Being Gay and Religious...

Religion and being gay

In this section we'll look at attitudes that various conservative faiths share about homosexuality. It’s beyond the scope of this website to talk about how all religions view homosexuality, especially since these views are shifting all the time. However you could apply the ideas expressed here whenever you encounter homophobia (anti-gay views and actions) that are endorsed and fronted by religious institutions. It’s important to remember that not all strands of any given religion have a negative view of homosexuality. Some congregations openly welcome and value the diversity and individuality of their members.

Thought you might speak to god via prayer, nobody can actually sit down and chat with him, so nobody can ask him what he thinks. You mostly have family, friends, teachers and religious leaders telling you what god thinks and what they think he wants of you. Their views will be based on the teachings of their faith. As we know, religous teaching are often based on very old texts and it's impiortant to remember that the writer will have been influenced by the opinions and beliefs of their time. Also, the person who draws on these texts puts their own interpretation on the subject and may be unwilling to question what they read in the light of modern day thinking. Do you think a religious leader who believes homosexuality to be wrong and one who has no problem with same-sex relaitonships would give the same sermin on a single controversial topic? As in any area of life, we often have access to the same information as oneanother, but that doesn't mean we'd all draw the same conclusions from it. There's a lot of interpretation in religion and people take from it what they want to. Many terrible things happen in the name of religion and much good too. Some people kill in the name of their god and the values they feel he represents, while some relgious groups embrace diversity, value individuality and seek peace and harmony via this inclusive route.

Homophobia in religion isn't about god - it's about how people treat other people.

The way they see it
Homophobic people within various faiths tend to share similar beliefs: that homosexuality is a choice; something a person opts into or falls prey to as a result of bad parenting, the interference of an older gay person or by growing up in a bad environment. They also believe that god intended people to be heterosexual only, that it was his design. It follows therefore that homosexuals oppose god and are sinners, conducting their lives in an immoral and evil way deliberately. These people may also believe that since homosexuality is a choice, a gay person can opt to reform, to be cured of their homosexuality, become heterosexual or ‘normal’ and find redemption and forgiveness through this change. Some religions may be more tolerant to a gay or lesbian person who is celibate (not having sex), so a same-sex sexual act is seen as sinful, while same-sex desire may be tolerated.

Is homosexuality sinful or evil?
Homosexuality is a natural variation of sexuality. In nature, rarely is anything black or white, or one extreme or another. Sexuality is fluid and can be thought of as a scale (see Being gay frequently asked questions for more on this). At one end you have people who identify as straight, and at the other, gay. In-between you have many shades of grey: people who are attracted to both sexes, people who have had same-sex experiences in the past, people who prefer one gender but have fallen in love with someone of the same gender etc. Many people, many scenarios, many variations on sexuality.

When you think about the bad things in the world, what do you think of? Perhaps war, poverty, environmental mistreatment, child abuse, bigotry and hatred, racism and homophobia? Two people enjoying each other through love and sex is a wonderful, natural thing. It can give us intense pleasure and happiness, a heightened sense of fulfilment and wellbeing. Most people desire these things - it’s human nature. When a man and a woman share love and sex within a committed relationship this is celebrated in religion, while two people of the same sex might be condemned for living their lives in the same way. Love should be celebrated, regardless of the gender of the people feeling it. Love and sex are not sins, and people from all cultures and backgrounds are enjoying both right now, as nature – free of guilt and prejudice - intended.

Homosexuality occurs in animals too. You may have heard of the penguin male couple, Roy and Silo, at Central Park Zoo in New York who hatched and raised baby Tango. Another story from a German zoo revealed that attempts by zoo keepers to turn gay penguins straight by introducing females failed. These birds are following their instincts. They have sex, they seek to become fathers, they are devoted to one another. Homosexual behaviour has been observed in other species too, so if being gay happens throughout nature, surely it’s not sinful or wrong, but rather, a completely natural and normal part of the natural world.
Is homosexuality a choice?
I believe that people cannot choose their sexual orientation. I didn’t. I’ve never met anyone who claims they have. Indeed, I remember being bullied in school for being gay before I knew I was! People knew I was different. Similar stories crop up over and over again. Puberty kicks in and you find yourself being sexually attracted to other people, and nobody gets to decide the direction that attraction points in. Since I started this website I’ve read hundreds of emails from young people who’d give anything to be straight. It’s deeply sad, but they want to be like ‘everyone else’ so they don’t have to face the difficulties that society levels at them as gay people. They would love to have a choice. But they don’t.

