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8 Actions in 8 Days

This Hanukkah, join Jews around North America in 8 simple actions to help conserve energy, slow global climate change, and save you money!

Day 1: Replace an outdoor light fixture with one that has a motion-detector. Outdoor lights that are left on all night waste electricity, increase your energy bill, and add to night-time “light pollution.” A fixture with a motion-detector will turn on only when needed.

Day 2: Make a plan to decrease your car use. Automobiles emit greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ and NO_x) and contribute to U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Examine your driving habits and see if you can tele-commute, walk, bike, take public transit, or combine errands to reduce the amount you drive.

Day 3: Make your own Hanukkah gifts! Take a photo and design a frame for it, knit a scarf for the winter, or make a set of beeswax candles. Use recycled materials if you can. You can find lots of great books about homemade gifts in your local library.

Day 4: Eat less meat and buy organic, locally grown foods. Large-scale meat production uses a huge amount of natural resources, particularly grain, topsoil, and water. Eating organic food is better for your health since it reduces your exposure to pesticides and antibiotics. Buying food grown close to home supports family farms and reduces the amount of energy used to prepare and transport food.

Day 5: Give your furnace a tune-up. Forty percent of home energy use is for heat. An inefficient heating system can waste 30-50% of the energy it uses. Oil furnaces should be serviced annually and gas furnaces every two years. A heating technician can do the tune-up for $50-100.

Day 6: Save paper by sending environmentally-friendly Hanukkah e-cards. To create an e-card, visit care2.com. Or, if you’re feeling artistic, make your own paper cards with recycled paper.

Day 7: Wash a full load of clothes and use cold water for the rinse. Washing machines use 32-59 gallons of water per cycle, so waiting until you have a full load of clothes will save both water and energy. A warm water wash and a cold rinse will clean nearly all clothes well.

Day 8: Question: What three things can you give, which once you give them, will give back to you at least as much and perhaps more of what you gave? Answer: Knowledge, light, and love.

Download a printable version of this document (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Download COEJL's 8 Days, 8 Actions Hanukkah cards from 2002, 2003, and 2004. (Adobe Acrobat PDF)