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How can you save the environment?! We're not talking about protesting outside the parliament with wooden placards on how to save trees (lol) but practical stuff - The Sikh way.

So let's make this thread into a massive list of what to do... even if it's very minor..

Let the Revolution begin!!

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Guest peacemaker

Anything else??????

In Your Home – Conserve Energy

  1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
  2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
  3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
  4. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
  5. 100ways10.gifTurn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
  6. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
  7. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
  8. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
  9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
  10. 100ways9.gifUnplug seldom used appliances.
  11. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
  12. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
  13. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
  14. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
  15. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
  16. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
  17. 100ways8.gifUse compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
  18. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
  19. Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
  20. Insulate your home as best as you can.
  21. Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
  22. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
  23. Plant trees to shade your home.
  24. Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
  25. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
  26. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
  27. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
  28. Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Greenpower for North Carolina - www.ncgreenpower.org). In your home-reduce toxicity.

In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity

  1. 100ways7.gifEliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers).
  2. 100ways6.gifLearn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
  3. Buy the right amount of paint for the job.
  4. Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.
  5. When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.
  6. If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.
  7. Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
  8. Have your home tested for radon.
  9. Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.
    In Your Yard


  10. Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.
  11. 100ways5.gifUse an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one.
  12. Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.
  13. Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.
  14. Use only the required amount of fertilizer.
  15. Minimize pesticide use.
  16. Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.
  17. Water grass early in the morning.
  18. 100ways4.gifRent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.
  19. Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).
  20. Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.

In Your Office

  1. Copy and print on both sides of paper.
  2. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips.
  3. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.
  4. 100ways3.gifSet up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee.
  5. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence.
  6. Use recycled paper.
  7. Use discarded paper for scrap paper.
  8. Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic.
  9. Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.
    Ways To Protect Our Air

  10. Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.
  11. Recycle printer cartridges.
  12. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
  13. 100ways2.gifReport smoking vehicles to your local air agency.
  14. Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor.
  15. Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution.
  16. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood.
  17. Use solar power for home and water heating.
  18. Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers.
  19. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle.
  20. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions.
  21. 100WAYS12.gifIgnite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid.
  22. If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning.
  23. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible.
  24. Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.

Ways to Use Less Water

  1. Check and fix any water leaks.
  2. 100ways11.gifInstall water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets.
  3. Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously.
  4. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.
  5. Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.
  6. Install a low-flow shower head.
  7. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water.
  8. Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks.

    Ways to Protect Our Water

  9. Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible.
  10. Never dump anything down a storm drain.
  11. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
  12. Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
  13. Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.
  14. Learn about your watershed.
    Create Less Trash

  15. Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted.
  16. Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging.
  17. Buy products that you can reuse.
  18. Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones.
  19. Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates.
  20. Reuse items like bags and containers when possible.
  21. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.
  22. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones.
  23. Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap.
  24. 100ways13.gifShop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.
  25. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.
  26. Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material.
  27. Compost your vegetable scraps.
  28. Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture

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green consumerism helps, but its not the ultimate solution

buying less is the ultimater (yes, ultimater) solution

and supporting unjust wars

population control, u see

what do u think all the typhoons and hurricanes and earthquakes are?

yeh, GODS population control

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1. Eat fresh food so less is wasted on costs for packaging ready made meals.

2. Try not to use a washing machine (it consumes alot of water) Hand wash ure clothes instead! Its not that hard, I handwash all my clothes!

3. Try to wash with water at normal room temperature - its healthier

4. Put on your plate only as much as you can eat. This way you have no left overs!

5. If your cold wrap another layer or use a hot water bottle. Don't walk around in a T shirt with the heating on full blast

6. Re-use tubs/cardboard boxes or bags etc

7. Throw all waste in recycable places, your aim is for nothing to go into the 'bin'. Ie paper including envelopes, junk mail in a recyling bin. Put left over food on compost heap. All plastic packagings in the plastic bin.