I truly believe – and science continues to suggest – that homosexuality is genetic; it’s biology. Just like hair colour or perhaps a natural talent for a given sport or activity. You're stuck with it, and it’s only a big deal when you or other people make you feel bad about it.

I’d go further here and say that if homosexuality was a choice, and some people opted for same-sex relationships for personal reasons, then that still wouldn’t make homosexuality a sin. The fundamental point is that two people sharing love, sex and life is not sinful. It can be wonderful. People treating each other unfairly, with bigotry and crippling their human rights, is wrong.

Can homosexuality be cured?
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that sexuality can be altered, and I believe attempting to do so is damaging to a persons mental health, and only instils feeling of low self worth, confusion and guilt.

Since homosexuality is not an illness or negative condition of the mind or body – it is a normal variation on sexuality - it cannot be cured. Some faiths believe that it is and can be. Can a straight person turn gay if he or she tried hard enough? No. And it’s just as ludicrous to imagine someone wanting to. I once knew someone who was significantly involved with his church and underwent massive pressure to become ‘normal’. The emotional damage was deeply apparent. He quit the church in the end, much as he loved being a part of it, because he simply couldn’t change who he was. Everyone who’s ever written to me via this website who has attempted to change or hide from their sexuality has been terribly unhappy, lonely and desperate.

Sexuality cannot be changed. It’s like asking someone to change their skin. Sexuality is deeply embedded in us, and I believe it extends further than simply dictating what gender we find sexually attractive. Why did the kids in my school know I was gay before I’d so much as had my first kiss? Why could I spot the gay guys in college, even the ones who wanted very much not to be noticed? It’s woven throughout our being, it threads though personality and body. People don’t take lessons in being who they are – it just happens. Sure, we’re influenced by the people around us and we can choose to hide behind a disguise, but it’s impossible to be anyone but yourself for very long. I believe the only way to be truly happy is to embrace who you are. The closer you come to liking yourself and everything that you are, the happier, healthier and more fulfilled you'll become.

Judgement
You might be gay. I bet you also like certain music, maybe have a favourite TV program. Perhaps you are good at something or you have a particular talent. Maybe you are known for something you do, or a personality trait that people like about you. You are not simply gay. You are many, many things. Condemning someone because of their sexuality is deeply ignorant and narrow minded – look at everything else you are.

By what measure would you judge a person? By whether they are gay or straight, or by how they treat other people and how they live their lives? Religion should value and welcome the individual, and celebrate what that brings into the group.

I personally believe that if there is a god, who created all things, then it follows that he created gay people too. I can’t believe that any god – being good, loving, infinitely wise entities - would create gay people with the expectation that they should be lonely, miserable and spend their lives in denial of what and who they are so that they might be tolerated by others.

Religious bigotry is fundamentally a human rights issue: homosexual people deserve the same rights as heterosexual people, in worship and beyond.
Will I go to hell for being gay?
When you imagine hell what do you see? Perhaps you imagine a horrible place where the souls of bad people get sent after their bodies die, so that they can be punished forever for the sins they committed in life. It's pretty scary to think about eternal suffering, fiery caverns and Satan. That's why so many horror films and books use imagery like this.

Now think about who you think deserves to go to hell. Perhaps hell seems too cruel and awful for anyone, since torturing people for eternity is surely just as bad - or worse - as some of the crimes that apparently earn a person a place there. Maybe you imagine really evil people in hell; people who hurt and even killed other people. Chances are though, you don't think of gay people, and I'm sure you don't think you deserve to go to hell for simply being attracted to the same sex.

Remember, if God made all things then he made gay people too, and he didn't make them to be miserable in life and be packed off to hell at the end of it. He'd have put you here to be a good person, to be measured by your actions and how you treat other people, and if there is an afterlife, to enjoy it along with everyone else.

Don't be frightened about going to hell, and don't be bullied into behaving the way other people want you to behave by their telling you that you'll go to hell unless you comply. We all have different ideas about good and bad, and nothing in life is black and white. Live your life well by your own judgement, and do your best in the things that you do.

If there is a judgement at the end of your life it won't be based on whether you've loved a man or a woman, because neither is intrinsically sinful. Being gay isn't sinful. Sex and love are not sinful. These are completely natural and wonderful parts of life. It’s the value we put on things that determine whether they’re perceived as bad or good.

