Clean up the beach!!!

Join your fellow Californians on CA Coastal Cleanup Day at Tourmaline Beach (or many other sites around San Diego), September 17 from 9am until noon. http://cleanupday.org/cleanupsites.htm?id=C&id2=109

buy local and fresh

Buying your fruits and vegetables (and nuts and honey, etc.) from your local farmer's market is a great way to get healthy food, support family farms and the local economy (many fruits and veggies, even organic ones, come from other countries or thousands of miles away). Tuesdays: 2-6:30 pm on Bayard St from Garnet ave to Hornblend St
http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php

paper-less

To stop receiving unwanted catalogs that use a lot of paper, go to http://www.catalogchoice.org/. They cancel catalogs for you. You can also call the catalogs directly.

back-to-school SHOPPING

When shopping for back-to-school products (or anything else, for that matter). Stay away from vinyl (PVC) in your products. This #3 plastic (PVC) is called the "poison plastic" by the Center for Health, Justice and the Environment.

In addition to negative environmental effects, plasticisers used in PVC can leach out into the air over time. One of them--DHEP--is a suspected carcinogen.

Clean Water

The ELCA website has some great resources for "Our Faith In Action". Here is a link for information about the issue of clean water and how you can be an advocate for clean water. Clean Water for Our Communities - click here

living in the dark???

Here are 5 ways to save money and the environment this summer: close the shades, upgrade to an energy star air conditioner or rely on passive cooling, shade your air conditioner, line dry your laundry and get an energy audit.

Sandwich bag alternatives

For those picnics at the beach or your lunch at school or work, there is an alternative to ziploc sandwich bags. Try Fresh Pak's velcro closure, insulated sandwich bags made from 50% recylced material. http://www.blueavocado.com/products/fresh_pak-48-6.html