1 Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving.
2 Turn thermostat up three degrees (in summer) and down three degrees (in winter). In the spring and fall, open the windows as often as possible.
3 Wash dishes by hand in a dishpan and only run the dishwasher with a full load. Do not use heat for the drying cycle.
4 Wash clothes in the coolest water possible.
5 Turn off lights, TV, radio and stereo when leaving the room for any length of time.
6 Take a day of rest—no shopping, no work, no driving once a week.
7 Recycle everything possible; don’t buy over-packaged items.
8 Donate a box of books to the library twice a year.
9 Hand wash clothes instead of dry cleaning whenever possible.
10 Clean out closets and donate clothes not worn in the past year.
11 Memorize one Bible verse about God’s love for his creation, such as Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
12 Install low-flow showerheads. Take showers instead of baths (they use less water).
13 Replace lights with compact fluorescent bulbs.
14 Clean or replace air filters throughout the house.
15 Disconnect ice machine in freezer, especially if you have two or more.
16 Unplug TV and stereo when not in use or put them on a switched power strip.
17 Donate old cell phones, computers, printers to a good cause, or take them to Staples for recycling.
18 Plant deciduous trees along south side of house to save on cooling costs.
19 When replacing appliances, purchase the most efficient (Energy Star), with the lowest yearly energy costs.
20 Ask your local utility to conduct an energy audit on your home and/or business and then heed their advice.
21 Visit the grocery only once each week. Combine trips. Carpool.
22 Air-dry laundry whenever possible.
23 Avoid fast food restaurants; pack a picnic lunch when traveling.
24 Replace church light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Recycle church bulletins.
25 Caulk and weather strip around windows and doors to plug air leaks.
26 Stock up on handkerchiefs, cloth shopping bags, and cloth napkins and kick the paper habit.
27 Wait a month before buying something you “need”; when you do make purchases, buy quality items that will last for many years.
28 Save unwanted catalogs and ask to be taken off their mailing list.
29 Set up a “share board” at church or organize a clothing exchange.
30 Give away or sell anything and everything that is cluttering your life. Donate the proceeds to charity.
31 Instead of a birthday gift or funeral flowers, send a donation to charity or plant a tree or shrub in their honor.
32 When replacing a car, consider one that gets great mileage and has low emissions. Suggest the same for your church, school, business, and city.
33 Organize a paint swap at church or the recycling center; combine unused portions of paint and use as a primer.
34 Organize a church-based public prayer event with emphasis on creation care and stewardship.
35 Start a study group on what the Bible says about caring for creation.
36 Hang thick or insulated curtains. Close them during the day in summer; close at night in winter.
37 Ask your children to “pare down” their toys periodically; give those gently used items to local charities or non-profit groups.
38 Stay closer to home on your next family trip; stay home on one holiday when you usually travel.
39 Avoid use of pesticides and chemicals on your lawn and garden.
40 Pray for people whose forests and habitats have been destroyed by our material desires; ask God to help you become a better steward of His resources.
41 Spend at least ten minutes in nature “being still and knowing that I am God.”
42 Cut back on soft drinks by substituting tap water at least once per day.
43 Avoid covering radiators and vents with furniture or curtains; program thermostats to come on 30 minutes before waking up and coming home.
44 Plant a vegetable or herb garden.
45 Insulate your attic with a minimum of 10 inches of insulation; insulate your hot water heater if its an older model.
46 Write or call your city/county representative and state reps and ask them to consider conducting an energy audit in their offices; do the same at school and work.
47 Insulate your hot water pipes; its easy—just clip on the foam insulation.
48 Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater to the lowest setting.
49 Cut food before cooking; put the lid on pans; cook outside in summer.
50 Follow our grandmothers’ advice: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Excerpted from Serve God, Save the Planet, by J. Matthew Sleeth, MD
1 comment:
Yay! This is so great~~ I love that you are getting the word out! I listened to your sermon on the podcast (I'm a subscriber!) and the funny thing is our church had a similar sermon the exact same day. We have a group called earthworks that is about caring for God's Green Earth. :) I also read Sleeth's book and thought it was excellent! Keep up the good work, Pastor Tim. And to hear our pastor's take, go to the online sermons at http://www.thevineyardchurch.us/
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