Jane's Tips From Cave Creek, AZ
Submitted by Live Earth on 13 August, 2007 - 20:00
1. Work at home. We keep our small business based at home. Part of the garage is a workshop. A spare bedroom is our office. No commuting. No use of office energy because we’re using a room that would be using energy to some extent even if we worked elsewhere. Less need for fancy clothes and doing laundry or dry cleaning -- in fact, I wear the same jeans all week. The dogs don’t mind.
2. Work outside. Although it’s brutal here in the summer, during much of the year we can work outside and really turn down our energy use inside.
3. Go low tech. Yes, we use the latest computers and energy-wise appliances but we also use basic low tech stuff where we can – like a hand-cranked can opener, manual pencil sharpener, etc.
4. Go solar where we can. Total solar is still too expensive for us, but we went solar at least for heating our water and for some of our outdoor lighting.
5. Make our own meals. Instead of buying prepared meals, frozen dinners, boxed and packaged stuff, we start with fresh meats/seafood, vegetables and herbs – local and organic where possible – and keep it simple but nutritious and delicious. At first, it seemed like more time and trouble but we’ve found that once you make it a habit and rediscover cooking, you can get pretty fast and efficient.
6. DON’T plant a tree. Where we live – in the desert – less is more. Forget growing grass or planting non-native trees and shrubs that all use precious water. And DON’T water the native stuff; it’s learned to thrive in this arid climate so let it be and take a note on what we can learn from that. Our yard is pretty natural; the desert comes right to our door.
7. Encourage our retailers. For example, we buy from Safeway because they’re stocking so many organic products and we write them occasionally to say thanks, we’ve noticed.
8. Make a statement. My license plate says SAV R RTH; it’s on a Prius. I believe the more people who “come out†about being green, the more it makes it okay for others to do so. It’s especially important in places like the wild west where that hasn’t been the “cool†way to be.
Let’s help make it so!
Jane R., Cave Creek AZ
I have been looking for a
I have been looking for a reputialbe way to make a living by working at home. Any suggestions? I would be interested if live earth has any type of work at home opportunities thanks and as always we do what we can to help out peace
joanne bullington
It's good to read another
It's good to read another 'valley' girl's suggestions. I wonder if you know of any reputable 'work from home' companies that you can direct me to, as I prepare to return to the work force.
MaryLou in Tempe
I love all your suggestions,
I love all your suggestions, but I'd like to suggest a modification to one of them. Your fifth one - Make your own meals- should be modified to make your own vegan meals. Besides being cheaper, the environmental benefit is amazing. The U.N. came out with a report last month about the devastating effect of animal agriculture on the environment. By abstaining from animal products and only consuming whole foods, you lower demand. You withdraw your support of an industry that is one of the largest environmental problems on the planet. By going vegan, your dietary choices even outweigh the benefits of your Prius. :)
Keep up the good work!
Here's a link for more info.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
Macrobiotic vegan food from
Macrobiotic vegan food from Michio Kushi or Gorghe Ohsawa is most qulity food who can eat every man on the planet...this man,michio,have wisdom and through macrobiotic food can stop planet disaster...open michio's book's..."cancer can be stoped,healing...and no need operation",michio kushi...
why you ignorance this old man?
he knows solutions for save and healin all people and wholle planet...CALL HIM!!!SUPPORT THIS MAN!!!
michio is the best in questin about health food...maybe he is crazy,but we have michio's books...
macrobiotic food is only way to save planet from people who is abnormal...
Great tips! Here's another:
Great tips! Here's another: Instead of petroleum-based plastic storage containers, consider glass canning jars like Mason, Ball or Kerr. They won't leach chemicals into your food; they don't tip over and lose their lids; and contents are visible at a glance. Supermarkets still sell them, or you can pick them up for a song at flea markets and estate sales. Also consider replacing bottled water with a quart jar of your own. Harper's Index reports plastic water bottles require 16 million barrels of petroleum a year to manufacture, and each bottle requires twice as much water to manufacture as it can hold.
I would love to work from
I would love to work from home for a reputable company that does not charge me to start my own business. I have been looking for years and all I get are these work at home schemes that cost me alot of money and never pan out. I was just laid off so I'm desparately in the need of a good work at home job. Any suggestions?
Nice ideas. But let me
Nice ideas. But let me suggest adding houseplants if one can. Aloe vera may not be much, but it's low maintenance and doesn't need much water. Also, not everyone can afford a Prius so at least try to drive a four-cylander car. They get the best mileage.
And please, if you are out there searching for a pet, don't just go to the pet stores. Find out if any strays are near you or go to a shelter. By taking in those pets not only do you take a stray off the streets and reduce danger to native wildlife or reduce the population in a shelter, you also help discourage the building of even more pet selling stores.
Permaculture Design creates
Permaculture Design creates human settlements of any size with the resilience and stability of an ecosystem, thus integrating the beauty of our nature into our effect on the whole.
Finally, a way through.
Permaculture is worth exploring. It covers every aspect of human life and industry, regeneration and perpetual food forests, and an artful way of living. Pure inspiration, abundance and healthy vibrant soil, food, animals and humans. Wow. We can do this!
YAY Cathy! I was going to
YAY Cathy! I was going to mention that a vegan diet is the most environmentally friendly diet. One vegan driving a gas guzzler leaves a smaller footprint on the environment, than a meat eater driving a Prius....not that I recommend driving a big gas guzzling vehicle but the point is true!
Think global, buy local.
Eh... 3rd is the charm!
Eh... 3rd is the charm! right?
Well I think that Jane is doing great!
And since neither previous reply, said how they were helping the greater cause,.... I will take this opportunity to invite you to visit my website...
and see real steps towards the real goal..
It is lovely to see people
It is lovely to see people who care and love our planet. i think all the suggestions are wonderful. Thank you!!
That is going on my license
That is going on my license plate when I get one...or maybe some modification. The idea is fantastic, as they all are.
Thanks so much.
:)
One kalorie's of animal's
One kalorie's of animal's food like MEAT is 10 kalorie's of OIL !
fOR 1 KG MEAT taken by violence from animals - slaughters " kill " 20.000 pure water for drink.
For produced sugar for food in cholads and icecreams and ??? "kill" 2.000 pure water for drink.
Macrobiotic vegan food is the real answer for global warming.In Macrobiotic vegan food odn't use this cancer's products.
Call MIchio Kushi!!!
Stop eat animals and retreat all bad food !
Read some book of Michio KUSHI like " Cancer diet prevention " IT IS THE BOOK WHO CAN SAVE THE WORLD FROM SELFDESTRUCTION TROUGH SICK'S !