Our lives are ever-changing. Perhaps years have passed since you first thought sustainable living should be higher on your list of priorities than it was. Maybe you have been involved with an environmental organization, consumer group or political party all along. Or, maybe it was Edens Lost and Found that brought you to this place of action. Maybe you have more free time now, a desire to make a real difference for younger generations or have skills you want to offer. Whatever it was that brought you here, you are willing to take action…now. So, what does that action look like?

There are several ways you can work toward sustainability - through changes in the way you live your own life and through organizing others to change the course of public policy. Maybe making changes in your own life is all you have the time or desire for. Fine. This section will help you "live like a native" by reducing the environmental toll you and your family exert on your habitat.

First, measure your environmental footprint at http://www.myfootprint.org/. Now, try out one, two or more of these actions and reduce your footprint

1. Skip a car trip each week
The average American drives over 250 miles each week. Replace a weekly 20 mile car trip by telecommuting, biking or combining errands and you'll reduce your annual emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by nearly a thousand pounds! Can't pull off a 20 miler? Then skip what you can.

If you are interested in carpooling or ride sharing, check out: http://www.erideshare.com/carpool.php?&search=philadelphia. This website allows you to post your desired carpool, with your origination city and destination city, or respond to a carpool already listed.

For public transportation, visit: www.septa.org. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) is the nation's fifth largest public transportation system, with a vast network of fixed route services including bus, subway/elevated, trackless trolley, light rail, and commuter rail serving a 2,200 square mile service region. In addition, TransitChek is a commuter benefit program that employers can offer to their employees to help pay for commuting on transit. It saves employers and commuters money because the program takes advantage of federal legislation that allows TAX-FREE dollars to pay for transit fares. Transit checks are vouchers that can be redeemed to purchase passes, tickets and tokens for every transit agency in the region - SEPTA, PATCO, NJ Transit, DART First State, Capital Area Transit and Amtrak (monthly commuter tickets only). Even some vanpool services accept TransitChek. For more information, visit: http://www.dvrpc.org/gettransitchek/index.htm

Another way to cut down on your weekly automobile traveling is to petition to your company to allow for flex hours, which enables employees to only work four days a week (four ten hour days). Some companies in the Philadelphia area are already utilizing this method with much success. Shifting work day hours is a similar way to cut down on commuting time. By having employees start at seven or ten, instead of eight or nine, the time spent waiting in traffic is minimized.

2. Stop Junk Mail
For every 1,000 of us who succeed in halving our personal bulk mail, we save 170 trees, nearly 46,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, and 70,000 gallons of water each year. Visit www.junkbusters.com or write to: Mail Preference Service, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

3. Replace four standard light bulbs
with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) Want $100? Replace four standard bulbs with low-mercury CFLs, and you'll reduce your electricity bills by more than $100 over the lives of those bulbs! More importantly, you'll prevent the emission of five thousand pounds of carbon dioxide. These energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, and the All American Home Center (or these stores' websites) to name a few places.

Online, you can purchase these at:
BuyLighting.com (http://www.buylighting.com/energy-efficient-lightbulbs.htm),
Noli Control Systems (http://www.nolico.com/saveenergy/?source=overture),
ABC Bulbs (http://www.abcbulbs.com/Energy_Bulbs.asp)

If you want to find out whether your favorite home store sells these lights, visit the Energy Star website, www.energystar.gov.

Feel like replacing more than four bulbs? Go for it! Also, install energy-efficient appliances when you upgrade. Products in more than 40 categories are eligible for the ENERGY STAR, a symbol that indicates the appliance uses less energy, saves money, and helps protect the environment. Ask for the ENERGY STAR when you buy a new appliance.

4. Move the thermostat 3°F.
Heating and cooling represent the biggest chunk of our home energy consumption. Just by turning the thermostat down three degrees in the winter and up three degrees in the summer, you can prevent the emission of nearly 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Feel like starting with a 1°F shift? Turn your thermostat as far as you can without feeling uncomfortable.

