You should also - Check and compare energy ratings before buying large appliances. These tell you how many kilowatt hours of energy it uses per month. Use electric kettles to boil water which consume half the energy needed to boil water on the stove. Cook food in glass dishes which are quicker than metal pans. The bottom of your pan or pot should be the same size as the burner to use the minimum amount of energy. Use pressure cookers which use very little energy and are best for food that is low on the food chain. Don't waste energy preheating your oven, most ovens don't need it. For pastries and cakes, preheating 10 minutes is plenty. You can also turn your oven off 15 minutes early for major items like roasts and casseroles the heat left in the oven will finish the job. Turn down the heat after water boils. Lightly boiling water is the same temperature as a roaring boil. Water will boil more quickly if there is a lid on the pan. Cooking frozen foods uses more energy thaw them out first.

Food - Eat lower on the food chain fruit and vegetable production requires far less energy than meat production. If you do eat meat, buy free-range, organically raised meat and poultry products. These have been raised humanely and on untreated feeds. Grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs without using pesticides. Eating organically grown fruits and vegetables doesn't just reduce the amount of pesticides getting released into the environment, its also more healthy for you, the farmers and food handlers. Just look for the certified organic label. Eat local fruits and vegetables which are fresher and less likely to be waxed. Also, some imported produce may have been treated with pesticides and chemicals that have been banned in Canada and the U.S. Cut excess fat off of meat and poultry and avoid high fat dairy products. Many chemicals released into the environment are stored in fat tissue and are cumulative. Avoid storing food in plastic. Use reusable glass containers for storing food in the refrigerator, but be careful, not all glass containers can be frozen. If you use plastic for storage, use containers specifically designed for this. Never microwave food in a plastic container. Even plastics that are approved for food storage and are microwavable may leech chemicals into your food when heated. If you must use plastic wrap, do not let it come in direct contact with your food and make sure that it is not made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl).

At Work

Protecting the environment has to be part of your everyday life outside your home as well.

Whether you work at a factory that may be blatantly polluting the environment or in an office that could cut down its use of paper products, you should examine every element of your working life and make sure it is a safe working environment for you and the planet.

Paper - Canada's ancient forests are being stripped away for many disposable paper products you can find at home and at work, such as toilet paper, phone books, newsprint and writing paper. Here are a few thing you can do to save paper and trees: Photocopy or print on both sides of the page and reuse paper until both sides are used up. Reduce the number of copies of any given document. Buy recycled, chlorine-free paper and recycle office paper when you are finished with it. Reuse envelopes. Use a plain paper fax machine so you can reuse and recycle the paper. Buy a permanent cloth or mesh coffee filter instead of disposable paper filters. Buy one copy of the news-paper and leave it in the staff room for everyone to share over lunch and breaks.

Supplies - Implement purchasing policies that consider the environmental record of companies you are buying goods and services from. Encourage your workplace to use alternative cleaning materials such as the recipes found in this booklet. Use paper clips, staples, string or non-toxic glue instead of adhesive tape when possible. Use stick-type glues or basic white glue. Avoid glues and cements that emit the smell of solvents (ie rubber cement, hobby glue). Use crayons, china markers (wax pencils) or coloured pencils instead of solvent based markers. Use correction tape that covers errors or lifts them off without the use of solvents. When you must use fluid, use the water based type made for photocopiers. Use refillable pens and pencils rather than disposable ones.

Quick Tips - If you send packages by courier, contact a bicycle courier company for local deliveries. Take your own ceramic or china coffee cup to work. Bring your lunch in a reusable container. Investigate the health hazards in your office and line of work. Seek and promote alternatives. Weatherproof your workplace to save energy. Help educate your coworkers about the environment. Lobby for faucet aerators at work to save water. Set up a recycling program. Set up an environmental bulletin board to post notices about local environmental meetings, environmental news and green cleaning tips. Encourage your company pension plan not to invest in companies that harm the environment. Lobby your company to set up a committee to monitor its environmental performance. Walk or ride a bike to work. Use public transit or carpool you can advertise at work or on community bulletin boards. Make a sign for inside the front door that says last one out turns off the lights.

In Your Community

Write to your local energy utility asking them to promote energy efficient programs, give customers financial incentives to use energy efficient appliances and begin planning to provide alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power. Get involved in one of the many local environmental groups in your area that work on issues ranging from local air and water pollution to effective community recycling programs. Lobby your politicians, council members and company leaders. Tell them your concerns and ask them to clean up their acts. If there is an environmental issue in your community that concerns you start your own campaign. Organise a beach clean-up. Start a community curb-side composting program. You can then sell the compost to gardeners and nurseries to help cover your costs. Make your community bicycle-friendly. Start a paint exchange with your neighbours. Use the opportunity to educate your friends and neighbours about environmentally sound paint use. Set up a pollution patrol to report any signs of pollution in your local rivers, lakes, air and land. Organise a tree planting program. Conduct an environmental audit of City Hall. Put together a list of environmental questions to ask your representative, city staff and caretakers. Ask them about heating, light bulbs, lawn care, purchasing policies, cleaning supplies, etc. Use the information you gather to suggest changes. Give copies of the results to the people you spoke with and send a copy to your local newspaper or environmental group. Organise a fund raiser and donate the proceeds to your favourite environmental group  like Greenpeace!