Green Ideas
Earth Month Green Ideas for Individuals
Would you like to know what green ideas and practices are
being used in Mariposa County right now? The number may
surprise you. Follow the weekly April Earth Month news
releases to find out.
April has been declared Earth Month by the Mariposa County
Board of Supervisors. Mariposans for the Environment and
Responsible Government (MERG) and the Economic Development
Corporation of Mariposa County (EDC) with the support of
Mariposa Unified School District and the Mariposa County
Government are sponsoring weekly news releases during the
month.
Would you like some ideas that you could use in your own
home? We have listed almost 80 of them. Some are ideas that
you may have adopted years ago, but some may make you say
“why did I not think of that?” We hope you will consider
using most of them.
We want to thank those of you who used your passion for
green living to respond to our request for ideas.
One such response was from a fourteen year old who told of
the Four H project in which she is involved. The goal is to
plant trees in last year’s burned areas. She says “the
reforestation to the fire areas – will add oxygen in the
world” and “help with global warming.” Her group has already
planted 1662 trees and plans to continue the project until
she graduates.
It is important to use only drought resistant native plants
in order to save water and to prevent the toxic spread of
exotic plants.
GREEN IDEAS FOR THE HOME
THE HOUSE
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Consider an earth berm,
straw built or in-ground home
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Use materials that require
less ongoing maintenance
-
Use FSC (Forest Stewardship
Council) sustainable wood Use composite wood (recycled
plastic and waste sawdust pressured together), bamboo
flooring, and other low carbon footprint materials
-
Consider recycled lumber and
cabinets Use low flow toilets, faucets and showerheads
-
Consider a metal roof with a
tax credit
INSIDE THE HOUSE
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Buy only Energy Star
appliances (look for rebates!)
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Use reused furniture or
those made from sustainably harvested forests and is
stained with plant based stain
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Avoid packaging or choose
recyclable packaging
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Choose fabric that is made
from organic materials when possible
-
Purchase reused clothing and
jewelry
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Choose bulk foods when
practible
-
Reuse packaging, including
bags.
-
Control ants with natural
borate rather than a poison C
-
Control rodents with cats
and by decreasing hiding spaces around the house i.e.
tall grass, thick plantings
-
Reuse coffee and other
containers for storage
-
Consider used clothing or
recycle or repair instead of discarding
-
Avoid buying non-necessities
-
Use reusable napkins and
towels primarily
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Support environmental, land
conservation and social justice causes
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Choose green investments
-
Recycle books and magazines
or use the library
-
Barter for chores and
materials
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Unplug appliances and
electronics when not in use
-
Use natural, biodegradable
cleaning products and soaps
-
Avoid antibacterial soap
(ineffective and bad for the watershed)
Recycle paper, bottles, cans, and glass
-
Choose items that are
biodegradable, organic, reusable, or recyclable
HOME OFFICE
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Use both sides of paper to
make copies
-
Use junk mail as scratch
paper
-
Use recycled paper products,
with high post consumer content, such as printer paper,
files, envelopes
-
Use electronic files more
than paper files
-
Dispose of ink cartridges
properly
-
Unplug electronics when not
in use
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
-
Plant a vegetable garden and
orchard
-
Use no pesticides or
herbicides
-
Remove thistles by hand to
prevent spreading
-
Clean up trash on property
and roadside
-
Participate in Williamson
Act to keep property in ag production and maintain open
space
-
Compost food scraps
-
Raise animals such as goats,
chickens and cows for weed eating, milk, meat, fur and
fertilizer
WATER
-
Avoid bottled water to
reduce wasted materials and transportation.
-
Fix leaky faucets and use
automated motion detector faucets where practical
-
Use full loads for laundry
and dish washing
-
Use only 3 inches of water
in bathtub and conserve shower and sink water use
-
Avoid toxic chemical use to
reduce water contamination
-
Do not dispose of
medications in drains
-
Use rainwater catchment in
barrels for irrigation
-
Use drought tolerant native
plantings and very little ornamentation
-
Do not have a grass lawn -
critical for conserving water quantity and quality
TRANSPORTATION
-
Telecommute when possible
-
Use mass transit where
available
-
Car pool
-
Link errands to make one
trip rather than several
-
Choose more fuel economical
vehicles, such as hybrids or those fueled by electricity
and/or solar energy
-
Shop locally
-
Eat locally organically
grown foods
-
Maintain proper inflation in
auto tires for optimum fuel economy
-
Maintain vehicles in proper
working order - leads to decreased smog, leaks, etc.
ENERGY
-
Set water heater to a medium
setting
-
Install solar panels for
space and water heat and for water pumping
-
Consider using waste
vegetable oil for fuel and reduction of landfill
-
Set thermostats lower during
winter and higher during summer
-
Use automated motion
sensitive light switches
-
Turn out lights in rooms not
being used
-
Use compact fluorescent
light bulbs and rechargeable batteries
-
Use passive solar home
design for indoor climate control
-
Have overhangs to prevent
over-heating of home in summer
-
Use locally obtained wood to heat your home when possible using a modern (EPA certified) wood stove or fireplace insert. Consider heating your home with a geothermal heat pump powered by a renewable energy source such as solar panels
-
Use insulating windows
-
Stop junk mail
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Dry clothes on lines
-
Plant trees for shade and
oxygen production
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