5. Apply lawn and garden pesticides with care.
Americans directly apply 70 million pounds of pesticides to home lawns and gardens each year and, in so doing, may harm birds and other wildlife and pollute our precious water resources. Use pesticides and fertilizers carefully and sparingly in accordance with label instructions. Do not apply if rain is forecast and dispose of remainder at a hazardous waste collection event. Disposal locations for such contaminants can be found at the Philadelphia Streets Department website: http://www.phila.gov/streets/hazardous_waste.html

6. Think Native
Plant native wildflowers, shrubs, grasses and trees. They require less watering and attract birds and pollinators to your yard. Visit Bowman's Hill Wildlife Preserve website at http://www.bhwp.org/ for tips on planting native plants. For more information on composting, visit the Philadelphia Department of Streets website at http://www.phila.gov/streets/compost.html.

7. It's "only" H2O?
Water in the evening or early morning to avoid excessive evaporation. It is also better for your lawn. Several water conserving irrigation systems are available. Drip irrigation systems utilize the frequent, slow application of water to a very small area in the root zone of the plant. Water slowly drips through either porous plastic pipes or emitters located below the surface of the soil. This results in no loss of water to areas not requiring irrigation. Drip systems can reduce water use by 20-50%. These can be purchased at places like Home Depot.

Soil soakers consist of long plastic or canvas tubes perforated with tiny holes through which the water seeps as a fine mist. Soil soakers are connected to a garden hose and can be left in place on the surface of the planting bed or buried under the mulch. These can be purchased at Home Depot or at your favorite home and garden center.

Sprinkler systems consist of underground pipes which are attached to stationary sprinkler heads. The sprinkler heads must be properly adjusted so that impervious surfaces are not watered. The system can incorporate a rain sensor which will automatically turn off the system during periods of precipitation. Also, carefully chose sprinkler heads and rotate them to water only the grass and not the sidewalk.

Use a broom rather than a hose to clean up garden clippings.

Deposit leaves and clippings in a compost pile or recycle them through the City of Philadelphia's Streets Department grass recycling campaign (information available at http://www.phila.gov/streets/grass-cycling.html).

Divert rain spouts and garden hoses from paved surfaces onto grass to allow filtration through the soil.

8. Install an efficient showerhead
and low flow faucet aerators. Of all natural resources, water is the most essential. But available supply is diminishing rapidly as human populations swell and inefficiently drain precious aquifers. For every 1,000 of us who install faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads, we can save nearly 8 million gallons of water and prevent over 450,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

9. Take the Night Off
If your company's computers are on a network and cannot be shut down at night, at least turn off the monitors.

10. Get a Tune Up
When just 1% of car owners get a tune up, nearly one billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

11. Recycle
More Americans currently only recycle about 10% of our waste. Start today. Many people do not recycle all the materials accepted by their municipality. You can verify that you're recycling all you can by visiting the web page of Philadelphia's Office of Recycling, http://recycling.phila.gov/index.html.

However, recycling can be and should be taken a step further. Be creative. Donate your old, used clothing to the Salvation Army or other charity. Turn in your old computers and electronics. To find the place closest to you or to learn when the next scheduled collection day is, visit http://www.phila.gov/streets/hhw_computers.html.

Smaller items may be recycled as well. For example, Office Depot collects used printer ink cartridges in exchange for a free ream of paper, which contains 35% post-consumer waste. Be willing to take the time to discover various methods for recycling in your area. The Philadelphia Office of Recycling has more recycling tips on their website at http://recycling.phila.gov/index.html. For information on how to recycle more within your office or business, visit Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection's web page at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/RECYCLE/Recycle.htm

Commercial recycling information can be found on the Philadelphia Office of Recycling website at http://recycling.phila.gov/pages/02_home.html

12. Buy Used Vehicles
For each new car made, we create 27 tons of waste. If you have to buy a vehicle, consider purchasing a used one. Also remember to buy the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. Don't automatically choose a hybrid; they pose some serious battery-disposal problems down the road. A better choice would be a small, light car that's not loaded down with air conditioning and power accessories. Learn to drive a stick shift; it can make a big difference.