Taken from:
http://www.bgiok.org.uk/being_gay/religion.html

The Beauty of Gay Males

What Can FAIR TRADE Do For the World?

http://www.worldfairtradeday10.org/

Fair Trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate and flowers.

Fair Trade's strategic intent is to work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move towards economic self-sufficiency and stability. It also aims to allow them to become greater stakeholders in their own organizations, as well as play a wider role in international trade. Fair Trade proponents include a number of international development aid, social, religious and environmental organizations such as Christian Aid, SERRV International, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Catholic Relief Services, and Caritas International.

In 2008, Fair Trade certified sales amounted to approximately US $4.08 billion (€2.9 billion) worldwide, a 22% year-to-year increase.[1][dead link] While this represents a tiny fraction of world trade in physical merchandise,[2] fair trade products generally account for 1-20% of all sales in their product categories in Europe and North America.[1][dead link] In June 2008, it was estimated that over 7.5 million producers and their families were benefiting from fair trade funded infrastructure, technical assistance and community development projects.[3]

The response to fair trade has been mixed. With 10% of the fair trade premiums end up in the hands of producers some[who?] view it as little more than a marketing ploy. Others consider that this is sufficient to make a big difference in millions of peoples lives.[4]- WIKIPEDIA


Buy fair trade
You have probably heard of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is when people who grow and produce food (for example coffee and chocolate) and other products (e.g. clothing) are paid a fair price for their work. This helps make sure they have enough money to look after themselves and their families, and also makes sure that they work in safe conditions.



Choose fair trade products if you see them on sale. Look out for the ‘fairtrade mark.’


Fair trade advocates typically espouse a number of guidelines. The movement intends to provide market access to otherwise marginalized producers, connecting them to customers and allowing access with fewer middlemen. It aims to provide higher wages than typically paid to producers as well as helping producers develop knowledge, skills and resources to improve their lives. Fair trade advocates also seek to raise awareness of the movement's philosophies among consumers in developed nations.[6] Fair trade products are traded and marketed either by an "MEDC supply chain" whereby products are imported and/or distributed by fair trade organizations (commonly referred to as alternative trading organizations) or by "product certification" whereby products complying with fair trade specifications are certified indicating that they have been produced, traded, processed and packaged in accordance with the standards.

GOODBYE ¨DESIGNER LABELS¨ --HELLO, FAIR TRADE!

Choose to shop fair trade. Armies of pyschologists, scientists and marketeers have been trying to get you to believe you are not thin enough, not hot enough and not good enough without pricy BRAND NAME LABELS and products. Every time you fork over your money to a seemingly great company, they are keeping millions of third world country people, many of them children and women, enslaved and working for hours for ridiculous pay to stitch your new Hollister or Nike T-shirt. You have to buy local. Things made in the U.S.A, or Canada or Europe. You have to pick fair trade. Fair trade coffee, clothes, products. This is the only way to end the madness. Just because we do not live in third world countries does not mean we have to allow others to live in pain and suffering while providing our clothes and luxuries. Look for fair trade stores near you. Why would you want to pay so much money for a name or logo stitched onto your shirt!!!! (I asked myself that yesterday at the mall!) And you know what, you will feel GOOD knowing you are helping make the world a better place, instead of contributing to the evils of the corporate, capitalist society we live in. There is a way to fix it, and it is called change.

http://transfair.ca/

About Fairtrade
What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade Certification
TransFair Canada
FLO International
Facts & Figures
Bibliography
Newsletter
Home //


What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is really about making changes to conventional trade, which frequently fails to deliver on promises of sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for people in the poorest countries in the world.

Poverty and hardship limit people’s choices while market forces tend to further marginalise and exclude them. This makes them vulnerable to exploitation, whether as farmers and artisans, or as hired workers within larger businesses.

That two billion of our fellow citizens survive on less than $2 per day, despite working extremely hard, suggests that there is indeed a problem.

Fair Trade seeks to change the terms of trade for the products we buy - to ensure the farmers and artisans behind those products get a better deal. Most often this is understood to mean ensuring better prices for producers, but it often also includes longer-term and more meaningful trading relationships.

One Size Fits All?
How this is done varies widely - how people practice Fair Trade is largely determined by how they understand the problems it's meant to address.

