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Get Recession-Ready!

Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Lloyd Alter

By Lloyd Alter
Toronto, Canada | Sun Mar 23 17:21:00 EDT 2008

It is everywhere in the news these days-recession is in the air.

George Monbiot wrote in The Guardian earlier this year that a recession might not be a bad thing, and that perhaps there can be too much growth. He also wondered if we all have enough cars and cellphones, and don't need to keep making them. Perhaps he should be careful what he wishes for.

It is true that in times of economic contraction, there is less fuel burned and less pollution created, as industries make less stuff and there are fewer trucks carrying it. Russia's air got dramatically cleaner after the fall of Communism and all the old factories closed.

It is also true that almost all of the things that we preach as being good for the planet are also good for getting recession-ready; use less stuff, lower your heating bills, reduce your use of electricity, make your own dinner-all these things that make less carbon dioxide also save us money. Most of them make you healthier too. So watch for our new series, "Get Recession-Ready."

Links to earlier posts with some good tips for getting recession-ready are below the fold.
1. Join the Shift to Thrift: In the United Kingdom, many are looking at the ways Britons adapted during the shortages after WWII.

2. Reduce Kitchen Paper Waste: Three simple yet effective ways of reducing paper waste in your kitchen.

3. Green Your Home for Winter: Sew a Draft Stopper: Dodge the draft, without having to hotfoot it all the way to Canada, by stuffing fabric snakes into crevices where the chill can nip in and sneakily drive up heating costs.

4. Move in with Someone: Divorce isn't just traumatic for your kids, it's also a strain on the environment.

5. Become a "Hypermiler": There are lots of things you can do to get better gas mileage (and put some cash back in your pocket) when you drive.

Difficulty level: Easy to moderate

 
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