The Registry Of Nature Habitats

Reduce Home Energy Use - Replace light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs. Turn lights, TV's, computers and other devices off when not using them. Turn down the thermostat in winter and up in summer.
Eat less meat - Although many people reduce their meat consumption for health or humanitarian concerns, there are also environmental reasons for eating less meat. Meat production requires a tremendous amount of resources such as water and fossil fuels, while runoff from livestock operations may pollute rivers, lakes and even drinking water.
Buy a fuel efficient car - It took more than 200 million years for Earth to produce all the oil beneath its surface. But in just 200 years, we have consumed half of it! If current rates of consumption continue, the world’s remaining conventional oil resources could be depleted within 40 years. Two-thirds of the oil we consume goes to transportation, and with half of that going to passenger cars and light trucks.
Purchase energy efficient appliances - Your home is plugged into nature. Depending on the province where you live, your home electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, hydro-electric dams or nuclear power plants. Each of these sources has environmental consequences - from air pollution and global warming to habitat loss and nuclear waste. So wasting energy not only hurts your pocketbook but nature as well. Choosing efficient appliances reduces electricity consumption. That means less pollution and lower energy bills.
Reduce use of chemicals - In addition to the health risks of household chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers are the most used and abused chemicals by residential homeowners.
- Pesticides are toxic to many forms of life. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and honeybees can be killed by pesticides which can lead to worse insect problems in the future.
- Pesticide residues can accumulate in the food chain. These traces may cause damage to birds, fish and other forms of animal life. In many cases these side effects are not immediately apparent, but may show up later, for example, in the abnormal eggs of birds that have eaten pesticide-laced insects.
- Children are especially at risk from pesticides and are much more susceptible to these chemicals than adults. Kids have more skin area relative to body volume than adults and their skin may be more permeable to pesticides. Young kids also tend to play for hours in the yard, putting dirty fingers, other objects and dirt in their mouths.
- Pesticides don’t remain on your lawn and garden. Stormwater runoff carries toxins into nearby streams, rivers and lakes harming fish and other water wildlife. These water bodies may also be the source of your drinking water.
- Many pesticides contain ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer. Studies also suggest strong associations between pesticides and other serious health consequences.
Combine trips to reduce use of car - Reduce your driving time by combining errands and avoiding traffic congestion. Give yourself lots of time – hurried driving causes you to brake more often and accelerate more quickly.
Keep your car tuned up - Change your oil regularly. Keep your tires inflated properly. Maintain your mechanical system (tune-up, fluid changes, ignition checks, etc...).
Drive Smart - Accelerate smoothly, brake smoothly, warm-up your car, reduce air conditioning, remove uneccessary items from car and drive the speed limit.
Purchase local produce and goods - The food we eat travels further than ever before. One study estimated that a basic North American meal travels 2,400 km from field to table-roughly the driving distance from Regina to Toronto! Transporting foods increases the level of greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes our air. Since shipping food long distances requires packaging and chemical treatments to prevent rotting and over-ripening, buying locally grown helps reduce the waste, energy and materials needed in this process. Buying locally grown fruits and veggies also helps conserve precious farmlands and wildlife habitats.
- Buying locally contributes to the financial viability of nearby farmers and other producers. In the long-run this may ensure access to fresh, seasonal food and greater food awareness among city dwellers.
- Fresh food tastes much better than food that’s been stored and shipped across the country--or around the world.
- Locally grown produce tends to be fresher and contain higher levels of vitamins than the imported variety. Food that has to be transported long distances is often preserved with waxes, irradiation, gases and synthetic chemicals, such as fungicides and sprout inhibitors.
Invest in Conservation Credits - Conservation should start in our homes and expand into the larger picture by active participation in the preservation of our precious natural resources. Your investment in Conservation Credits will promote and implement projects that achieve these goals.
Get involved and stay informed - There is nothing more important than education. By educating yourself and staying informed you are more likely to make decisions that will be beneficial to the environment.