For instance, TransFair Canada manages the Canadian side of an international system that sets standards defining what Fair Trade products are, and provides Canadians with a way to know whether those standards have been met. The intent is to both bring clarity about Fair Trade and instill confidence in the public that it is not about empty promises.

However, neither TransFair Canada nor the international system it represents invented Fair Trade, nor are its standards the only way it should be understood. Even companies who meet our standards and whose products carry our certification mark often approach Fair Trade differently, and it's up to you as an individual to decide which approach makes the most sense to you.

Ultimately, Fair Trade appeals to our sense of fairness and common decency, and applies those values to the marketplace. It allows us to make a positive difference in the world just by the products we choose to buy.


You’re off to the shops, you’ve got your list, a tight budget and twenty minutes to spare. The last thing on your mind is helping people across the world.

But doing your bit doesn’t have to take lots of time, effort and money. By choosing to put a few Fairtrade items in your basket, you are helping people across the world to help themselves.

Fairtrade products are high quality products and the people who grew or produced the goods are paid a fairer price for their work. Being able to rely on a market for their goods, they can plan for their future and that of their children. They can build schools and clinics, put in a clean water supply, and expand their business so it employs more local people.

My Favorite Things Right Now

1. Wolfenstein 3 on XBOX 360. Try playing this with a huge Samsung or Sony TV and surround sound...it will blow your socks off. I used to play the original Wolfenstein 3D on my computer when I was ten years old, so this game makes me quite nostalgic despite the change in graphics and the upgrades and paranormal activity that was absence in the PC version. All in all, I rush home to play it and I think it is a super game. They have the game available for PS3 too, but I prefer XBox.

2. Lofts. I love them. They are contemporary, modern and beautifully designed architectural masterpieces. I prefer the ones with exposed bricks in the kitchen and living area, I would love a fireplace and the multi level homes are just fantastic. It is classier than an apartment, more artsy than a condo and the stairs make it feel like a real house instead of just a box. My fiancee and I are considering moving into a chic loft in the Westend, our friends have already hopped on the idea!

3. Cool, funky baby names. I see a lot of celebrity and New Age parents jumping on the idea. Jumping away from the traditional names like Amanda, Nicole or Samantha and giving their brood unique names like Autumn, Harmony and Venus or unisex names like Charli. I love traditional names too like Calvin, Montgomery, Princeton and Benjamin. Sometimes mixing them up like Autumn Rose...some old and new is fun too!

4. Activities that do not cost a lot of money such as : baking ginger bread men, decorating a gingerbread house, making a big home made pizza with a mountainful of stuffings (think of adding your favorites like pineapples and mushrooms!) and going for walks with the dogs. People think just because it is the holidays or a weekend they need to spend obscene amounts of money but it is not the spending of the money that you remember, its the good, heart-warming times! And there are a lot of inexpensive gifts you can get people, like going to a used bookstore to pick up a few classic tales or a used game store to give your favorite nephew an educational game like Scrabble. For fun, we like to grab our skates and make hot chocolate at home...putting the drink in our reusable mugs and spending the day on ice! It makes for great photos!

CAPITALISM sucks

http://www.democratic-capitalism.com/college.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hdt87rhgSc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FavYp7KWv0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJLaRhTKzw8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vScTge8dfw4

“A thousand dollars is a lot of money,” Bob said. “It’s enough to stock a sizable retirement fund. Many of us are losing more in these fees every year than we’re saving for our futures.”

Bob’s book provides step-by-step instructions to help ordinary consumers fight back against the fly-by-night companies and the Goliaths that are nickel-and-diming us to death. So just when the book gets your pulse racing and your blood pressure skyrocketing, it shows you precisely where and how to channel your frustrations.

“Don’t feel helpless,” Bob advised. “There is help to be had, and you can find it. You can get refunds and you can get justice if you go to the right places.”

