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 and Long term ideals to accomplish

CULTURAL VALUES

• Emphasis on relating not competing

  •    Face-to-face instead of face-to-tube

  •    Conversation as an art form

  •    Learning from each other

• Emphasis on people, not possessions

  •    joy of belonging rather than having belongings

  •    learning and development as life purpose

  •    staying home a lot – not leaving for excitement or entertainment

  •    reading more

  •    walking and biking – not hopping in a car

• Community values not consumer values

  •    learning from ways of intentional communities, co housing, eco-villages...

  •    pleasure in working with ones hands and outside

  •    convenience and comfort are not high priority values

  •    living without the addiction to electronics – use only as tools

  •    less TV/VCR

  •    Community support, interconnectedness replaces isolation

ENERGY AND BUILDING

• Turn it off! Don't leave lights and appliances on when unnecessary - including those with LCDs (like video recorders).

• Keep it in! Invest in draughtproofing, insulation, double glazing, a porch, conservatory and other energy-saving measures, like low-energy light bulbs. They really do give you a better rate of return than any bank account! Grants are available. An energy audit may help.

• Turn it down! Heating: make sure your equipment is efficient, and, if it doesn't harm your health, turn it down a couple of notches. Gas is better than coal and electricity, which you should avoid. If installing a new gas central heating boiler, fit a condensing model - much more efficient.

• Use environmentally sound building materials. For building or DIY jobs, always use the most environmentally sound materials - our resource guide on the topic can give you good advice.

• Get an Energy Audit Before buying a house, get an energy audit done - it could save you R1000s.

• Consider solar heating Consider whether a solar water heating system (DIY cost, about R10,000) will work in your house - it can pay you back well within its lifetime and thereafter start saving you money.

GETTING THERE

• Minimise private transport. Cut out unnecessary journeys, share cars, use public transport and, if you can, live nearer your work or school, or work from home.

• Use your bicycle. As much as you can!

• Avoid going by plane It is by far the most polluting means of travel.

 

SHOPPING

• Boycott goods with unnecessary packaging.

• Boycott food and drink from distant countries and support more local produce. Think of the energy used to transport it here!

• Choose the most environmentally friendly products . Especially detergents and bleaches - but be careful about inaccurate claims by manufacturers.

• Remember the three Rs - re-use, repair, recycle! They're more beneficial in that order - it's better to find another use for something or to use it again; if it is broken, repair it; and if you can't do either, take it to be recycled. Anything is better than landfill!

• Remember that the more complicated a product, the more energy went into its manufacture. Choose and use wisely, or make old products last longer. This applies to cars too, as long as you ensure it runs efficiently. Buy low energy appliances.

• If you have money to invest, choose an ethical scheme. It will give comparable benefits and a more positive use for your assets.

• Find ways of enjoying yourself that involve less travel and buying fewer things, such as sport.

FOOD, GROWING and HEALTH

• Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit; cut down on processed food; avoid meat if you can. Vegetables have plenty of protein!

• Reduce your water use.

• Start a vegetable garden

• If you can, compost your kitchen refuse and use it in your garden

• If you can't use it yourself, give it to someone with a garden or allotment.

• Start a worm farm outside your back door

• Plant fruit and nut trees wherever you can

• Find out about a local food co-op that buys food cheaply from an organic source - and join it  You won't regret it!  70% more nutrients in organically grown food.

• Consider collecting urine for use as a fertiliser and installing a composting toilet,

• Reuse your greywater (from the bathroom and washing machine).

• Get plenty of exercise, and minimise cell phone and other wireless device use.
   

GENERAL

• Clotheslines replace dryers

• Using cold water for showering, dishwashing, etc. reduces the need to heat water

• Solar water heaters replace electric water heaters

• Rooftop water collectors and cisterns replace city water

• Thick-walled freezers, run by a solar cell, replace conventional freezers

• Canning and drying to reduce freezing of food

• Root cellars extends winter storage of some foods and reduces refrigeration needs

• Passive solar and thermal storage reduce heater/air conditioning need

• Single-source heaters replace central heating

• Hand tools replace electric tools – mixers, dicers, cutters, grinders, etc.

• Composting toilets and earth toilets reduce water use

• Composting toilets reduce soil nutrient loss

• "Stewards of the earth" replaces "Cleanliness is next to godliness"

ACTION

• Get involved in one of our projects.

• Join the Talent Exchange

• Help to create and keep wild and natural areas safe from urban development.

• Add your ideas, opinions to the Blog

 

Tips from the Business Network's "Turning over a Green leaf"

• Paper: Typek Recycled Paper available - rather use recycled office paper than using new paper it looks the same and forces business to look at their green Polices. We have found a few places to purchase it and it costs less than a cent more than normal paper

• Paper: Insurance Schedules - ask your broker to email you your updated schedules in stead of receiving loads of papers every time you make changes to your insurance

• Paper: Cellphone bills can also be emailed in stead of being printed and posted to you

• Paper: In stead of receiving paper faxes one can set up a free fax to email service and receive all your faxes in your email inbox

• Saving Water: While waiting for the cold water to turn warm in stead of wasting that water, take an empty cool drink bottle and keep it close by and fill it with the water. Use this water for your garden or to fill up your kettle or cooking pots.

• Vegetables: Use vegetable peels, dry them out, roast them and use in home made seasonings or vegetable stock