8. Ultimately look at where all your products came from....could you have bought a recycable one. Shared Earth do alot of 100% recycled goods. Its one of my favourite shops. http://www.sharedearth.co.uk/

9. Try to not waste lots of energy on electrical games/computers/music/tv....so be bit more electric/waster/gas energy conscious.

10. Finally eat Organic!

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Guest peacemaker
2. Try not to use a washing machine (it consumes alot of water) Hand wash ure clothes instead! Its not that hard, I handwash all my clothes!

I liked your list. To be honest, that would probably be the hardest for me to follow. How long does it take you to do all that, if I may ask? Thanks!

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Guest peacemaker
cux either the machine or my dumalle would break

I don't see how your dumalle could break the machine though, unless your machine was a bootleg one. :umm:

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2. Try not to use a washing machine (it consumes alot of water) Hand wash ure clothes instead! Its not that hard, I handwash all my clothes!

I liked your list. To be honest, that would probably be the hardest for me to follow. How long does it take you to do all that, if I may ask? Thanks!

Not that long cos I wash my clothes everyday. So none of this 'store' them for the weekend. Basically I normally only have a kachera which I change everyday and sometimes my top or trousers.

So what I do is soak my clothes every day in the morning when I change them. I then go for a shower, do prayers etc which takes about 30mins. After I am done I go to the soaked clothes and scrub them for 5 mins and then I take another 5 mins making the water run clean. In total it only takes 10mins to wash them!

Also its really good for your clothes cos they get washed properly (machine doesn't know where to scrub so it just tosses them for an hour which is an estimate time of how long it shud take for them to get clean. Most of the time they are not clean out - just scented.....Also people who machine wash leave their clothes lying around getting smelly and so its more difficult to clean!) But best of all is its a fact that handwashing makes your clothes last longer.

I reckon anyone can handwash. Doesn't take too long. 10mins is how long most people spend listening to a song!

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Guest peacemaker

Thanks!! I might try it because you made it seem so nice and easy. :) If when I do it I find that it's not as nice and easy, I'm going to come looking for you, after your exams, of course!! :lol:

P.S. Do you use any detergent or soap ever?

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Yeah. I need to get back to work. Its really hot!!

But deffo try it out. I'll try to give you a more detailed of how I do it.

1. Take clothes off, shake them for hair and then look at all the dirty/smelly marks.

2. Put Daz powder into my bucket and add warm water to allow Daz to dissolve.

3. Add clothes to Daz and scrub dirty marks using Daz and leave it soaking for 30-45 mins (If your clothes are dirty you will need to leave for longer). In this time I shower, pray etc!

4. Come back after 30-45mins and use the green soap to scrub like proper Indian style! (dunno what green soap is called but you buy it at the desi shops)

5. By now all the scrubbing is done so you add water and knead together and then rinse the water. Repeat kneading adding water and rinsing until ALL water runs clean. For me its about 5 cycles but if you put too much detergent it takes ages for water to run clean but with practise you will know how much to add.

Also note you have to make it part of your daily routine ie shower/pray in the waiting time to make it 10mins! And you need to get washing up gloves to protect your hands and a bucket to put the clothes into but if you already have all that then away you go!

Also another thing. Make sure you wash your clothes everyday. If you let them pile up then it takes twice as long to wash. Also wash your clothes as soon as they get dirty or smell. If you don't wash your clothes when they are dirty and keep wearing them then it will take twice as long to wash!

When I first started it was tough. I found it really hard because I was still in washing machine mode ie I would pile my clothes and then wash them! But now I learnt this way I wud not go back to washing machines. I actually now find it strange that people don't wash their clothes everyday....or how they don't wash it properly or how they leave dirt to pile up.

Molst people seem to be washing without thinking ie washing on a certain day only when in fact you should listen to your clothes and wash them as soon as they are dirty. But yea deffo start practising cos you learn so much about how to keep clean in everyday life. Eg before I used to get a lot of stuff like pen marks and felt tips or paint on my clothes and I never used to care so much cos I never had to spend hours washing it but now I can do paintings without getting paint on me....its better for my clothes and makes me more perfect in everyday tasks.

Hope thats helpful. Back to work :)

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