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NOTES |
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Industry |
Actions |
Reasons |
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Architecture |
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1st Choice |
Find a firm with experience in green architecture and building |
They can recommend courses of action and materials that support
sustainable principles |
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2nd Choice |
Find a local independent firm |
The money you spend will stay in the community |
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Bad Choice |
Find a large firm with no experience in green architecture or building |
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Books |
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1st Choice |
Purchase from a local or online independent seller |
The money you spend will stay in the community or support your values |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from a retail chain such as Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. |
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Clothing |
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1st Choice |
Receive hand-me-downs from other family members |
Item reused; no money changes hands |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase used from a store that provides money to a good cause |
Minimal cost; money spent goes to good cause |
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3rd Choice |
Purchase new from a local or online independent business |
Money stays in the community |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from a chain store |
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Coffee |
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1st Choice |
Buy fair traded from local independent retailer |
Fair wages paid; money stays in community |
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2nd Choice |
Buy fair traded from online retailer |
Fair wages paid; money leaves community |
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3rd Choice |
Buy non fair traded from local independent retailer |
Money stays in community; questionable wages |
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Bad Choice |
Buy non fair traded from chain store |
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Dry Cleaning |
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1st Choice |
Use silicone-based or carbon-dioxide-based cleaning methods |
Find these at www.greenearthcleaning.com (Silicon) and
www.hangersdrycleaning.com (CO2) |
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2nd Choice |
Use "wet" cleaning process |
Uses water and special detergents in computer-controlled machines |
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3rd Choice |
Use standard dry cleaner that doesn't use Perc |
Perc smells bad and harms the environment |
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Bad Choice |
Use standard dry cleaner that uses Perc |
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Electronics/ |
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Technology |
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1st Choice |
Buy used from a private party |
Saves money, packaging and transportation costs; takes advantage of rapid
technology turnover |
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2nd Choice |
Buy from a local, independent retailer |
Good luck finding one, though |
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3rd Choice |
Buy new from Costco |
Excellent exchange/return policies |
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Bad Choice |
Buy from a big-box retailer other than Costco |
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Energy Reduction |
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1st Choice |
Offset carbon footprint; produce and follow energy reduction plan |
Help save the world! |
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2nd Choice |
Produce and follow a strategic plan to reduce energy use |
Ditto, with less money |
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Bad Choice |
Anything else |
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Financial |
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1st Choice |
Move money to local credit union; use socially responsible investments |
Money stays in community and supports good causes elsewhere |
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2nd Choice |
Only one of the above |
Partial solution |
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Bad Choice |
Commercial for-profit bank |
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Florist |
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1st Choice |
Grow and arrange your own flowers |
Cheap, with that extra touch of love |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase from a florist who sources flowers from ethical, organic growers |
Flowers should be grown organically with laborers paid a fair wage |
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Bad Choice |
Anything else |
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Food (produce) |
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1st Choice |
Grow your own organically |
No transportation costs, produce is grown organically, no factory farm
harms |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase from a local, independent, orgainc co-operative |
Minimal transportation costs, produce grown organically, no factory farm
harms |
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3rd Choice |
Purchase only organic produce from a local farmers market |
Higher transportation costs, produce grown organically, no factory farm
harms |
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4th Choice |
Purchase organic produce from a local, independent market |
Much higher transportation costs, produce organically grown, less chance
of factory farm harms |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from a chain supermarket |
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Food (meat/dairy) |
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1st Choice |
Don't eat any |
Loads of problems with these |
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2nd Choice |
Eat rarely, always organic and cruelty-free purchased from independent |
Minimize problems |
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Bad Choice |
Eat as much as most Americans eat |
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Food (other) |
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1st Choice |
Purchase healthy, natural food from local independent retailer |
Money stays in community and you stay healthy |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase healthy, natural food from ethical web-based business |
Well, at least you stay healthy |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from any other business |
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Furniture |
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1st Choice |
Purchase used |
Re-use, recycle! |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase from local, independent retailer using sustainable products |
Most woods come from cutting down forests; many glues, etc. are toxic and
gas off chemicals |
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3rd Choice |
Purchase from local, independent retailer |
Money stays in community |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from any other business |
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Gasoline/Fuel |
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1st Choice |
Use your combustion engine vehicle as little as possible |
So many bad things result from using these things I can't list them all |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase from Costco |
Citgo no longer sells gas from Venezuela; this is perhaps the next best
option |
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3rd Choice |
Purchase from Shell or BP |
These are perhaps less bad than others |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from others |
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Gifts |
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1st Choice |
Make gifts out of natural materials |
Cheap, heartfelt gifts that don't harm the environment, use packaging,
etc. |
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2nd Choice |
