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What are
Sustainable Consumer Choices? Sustainable purchasing looks
at how goods and services required to meet basic needs and improve
quality of life can be delivered in ways that reduce the burden on
the Earth's carrying capacity.
| Education |
Energy | Goods |
Consumption | Services |
Agriculture and Natural Resources |
Education
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Living Sustainably: It's
Your Choice
Publication by Oregon State
Extension
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National Network for Sustainable Living Education
Natural resource and Cooperative
Extension professionals created
NNSLE in 2004 to investigate,
educate, and model sustainable
living practices to individuals,
families, institutions,
businesses, camps, and schools.
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Sustainability Tools for Extension (database)
A
collection of sustainability teaching tools available online
on the Association of Natural Resource Extension
Professionals.
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National Network for Sustainable Living Education
Natural resource and Cooperative Extension professionals created
NNSLE in 2004 to investigate, educate, and model sustainable
living practices to individuals, families, institutions, businesses,
camps, and schools.
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Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community Based
Social Marketing
This site consists of five resources for
those working to foster sustainable behaviors, such as those
involved in conservation, energy efficiency, transportation,
waste reduction, and water efficiency. The site includes the
complete contents of the book, Fostering Sustainable Behavior,
as well as searchable databases of articles, case studies, and
turnkey strategies. It also includes discussion forums for
sharing information and asking questions of others. It is aimed
at those who are working to encourage others to make sustainable
lifestyle choices.
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Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community
Based Social Marketing Discussion Forum
Discussion forum to learn and share information about encouraging people to engage in
sustainable behavior. The site is run by Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D. - Environmental
Psychologist
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Energy
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Goods
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“Buy Local” Initiatives
Buy Local Initiatives can represent a sustainable economic development
strategy for communities big and small. Increasing local
purchasing is seen as a means to foster community self-sufficiency while
supporting local businesses and reducing travel and emissions
associated with long-distance travel for retail purchases and
services.
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Northwest Wisconsin Regional
Food Network
The Northwest Wisconsin Regional Food Network is a grassroots group of local farmers,
volunteers and agency staff working together to create a regional food system that
connects consumers back to the land and provides locally
produced, fresh and nutritious foods to all segments of our
community while preserving the region's environment and
sustaining the local economy for years to come.
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Cradle to Cradle
William McDonough speaks about his view of sustainability and
some of his thoughts are in his publication Cradle to Cradle. This book speaks to the flow of
materials in a consumer environment.
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Barbara's Guide for Penny
Pinchers
Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton's online guide for
families looking to stretch their hard-earned dollars.
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Planning an Event – Consider
Serving Local Food.
A publication on serving local foods at conferences and
workshops has been developed and is now available on the UW-Extension The Learning Store Publications
web site.
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The Good Stuff Guide
This 31 page PDF from the World Watch Institute
contains many of the tips, facts, and links to start
making more informed purchases that benefit health and environment.
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Responsible Purchasing Network
The Responsible Purchasing Network produces Purchasing
Guides for a range of products and services, including:
Bottled Water, Carbon Offsets, Cleaners, Computers, Copy Paper, Fleets, Food Services, Green Power, Light-Duty Tires and Wheel
Weights, Lighting, Office Electronics, Paint, and Toner Cartridges.
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Minnesota Materials Management
The Materials Management Division of the State of
Minnesota helps agencies purchase environmentally
preferable products that: contain fewer toxic materials,
minimize waste, contain recycled content, conserve energy and
water, contain plant-based materials. This web site provides information on
purchasing, executive orders, preferable goods and services, case studies and provides links
to environmental purchasing.
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The Story of Stuff
The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and
consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of
environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just
world.
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Water Sense New Homes
This EPA web site discusses WaterSense-labeled new homes, which third-party, independently
certified to save water both inside and out. Homes that earn
the WaterSense label feature WaterSense-labeled plumbing
fixtures, efficient hot water delivery, water smart landscape
design, and many other features to ensure that the home will
save water for years to come. When compared to a typical home,
a WaterSense-labeled new home can help a family of four save
50,000 gallons of water per year and as much as $600 per year on
utility costs.
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Green Building Products Guide
A directory of green building products and where to purchase
them. Topics covered include: which green building products
are available, what makes the product green, how to compare
products, where to purchase products, who manufactures
products, what the certification means, glossary of terms and how
to choose among green claims.
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Made with Renewable Energy: How and Why Companies are Labeling Consumer Products
A March 2012 report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that gathered
information from 20 companies and highlights the use of the Green-e logo.
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Consumption
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Collaborative Consumption Hub
Collaborative Consumption is the reinvention of “old market”
behaviors - renting, lending, swapping, bartering, gifting –
through technology.
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The Center for a New American Dream
The Center for a New American Dream helps Americans to
reduce and shift their consumption to improve quality of life,
protect the environment, and promote social justice. The web site contains a webinar on how to create a tool
library in the community, information on Family, Food and
Climate, the downloadable Guide to Sharing, recommended books and an
on-line video on the High Price of Materialism. The programs include of Redefining the
Dream, Beyond Consumerism and Collaborative Communities.
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Services
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Wisconsin’s Travel Green Program
Travel Green Wisconsin is a voluntary self-certifying
sustainable tourism program. To earn certification, applicants
must first supply the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative with a
Baseline Environmental Performance Assessment. The
baseline collects information about the amount of energy,
fuel, water, and solid waste that the business consumed
during the last calendar year.
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The Home
Energy Saver
The Home Energy Saver is designed to help consumers identify
the best ways to save energy in the home, and find the
resources to make the savings happen.
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Agriculture and
Natural Resources
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