An Introduction
Each of the ten statements below is a general statement related to our lifestyle. Try to describe your current choices.
Answers range from:
| 1 | 5 | 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Never | Sometimes | Always |
Read the 10 statements below. In the adjacent box, write the number corresponding to your answer. E.g. ‚ 1= Never. When you finish, add the numbers to get a score.
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| I choose foods that are grown locally and are chemical free. | 1. _____________ |
| I make an effort to use fluorescent lighting rather than incandescent. | 2. _____________ |
| I keep the thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and at 75 degrees in summer. | 3. _____________ |
| I wait to have a full load before using the washing machine or dishwasher. | 4. _____________ |
| I combine trips when running errands by car. | 5. _____________ |
| I recycle newspaper, office paper, plastics and metals. | 6. _____________ |
| I make an effort to find and buy products made from recycled materials. | 7. _____________ |
| I look for leisure activities that will bring me in contact with natural settings. | 8. _____________ |
| I make choices based on the impact on the natural world and community of life. | 9. _____________ |
| I make consistent efforts at learning ways to live simply. | 10. _____________ |
Score of 20 -69? See tips.
Score of 70+? See resources for ongoing learning.
Tips for Living More Lightly
- Buy locally produced, organic food to help reduce air pollution caused by transporting food and toxins out of the water supply.
- Replace as many bulbs in your living/work area as possible with fluorescent bulbs, which produce more light and less heat than incandescent bulbs.
- Lower the thermostat in winter: raise it in the summer.
- Save water any way you can as a gift to the environment. Look for more tips in upcoming issues.
- Travel fewer miles by car. The result will be less gasoline burned; less smog, soot, and carbon dioxide pollution, and better health for our world.
- Recycle newspaper, paper, plastics, styrofoam, batteries, cans, cell phones, and appliances. Find out how it is done in your area and begin.
- Make recycling work by buying recycled products. Paper products are becoming available now that consumers demand recycled.
- Take a daily walk or keep a plant.
Resources
New Road Map Foundation www.simpleliving.net
The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Choices from The Union of Concerned Scientists. Michael Brower and Warren Leon. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999. ISBN 0-609-80281-X
Reflection/Action
Analyze some of your everyday choices and how they impact the environment.
What choices do I feel good about? Where do I feel the need to make some changes?