Give green gifts purchased from green local, independent stores |
A little more expensive and less heartfelt |
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3rd Choice |
Give green gifts purchased elsewhere |
Higher transportation costs |
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Bad Choice |
Give gifts purchased new from chains |
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Hardware |
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1st Choice |
Purchase from a local, independent store |
Money stays in community |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase from an Ace or True Value or other locally owned store |
Perhaps no worse than other local independent store? |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from other stores |
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Health/Spiritual |
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1st Choice |
Use local independent businesses and natural products |
Avoid harmful chemicals; keep in balance |
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Bad Choice |
Use other businesses or other products |
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Home Remodeling/ |
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Construction |
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1st Choice |
Use local independent businesses experienced in sustainable work |
See Green Pages for a good list of these |
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2nd Choice |
Use local independent businesses without such experience |
You risk the company not knowing the ins and outs of alternative
construction products and techniques |
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Bad Choice |
Use large contractor companies |
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Household Products |
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1st Choice |
Purchase products made from natural materials by local merchants |
Keep planet healthy and money in the community |
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2nd Choice |
Purchase products made from natural materials by non-local merchants |
Keep planet healthy |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase other products |
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Insurance |
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1st Choice |
Purchase from local, independent seller offering many products |
Optimal choice; money stays in community |
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Bad Choice |
Purchase from seller representing large insurance company |
If all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail |
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Media Design |
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1st Choice |
Choose a local firm representing your values |
Money stays in community; you make the world better |
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Bad Choice |
Choose a non-local firm whose values you don't know |
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Medications |
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1st Choice |
Purchase from a local independent pharmacy |
See www.caloptima.org/documents/fp_ocPharmNetDir.pdf for a list of OC
independent pharmacies |
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Bad Choice |
Chain pharmacy or other chain store |
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Nursery |
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1st Choice |
Choose a local, independent nursery employing sustainable practices |
Ensures the plants you get will grow in your climate and you'll get good
information on sustainability |
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Bad Choice |
Choosing any other type of nursery |
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Office Supplies |
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1st Choice |
Choose a local independent office supply store selling natural products |
Well, many office supplies are not natural, but recycled paper is a good
start |
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2nd Choice |
Choose a local independent store |
Money stays in the community |
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Bad Choice |
Choosing a chain store |
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Paint |
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1st Choice |
Choose a local independent firm familiar with low-VOC products |
That new paint smell? It's volatile organic compounds and they're toxic! |
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2nd Choice |
Choose a local independent firm |
Money stays in the community |
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Bad Choice |
Choosing a large chain painting company |
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Personal Care |
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1st Choice |
Choose natural, non-toxic products purchased from a local vendor |
Many personal care products are toxic and tested on animals - avoid these |
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2nd Choice |
Choose natural, non-toxic products |
Look for products based on plant oils rather than petrochemicals |
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Bad Choice |
Choose other products |
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Pest Control |
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1st Choice |
Select a local firm using products not toxic to things other than pests |
Most vendors use Vikane (Sulfuryl Flouride) which is toxic to people and
animals |
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Bad Choice |
Select any other firm |
In addition, tenting can destroy vegetation around the house |
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Recycling |
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1st Choice |
Using any recycling center is the thing to do! |
The closer to your house, the better |
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Restaurants |
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1st Choice |
Limit your restaurant trips |
Saves money, gas, etc. |
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2nd Choice |
Patronize local, independent places serving natural, healthy vegan food |
Keeps money in the community; limits problems caused by consuming meat
and dairy |
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3rd Choice |
Patronize local, independnet places |
Keeps money in the community |
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Bad Choice |
Eating at chain restaurants |
There are so many local, independent non-chains, why would you do this? |
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Transportation |
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1st Choice |
Walk or bike |
Great exercise! No pollution! Minimal manufacturing costs! |
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2nd Choice |
Use public transportation or carpool |
Cheap and more social |
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3rd Choice |
Use an electric vehicle |
Wish these were easier to find; most buy from private party |
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4th Choice |
Use a clean-burning, high-MPG gas vehicle |
Hybrids such as Prius are much better than typical cars and trucks |
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Bad Choice |
Using anything else |
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Travel |
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1st Choice |
Combine trips - think hard about taking trips |
Most travel requires resources including oil, etc. |
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2nd Choice |
Travel green |
Ecotourism is a rapidly growing field with lots of resources available to
those interested |
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Bad Choice |
Travel like most - standard air carriers, non-green hotels, lots of oil
use |
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Web Hosting |
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1st Choice |
Use an ecologically conscious local independent company |
Only one such firm I know of |
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2nd Choice |
Use other local independent company |
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Bad Choice |
Use other hosting service |
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