Capitol EcoWatch
Washington D.C. these days is abuzz with influential environmentalists pressing lawmakers to pass bills that will expand the protection of America’s environment, curbing carbon output and making “green” a way of life.
Welcome to Capitol EcoWatch
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50 things You can do to help save the Planet:
1. Stop Junk Mail
2. Snip Six-Pack Rings
3. Use a Clean Detergent, i.e. a low-phosphate or phosphate-free one.
4. Aerate Your Faucet
5. New Ingredients, a combination of strategies to reduce consumption of disposable products in the kitchen or use environmentally benign ones.
6. Tanks, But No Tanks, lower the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees Farenheit.
7. Make a Phone Call, call local utilities and agencies to discover resource saving services (like energy audits)
8. Brush Up on Paint, use latex-based paints instead of oil-based ones & properly dispose of used paint
9. Time to Re-Tire?, maintain to reduce fuel consumption; recycle when possible
10. Home on the Range, use energy efficient appliances
11. Don't Go with the Flow, don't let the faucet run
12. Gas Station Ecology, use unleaded gasoline
13. The Twilight Ozone, avoid products made from or containing CFC's
14. Your Gas is as Good as Mine, strategies for improving fuel efficiency in automobiles
15. Recharge Your Batteries, i.e. use rechargeable batteries
16. Attention Shoppers!, reduce use of paper and plastic bags
17. Find the Hidden Toxics, use alternatives
18. Leave It a Lawn, proper lawn care to reduce water and pesticide use
19. Stamp Out Styrofoam, don't use it
20. It's a Beach, pick up litter on the beach
21. Buyer Beware, don't buy ivory/buy dolphin-safe tuna
22. Pests & Pets, avoid chemical flea collars
23. Make It a Royal Flush, adjust toilet tank to reduce water use
24. Air-Power Your Shower, use a low-flow showerhead
25. Recycle Motor Oil
26. Tune Up the Heat, i.e. your furnace
27. Light Right, use compact fluorescent bulbs
28. Don't Let Go of helium-filled balloons
IT TAKES SOME EFFORT
29. Reuse Old News, recycle newspapers
30. Recycle Glass
31. Don't Can Your Aluminum, recycle it.
32. Precycle, choose products with less packaging/recyclable packaging
33. Use Cloth Diapers, instead of disposable ones
34. Put It to Work... At Work, strategies for waste reduction at the office
35. Recycle the Rest (plastic, tin, cardboard)
36. Build a Backyard Wildlife Refuge
37. Help Protect the Rainforests, support organizations, avoid tropical hardwoods
38. The Great Escape insulate homes properly to minimize energy waste
39. Plant a Tree
40. Prevent Pests Naturally, use alternatives to chemical pesticides
41. What a Waste!, dispose of hazardous wastes properly
42. Carpool to Work
FOR THE COMMITTED
43. Start Composting
44. Install a Graywater Tank
45. Drive Less
46. Eat Low on the Food Chain
47. Start a Recycling Program
48. Xeriscape
49. Stay Involved, support environmental organizations
50. Spread the Word
HOUSE VOTES ON ENERGY, WATER APPROPRIATIONS AT CAPITOL OCT. 2009
The house adopted the conference report on a bill (HR 3183) to appropriate $33.5 billion for energy, water and nuclear programs in fiscal 2010. In part, the bill provides $6.4 billion for maintaining the US nuclear stockpile, $5.6 billion for environmental cleanup at nuclear sites, $5.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers public works, $4.9 billion for research info on long-term energy needs, $2.1 billion to counter the spread of nuclear arms overseas, $311 million for clean-vehicle technologies, $225 million for solar energy and $172 for upgrading the nation’s electrical grid. Trillions for wars and only this much for our future. Shame of it all.