Here is a sampling of some of the smart tips found in “Gotcha Capitalism”:

1. Eyeball your retirement “expense ratios.” How would you feel if you learned that fees ultimately were eating away nearly 30 percent of your retirement savings? Well, it turns out that fees are having just that effect on many diligent investors out there – so much so that they may have to continue working years longer than they expected. To combat this, Bob recommends taking a moment to look at your 401(k) statement (or similar retirement fund statement) and locate the “expense ratio” for each mutual fund you have in your account. If any of those expense ratios are more than 1 percent, then seriously consider getting your money out of those funds and
2. Live your life without regrets. Have you gotten yourself locked into an auto loan, a gym membership or a satellite television contract that you didn’t fully comprehend? If so, be aware that more and more states are adopting “regret laws” or “free-look laws.” These laws make it possible for consumers to back out of such deals after a cooling-off period of, say, three to 10 days. “It’s a really good policy to allow people to get out of something they didn’t understand,” Bob said. With auto loans, for example, you can invoke such laws to get yourself out of high-priced tack-on fees for rustproofing or unnecessary extended warranties. To find out which regret laws are on the books where you live, contact your state’s attorney general’s office or consumer affairs department. You can start the process of finding contact information for your state by clicking here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15228784

Taking Care of Our Environment: Earth

P2 Tips for You •Air
•Dealing With Pests
•Eating
•Electronics
•Energy
•Landscaping
•Paper
•Shopping/Products
•Travel
•Vehicles
•Water
•Waste Minimization/Recycling
•General Tips, Facts and Information
Air
Leave your car at home two days a week (walk, bike, or take the bus or subway to work instead). You'll reduce carbon dioxide emissions. More clean air tips:

Protect the Environment: On the Road

Air Pollution Prevention
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Dealing with Pests
Storing pesticides and other chemicals up high in a locked cabinet -- out of reach of small children -- is an effective way to ensure that kids do not mix with dangerous chemicals.

More information:

Safe Storage of Pesticides

Before using insect repellants on your skin or in your yard, read the label first!

Outsmart and prevent pests by removing sources of food, water, and shelter before deciding to use a pesticide.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/controlling/index.htm

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/PestMgt.html
Mosquito Control

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Preventing Harm to the Environment - Do not dispose of gasoline, oil, or weed killers and other lawn and garden pesticides down the drain, into surface water, onto the ground, or in the trash. Check with your local household hazardous waste collection agency for safe disposal for these types of products.

Crowd out weeds the natural way- Keep your grass long. Over-seed your lawn each Fall for a thicker lawn in the Spring. Slightly longer grass, around 2½ to 3½ inches, is healthier and drought-resistant with fewer pests and weeds, which have a hard time taking root.

Many plants and insects can serve as nontoxic, natural deterrents to weeds and garden pests. Introduce ladybugs to eat aphids, plant marigolds to ward off beetles, and look for quick-sprouting plants to block weed growth.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/disposal.htm

Household Hazardous Waste

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Eating
Eat fewer fatty fish, such as lake trout, or fish that feed on the bottoms of lakes and streams such as catfish and carp. These fish are more likely to contain higher levels of chemical pollutants.

Eat a locally produced diet. Grow your own food or support local farmers, natural food stores and food co-ops. You'll save money, eat quality foods, create jobs, increase farmlands, and strengthen your community. You also reduce pollution generated by transportation and energy costs from shipping food.

Buy domestically-produced, certified organic food. Organic farmers don't use toxic chemicals, or harmful pesticides or fertilizers. Buying locally produced food decreases on the environmental impacts of transporting food.

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Electronics
Buy Energy Star electronic equipment from manufacturers with take-back programs.

Recycle your computer.

More tips and information :

http://www.energystar.gov

http://www.eiae.org
http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=electronics/elec_index.asp
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Energy
Ask your power company to switch all or some of your electricity to green power.

Look for the Energy Star label on products and equipment, you can reduce your energy bill by 30 percent and your electric lighting charges by 40 percent while cutting pollution.

Get a programmable thermostat and set the temperature up in the summer and down in the winter while you are at work.

Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll cut your water-heating costs by 6-10 percent.

Keep your home appliances running at peak efficiency to save electricity, conserve resources and reduce global warming. Remove lint and dust from your refrigerator coil and freezer. Clean up lint around your dryer, furnace, and any vents leading to or from them. Change or clean the filter in your air purifier or furnace.

Paint your exterior and interior walls in a light color so more light is reflected. Paint the edges of the window in white so more light reflected inside. During the day, open blinds to bring in natural light instead of turning on lights.

More tips and information:

http://www.energystar.gov

http://www.epa.gov/p2/pubs/energy.htm

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_consumer_cool_change

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Landscaping
Doing major landscape renovation, time the grading and excavating projects when rain is less likely to prevent erosion and contamination of run-off water. Cover excavated materials, dumpsters, and stockpiles of asphalt, sand, and yard clippings to prevent contaminants from getting into storm drains.

