Eat Local
Get your food from local producers. Co-ops and farmer's markets are a great place to start. The money you spend stays in the community and you often get to meet the people who grow your food.
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 Entertainment and Recreation
Keep your carbon dioxide emissions to a minimum when you have fun or enjoy the outdoors. Explore the coast nearby or
camp in the mountains down the road instead of embarking on epoch road trips; consider getting a sailboat instead of
a speedboat or a mountain bike instead of a motorcycle; take the family to the local museum or go river rafting
instead of hopping a plane to Disneyland. Anything you can do to reduce your travel miles and power usage
will have a big impact as we try to stop global warming now.
Leisure travel by car in the U.S. adds up to over 9 billion gallons of fuel and 90 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. There are plenty of ways to have fun right in our backyard.
How do I do this?
Instead of loading up the car and spewing carbon dioxide all the way to the next state, get to know the parks, trails, lakes, museums or businesses nearby. Try to set a local radius, for example, 50 miles or less. Get out a map or phone book and see what the immediate area has to offer. We are lucky that we have so much to do right in and around town. Get to know the nooks and crannies of your community rather than skimming the surface and moving on to the next major attraction. Stay within the set radius and when you want do something fun or adventurous look local first. For example, instead of driving down to the Olympic Peninsula go explore Mt. Baker. Search for local products and services here.
Why should I do this?
Leisure activities and entertainment are a huge source of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Leisure travel by car in the U.S. adds up to over 9 billion gallons of fuel and 90 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. People who live close to work and school probably often only spend time in a car when they are going to do something fun. It is easy, yet unnecessary to get in the habit of “playing” far away from where you work and live. You can reduce stress and travel time and spend more time actually relaxing and having fun by staying nearby. Besides, Bellingham has been on numerous top 10 lists for best places to live due in part to the beauty and recreational opportunities of our area. Try to find and promote entertainment nearby so future generations have somewhere to play as well.
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Take a break from go-karts, motorboats and chair lifts and try sailing, hiking, biking or even kite-boarding.
How do I do this?
Examine the activities you do for fun and see if you can get the same satisfaction or adrenaline rush without all the pollution. For example: an afternoon on a motorboat generally burns at least a few gallons of gas whereas a sailboat will run all summer on a single tank; instead of barreling around on a motorcycle hop on a downhill mountain bike; save money and beat the crowds by doing some backcountry or cross country skiing instead of riding a diesel-powered chair lift all day.
Why should I do this?
It is a tough realization that many of our outdoor sports are incredibly polluting. Motorcycles and motorboats barely get a few miles per gallon when accelerating full speed. Chair lifts at ski resorts run on diesel or electricity, often from coal fired plants, and people drive or fly from all over the country to ride them. Families travel thousands of miles to see famous beaches, mountains and state parks all the while passing multitudes of beautiful attractions on the way.
We must change the way we enjoy the world around us if we want to have a beautiful world left in the near future. The effects can be seen already - the North Cascades in Washington have lost 18-32 percent of their glaciers in the last 24 years and places in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico are expected to experience 82 - 89 percent losses in ski-area snow pack by 2085.
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Coordinate with your friends, family and neighbors and take one car when heading out to have some fun. Carpooling just 2 days a week saves 1,590 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year(1). Or hop on the bus or train when you want to hang out in the next town over.
How do I do this?
Start by asking your friends and neighbors what they are doing for the weekend or holiday and see if you can’t share a ride. Check out ride share listings like www.rideshareonline.com or http://bellingham.craigslist.org/rid/ to connect with fellow carpoolers if you don’t know anyone who is going in your direction. Find out if you can get where you’re going using public transportation and save the cost and hassle of driving. However you get to your destination avoid driving, especially with just one or two people in the car. Make a commitment and don’t forget that there is plenty to do within walking or biking distance.
Why should I do this?
If everyone found just one other person or group who had a similar destination for the weekend and carpooled, we could instantly cut carbon dioxide emissions from weekend recreation in half. Your gas bill will be cut in half too! Carpooling is also a great way to get to know your friends and neighbors better.
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Pick up your towels and make your own bed, or follow the hotel’s specific instructions to make sure that your towels and sheets aren’t changed every day. An average-sized hotel saves 70,000 gallons of water every year through a towel/sheet reuse program(1).
How do I do this?
Ask the front desk what you should do to let the maids know you don’t need fresh towels or linens if you are staying more than one night. Some hotels have placards you place on your door when you want your linens washed. They will be more than willing to oblige since it will save them money. If you are only staying one night at a time you could bring your own towel, use it the whole trip and wash it when you get home. Check out http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/ to find “greener” lodging.
Why should I do this?
Studies have shown that the average hotel consumes about 209 gallons of water per room per day(1).
That’s almost as much as the 243 gallons per day consumed by an entire U.S. household. A large amount of the water consumed is used to clean towels and linens, which also require the use of electricity and detergent. Taking this action can also help persuade businesses to adopt conservation as a way to increase profit.
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