The Center for Environmental Research and Conservation is now featured in an initiative called: “Green Tip & Trade: How to save the environmental one change at a time,” created by the Marketplace Sustainability Desk from American Public Radio.
The colorful, interactive website features dozens of tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint and live a greener daily life. Our tips are as follows:
“Be eco-aware: Issues of water, energy, and biodiversity affect every person on the planet. Understanding that everything is interconnected is key to improving sustainability. Find more eco knowledge at Center for Environmental Research and Conservation’s Twitter and CERC’s Eco-Matters blog.”
“Make time for action: Get involved – volunteer at a local park, community center, zoo, or museum. Participating in environmental initiatives will positively contribute to the community and impact your views and actions. Share what you learn with your friends!”
Divided into a broad array of categories, including 1) eat; 2) home; 3) play; 4) school; 5) shop; 6) transit; and 7) work, each of the tips are effective tools that empower us to save the environment. Simple changes in our behavior can make a huge difference in making the planet a more sustainable place to live Below are a few of CERC’s favorite tips:
“Stop buying bottled water: Look, you’ve probably heard this a hundred times by now, but it’s true. Tap water is fine, and in many cases, purer than some bottled water. If your local water has a weird taste, buy a filter for your tap or a pitcher you can keep in the fridge. You can even buy great portable water bottles with built in filters to take with you or put in your kids’ lunch boxes. Like the fizzy stuff? Then invest $99 in a Soda Stream system, which cranks out seltzer water (and flavored sodas) by the gallon. Read more about bottled water alternatives on our website.” — Bon Appetit Magazine, New York, New York
“Make sure your school has a recycling program for paper, cans, glass and plastic: Schools produce a lot of waste, from the student lounges to the computer labs. Ask if your school has a recycling program in place for paper, plastic, glass and cans-and if they don’t, work with other students to set one up.
Put collection bins in various places around the school to make recycling convenient, use different bins that follow your city’s recycling policies, so you don’t have to separate it out later, and make sure people know what’s recyclable and what’s not by making a sign like this one and posting it near the bins.” — Natural Resources Defense Council’s SimpleSteps.org, New York City, New York
“Take a shortcut when you drive: Create and share driving shortcuts to help reduce carbon emissions and save time. Go to freestreets.com.” — Wendy Moore, Snowmass Village, Colorado
“Turn off your power strip if it’s not in use: These days, everything’s plugged into power strips. So when you’re not using them, just switch the power strip off. You save electricity and money.” — Angela Kim, Marketplace Sustainability Producer, Los Angeles, California
“Buy environmentally conscious products: The average person’s beauty routine uses an array of products. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces 4.5 pounds of waste each day and much of this waste comes from product packaging.” — Audrey Magazine, Gardena, California
Have your own tip on how to make the planet greener? Go to Green Tip & Trade and submit your own!