More tips and information:

http://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/index.htm

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Paper
Using double-sided coping, reusing single-sided paper, using electronic mail, and circulating documents with routing slips, an organization can save a significant amount of energy and natural resources. One ton of waste paper saves enough energy to power an average home for 6 months not to mention the monetary savings from purchasing less paper.

One ton of recycled paper uses: 64% less energy, 50% less water, 74% less air pollution, saves 17 trees and creates 5 times more jobs than one ton of paper products from virgin wood pulp.

Purchase paper products containing post-consumer recycled paper.

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Shopping/Products
Use a baking soda paste as a general stain remover. Rub chalk on grease stains prior to washing. Apply butter or margarine to chocolate stains, let set at least 15 minutes and wash.

Use herbs, set out a small dish of vanilla or leave an open box of baking soda in the room as an air freshener.

Use cat litter or sand instead of salt on icy walks.

Buy products that contain recycled materials.

Buy food and other products with reusable or recyclable packaging instead of those in nonrecyclable packaging. It can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a green house gas that is potentially harmful to the envirnment.

Buy in bulk when you can and avoid excess packaging. Even recyclable packaging requires energy and resources to create. Also look for refillable containers. Seek out concentrated products which use far less packaging.

Choose low or no-VOC paints, water-based floor sealers, and wood products from certified sustainable forests.

When asked whether you want paper or plastic bags, select the type you are more likely to reuse for other purposes, such as trash can liners, newspaper recycling or future shopping.

Some retailers like Home Depot offer suggestions for buying "green" products: ask them about it.

More tips and information:

Learn about Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)

http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=shopsmart/shop.inc
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Travel
Next time you travel, look for lodging that practices conservation.

Use e-ticketing to reduce paper usage.

More tips and information:

EPA's Green Meetings Guide

http://www.greenhotels.com
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Vehicles
If you change your own motor oil, recycle it at a "quick lube" shop, gas station, or auto store that accepts used motor oil for recycling.

Check out EPA's Green Vehicle Guide. You may be surprised to know that you have cleaner more fuel-efficient choices in any vehicle size you need, even an SUV.

Keep tires properly inflated and wheels aligned to reduce tire drag on the road. Gas mileage drops 1% for every pound below the recommended level.

Don't top off the gas tank. This allows harmful chemicals to escape into the air.

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Water
Think before you pour. Many hazardous products flow from household drains through sewage treatment plants and into coastal water bodies.

Install a water-efficient shower head (2.5 gallons or less per minute), it reduces water consumption and energy used to heat the water. They pay for themselves in only four months.

Only run full loads in the washing machine or dishwasher.

Turn off water while brushing teeth and shaving.

More water saving tips: http://www.epa.gov/p2/pubs/water.htm

virtual house http://www.h2ouse.net/
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Waste Minimization/Recycling
In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. This means that each adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 lbs. of trash for his or her children.

Recycling all of your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a green house gas, by 850 pounds a year.

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV set for three hours or to light one 100 watt bulb for 20 hours.

The energy required to replace the aluminum cans wasted in 2001 was equivalent to 16 million

barrels of crude oil: enough to meet the electricity needs of all the homes in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Between 1970 and 2003, one trillion aluminum cans were sent to landfills worth well over $15 billion.

Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.

Five recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket.

Improving or remodeling your home, try to buy recycled products. It reduces the amount of material going to landfills. Flooring, insulation, plastic lumber, woodwork, shingles, and many garden/lawn products are made from recycled materials.

Buy carpet made from recycled drink bottles (polyethylene terephthalate fiber). This recycled-content carpet is durable, resists moisture and staining, and requires no additional chemicals for its manufacture.

More tips and information:

EPA's Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste

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General tips, facts, and information for consumers:
The average American needs twenty-five acres of ecologically productive land to support thier lifestyle. That's three times the world average. Want to know your ecological footprint (amount of land needed to provide all the resources and space you use, directly or indirectly, including the amount for storing and absorbing your waste and pollution)?

More information on your ecological footprint:

http://www.ecofoot.org/



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Getting involved to make a difference in your community.

•Take action - United We Serve
•Protecting Your Air
•Protecting Your Water
•Dealing With Waste
•Community-Based Environmental Protection Efforts
•Tips and Tools
•Search Your ZIP Code
•Regional Offices

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Take action - United We Serve
Adopt your Watershed: Work for clean water by joining with local organizations to monitor water quality, restore habitat, build rain gardens, plant trees, or clean up debris.

