Got questions? Got ideas? We want to hear 'em. Who knows? Maybe you'll inspire volume 2! Send us .
#1
It'll take a lot more than light bulbs, unfortunately, but it's a good place to start. Compact fluorescents (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are highly efficient alternatives to Edison's incandescent bulb. (And really, if he knew we were still relying on that invention more than a century later, don't you think he'd be appalled at our lack of ingenuity?) The newfangled bulbs cost more than the ones you're used to, but they can pay for themselves in electricity savings over just a year or so of use -- and they last a heck of a lot longer.
#2
Those colorful kids' cereals -- and a mind-boggling number of other food products, from crackers to yogurt to bread -- contain high-fructose corn syrup, a cheap, unhealthy additive that has been linked with obesity and type II diabetes. The ubiquity of HFCS may help industrial agriculture companies, but it doesn't help your health. Start reading the labels on your regular grocery purchases, and look for products made with natural alternatives (including good old-fashioned sugar).
#3
Americans purchase 2 billion disposable razors each year, and you know what happens to disposable razors. If you're brave, you could go for a straight razor (or stop shaving entirely). Feeling somewhat less brave? A razor with disposable blades is better than chucking the whole thing. And by the way, we beg ye: don't run the water while you de-hair. It's just a waste.
#4
Thanks to new end-of-life legislation in Europe and Asia that requires manufacturers to bear responsibility for the crap -- uh, we mean products -- they generate, this issue is gaining attention around our highly globalized world. Several companies, including Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM, have takeback programs, and some U.S. states are beginning to experiment with computer recycling too.
#5
This, friends, is the perennial green question -- and it is perennially difficult to answer. Those brown paper sacks come from a renewable resource, are easy to recycle, and are biodegradable. Plastic bags cannot boast those qualities; on the other hand, their manufacturing process creates less pollution and waste, and they take up less room in landfills. The best answer: bring your own bag.
#6
This conundrum is similar to the paper or plastic worry -- both in its perplexing details and in the level of torment it causes many an eco-worrier. Cloth diapers are, of course, reusable, but take loads of energy to wash, dry, and transport. Disposables, meanwhile, are -- well, disposable, and pile up in landfills. A 2005 study by the U.K Environment Agency found that (drumroll please) it's a wash. No, really, it is. The "bring-your-own-bag" solution to this one? Diaperless parenting! Aren't you glad you asked?
#7
You caaaaan ... but do you really want to? If the answer is a resounding meow, here's what to do: put soiled litter in a separate container from the rest of your compost (a small trash can with holes in the bottom would do the trick), let it ooze for a year or so, then spread it on your ornamental plants. Be sure not to put it in your vegetable garden (and if you are pregnant or have kids playing in the yard or live in coastal areas near frolicking sea otters, you might want to rethink the whole plan). Check into recycled-paper and wood litters, too -- they're lighter on the earth than the clay type.
#8
Whatever your pleasure, try to buy playthings that are free of phthalates and PVC, which can leach nasty toxic substances into your nether regions and beyond. Those un-fun choices include popular jelly and cyberskin items. So what are the alternatives? You could go with a hard plastic or a thermoplastic elastomer, or try products made from metal, glass, or wood.
#9
You could drive around town looking for the lowest price -- or you could stop driving. A shocking notion in the U.S. of A., but it's catching on, as more people telecommute, bike, walk, carpool, or car share. In Paris, France, a free-bike system introduced this spring has been a huge success, and London, England, is considering a similar program. No, it's not always realistic to live car-free -- but park it once in a while, and you'll see the savings mount up.
#10
Say it with us: No number three for me. Number three is the code on PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, whose manufacture, use, and disposal generates dioxin, which is a carcinogen and a hormone disruptor. Not exactly the choicest material for storing your food and drink, upon reflection.
Do you have a great tip you'd like to share? Who knows? Maybe you'll inspire volume 2! Send us .
