[aiyana (OP)]

Ways to help Environment

•   Do Not Buy products from endangered animals
•   Use Fluorescent Lighting
•   buy products that are recycled.
•   Use CFC free products.
•   Do not use ivory or animal furs
•   buy items that are less toxic to the environment
•   Add a Low-Flow Faucet Aerator
•   Recycle Your Motor Oil
•   Add a Low-Flow Faucet Aerator


[MOD EDIT - PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO PHRASE YOUR THREAD TITLES AS QUESTIONS, IN LINE WITH OUR FORUM POLICY. THANKS. CHRIS]

[litespeed]

aiyana - You wrote, among other things: "Use CFC free products."

I don't know where you live, but CFC products have been unavailable in the US for one or two decades.  I can personally attest to this because I bought all the remaining C-12 refridgerant (used in car air conditioning) I could find at Walmart about 15 years ago.  They had a sale to get rid of the stuff.  Just $1 per can.  The 'black market' for the stuff got to about $50 per can, but has dropped off now since very few cars remain on the road with C-12 air conditioning.

I have only recently used up the last of my C-12 stash for my old car.  Turns out you can just use the new stuff anyway......

[Nizzle]

CFC's are prohibited in Europe as well.
CFC's contributed to the hole in the ozone layer. But now, the ozone layer is gradually restoring itself, the hole is shrinking, which in effect, accelerates global warming.

The earth's environment is way too complex and we know too little of all aspects of it to be able to make a bullet list with stuff to do to save the environment.

[glovesforfoxes]

The earth's environment is way too complex and we know too little of all aspects of it to be able to make a bullet list with stuff to do to save the environment.

Good thinking. I'll stop buying plastic I can recycle, keep my lights on all the time when I'm not using them, and shove down the chlorinated solvents down the sink, stop reusing plastic bags..

[Nizzle]

You missed my point..

Ofcourse there are some obvious things you can do, but not all obvious things turn out to improve the environment.

[Mazurka]

CFC's have nearly been entirely phased out, but there are still some medical (asthma) inhalers that used them (or at least did until very recently)

Of the options presented, wherever possible buying recycled goods & goods with low environmental impact would be my choices...

Other factors would include reducing consumption - all the way from; is that latest hi defintion digital plasma wall sized tv with super dolby mega surround soundsystem really necessary to should I buy that book or get it out of the library

Reducing food miles by sourcing seasonal food locally (wherever possible - although I (did get sick of courgettes due to a glut in my hanging baskets!)

There is a danger in dismissing little actions by making silly comparisons - "china is opening 100 coal fired power stations per week so why should I spend 10 minutes sorting out the recycling"

As Einstein said " Information is a matter of degree. And as you become better informed, the decisions become harder."

[glovesforfoxes]

You missed my point..

Ofcourse there are some obvious things you can do, but not all obvious things turn out to improve the environment.

So what you're saying is that you can make a bullet list of things to do to help save the environment? Interesting []

[Karsten]

As far as I know I have NEVER bought anything from an endangered animal. Not even from a not-endangered animal. Never even seen anything for sale by an animal.  []

Buying a well-made fur coat may be a good choice if compared to one made from plastic fibers that is designed to last one year but will last for hundreds of years in a landfill. Well-made meaning designed to last a human`s life-time, designed to keep you warm (rather than fashionable and status-loaded), and can be repaired if needed. And of course, few people live in areas that justify using the fur of an animal to keep you warm. And one probably should use a large animal rather than 50 small ones. And hunt it yourself. I inherited a fine sheep wool coat from my father. Very warm, but not easy to fix.

My top of the list would include "Consume resources like the average Chinese of the year 2008". Maybe 2010, but not much further.

[litespeed]

Mazurka - You wrote: "There is a danger in dismissing little actions by making silly comparisons - "china is opening 100 coal fired power stations per week so why should I spend 10 minutes sorting out the recycling."

The danger is those who accumulate 'little actions' often become insufferable bores. Worse.  They sometimes get to thinking they actually make a difference. My favorite is the ban on clubbing baby harp seals for their fur. Of course Polar Bears really like to crunch down on harp seals, and their numbers have increased. But they don't eat the fur, I am told.

You also wrote: "As Einstein said " Information is a matter of degree. And as you become better informed, the decisions become harder."  Bull Feathers.  It is a counterproductive illusion.  Less informed people make uninformed conclusions easily. The fact they SEEM to make easy decisions in this way simply means they are jumping to conclusions, not making decisions at all.

As Einstein said: "Genious is one percent inspiration and 99 percent persperation."  There is no genious in GW feaver when the climate gets warmer after an ice age. It took me a LOT of effort to assemble my sylibus on Roman Era Warming. It SHOULD be on the very top of a google search. HA!