Daily Staff Writer

Showing concern for the environment does not have to involve being a fanatic. There are many things every person can do to help the environment without making a big change in lifestyle:

* Reduce Garbage: Current rates show the average American throws away 3.5 pounds of solid waste per day. Reducing your contribution to the landfill or the incinerator means landfills won’t fill up as fast, resources will not be wasted as much and toxic waste seepage and air pollution from incinerators will decrease.

* Join an environmental organization or do volunteer work: Most people don’t have the time to track legislative votes and lobby Congress to make sure beneficial environmental legislation gets a fair chance or to educate the public about environmental issues. However, groups like the Sierra Club and World Wildlife Fund who do those things need support.

* Buy organic or locally produced food as often as possible: Organic farming is a low-impact, sustainable farming method using appropriate technology to replenish and maintain the land. Buying locally produced food supports local family farms and reduces the trucking and shipping of farm products from large industrial farms.

* Ride a bike or keep your car in shape: The exhaust from cars creates many problems such as air pollution and depletion of natural resource fuels. Using ethanol, keeping engine filters clean, using alternatives like riding a bike or driving the speed limit can lessen a car’s impact on the earth.

* Turn the light off when not using it: Conserving energy can extend the supply of natural resources, reduce emissions causing air pollution and prevent increases in sulfuric acid rain, an effect of burning coal to produce electricity.

* Don’t buy imported wood or tropical plants harvested from endangered tropical forests: Every second an acre of rain forest is destroyed, it contributes to loss of bio-diversity and the green house effect. Avoiding imported tropical plants, wood and other products can help leave the forests intact.

* Don’t waste or pollute water: Buy non-phosphate soaps and detergents and avoid dumping bleach, paint and cleaners down the drain to reduce water pollution. Installing water-saving devices for your shower and toilet can save millions of gallons of water every year.

* Buy “green” products: Support industries that make and market reusables, rechargeables, biodegradables and other earth-friendly products. If the market shows a “green” consumer trend, industries and businesses will follow demand.

*ÿDon’t buy disposables: One way to stop the growth of landfills is to stop using disposable products like razors, batteries, diapers and lighters.

* Recycle and Precycle: Recycling is easy, ecological, and economical. Materials such as glass, newspaper and aluminum are easy to recycle. Precycling means reducing waste before you buy. Buy things that are biodegradable or have reduced packaging.

—Information was compiled from Earth Works Group, a national environmental organization, by Jonquil Wegmann, Daily Staff Writer.