Fight Global Warming with Energy Star: Take the Energy Star Pledge to save energy, and work with community organizations to educate and drive others to take the Pledge.

Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign: Help a local school avoid chemical mismanagement. Discuss responsible chemical management with school staff and the community, implement responsible chemical management programs, and encourage the safe removal and disposal of outdated, unknown, potentially hazardous and unneeded chemicals.

Visit Serve.gov for more ways to take action in your community.

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Protecting Your Air
Partners- Working together for Clean Air - This page describes federal, regional, state and local agencies which work together to help attain and preserve clean air in the United States.

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Protecting Your Water
American Heritage Rivers Initiative - Learn about the Presidential initiative to provide communities along these rivers with assistance to address community concerns.

Coastal Watersheds - This series of factsheets about Coastal Watersheds is now available online, featuring information about beaches, nearshore waters, coral reefs, and estuaries, and include tips on how residents can help protect the coastal watershed where they live.

Monitor the Health of America's Water - Volunteer Opportunity - Through this document, learn about water quality issues and how to get involved in citizen water monitoring programs.

Surf Your Watershed - A service to help you locate, use, and share environmental information on your watershed or community.

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Dealing with Waste
Pay As You Throw - Recycle More, Toss Less - This site is about pay as you throw programs where residents pay for trash disposal directly based on the amount of trash they generate.

Recycling Hotline : Earth 911
By simply typing in your zip code, this hotline helps you locate recycling centers "for all types of recyclables" in your community.

Superfund Community Involvement - This Superfund (hazardous waste site clean-up) Web site provides opportunities for community involvement in the clean-up process.

Superfund Community Involvement Toolkit - EPA is committed to involving community members in the hazardous waste cleanup process. One of our first steps is to provide you with quality information. You'll find resources on a variety of Superfund topics like The Community Advisory Group Program, Community Issues, and more.

The Hazardous Waste Permitting Process - Briefly defines hazardous wastes and hazardous waste management facilities in nontechnical terms. Lists laws and regulations governing treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs). Describes permitting requirements, steps in the permitting process, and public participation.

RCRA Expanded Public Participation Rule - One of the key principles identified as essential to "reinventing government" and to improving the way EPA does business is the need to improve and expand opportunities for public participation in our decision-making processes. The RCRA Expanded Public Participation Rule promotes partnership, empowerment, and flexibility in the RCRA permitting program. En español

Waste Not/Want Not: A Guide for Feeding the Hungry Through Food Recovery - Explains how any state or municipality, as well as any private business that deals with food, can reduce its solid waste by facilitating the donation of wholesome surplus food according to the food hierarchy. Also lists ways you can join the growing food recovery movement, and provides a framework to help you protect the environment while making a difference in the daily lives and futures of hungry families across our nation.

Volunteer for Change: A Guide to Environmental Community Service (PDF) - (24 pp, 571 K, About PDF) || en español (PDF) (23 pp, 576K, About PDF) Contains examples of volunteer projects related to solid waste management, including reuse, recycling, composting, and household hazardous waste projects.

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Community-Based Environmental Protection Efforts
Smart Growth - Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. It changes the terms of the development debate away from the traditional growth/no growth question to "how and where should new development be accommodated."

Green Communities - Green Communities are "sustainable communities": communities that integrate a healthy environment, a vibrant economy, and a high quality of life. This Web site provides information on how to make your community a green one.

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Tips and Tools
Planning Environmentally Aware Events - This guide outlines the key steps in planning and conducting an environmentally aware event, profiles a variety of meetings and events, and provides a checklist that can be used as a planning tool.

Find Stewardship Opportunities - Every person has the chance to make a difference by practicing environmental stewardship. Look for opportunities at home, at school, at work, in your community, and while shopping and traveling. The possibilities are endless, and the cumulative impacts of individual actions can really add up.

Software for Environmental Awareness - This Web site offers free interactive software programs covering a variety of environmental topics. Some of the software is available in Spanish.

Search Your ZIP Code - Get information about pollution emissions or releases and related information where you live.

Pick 5 for the Environment - Do more to protect the environment by choosing at least five actions you'll commit to. Pick 5 also helps you identify more actions you can take in the future.

The Great Outdoors - Stay safe and help protect the environment, just outside your door or across the country on vacation