Eco-Lifestyle for Beginners
By Anan. Oupraxay
April 2009
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Summary
I. The Basic « 3R’s » principle
II. Save Energy
III. Save Water
IV. Save Time
V. Save your Hearth
VI. Save the Planet
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The Basic 3R’s principle (1/3):
R for REDUCE:
 Reduce the Quantity but choose more the
Quality.
 Don’t over-buy foods which will end up in the
trash bin if not finished.
 The recommended daily calorie intake for
women is 2000 calories and 2500 -2800 for men1
why eating more than necessary ?
1Source: Food Standards Agency - http://www.food.gov.uk 3

The Basic 3R’s principle (2/3):
R for REUSE:
 Follow less fashion / trendy / useless things
 Why keep buying new mobile phone every 6months ?
 Prefer more simplicity / useful / long-life things
 Why not reuse items such as carrier bags, lunch boxes etc… ?
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The Basic 3R’s principle (3/3):
R for RECYCLE:
 Papers (newspapers, magazines…)
 Plastic bottles (mineral water…)
 Bottles in glass (beer, wine…)
… can be recycled !
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Save Energy
 Turn Off the light & devices when not used.
 Use eco-energy saving light bulbs
 Choose the best energy efficient household
appliances (grade A or B)
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Save Water
 Turn off the water when brushing your teeth !
 Is your water really dirty in your kitchen ?
If not, why not re-use it for your plants/flowers ?
 Reduce the WC flush consumption by filling your
water tank with simple bricks.
 Each flush = 4L of water waste !  You can divide by 2 !
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Save Time
Be « Multi-task » for easy daily life tasks, for instance :
 While the laundry machine does its job you can…
 Go shopping, do exercice, reading…
 While the rice cooker does its job, you can…
 Start preparing other meals simultaneously like a Chef !
 While you use public transport or travel, you can…
 Read books, magazines…
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Save your Hearth
The lack of sports = risk factors for future heart
attacks: Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and
high cholesterol level.
 Do exercice weekly as you can
e.g: Jogging
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Save the Planet (1/3)
 Grow your own fresh air !
 Get some air cleaner plants for your home
Areca Catechu
Scindapsus aureus
Discover more air purifying plants at:
http://webecoist.com/2009/04/08/air-purifying-plants/ 10

Save the Planet (2/3)
 Grow your own vegies !
Radish & basil in a half-plastic-cut bottle as little pot
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Save the Planet (3/3)
 Use public transportation (as you can) and limit
your carbon footprint !
1 Hummer = 432 g/km of carbon
So if you do 100 km…
432g x 100 = 43 200g
 43,20 Kg of carbon !
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Last wise words…
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children”
- Antoine de St.Exupery
“You must be the change
you wish to see in the world”
- Mahatma Gandhi
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Author
Anan. Oupraxay
Graduate from the University of Teesside, he lives in
Rueil-Malmaison (Paris area) and works for an IT
company as Software Engineer.
Contact:
- email: anan@englance.com
- web: http://ananplanet.blogspot.com
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