Healthy Planet
You can make a difference:
- Buy new products made from recycled materials.
- Buy eco-friendly products. See Healthy Home page for green cleaning ideas.
- Buy organic products to limit adding more toxic and persistent chemicals into the soil, water, and air.
- Start a compost pile in your backyard.
- Recycle your waste (glass, plastics, paper, etc.).
- Support businesses that actively support the health of our planet.
- Bring your own bags to the store.
- Turn out the lights and turn off unused appliances.
- Plant a garden.
- Replace regular light bulbs with a compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- Donate used clothes, toys, books, furniture, and other unwanted stuff to charitable organizations.
- Join a local action group to clean up a park or petition your town to increase energy conservation efforts.
Care2: the global network for people who care to make a difference with green living, health, human rights, and more.
Composting: Environmental Protection Agency information.
Co-op America: "economic action for a just planet."
Co-op America's National Green Pages: "the nation's only directory of screened and approved green businesses."
Divide the Ride: create a carpool calendar with families you know.
Earth911: recycling centers, water pollution and conservation, Earth Day.
Energy Star: purchase products with the Energy Star label and save money.
Environmental News Network
Environmental Working Group
Go Green Online
Going Green Checklist: 101 Ways to Get Started
Habitat for Humanity
My Commitment: Make a commitment to help the environment.
My Garden Guide
National Resources Defense Council: environmental news, green guides.
National Wildlife Federation: Besides wildlife guides, find out how to grow plants native to your area.
Sustain Lane: people-powered sustainable living guide.
USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service: Find your local CSREES office to learn about plants, pests, and soils in your area.
Recycle Your Stuff
How to Recycle Anything: an A-Z guide by Real Simple magazine
Call 2 Recycle: Rechargeable battery & cell phone recycling
Freecycle: One person's junk is another person's treasure. Join local community group to recycle your unwanted stuff.
Gazelle: buy and sell electronic gadgets.
Goodwill Industries: Provides employment and training services to people in need. Donate goods or shop at a Goodwill store near you.
Share the Technology: Donate your computers to schools, nonprofits, and individuals with disabilities in your area.
Volunteer Opportunities
Peace Corps: In 1960, John F. Kennedy challenged students "to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship."
ServiceLeader.org: provides all sorts of information on volunteering.
Student Conservation Association: Internships and summer programs at national parks. The SCA offers an amazing work experience. Through the SCA, I spent 13 weeks at Mesa Verde National Park, cataloging artifacts, and every weekend I explored ancient Native American ruins in the Four Corners area.
USA Freedom Corps: "Make a difference. Volunteer."
Volunteer Match: where volunteering begins. Search opportunities.
Volunteer Solutions: Search opportunities by zip code.
For volunteer vacation opportunities, see also the Travel + Adventure page. |
