Why You Should Take Action

There have been, and still are, many environmental heroes. These are people who have set aside their personal needs to help focus attention on problems that could have serious environmental consequences. Many work quietly and without recognition, others are names that have become familiar to all of us. There are so many that it is hard to choose just a few to mention.

• J. Sterling Morton - led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800’s and was responsible for the planting of millions of trees across the country.
  
• John Muir - was the driving force for the creation of our national park system in the 1890’s and was founder of the Sierra Club in 1892.
  
• Rachel Carson - who in 1962 wrote Silent Spring bringing attention to the adverse effects of pesticides, especially DDT, with their far reaching effect on wildlife and birth defects.
  
• Amory Lovins - as founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, Mr. Lovins works with our federal government and almost two hundred utility companies and is active in energy afairs in over 31 countries.
  
• Kenneth Boulding - is Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Colorado and is best known as the first leading economist to propose that we move from a "disposable" society to one of sustainabilty in the late 1960’s.
  
• Claudine Schneider - has been active in establishing legislation, as Congressional representative from Rhode Island, to stop ocean dumping, curtail hazardous waste and steps to stop global warming.
  
• Lois Marie Gibbs - mother and homemaker who organized her community to successfully receive relief for the hazardous waste-related illnesses at Love Canal.

You can be an environmental hero, too.  By taking action today and every day.

In 1991 the world’s population was 5.4 billion people and growing exponentially at a rate of 1.8%. This meant that in 1992 there were another 97 million people to feed, house and clothe. Even then one out of every five people went hungry and didn’t have drinking water. More and more our resources are being tapped to the point of exhaustion. Non-renewable resources such as minerals, metals and fossel fuels must be conserved. Perpetually renewable resources such as flowing water as well as solar and wind energy must be used and potentially renewable resources such as our air, water, soil and animal and plant life must be cared for.

By thinking of our world as "spaceship earth" it is easier to envision the damage a thowaway society has, the precious nature of our natural resources and the importance of renewing the resources we still have left.

OUR AIR:

The 1990 Federal Air Toxics Inventory ranked Passaic County as 6th in the State of New Jersey for toxic emissions. 52% of those toxins were found to come from managable sources. Of these, 38% were from mobile sources (with cars and trucks making up 29%) and 9% from non-road vehicles such as lawnmowers and boats. Another 32% were from solvents such as those used in degreasers, pesticides and cleaners.

OUR WATER:

The earth has a huge amount of water, yet only about 1% is fresh and usable. In 1988, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) found that 71% of our monitored streams and rivers were too polluted from bacteria to allow swimming. They also found that 28% of our coastal waters had to be closed to shellfish harvesting.

OUR SOIL:

According the NJDEP, as of 1992, only 2% of New Jersey residents participated in hazardous waste collection events, so the chances of toxins from used motor oil, pesticides, cleaners and solvents being dumped onto the ground and eventually polluting our ground water is very high.

1. Drive your car less often and keep your car maintained - Bike, walk, car-pool or use public transportation. If you do use your car, plan to make several stops during each trip. Keep tires properly inflated (soft  tires use up to 5% more energy) and get regular tune-ups (non-maintained vehicles emit 5 times the pollutants as well maintained cars).
       
2. Use environmentally friendly products - Check product labels to avoid toxic ingredients whenever possible. Look for words such as CAUSTIC, POISON OR CORROSIVE. If you must purchase products that contain toxic ingredients, buy only what you will use up. 
    
3. Recycle - Check with your municipality to find out if additional items are being collected.
    
4. Conserve water - Keep a jug of water cold in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run. Water your lawn in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid evaporation. Don’t let the water run when shaving or lathering up in the shower.
      
5. Conserve energy with household products - Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs and always check the Energy Guide on new products to buy the most energy efficient model you can get.
    
6. Conserve heating and cooling energy - Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature in the winter (setting it back at night) and as high as possible in the summer (using fans will make the air seem cooler).
     
7. Use your organics - Switch to a mulching mower or attachment to grass-cycle (returning nutrients to your soil) and consider an electric, battery or solar powered mower. Start a compost pile with your leaves and food scraps to make your own garden soil conditioner.
     
8. Shop for durable products - Quality appliances and products that can be repaired may be higher priced but will be cheaper in the long run. Look for items rated high by Good Housekeeping or Consumer Reports.
    
9. Reduce and reuse - Avoid over-packaged products that will produce extra trash. Take canvas bags with you when you shop or reuse bags from previous shopping trips and resist the convenience  of disposables (razors, pens, paper plates, cameras and plastic cutlery).
    
10. Donate unwanted items for others to reuse. One man’s trash is truly another man’s treasure!