Conscious Choice Seattle: Little Eco-things Add Up

May 2006 | Conscious Comment

Little Eco-things Add Up

By Dr. Patrick Moore

Little Eco-things Add Up

How can you be more gentle on the Earth? It’s an impossible question because no single environmental issue takes absolute priority and many are in fact linked. But I think the most important thing we can do is understand that even small efforts—from turning off unnecessary lights to using non-toxic cleaning products—add up to a meaningful impact.

For example, there are many ways to save energy. In addition to the obvious (such as fixing leaks or adding insulation), try switching from incandescent lights to fluorescent.

Or plant a tree. According to the U.S. Forest Service, well-positioned trees outside a home can reduce air conditioning needs by 20 percent and save 20 to 50 percent of the energy used for heating. I also try to reduce my own environmental footprint by these methods:

• Turn off the tap. Water shortages are becoming increasingly frequent, yet North Americans use more water per capita than everyone except the Japanese: about 90 gallons a day, compared to the European average of 53 gallons. Wasteful practices (such as leaving the tap on when we shave or clean the counters) comprise 14 percent of that amount. That’s more than 12 gallons a day, per person, treated to drinking quality standards and often heated—that is lost down the drain.

• Avoid quick starts. Driving a fuel-efficient car is a simple way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which (in addition to being non-renewable) are enormous polluters. But did you know that rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33 percent?

• Use renewable materials and energy whenever possible. This can be as simple as using wood instead of other, non-renewable materials. Or, if you own your home, choose non-polluting alternatives to oil and natural gas, such as a geothermal heat pump, which captures solar energy that’s been absorbed into the earth.

• Eat farmed salmon. It may seem like an odd choice for this list, but the campaign against farmed salmon is so misinformed that it has to be addressed. The bottom line: farmed salmon is safe and healthy to eat, and takes the pressure off wild fish stocks, which can’t possibly meet the demands of a growing global population.

Some environmental groups are using a recent study of PCBs in salmon to support their general position against fish farming. The problem is, they’ve completely disregarded the conclusions of the study’s authors—that levels of PCBs in farmed salmon are well within the safety guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The good news is that, while certain groups continue to spread false claims, clear statements of support have been issued by the National Cancer Institute, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Council on Science and Health, the American Heart Association, the World Health Organization and the National Fisheries Institute.

Consumers can’t be expected to analyze every study that comes along. But I believe that a sensible environmentalist would look at the facts of this case and continue to include farmed salmon as part of a healthy diet.

Dr. Patrick Moore is chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: