In honor of EARTH DAY - let's share stories

1. Prevented population growth: I am deliberately childfree, and have had a socially responsible vasectomy.

2. Downsized my home: Three years ago I sold a 3500 square foot, triple-garage suburban McMansion that I shared with one other person and moved to a 1600 square foot urban bungalow that is half the distance from my work and is shared with three other people.

3. Improved my home heating and cooling system: When we moved in we replaced the existing medium efficiency furnace and A/C with high-efficiency units. We keep the thermostat up two degrees in the summer and down two in the winter.

4. Bought energy efficient appliances: We bought an EnergyStar refrigerator. Every light in our home that is not on a dimmer is a compact fluorescent.

5. Improved home insulation: We had an energy audit done on the house, replaced a bad window, and installed weather stripping. Further attic and wall insulation upgrades are in the plans.

6. Use green electricity: We have changed our electricity supplier from the standard nuclear, coal, hydro and gas supplier to a green energy cooperative whose generating capacity produces no greenhouse gases at all.

7. Downsized my car: Two years ago I traded in my BMW 540i/6 on a 2001 VW Jetta TDI. diesel. I'd have bought a Smart Car, but I needed the back seat. I didn't buy a hybrid because I'm still unconvinced about their total life cycle cost.

8. Use public transit: I now take the bus to work every day instead of driving. As a result my annual automobile mileage is about a quarter of what it was.

9. Stopped flying: I fly about once every two years.

10. Grow some of our own food: We have turned all our flower beds into vegetable gardens which we water from rain barrels and fertilize with compost. I'm planning on donating half my lawn to the vegetable garden effort next year (more food, less mowing). I don't fertilize my lawn and I mow it with a reel push mower.

11. Eat local food: We eat a lot of local food that doesn't need to be transported long distances.

12. Eat less meat: We eat a third of the meat we used to, and very little fish (the oceans are emptying too...)

13. Repair, re-use, recycle: We are fortunate to have a good curbside recycling program where I live. In addition we save and re-use many items that others simply discard.

14. Got involved in politics: Rather than wait around for our governments to do anything, we're trying to change the governments, by getting involved in politics at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Progressive parties and candidates only need apply.