What You Can Do Grand Junction, Colorado

Local Community Environmental Action

1. If you are a spiritual person and if religion is important in your life then support the Interfaith Power and Light movement. Interfaith Power & Light . There is also a Colorado Division!

2. Transportation Fuel usage. Although there are now many good alternatives that provide good gas milage, don't forget otheroptions such as public transportation, walking, bicycling and more. Use biodiesel or an ethanol based fuel (hopefully from switchgrass or similiar biomass).

3. Grand Junction is a great place to bicycle. Bicycling is great for your health. Health costs are a mjor concern for us in the US. Try bicycle commuting, saves energy, less traffic for our city and more parking. Some cities are even considering bicycle sharing programs. Get some advice from our local bicycle shops on what you need to commute. More

4. Drive smarter and consider the purchase of a Hybrid for your next car.

(Ask for Peter Haub at Western Slope Toyota)

5. Lighting - Learn the basics

a. Replace your regular lights with Compact Fluorescents Light Bulbs.

(What to do if I break a CFL) (Local Disposal of CFL's)

b. We have also installed may LED light fixtures that are energy efficient and cool.

c. Now there are holiday lights for your home decoration that are LED.

6. Take the Healthy Yard Pledge

7. Compost - table scraps, yard cuttings, etc. more info

8. Buy you compost from Mesa County. Drop off your waste grass. limbs, etc for free.

9. Dumpster Diving is not as much fun as diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, but old carpet can be used to block those time and energy consuming weeds in your yard. This year we saved many of hours of yard work, gasoline, and weed killers (i.e. money & energy) by placing a layer of old carpet covered by decorative mulch over problem weadie areas. With the building and remodeling boom in Mesa County there are many tons of old or scrap carpet on their way to the land fill. Just ask, many stores will allow your to take it home.

10 . Consider a tankless water heater. We are very pleased with our Rinnai. We had it installed by a local company (Haining Heating & Plumbing) and they did a great job.

11. Take a leap backward to go forward? Take a lesson form your grand parents, consider drying your clothes with out the clothes dryer...

Check out this website: Project Laundry List

More information: NY Times , Wall Street Journal ,

12. Use solar powered garden lights to provide low cost security lighting around your home. Cost about $30 dollars and has provided light all night long for two years with one set of rechargeable AA batteries.

13. Carefully Recycle: The National Resources Defense Council reminds us that

Appearances may deceive. The chasing arrow symbol used on plastic packages is misleading. Because it looks like a recycling sign, it suggests that the package is recyclable, but that is not necessarily the case. Recyclability is determined by the type of resin the plastic is made of, which is indicated by the number inside the arrows. The numbers go up to 7, but usually only #1 and #2 are recyclable.

Subscribe to the NDRC "This Green Life" or read the newsletter on their website.

14. Buy Less Stuff?

Watch the movie "The Story of Stuff".

15. Build Bicycle Commuting into your life. Save Money, Better Health. Less Pollution, and a really cool "sculpture" for your office! More information on Bicycle Commuting. You can do it! Local Bicycle Shops. Bike to Work Day. Colorado.