Changing policy is crucial, but not the only way to protect your community and Michigan's environment. While MEC works hard to protect the environment at the State Capitol, you can do much in your daily life to make a difference.

Change a light bulb and update appliances

Next time a light bulb in your house burns out, try replacing it with a compact fluorescent bulb. Compact fluorescents are 75% more efficient and last 6 to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. "In Michigan, paying $7 to replace a 75 watt incandescent bulb with a 20 watt compact fluorescent will save $35 over its lifetime, and reduce pollution by 814 pounds of CO2, 8.8 pounds of SO2 and 3.9 pounds of NOX," says John Sarver of the State Energy Office.

When it comes time to replace or buy new appliances, consider replacing them with an ENERGY STAR model. ENERGY STAR is a federally-sponsored program that sets higher energy-efficiency levels 13%-40% more efficient than industry standards for all appliances, including electronics. The emission reductions from such an energy-efficient investment are significant.

The U.S. EPA states, "A high-efficiency refrigerator will reduce CO2 emissions by 220 pounds a year. A washing machine that uses water and energy efficiently will reduce CO2 emissions by 440 pounds a year."

Low-flow it

The American Water Works Association states a typical family of four will use approximately 300 gallons of domestic indoor water per day. Toilets and washing machines use the largest percentage of this water. A standard toilet (installed before 1992) flushes approximately 3-8 gallons per use, while a low-flow toilet flushes only about 1.5 gallons per use. An easy solution for saving water in your toilet is to fill a plastic milk jug with stones, cap it off, and place it in the toilet's tank. This simple act will displace one gallon of water in your holding tank, reducing the amount that is flushed. ENERGY STAR washing machines use 35%-50% less water. Other simple improvements: stop leaking fixtures and use low-flow showerheads and faucet fixtures.

Go natural . . . indoors

Most home cleaning products come with warnings like "harmful if swallowed" or "eye irritant." These are clear signals that the products are hazardous to your health and the environment. Fortunately, natural alternatives are available to be purchased or made from scratch. For example, instead of a commercial all-purpose cleaner, a few tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of warm water works just as well, and toilets can be cleaned by pouring one-half cup of vinegar and baking soda into the bowl and scrubbing.

Dishwashing detergents are another home product that damage the environment. They contain high concentrations of phosphorous, which decreases water quality. Phosphorous pollution was the main cause of the "death" of Lake Erie in the 1960s. Always look for low-phosphorous dishwashing detergents when at the store (approximately 0.5% by weight compared to 6% to 8%).

Eat locally

By eating locally-grown food, you support both local farms and the environment. Local foods, especially organic foods, purchased at farmers markets and co-ops generally come from small-scale family farms that use more environmentally-friendly practices compared to factory farms (no or less chemical/pesticide use and more crop biodiversity). Local foods also don't travel as far. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "the average food item travels a staggering 1,200-1,500 miles from source to supermarket." A shorter commute to the store means less energy used for transportation and no preservatives to keep the food artificially fresh.

The three R's

The Michigan Recycling Coalition has calculated Michigan's recycling rate at 20% (approximately 2.5 million tons of municipal solid waste per year), which is below the 26% average recycling rate of the Great Lakes states as estimated by Biocycle. People can take many actions in addition to recycling to help reduce waste and make recycling more effective.

Buy products made from recycled materials. If we recycle but do not purchase the "new" products made from recycled materials, then we are not completing the cycle. Recycled paper products are a good place to start because of their availability, but the recycling industry is also very creative about turning recycled materials into new products (i.e., recycled pop bottles made into carpeting). Buy products that minimize excessive packaging and use recycled materials in packaging. Reuse plastic products (beverage containers, bags, utensils, etc.) instead of disposing after one use, and choose durable over disposable goods whenever possible (cloth, glass and ceramic products instead of paper and Styrofoam).

The environmental yard

"Traditional grass lawns soak up to 50% of domestic water use, are applied with 10 times as much pesticides per acre than farmland, and require the use of lawnmowers and other equipment that can emit 10-20 times more air pollutants per hour than a standard passenger vehicle," says Patrick Hudson of Urban Options. The negative environmental impact of grass lawns can be entirely avoided with native landscaping or mitigated by using more natural maintenance practices.

Native landscaping uses plants accustomed to a specific climate and soil conditions instead of a grass lawn. Native plants are often naturally pest resistant and drought tolerant, so chemical applications and extra watering are generally not necessary. Even in keeping a grass lawn, watering at night or in the early morning, using a mulch mower or non-motor mower, and using non-chemical pest control methods and organic fertilizers can all help to reduce its environmental impact.

Donate, support, get involved

The environment can't speak up for itself, and things won't improve unless people care enough to get involved! All the above tips are great ways to get started, but action can also be taken by donating to or volunteering at environmental organizations and getting involved in local, state or national environmental issues important to you.

Call MEC at (517) 487-9539 or visit www.mecprotects.org for more information about member organizations in your area and how to support the environmental community.