Earth Day the Catholic Way: Things You Can Do at Home

The Catholic Climate Covenant calls for all of us to care for the poor and God's creation.  The poor get hit first and hardest when creation is polluted or when climate change worsens.

What can you do?  Check out these concrete, practical tips for the whole family:
http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/What-You-Can-Do.pdf

· Turn off lights and unplug appliances when you leave the room.
· Unplug your cell phone as soon as it is charged.
· Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.
· Turn off water when shaving, brushing your teeth and take shorter showering.
· Ride a bike, walk, carpool, or use public transportation whenever possible.
· Use biodegradable soap, shampoos.
· Buy Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate
· Reduce use of disposable products by using reusable containers; if you must buy disposable, buy paper or glass products instead of plastic.
· Bring reusable cloth bags when shopping instead of disposable plastic bags.
· Buy local, and/or organic food, and purchase recycled products whenever possible.
· Organize an environmental awareness day at your parish or school.
· Plant a garden and start a compost pile.
· Eat less meat: the UN concludes that “the livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems"
· Dry your clothes outdoors when possible and use the dryer less.

Learn more about the St. Francis Pledge at: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/