Stand For Less

Thank you for all of the entries--STAND FOR LESS is proud of all that Californians are doing to take a stand.

Additional people are welcome to tell us what you do and we want to hear, however, no new entries will be considered for the evening in La Jolla.

The winner will be chosen by drawing. All entrants are to be commended for taking a STAND FOR LESS.

Even though my condominium complex does not recycle. I do. My family collects all glass, cans, paper, cardboard and plastic bottles in bags that we keep by the door. Twice or more a week I either take the bags to Morley Field to their recycle bin or to the San Diego Zoo where they have a lot of receptacles. I hate to see my neighbors putting boxes and bottles into our trash bin. I also use tote bags for shopping whenever possible. We've started using a timer in the bathroom to limit the shower time for my teenage son.

STANDING FOR LESS is really standing for better. We now catch the rain falling off our roof with a 32-gallon trash can, using this water for our organic garden and potted plants. When washing dishes, we use less soap and use the gray water for watering our herbs on the nearby front step. We walk to our local mall when we need small items. When we have longer trips, we use our Prius and carpool Use the restroom means less flushings when possible. Putting the plug down in the sink when we wash our hands or delicate items allows for many hand washings throughout the day.

Recycling has been our goal for many years, returning plastic baggies to the Vons Recycling bin, using fabric bags when going to grocery or farmers' market, and recycling greens, glass, aluminum, paper and plastics at our curb. I even sent fabric to a woman who makes bags and sends you one in return for fabric. We turn our shower water off while soaping and brushing teeth, and catch water while getting it hot.

We love San Diego and will continue to Stand for Less and BETTER, setting a good role model for others, young and old.

It is all the little things that we can all easily do. My electronics are all on power strips so they can all be turned off when not in use or at night--no vampires! Indoor bulbs are CFLs and outside I use solar lighting. I catch extra shower water in a bucket and use it to water plants.

My back yard is landscaped in low-water-use California native plants that don't need chemical fertilizers. I drive a Prius and I wash it at a car wash that recycles water rather than at home. My appliances are chosen for energy efficiency. I print on both sides of each piece of paper as well as on paper that other people send me in the mail. I recycle paper, plastic, metal. I take reusable bags to the market.

All of these are so simple to do and save money too!

My motor cylce 46 mpg, is my primary choice of transportation. I have a photo voltaic system to produce my own electricity for all household electricity use.

I have saved all of the warm up water for every shower since 1991.

I use recycled water for all of my laundry water usage. My toilet has no direct water hook-up as only recycled water is used. I dry all clothes except dress shirts/pants by using a clothes line. The front yard has natural vegetation and needs little watering.

I have used 100% synthetic lubrication for my car and motorcycle since 1974 which decreases oil use by at least 50 percent. I have my water heater turned down to the vacation setting. I have used air conditioning once or twice in the last ten years.

During winter I have set my thermostat to 68 degrees when used. I have rid my house of all incandescent lights. I have my house walls and ceiling insulated. I put in two sky lights to decrease the need for artificial lighting. I eat little red meat and emphasize a more vegetarian diet.

I block the sunlight from entering my windows to keep the house cool. In the winter wear warm clothes indoors. I make my own bread and bake it with gas heat.

I walk. Everywhere. And recycle, compost (everything possible), and only use 2 trash bags a month. If you can do it, I'm probably doing it.

I stand for less on a daily basis and I have taken the small steps approach to eliminating wasteful behaviors. Instead of using plastic water bottles, I fill up gallon containers at Glacier water fillers and use reusable bottles.

When showering, I only turn the water on to rinse off. I also have been using public transportation instead of driving--cars are not a necessity. During the summer, I open windows at night to let in cool air so that I barely have to run the air conditioning, but during the winter I just bundle up under a blanket and keep the heat at about 65 inside. It is amazing how many of the things that help the planet actually help keep living costs down as well. If everyone could realize this, then our impact would lessen greatly.

I know that what I do on a daily basis is not difficult, but I feel good knowing that I am aware of how my actions can affect the rest of the world. I do not want my actions to have a negative impact on anyone, whether they live now or 50 years from now.

An idea in August has turned into a sustainable business in San Diego... BottleHood.

BottleHood’s glassware is made from wine, beer, liquor, soda and water bottles recycled from restaurants, bars, homes and events in the community of San Diego. Our repurposed tumblers, juice glasses, vases and light fixtures are all eco-friendly and sustainable.