13. Seek Non-Toxic Alternatives
Read labels and fine print; look for "natural" or "biodegradable" ingredients. Eco-friendly building materials, cleaning supplies, and cosmetics do exist. If you can not find eco-friendly products, try to find household products such as cleaners and furniture polish labeled "non-toxic." Use small quantities and purchase only the amount you need. Make sure to properly use and store all toxic products, including cleaners, solvents, and paints.

Take unwanted household hazardous materials and containers to a local collection program for disposal. The Philadelphia Office of Recycling website has information on where to dispose of such materials at http://recycling.phila.gov/pages/01_hhw.html.

To find out where to purchase natural or biodegradable products that are eco-friendly, visit www.realgoods.com.Shop at local stores that sell such products, as well as your local natural foods shops.

14. Think Organic, Think Local
Buy fresh, local produce and products as often as possible. Seek out and support local farmers' markets. Buy organic food. Philadelphia boasts two outstanding food markets:
The Reading Terminal Market http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/ and
The Italian Market http://www.phillyitalianmarket.com/.

In addition, smaller farmers markets flourish throughout the city and region. For a list of food and farmers markets in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, see http://www.gophila.com/markets/body.htm

You can also find a farmers market near you at http://www.farmernet.com/.
Whole Foods is a grocery store that carries organic foods. Find one near you at http://www.wholefoods.com/.

15. Be Friendly in Your Outdoor Night Lighting.
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is an organization designed to educate and bring public awareness to the topic of outdoor light pollution. It was incorporated in 1988. Its goals are to be effective in stopping the adverse environmental impact on dark skies by building awareness of the problem of light pollution and of the solutions, and to educate everyone about the value and effectiveness of quality nighttime lighting. To learn more about IDA and how you can prevent or reduce your nighttime light pollution, visit http://www.darksky.org/index.html.
To purchase friendly and dark skies products, visit Friendly Sky Lighting at http://www.elights.com/darksky.html or Dark Skies Lighting Products at http://www.darkskylighting.com/.

16. Spreading the word to others.
Inspire two friends. There is an easy way for you to triple the positive impact you are making with any of these actions: convince two friends to join you in your effort and share your favorite sustainable living tips with them. Consider compiling environmental action tips from your favorite environmental organizations and email them in a monthly email to your friends and family.

17. Support candidates for public office
who recognize the importance of sustainability. Your vote counts. Use it to help ensure that those who hold public office recognize the importance of leaving a livable world for future generations. The Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters (http://www.palcv.org) profiles and scores all the candidates and their environmental and conservation policies on their website. If you want more information on the candidates in other areas, visit http://www.vote-smart.org/, which allows you to view all the policies of every candidate from anywhere in the country. The national site for the League of Conservation Voters is http://www.lcv.org/.

18. Contact your politicians about important environmental issues.
Check out the websites of your favorite environmental organizations (list provided at end of this action guide, or one of your favorites not included) for the important issues to contact your politicians about. Most "take action" sections of environmental organization websites provide an email or letter sample for you to send, the contact information for the politicians in your district or state, and a way for you to inform your friends on these issues.

19. Support the right initiatives and referenda.
Before going to the polls, seek advice from environmental groups whose experts have winnowed and sifted each measure and discerned its true intent and likely effects.

20. Get Creative
Think of something you can do that's not mentioned here. Let us know. Or simply do it yourself. Sustainable and environmental living can't all be contained in one small action guide. Whatever you can do to reduce waste, reduce energy expenditures, reduce the time you spend in your car, and reduce your ecological footprint, helps. Some small, simple ideas and actions you can take and build upon include:
· Print documents double-sided.
· Turn out lights when you leave a room, as this saves electricity and money.
· Fix leaking faucets and toilets.
· Pick your favorite environmental organizations and join their email subscription lists. They will notify you when important bills or initiatives are coming up. Also, they have lots of wise tips for living greener.
· Visit EarthShare, http://www.earthshare.org/get_involved/earth_saving_tips.html, for earth saving tips, sorted by season or by topic. This season's current tips list can be accessed at: http://www.earthshare.org/get_involved/tips/winter2005.pdf.

Next: Consume Wisely