Top Ten Ways to Live More Sustainably (times 3)

One thing to do yourself, with your family, or with a small group is
to make up your own Top 10 List of ways to walk more lightly on the
Earthor live more sustainably. When youre done, compare lists and
listen to others talk about what they wrote and why. Here are some
different lists from people who work in the sustainability field.

Top Ten List by
Dean Kubani
Environment Analyst, City of Santa Monica
10. Vote!
9. Get out and meet your neighbors.
8. Remove part of your lawn and plant a vegetable garden.
7. Get involved in the community - volunteer for a good cause.
6. Turn off the TV and take the kids on a nature hike.
5. Buy organic cotton clothing, bedding and towels.
4. Think before you buy, and when you do, support local merchants.
3. Sell your sport utility vehicle. Use some of the money to buy
bicycles for the whole family and invest the rest in environmentally -
and socially - responsible mutual funds.
2. Use less energy - install weather-stripping in your home, replace
inefficient lights with compact fluorescents, buy energy efficient
appliances, and hang your laundry out on the line to dry.
1. And the number one way to live more sustainably is to eat lower on
the food chain.

Top Ten List by
Dr. Norman Myers
Oxford University, consultant to seven United Nations agencies
10.  Support the environmental organization of your choice
9.  Plant a tree
8.  Turn off unnecessary lights, thus putting money in your pocket -
and
7.  Replace your conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent
bulbs.
6.  When you get the chance - Buy a fuel efficient car. Keep the engine
tuned.  Drive less.
5.  Recycle like crazy.
4.  Watch out for your quality of life rather than you quantity of
livelihood. Remember that nobody says on their deathbed that they wish
they had worked longer hours.
3.  Cut back on excessive or merely wasteful consumerism. Taste the
satisfaction of doing more with less. 
2.  Send a letter to your senator or congressperson, urging more action
on a sustainability issue. Do it again in a couple of weeks. Cost: 10
minutes of your time, helping to save the planet from injuries that
last for thousands of years.
1.  Saving the planet is in our hands, and our hands alone.  During the
next few decades, we shall determine our future, and the future of all
life on Earth.  What a superb Challenge!  Who is there who cannot wait
to get on with the job?

Top Ten List by
Suzy Assis de Moraes
Sustainable Communities Project Director
10. Use and reuse durable goods, do not purchase disposable products.
9. Carpool or use public transportation whenever possible.
8. Landscape with appropriate plants for the region.
7. Choose recreational activities that minimize resource consumption.
6. Practice good nutrition, eat organic foods and eat less meat.
5. Become involved in the community and its government.
4. Use recycled content products and recycle.
3. Practice conservation of natural resources by using energy efficient
appliances, low water use showers and toilets, energy efficient
automobiles.
2. Share sustainable practice information and concerns with others.
1. And the number one way to live more sustainably is to educate yourself.

(from Sustainable Communities: Guide for Grassroots Activists, edited
by Marilyn Hempel, Executive Director of The Population Coalition.)