FunkThat!Think.Inspire.Create.

COME ON PEOPLE!!! It’s about time you became green (a recycler or even better a vegetarian), but I know it’s a tall order for most humans, giving up what they love (meat-heads) and practicing karma yoga (cleaning up after ourselves).

So hopefully I can turn one more person into an Earth Child or an Earth Addict if you’re not one already. If you’re not then you have a lot to learn so start educating yourself, I can help you out with 10 great tips that will make a difference to Mother Earth:

1. Turn off equipment like televisions and stereos when you’re not using them. That little red standby light means they’re still using power – and that means a contribution to global warming.
   
2. Save water:
   - turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
   - collect the water used to wash vegetables and salad to water your houseplants.
3. Recycle your paper, glass, plastics and other waste. Drop off at Recycling Depot that’s closest to you. [Department of Environmental Affairs & Development Planning].
4. Use rechargeable batteries
5. Send e-greetings instead of paper cards.
6. Take your own bags to the shops to carry home your groceries and shopping – Woolies have great ones in all cool colours.
7. Buy organically grown fruits, vegetables, cotton clothing, and hemp-fibre products. Become a vegetarian!!!
8. Don’t buy bottled water if you know your tap water is safe – transporting water from its source to the supermarket shelves is an expensive waste of energy. And the plastic and glass bottles add to the already-high mountains of rubbish that we produce. Find out from your municipality about your tap water. If you do buy bottled water, buy from a local source (read the labels) and buy water that comes in recyclable glass or plastic.
9. Choose biodegradable cleaning products so that the chemicals have fewer negative impacts on the soil and water system.
10. Use recycled paper.

FURTHER READING:
The Green Consumer Guide by I Elkington and I Hailes. Collancz, 1988.
How to be Green by J Button, Century, 1988.
Once is Not Enough, Recycling Directory, Argus, 1990.
Your Guide to Green Living in South Africa, W McLintock, Londolozi, 1990.

USEFUL ADDRESSES:
Wildlife Society, P O Box 44189, Linden, 2104.
Earthlife Africa, P O Box 176, Observatory, 7935.
Cape Recycling Network, P O Box 238, Hout Bay, 7872.

Posted by: Donna