350 Ways to Save the World
This is one of the 350 Interesting Lists. The 350 challenge here is to create a list of items that will help us Save the World. Can you help?  There is a form at the bottom of the page for you to submit your suggestions.  All submissions welcomed!

Our World
Our World is precious to us and we must become more aware of it. Many of our everyday actions are changing the planet permanently. The evidence of global warming is clear in the Arctic and Antarctic continents. We must all do everything in our power to save our World.
  
 
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Buy recycled products
Paper, packaging, plastic containers, cardboard, and other products are being sold that have been recycled. Don't confuse "recycled" with "recyclable"! Lots of companies will put the recycling symbol or "100% recyclable" on their products to appeal to ecologists. While that is all fine and good, "made from recycled waste" or "post-consumer waste" is what you really want. If you buy recycled notebook paper, no one will really care if your paper is a shade greyer than the non-recycled kind.
 
In general, don't use disposable products at all.
Diapers/Nappies, pens, razors, towels; they're all disposable, so there are many ways to help the earth this way.  Don’t use paper towels--old t-shirts or towels work fine as messy-use rags. What's the use of using disposable razors if you have to buy a new bag every other week? It will save you money just to get a good one to keep using! In other words, don't get sucked into the world of simple disposable items because "it's easy and convenient."

Keep a cloth handy in the house
Instead of using paper towels, keep a cloth towel by the sink and use it to dry your hands or wipe up spills.
 
Use rechargable batteries.
Although they may cost more to buy, rechargable batteries will save you 10 or 20 times the original cost (by not buying new batteries over and over again), and not get thrown in the trash. Prolong the life of any batteries by using a cord (and AC adapter, if necessary) for radios and other appliances when possible.
 
Make your house energy efficient.
Use energy efficient light bulbs and energy-efficient appliances.
 
"Recycle" your clothes.
Don’t throw away the clothes that no longer fit or are unwanted. Donate your clothes to the needy or to other clothing drives for the poor. If you can’t find anywhere then take them to the Salvation Army. If you want to make money, try having a garage sale or take the clothes to a resale shop.


Use both sides of paper
Save paper that has been used on one side for the next time you need to jot something down quickly. Having a few pages of "scrap" paper around is a good way to keep yourself from wasting new sheets each time.


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Keep your fridge at the right temperature
Avoid keeping refrigerator or freezer too cold. Government recommended temperature for fresh food is 38 degrees F. For freezers it’s 5 degrees F.
 
Close Cooling Vents.
There is no reason to cool the portions of your house that you are not going to be in. Walk around your house and close the cooling vents in all the rooms where you don’t spend a lot of time. This will help your air conditioner work less (and thus save energy and money) than if you had all the vents open. Just be sure that there is not a temperature sensor in the room when you close the vents.
 
Buy Local.
Much of the produce that we eat now has been shipped or flown from many miles away. Not only does this pollute the environment and we pay the price for  the cost of the shipping (ie gasoline or diesel) and the packing, but this produce has been grown as specific varieties that can survive the hardships of early picking and transportation, so we lose in numbers of varieties as well as in nutrition. 
 
Use Half The Amount
Try using half the amount of the products you use every day. Most of your everyday household products will work just as well when you use half the amount that you are currently using. Some that you might consider using this method with are laundry detergent, shampoo, cleaning supplies, etc.
 
Put A Towel In The Dryer.
Get the most absorbent towel you can find and place it near your Dryer. Each time you put in a new load of clothes to dry, also throw in the towel. This absorbent towel will reduce the time it takes for the entire load to dry and will save approximately 10% of the energy use.

Turn Down Your Water Heater Temperature
Most water heaters are set at a higher temperature than they need to be. Adjust your water heater down to 130°F and you will save 3% to 5% on the cost of heating your water for every 10°F the temperature is reduced. On the gas water heaters, all it takes is a turn of the temperature knob to accomplish this. Electric heaters are a little more complex so you may need to seek assistance if you are not mechanically inclined.


Shop with a Tote
Instead of using the store's plastic bags, bring a bio-degradable tote! Over 10 million plastic bags from shoppers end up in dumps every year. You can make a difference in this number with your tote!
Brianne Feldpausch
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This is one of the 350 Interesting Lists. Do you have any additional Suggestions?  Help us to get to 350 items by submitting your suggestions here 

 
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