Created out of a passion to create local jobs, stimulate our local retail economy and help our environment, BottleHood’s success is a reflection of neighborhood sentiment and support for what BottleHood stands for...a pride in our neighborhood, our local craftsmen and entrepreneurs, and our social responsibility.

On this 40th Earth Day, I stand for less by cultivating an awareness of where my water, energy and products come from and the impacts to get these resources to me.

I lived in a remote island community where it was necessary to carry in your own water (or capture rainfall), to bring in propane for energy, and to select well-made durable goods that could be repaired since "shopping" was an infrequent activity due to the plane and car trips necessary. This experience served as a model for realizing my resource "needs" versus my previous inattentive mindset that allowed lights to be left on, water to run, and new products to be consumed at an alarming rate.

When you are able to see the hundreds of gallons of water and tanks of propane needed for your life on a regular basis, it creates a conservation mindset, especially when these resources are not easily replaced.

If you have the chance, I encourage you to carry your water and energy needs for 1 day, and believe me, you too will stand for less.

I'm teaching my 3 year old son not to waste water when he washes his hands, brushes his teeth, takes a bath, etc... no easy feat but definitely worth the effort! He's learning the importance of conservation. My hope is that this one little things will have a life-long impact.

We're about to move onto a boat, and I'm getting it ready. Most boats just flush their poop into the ocean; we have dessicating toilets that turn poop into compost. Most boats run a petroleum fueled generator, but our power is wind, water, and solar generated so we can do everything we want to, but stay off-grid, even in a harbor. My neighbors are all power boats, but we travel by wind (being a sailboat), and we can go everywhere with no exhaust, no spilled oil, and no noise.

Most of all, we're moving from a 2500 square foot house into our 64' boat (us and our three kids), and are selling just about everything that doesn't float, or help a boat navigate. Less is SO MUCH MORE when you live on a boat.

About the only thing we're not sacrificing is the library; ya gotta have books when you're off-grid and far away. I can't wait to be off-shore, looking back, and wondering why I ever wanted "more", when everything I love and need is on my boat.

I talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. My company, GreenScaped Buildings, designs and installs vegetated roofs, edible walls and rain water & gray water systems. (2nd business is Good Earth Plant Company).

I do an incredible amount of outreach, speaking and teaching to architects, builders, planners, contractors and homeowners about our work and the myriad of ways it improves the environment. The projects we do: reduce energy consumption and storm water run-off. combat the heat island effect. add biodiversity to urban areas. provide locally grown organic food. reduce potable water consumption. extend the life of a roof and reduce land fill. At our facility: Our 1,800 square foot green roof cut energy use by 23% and storm water runoff by 60%. It improves air quality by adding oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and collects particulate matter from the air and rain. We attract birds and insects to our industrial location. We eat lunch from our edible walls. We compost green waste. We recycle cardboard, paper, glass, and metal. wash our uniforms and rags using the gray water in my garden. use drip or sub-irrigation methods to reduce water use. collect 1,000 gallons of water every time it rains more than three inches.

Drive gas mileage efficient Scions. use no pesticides. Minimize printing and store all our records on our computer. demonstrate all of our products and services to interested parties.

I was an environmentalist before it was cool to be green. Growing up in the middle of logging country, people would look at me and wonder how I became so passionate about saving the trees. As I grew up the behaviors that supported my views expanded.

Today I have a worm bin at home in a small condo, grow my own herbs and other items like tomatoes. I conserve water through shorter showers and turning off the water to soap up, I don’t run the tap while washing my hands or brushing my teeth. I bought a fuel efficient car and drive as little as possible. I shop organic and bring my own shopping bags. I shop at both my local farmers market and the bulk food store. I carry both a reusable coffee cup and water container to work with me each day.

For me it’s in the small choices and the big ones, what paper to buy or what appliances to buy, but the point is to do the most that I can while still living my life.

my daughter goes to Sanderling Waldorf where they teach and support sustainability,I take my reuseable coffee cup to Solana Beach Coffee company everyday with coconut milk i bring., I have my csa delivery from Seabreeze organics farm.I use as much COMPOSTABLE as possible not biodegradeable, I buy as much 2nd hand off craigslist before buying new, my car is a '73 beetle, i changed from a corporate job driving around in sales wearing expensive suits to dancing wearing next to nothing (saving a ton on fabric and water washing), no more drycleaning or wasting gas.

