Help the world, help yourself: 10 small things you can do to make a big difference in the Earth's well-being — and your own - Life Lessons

Shape, Jan, 2003 by Mary Ellen Strote

Wanted: more rose-smellers. That's the word from the Center for a New American Dream, a 6-year-old nonprofit organization in Takoma Park, Md., that tells us how slowing our pace, rethinking our priorities and simplifying our lives can make us happier and healthier and the world a rosier place in general. The center's slogan, "More fun, less stuff," encourages us to question our seemingly insatiable desire for more convenience, speed and possessions. Clearly, too much of a good thing has been bad for our health: The drive to have more things more quickly and easily is making Americans fatter, less fit and more stressed.

Our overconsumption also is stressing the planet's well-being, says the center's founder and executive director, Betsy Taylor. And it's not making us any happier. "There's a hunger to live differently," Taylor says, "not just because it's good for the environment, but because it feels better. People are yearning for a greater connection to their families, to their communities and to nature." And people are willing to change, she says, "but they want to know that what they do will make a difference."

At the center's Web site (see box, page 26), you can find out exactly how much impact you would have on the health of the planet if you made small changes in your habits for one year. More impressive, you can see the cumulative impact of 999 other people taking the same action with you. "The act of doing something positive is incredibly powerful," Taylor says, "even if it's just something like skipping a car trip once in a while." Here are 10 seemingly small things you can do to make a big difference.

1. Put your money where your health is. We already own so much stuff that we don't know where to put it, which is probably why the number of self-storage warehouses in the United States has tripled in 15 years. Instead of shopping for the sake of shopping, spend your money on your health: Get yourself a gym membership, hire a personal trainer or take an adventure vacation that exercises your body and excites your mind.

2. Eliminate one car trip each week. The average American drives 250 miles weekly. When you substitute walking or biking (or jogging to the bus stop) for a 20-mile car trip each week, you reduce emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide by 1,000 pounds per year. And you might shave off some unwanted pounds of your own: Depending on your weight and what kind of exercise you exchange for sitting behind the steering wheel, you can burn between 700 and 2,500 extra calories, The globe might stay cooler, the air will be cleaner, and you'll be more fit.

3. Say no to junk mail. Marketing companies can stuff mailboxes with advertising for pennies a pound, but junk mail exacts a heavy environmental toll. If you and 999 other people cut your bulk mail by half for one year, you'll conserve 170 trees and 70,000 gallons of water and prevent 23 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the air. Dealing with junk mail also steals the time you'd rather spend on stress-reducing activities like walking or gardening or reading something you're actually interested in. To find out how to limit the amount you receive, visit the Center for a New American Dream Web site at newdream.org.

4. Give up one beef meal a week. If you (and 999 others) would eat just one less beef meal a week for a whole year, you'd save 35 tons of grain, 35 tons of topsoil and 40 million gallons of water. Substitute turkey breast or fish for a hamburger, and you'll not only be cutting fat and calories, you'll also likely be lowering your cholesterol and reducing your risk of certain cancers.

5. Use natural pest-control products. Nearly three-quarters of Americans put pesticides on their lawns and gardens to the tune of 70 million pounds, or nearly a pound per household each year. That may not sound like much, but 1 ounce of the common pesticide diazinon is enough to pollute 94 million gallons of water. Pesticides kill birds and other wildlife along with bugs, and many of these toxic chemicals are carcinogens. To learn about substitutes, visit the Web site of the Pesticide Action Network of North America at www.panna.org.

6. Rediscover soap. Most of the nation's streams now contain disinfectants and antibiotics, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports. These "pharmaceutical and personal-care pollutants" have made their way from our homes into our waterways, where they harm fish and other aquatic life. Household products and cosmetics that target bacteria are, paradoxically, encouraging the growth of drug-resistant germs that threaten our health. Instead of washing with antibacterial products, use plain old cheap soap -- it works just as well.

7. Order your fish dish wisely. Many of the nation's top chefs, concerned about wasteful fishing practices and declining fishing stocks, are refusing to serve such overfished species as Chilean sea bass. Shrimp harvesting is particularly wasteful: For every pound you buy, an average of 4-10 pounds of other sea life and birds are killed and discarded. To learn which types of seafood are abundant -- currently, catfish, calamari, mahi-mahi, Alaskan halibut, Pacific albacore tuna and Alaskan wild salmon (a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids) -- check out the Seafood Lover's Guide at audubon.org.