do dirty work, wear as little as possible
use short sleeves or no sleeves, shorts, and other styles that save on fabric
wear the minimum number
of layers required by the weather (raising your metabolism to keep warm helps to keep weight down)
in choosing a fabric, consider the best balance of criteria: synthetic fibres
wash and dry more easily, do not require ironing,
and hardly wear out (nor do they decompose in landfills); natural fibres like cotton and wool do not come from
petrochemicals and are greenhouse gas neutral, but may
require more energy and water to clean; much cotton today is produced in
unsustainable agriculture with heavy chemical and energy use, and often
health
impacts on farm workers, while clothing from organic cotton is still hard to
find; blends of synthetic and
natural fibres may be more practical for shirts, pants and dresses
do not discard clothing until it is truly worn out (unless you pass it on to others)
learn to repair things when necessary
pick conservative
timeless styles, and keep clothing until it comes back in style (this requires not gaining weight)
Household products
avoid too many chemicals in household
products
aim for simplicity: simple bath soap without perfume;
vinegar-based toilet and bathroom cleaners; zero phosphate detergent
for clothes-washing; simple
shampoo
try to use as little as
possible, and avoid things that may leave residues or release volatile
compounds into the air
avoid pesticides unless essential for health and safety
garden without chemical industry products.
Waste
try to generate as little waste
as possible, reusing what can be reused, recycling what can be, and
avoiding throw-away products
take advantage of all recycling opportunities available locally
recycle paper, glass, plastic bottles, aluminum,
compostable organics, clothing, etc.
return appliances and elecronic goods to the stores that sell them, or take them for recycling if possible
dispose of special wastes (batteries, solvents, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, oil, paints, etc.) properly, not in your general trash
if you have a garden, maintain a compost pile
use cloth napkins and shopping bags, and a
minimum of paper towels
prefer rechargeable batteries for most purposes
buy recycled products
Media/information
be sensitive to media impact on you, and the way
it passively manipulates your thinking and emotions
voluntarily limit your exposure to media messages you did not ask for
pay
attention to the aesthetics of your surroundings: paintings from
artists that you admire, a few simple but beautiful objects, man-made
or natural, etc.
try to keep some contact with nature or living things (plants, animals, an aquarium, etc.)