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Green Living

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  • If you are a New York City resident, Million TreesNYC teemed up with local nurseries on a coupon program to encourage residents to plant trees. You can receive a
    $20 discount on trees purchased at participating nurseries. Click here for more information.
  • The Conservation Fund in partnership with Eastman Kodak and the National Geographic Society provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways. Grants can be used to complete, expand, or improve a greenway project. Click here for more information.
  • Be part of the (water bottle) solution -- Take the FilterForGood pledge and receive discounts from Brita on filter systems.

Discovering A Sustainable Lifestyle

Green living means making sustainable choices about what we eat, how we travel, what we buy, and how we use and dispose of it. We can implement sustainability in our workplace practices, and by greening the buildings we inhabit. Our everyday choices can create a sustainable lifestyle.

Measure Your Environmental Footprint

Every person consumes a portion of Earth's total resources. We can calculate an individual's consumption or Ecological Footprint Exit EPA disclaimer each year by the land required to grow our food, landfill our trash and generate natural resources. For the average American, the land required to sustain each of us is over 22 acres. If the entire population of the world consumed this many resources, the current population would require more than one Earth.

Another way to determine your impact on the environment is to estimate your household's greenhouse gas emissions. Calculate your carbon footprint with EPA's Greenhouse Gas Calculator. Learn more about things you can do, and here are some other tips:

Food: Buy local and organic food which requires less fuel for shipping or petrochemical based fertilizers and pesticides that can be harmful to human health and the environment.

Goods: Assess products on the basis of their entire life-cycle, not simply the time you use it. Support companies that will take back products after their useful life and reuse the materials. Be informed about the contents of personal care products and pharmaceuticals.

Housing: Change your incandescent lightbulbs to compact flourescent lights. The selection of energy efficient types is expanding and you'll save money on your electricity bill. Use strategies to green your home. If you have a yard, green landscaping can improve the sustainability of your yard.

Transportation: Use mass transit and carpool whenever possible. Explore biking and walking options and alternative fuels. If you drive, take the Drive Smarter Challenge.

Resources

Electronics Recycling
Life Cycle Analysis Exit EPA disclaimer
Green Communities
Worldwatch Institute Report on Consumption Exit EPA disclaimer
The Green Guide Exit EPA disclaimer
New American Dream Exit EPA disclaimer
Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Exit EPA disclaimer
Co-op America's Living Green Exit EPA disclaimer
youthXchange Exit EPA disclaimer
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Exit EPA disclaimer

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