How you can help the environment

Here is a list of things that you can do to make a difference. It all starts with you!


Save your clothes, detergent, and money while conserving water and energy

Toronto's Wash 'n' Save program offers qualified participants $60 cash back for the purchase of City-selected, high-efficiency clothes washers - link is: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/english/consumers/rebate_toronto.cfm?text=N

However the retail sales tax rebate from the Government of Ontario is no longer in effect. Please check out this link http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/english/consumers/rebate_ont.cfm?text=N

The Flush with savings: Residential toilet replacement program can be found at: http://www.toronto.ca/watereff/flush/index.htm

Lawn watering tips: Watering DEEPLY & ONCE A WEEK is more effective at restricting the growth of weeds and enhancing the growth of the grass itself. More tips can be found at: http://www.toronto.ca/watereff/tips/lawn.htm

Shower yourself & not your tub: Try to reduce the flow of water from your shower, so that it stays hot/warm longer, saves energy & water and makes it easier to clean your bath tub/shower stall after your shower.

A lot of tea bags just go into the garbage in most businesses. This is valuable compost that can be used for plants. A person who thinks "GREEN" can place a container at work, to collect these and take them home for the garden. Indoors, they attract insects and bugs, so it's better to use them out of doors, and mix them in with the soil. If used for indoor plants, they need to be tucked in under the soil.

Save your egg shells and crush them into your soil, near the roots/stems of your outdoor plants to keep away slugs, instead of using harmful chemicals. The slugs stay away because of the prickly feeling under their bellies and the shells are good for the plants.

Save dry leaves (or old newspaper) to protect your outdoor plants from frost during the winter months.

Spreading them over the ground keeps your plants warm and they can just be swept away in the spring and reserved for more compost.

For those who are concerned about the people who handle garbage/rotting vegetation, it helps to keep the garbage bins outside during the WINTER months, and transferring the garbage immediately from the home into them, before any decomposition starts taking place.

PLASTIC BAGS : Besides some grocery stores (like Dominion) and liquor stores, the City of Toronto also helps to recycle plastic bags. The following links give the list of articles and the schedules of environment days of 2005 when this will done.http://www.toronto.ca/environment_days/activities.htm

http://www.toronto.ca/environment_days/schedule.htm

On the second Saturday in the month the Green Party of Canada hosts seminars of Interest to Green Party members. Turnout ranges from 5 to 10 members. The first topic was reforming the electoral system, the second has months was "How to Green your Home".

The 2 guest speakers for Greening your Home were a couple with 2 children from Guelph - Heather and Jeremy. Between their experience and the input from others we came up with quite a few things that we can do.  Anything you can add would be great.

A shower uses less water than a bath.

If you have a bath, leave the water in the tub to warm up the house.

Set the water temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (Any lower will allow bacteria to breed).

Get a switch on the downspout of your eaves trough so in the summer you can direct water to a rain barrel (great for watering the garden) and in winter let it go to the sewer system so it does not freeze and damage your barrel. These special barrels come with screens to stop bugs from breeding.

When you brush your teeth, do not leave the water running.

Get a reverse osmosis water filter.

Drink water at room temperature.

Share appliances with the rest of the neighbourhood.

Community Shared Agriculture - Buy a share of a local harvest.

Use ceiling Fans - great for summer and winter.

Use programmable thermostats to lower the temperature at night and during data when no one is in the house.

Dishwashers have heaters in them so you don’t need to use hot water.

Anything that involves heating and cooling uses lots of energy.

Get an on demand water heater so it only heats the water when needed.

Get a timer on the water heater.

Shut off the water heater when going on vacation in the summer.

Use a clothesline instead of a dryer.

Use Environment friendly soaps.

Use Vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide for water cleaners.

Use a damp sponge for cleaning.

Some food is better raw then cooked, other better cooked than raw. (Better means your body is more able to extract nutrients).

Get a heat exchanger.

Use Beeswax Candles to clear the Air.

Keep fireplace furnace clean.

A black background on your computer monitor uses less energy.

Anything with a transformer continues to use power when the appliance is turned off - So unplug it or use a power bar to turn it off.

Anything with a clock is still running when turned off.

Use Paper bags instead of plastic.

Take canvas bags shopping.

Get a composter. There are even some made for apartments.

Don't over fill the fridge. It needs air circulation to work efficiently.

Fill your freezer - It works better when full.

Some new ovens have small and large section so for small meals you can save energy.

Check the energy rating of the appliances.

Check out what incentives there are (locally, provincially and federally) to buy energy efficient appliances - do not replace appliances just to get an energy efficient one - wait till they need replacing.

Bigger appliances user more energy.

Use the compact fluorescent light bulbs.

If you need a new monitor get an LCD not a CRT.

The monitor uses the most power on a computer.

Other sites to check out…

David Suziki one ton challenge.
Greenpeace