I am embarrased to say that most wasteful thing we do is to waste energy. We drive our car to everyplace and cool and heat the whole house even though it is not needed. If we could ride the public transit like in other country and have more efficient way of heating and cooling our space.

food, i am embarrassed to say. we have a business and our hours are at most times erratic. we end up grabbing something ‘quick’ to make/eat and the salad never gets made and out go the ingredients. i really must be more responsible.

Driving my car when maybe a walk will do. I’m really thinking this one out. I have a Toyota Corello (sp?). That really is my worst offense. I don’t use plastic bags anymore and recycle a lot more. I figure everything little thing counts and may add up to a big thing.

I have a large family so taking my own shopping bag doesn’t help - I need too much! But I do recycle the plastic bags I get. My worst offense is running water while I wash my face and brush my teeth. Will (once again) strive to do better!

Great question, it’s making me think. Well, I use paper plates to feed my cats every day. To lazy to clean a bowl. I live in Calif. haven’t gotten around to buying one of the bags for shopping. I drink bottled water every day; however I reuse the bottles for a few months. I feel bad about the bottled water, but just can’t drink tap water. I leave my computer turned on from Friday night until Sunday night. Weekdays I turn the computer on once home from work; turn off when going to bed. I print instead of reading from the computer screen. With summer coming, I’ll be turning up the A/C. A waste but I want the comfort. I drive a hybrid car getting 37 miles to the gallon; suppose to be 41. I could probably conserve more gas if I didn’t drive so fast. Started two years ago turning the kitchen light off; instead of leaving the light on all night until going to bed. Now there is only a small 60 watt burning during the night, plus the TV light, unless reading. I do turn the porch light at night, and turn off when going to bed. After Mary Wells article about for one day leaving the lights off 1 hour longer; I’ve started that habit. I don’t turn the porch light on until way after dark. No one has mentioned buying frozen food in containers. I don’t purchase frozen food any more. Just wanted to mention that must be a real waste.

i use way to many paper towels. i never turn my computer off. i hate fluorescent lighting. i use my washer and dryer everyday.

One in about every 6 people on the planet are suffering hunger or thirst or both because of mostly corporate induced planet management for their shareholders bottom line. I am listening, because it is creeping, as any disease does unless checked. And I wonder in listening to many of you —if you’re listening? I used to be a terrible waster. Just terrible. Now I hopefully have it down to just water. I use too much water and I’m workin’ on solutions. But things I have done might be of use to others and I’ll list them: *Wash my hair 2 times a week only. *Dry towels, washcloths, dishtowels folded over my shower bar. *Dry jeans, sweats, turtle necks on a rack. *Soak clothes in a large pail (Chinese Duck Sauce Restaurant size) like underware and table napkins and pillow cases and cut my wash time on washer down. *In squirt and/or spray bottles I have: at my kitchen and 2 bathroom sink areas: 1/3 bleach with the rest water. 1/3 dishsoap and the rest water. 1/3 vinegar and the rest water. 1/3 Murphy’s Oil soap and the rest water. These are all the cleaning products I need. Oh a container of comet. The sanitary is in the rinse. If you don’t rinse you just build up bacteria over some product! *Rip all my paper products before they go into trash container. I wash them also. For one person I put 1/3 container of trash out once a week the size of the normal kit. size waste basket. *I shop once every two weeks and go to the library at the same time on the same road and I shop food and grocery products. I do no recreational or wants shopping. Got it all down to needs. I do this on about $120 per mo. I use no bag, box, or frozen foods except plain froz. veg. and few canned aside tomato products. I cook from scratch and use no seasoning in bottle or package. *I rinse out coffee filters with real hot water and reuse many many times. *I use no paper towels but rather white rags I make from worn out things *I don’t need to drive to work so I limit myself on $15 per mo. for gas, and adjust my drive time. I don’t plant annuals because they need a lot of water. Perrenials only that adapt well to climate changes as to a bit o draught or too much rain. *I wash windows with my rags and water and a skinch of vinegar. *I do not buy fresh veg. or fruit except those things from my home area that save well naturally over winter: I’m also in W.N.Y. I buy squash, apples, pears, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage…those things that local farmers can store well over the winter. I try not to buy foods that have to travel great distances. I hardly think they are fresh! Thus green beans, spinach etc. I buy frozen without additives. If God wanted me to have an orange everyday he woulda put an orange tree in my yard. I eat local foods assuming the Godness knew what it was doin’. Same with vitamins. Never had one. I make my own juices from water boiled 12 min. and fresh blueberries or rasp. or straw.or grapes, and freeze. I use no make up at home unless company is coming. *Everything I have that is electric is unplugged except for my frig. and hot water tank. I plug in when I use. *I do not use microwave: kills the enzymes in food which are the foundation nutrients for our immune systems. *I don’t use a cell phone. *I carry homemade cotton big strong material bags for my shopping *I don’t use bottled water, I boil my own for 12 minutes and put in a frig, container. *I do not drink carbonated drinks I’m pretty much down to usin’ way too much water, which is probably the worst of all! I’m trying. I know this is all real, I’ve seen the differences in the earth and so so fast! But I live in the country and not in a concrete and marble and blacktop covered city —so the changes are more obvious. Oh, I buy only from local owned shops. Never a big box or Mall or ebay. I’m amazed at how much lighter life is when wants are gone and only needs become the real wants. With all the information out on environmental attacks from the corporations with political help and all the education and the educated —I am shocked at the stuff supposedly smart people will use that can build up in their bodies. Especially we women, and why I ask? Why?

