Environmental Poster May 2011 LESS IS MOREEcology is the new Economy Practical tips on how to protect both o r planet

an! o r poc"ets#### It is said that, if the whole population of the earth lived like the average American, we would need 5 planets. It is also said that, if all of us lived like the average European, wed need 3 planets. Unfortunately, however, we only have one planet. hat did all we !civili"ed# people do wrong and found ourselves on the edge of destruction$ e simply got !civili"ed. In other words, we developed a culture %ased on &uantity. 'he more you consume the %igger car and house you get. 'he more clothes you %uy, the more !civili"ed# you are considered. And the race for &uantity has no end, not even when facing the risk of destruction, or economic or personal e(termination. )any people think that healthy living is not to our financial interest. *owever, ecology does not consist of strange %iological products sold in lu(urious shops. Ecology consists in a change in our way of thinking, aiming at a drop in consumption. +rom this perspective, ecology is the new economy. 'herefore, %elow we suggest ways of protecting %oth the planet and your pocket. ,emem%er- .ittle is style, not misery.

$or the ho se%

+ind a house near work, school or means of transport to reduce car use. )aintain your plum%ing, central heating and insulation, to reduce water and energy waste. /onnect all sockets to a single, central plug, to ena%le disconnecting them all at once whenever you leave the house. 'his can reduce your electricity %ill %y 012. 3uy new electrical appliances %earing the special ecological sign showing that they consume 014512 less water and energy. 5ut sand %last on your window glass, special carpets near doors to prevent air coming in and foil to central heating units to reflect heating. Install a sun water heater and %oiler 5lant trees and plants everywhere- %alconies, roofs, gardens and indoors, for natural insulation and air filtering.

On the move%
6rive slowly on the right side. 7peeds higher than 81km9h increase fuel consumption.

6rive smoothly. 6ont accelerate or %rake suddenly, to prevent fuel consumption and accident risk. Use pu%lic transport. /ommute with others, sharing the same car. :et used to walking. 3uy a %ike and use it.

In the "itchen%
3uy and cook less +ood leftovers can %e used to make compost for your garden and pots. 3uy local and fresh products. ;o energy has %een wasted on packaging, cooling and carrying them. 6ont %uy pre4cooked meals. :row your own vegeta%les. In your garden, you can have a %arrel to store water for watering. Eat less meat4your doctor says so, too. *uge amounts of water, food, soil, hormones and anti%iotics are wasted for meat production. Avoid small packages and try to reuse and recycle %ottles and %o(es. Use white vinegar and soda to clean. 7oda dissolved in water a%sor%s %ad odors from the fridge and cleans carpets <use powder and clean with the vacuum cleaner=.

6ont use decontaminants. )icro%es get more resistant. 3oil cinnamon instead of room deodorants. 6ont pre4heat the oven. 'hats an old practice. Use cooking pots of the right si"e and well4fit tops to avoid energy waste while cooking on the cooker. 5ressure cookers are a good choice, since they reduce cooking time %y >12.