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| Wednesday, January 16, 2008 |
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SOCIAL JUSTICE: Make 2008 an Environmental Year!
By St Mary Administrator @ 8:02 AM :: 110 Views ::  :: Human Concerns
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GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION
· Give special attention to major purchases. They can reduce environmental damage faster and more easily than through smaller, everyday actions.
Become a weight watcher. The purchase of a heavy item will have a larger impact than the purchase of a light one. The more weight, the greater the environmental impact.
· Analyze your consumption quantitatively. Try to identify two or three changes that will make a bigger difference; example: not watering the lawn or turning off your air conditioner (air conditioners take a lot of energy).
· Look for opportunities to be a leader. Be an early adopter of new environmental technology, so that producers of these products gain a foothold in the marketplace; provide publicly visible leadership actions by working for change in those groups to which you belong.
· Buy more of those things that reduce waste and save water and trees such as recycled paper products, water-saving faucets, toilets and showerheads. Take cloth bags to the supermarket to save using “paper or plastic”, and decline to use bottled water (it’s usually not any better than filtered tap water)
· Think about non-environmental reasons for reducing consumption; change your emphasis on material possessions; think more reflectively about your goals and values. Try to live more simply – as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton said, “Live simply that others may simply live.”
For a very clear and enjoyable explanation of how we become consumers and what we can do about it, go to this website: www.storyofstuff.com. Then pass on this message to every friend and member of your family!
Happy New Year!
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