My purse is a recycled rice bag from Thailand. We only eat take out if it is burritos in paper or from Tony's Jacal beacause they dont wrap in plastic. We are mostly vegan. Jimbos is our favorite place to shop if we need something. I use my daughters artwork to wrap her lunch in. We do not drink out of plastic! we have Palomar mountain water delivered in glass and we use containers. We make our own art.

We love living this way it makes us happy. And my ex husband says his company was inspired by us , Sullivan Solar Power.

In a world that often pleads for more, I stand for less. In a neighborhood where it is convenient to drive to the shopping mall, beach, or local restaurant, I stand for walking. In a city where trash services are free, I stand for recycling and composting.

In a county where it is possible to buy asparagus from Argentina, Grapes from china, chilies from Ecuador, dates from Greece, and pineapples from Guam, I stand for seasonal locally-grown organic produce. In a state where electricity is cheap and electronic gadgets are plentiful, I stand for energy efficiency.

In a country where water is plentiful, I stand for water conservation. My stand is entrenched in daily life – I walk to all activities (shopping, playing sports, eating) within five miles whenever practical and occasionally bike the thirteen miles to work; I compost all food scraps and separate other recyclables from the trash to reduce waste; all my produce comes from my patio garden or a local organic farm; my apartment is full of compact florescent bulbs and power strips; and low-flow faucets adorn my apartment in a neighborhood that irrigates with reclaimed water.

I stand for less.

I have tamed that paper tiger!

I never print anything up anymore. All photos taken are digital. All records are made & kept in something like Word or Excel. I scan all documents & save as jpg's or other. I don't fax & don't do business with anyone who does. Almost everyone accepts pdf's thru eMail now. On the rare occasion when I do have to print something up I always print double-sided. I call junk mailers & have them remove me from their list. The only paper in my house now is books & some prints on the walls.

I never use products that come from trees, preferring tile to hardwood floors, glass & metal instead of wood furniture, & concrete, metal, glass, & even straw for the house's structure rather than cut down trees. I build for more permanance; nothing built out of wood is made to last. & I plant trees wherever & whenever I can.

I stand for less by living as GREEN a life as possible every day with my family. We begin each day with a short (3 to 5 minute) shower. We do full wash loads in cold water with eco-friendly soap in an efficient washing machine. We dry our clothes on racks on the patio. We hang some clothes to dry on hangers suspended on cup hooks in the patio beams also. When it rains, we put out buckets, coolers and pots to collect rain to water the low water native, cactus and succulent plants in the yard.

We have drip irrigation and no grass. We have our roof covered with solar panels with excess power going back to the grid for others. We wear lots of clothes in the winter and fewer in the summer so we use our heating and cooling systems very seldom. Ceiling fans and new windows help us to keep cooler and warmer. We insulated. All our light bulbs are low energy. We use recycled and repurposed items and products as much as possible. Go thrift stores for shopping and donations! We make multipurpose round trips for shopping. We compost and recycle.

We live and promote GREENess!

This year our family of 5 has made a concerted effort to use fewer resources in a variety of ways. This includes reducing our watering to one-day a week, converting to drought tolerant plants, 5-minute showers, recycling household containers for alternate uses or back to the recycle center.

Even though our trash collector does not pick up recycling, we bring our bins to a location where they do pick up.

We have planted a large organic vegetable garden that is patrolled for insects by our small flock of Guinea Hens, who we hope will lay eggs soon. With regards to fuel, we plan our outings to be the most efficient use of energy and time.

Thanks for considering our entry. The Bennett Family

Nothing is more damaging to the environment than humans, so I did my part by not having children. Am also a vegetarian.

I Stand for Less by riding my bike to work, stores, or just to ‘cruise’ the neighborhood. Biking the 20 mile round trip to work gets my heart and lungs working, my sweat flowing, and my attitude in a right place for the day. It also means I have less stress, more cash promote less road congestion, don’t use fuel (except for local or organic foods), and save 2.6 tons of CO2 from going into the air. I am noise free except for an occasional “on your left!”

I take the trolley in town sometimes too, though this is now more in an emergency like rain, or having to stay late, or sometimes just wanting time to read. I check out books from the library too—why waste money and resources buying something you only read once? The trolley too is cheap and less polluting than taking the car, and means I also get in an 80 minute total of walking. No wonder my blood pressure is so low.

Some people have asked if I bike because it makes a political statement, and the answer is no—it is just a fun and responsible way to get around town.