that the trees and animals are not just resources for our consumption,
then we can begin to accept ourselves as spirits vibrating in unison
with all the other spirits around us. Our connection to all these living spirits
helps determine the kind of intimate life we live."
- Sobonfu Somé
Let There Be Light!
Did you know that if everyone in the United States used energy
efficient lighting, we could retire 90 average-sized power plants? It's true.
Ambience has always been very important to me, and a lot of that comes from lighting, whether it be special bulbs, covered lamps or candles. You can imagine how hesitant I was to change all of the bulbs in my home to compact fluorescents. Well, since I made the switch, many companies have caught on and have created many different types of lighting with these little energy savers.
Compact
fluorescent light bulbs use between 20% and 25% less electricity, and
last 6 to 10 times longer than a regular filament bulb. They are
initially a little more expensive, but you save money in the long run.
If you pay $.08 per kilowatt-hour for your electricity, a CFL can save
you $45 over the lifetime of the light bulb!!!!
Turn off the tap!
Turning off the tap during the time it takes to brush our teeth saves almost 5 gallons of water. That is more than an average citizen of Kenya makes do with throughout an entire day.
(excerpt from the book "365 Ways to Save the Earth" by Philippe Bourseiller)
No More Weeds!
Trash
those herbicides and use heat instead. Boil water and pour it over the
weeds. They will almost immediately darken and turn brown within a few
hours, much like the effect of a store bought weed killer. No toxic
residue. No hospital or vet bills. No weeds. A happy environment.
