Environmental Tips

The Environmental Authority (EMA) here in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean), provides resources and helpful tips on protection of the environment. Here are some helpful tips below:

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE:

· Build a compost heap in your yard for grass, branches, other clippings and vegetable waste. It will reduce waste collection and help your garden grow.

· Reuse plastic containers and grocery bags, donate old clothes and magazines to charitable organizations.

· Buy recycled paper, photocopy on recycled paper, support businesses that use recycled paper.

· Try to recycle all glass products.

BUY GREEN PRODUCTS:

· Choose eggs in cardboard cartons over styrofoam cartons.

· Whenever possible, buy products that are packaged in refillable or reusable containers.

· Buy ‘ozone friendly’ and ‘environment friendly’ products which do not harm our environment.

CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES:

· Plant a tree. Trees absorb carbon dioxide in the process of growing and in this way help clean up the air and reduce global warming.

· Turn off the tap! Running the tap while shaving, brushing teeth or washing the dishes wastes 11 to 19 litres (three to five gallons) of water every minute.

· Make maximum use of natural light. Think carefully before you turn on a light during the day.

· Run your dishwasher, washing machine and clothes dryer only when you have full loads.

COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS:

If you are an organization which carries out activities that affect the environment, keep the channels of communication open with your neighboring community. Keep them aware of your efforts to protect the environment.

OTHER WAYS TO GO GREEN:

Here are some other simple ways to go green below

• Adopt an attitude of "every little bit helps." Though no green effort will solve the world's environmental problems overnight, there is no harm in trying to make a small impact by embracing greener habits.

• Donate your old books to doctors' offices and salons, for people to read in these waiting areas.

• Cancel your catalog subscriptions and shop online. Much of the paper that catalogs are made from is harvested from old-growth forests.

• Invest in rechargeable batteries. They can last for up to five years and be recharged hundreds of times before replacements are necessary.

• Consider downloading your software instead of buying it at the store. Billions of compact discs are sold every year, which makes for a huge amount of packaging waste. Not only is downloading your software environmentally responsible, but you are often able to download the software again at no extra charge if you change computers or suffer a crash.

• Get into the habit of writing "please recycle" on your gift and shipping boxes. It is an easy way to encourage green habits and inspire a chain of environmental awareness.

• Add weather stripping and waterproof caulking around all the doors and windows of your home to keep cold drafts outside.

• Try to avoid buying endangered and over-fished varieties of fish.

• Fix that leaky faucet. One drip per second from a leaky faucet or pipe can waste up to 5 gallons of water a day, which adds up to 1,800 gallons per year.

• Research some of the national parks in your Country and discover just how wonderfully God has blessed your landscape.

For more tips and resources on protecting the environment, visit the EMA website at http://www.ema.co.tt. You can also email the EMA at ema@ema.co.tt. Remember to protect the environment.

"When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves" (David Orr).