December 21, 2007
- Unplug phone chargers, televisions, computers and televisions when not in use. It can be annoying, but in the average home, 40% of all electricity is used to power appliances that are turned off. Make it a family tradition to unplug appliances before Shabbat, and plug them back in after havdalah.
- Make sure to turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth. Try to only turn on the shower when you’re about to get in; it will warm up pretty quickly. Try taking a shorter shower – even a few minutes shorter can help. The average shower flow is 5 gallons per minute.
- Get timers for your lights over Shabbat. If you’re not using the lights anyway, why not have them turn off?
- If it’s safe, ride your bike or walk to your friend’s house instead of driving. Try carpooling to school if possible.
- Buy a couple of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) to replace some incandescent light bulbs. If every family in America changed one incandescent bulb to a CFL, it would be as energy efficient as taking 1.3 million cars off the road.
- On a sunny day, open the window shades instead of turning on the lights.
- When you aren’t using real dishes, use reusable and recyclable plates and cups, such as paper, not styrofoam.
- Find out what fruits and vegetables are grown locally, and try to eat more of those when they’re in season than produce that has to be shipped in from across the world.
- When you go shopping, try to bring your own bag with you so you don’t have to get a plastic shopping bag. If you are going to a lot of stores, try to only take a bag if what you buy doesn’t fit in the bag you got from the last store.
- Get snacks from the refrigerator like a surgeon - get in and out as quickly as will get the job done. The longer you keep that door open, the more energy it will take to re-cool the fridge when you close the door.
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Social Action Issues | Tagged: environmentalism, get involved, recycling | 
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Posted by eimatai