OK, so we all have our faults, but as long as we do somethings good, maybe we all help too?

Buy things new instead of used….. I am trying to be better, but on the upside, I compost, recycle everything I can, ride my bicycle or take the bus instead of owning a car, grow some of my own food, and I have only purchased one box of ziplock bags in the last year because I wash them and hang them to dry and use them again. I use canvas bags for shopping, and take a bike trailer to do laundry and get groceries. I am fifty-two so you can’t say “I am too old for that” as an excuse… I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions and don’t buy new books. USE THE LIBRARY! If you use too much, you can buy carbon offset credits.

1. Even though I bought a water filtration system from Costco, and installed it at my kitchen sink, I still occasionally buy bottled water for convenience sake. I am lazy, and sometimes don’t take the time to wash out my used plastic bottles with hot, soapy water, rinse them out, and refill them with tap water. I will work on that. 2. I use plastic bags in my home office and my kitchen for paper trash and garbage. I take out kitchen garbage daily. 3. Even though I went to Target and Trader Joe’s and bought microfiber kitchen cloths, I still use paper towels to wipe up spills, etc., and I use way too many of them. I need to buy more of the microfiber cloths and stop buying paper towels. 4. My home office is not paperless. I am trying to go that way, but still need to print out paper occasionally. I do however, recycle paper in the printer (turn it over and print on the backside). 5. I use my washer daily. 6. I drive to the grocery store either daily, or every other day. 7. I waste time in the kitchen with regard to meal preparation. Instead of going to the grocery store once a week, chopping up onion and celery, for example, once a week, storing them in containers in the fridge, I chop up onion and celery, etc. daily for whatever dishes I prepare. So there is a lot of repetitive cleaning and chopping, etc. going on in my day. I am on the other hand, trying to get away from meat daily, and incorporate grains and vegetables and fruits into my diet. It is better for me, and the planet. 8. I could conserve on driving time, by organizing my stops when running errands in the car. I just go from place to place without a plan. To my credit, I am buying less clothing than I ever have. I am laundering the clothing that I have, that I do not wear, that which is in good condition. I am giving that away. I am changing my yard to one which needs very little water. Like those you see in Arizona. Rock and cactus, instead of grass and plants. Thank you.