[Chris]

This is becoming too long, but for those who want to know .. What are we doing personally.
We eat organic.
We are not totally vegetarian but we do not have a lot of meat.
If we have meat, we know where it comes from. We understand the food production from where it is grown, up to our table.
This last summer, I had an agreement with a community supported organic farmer .. I took all her produce that she could not take to market, and I processed it. The processed food (bottled, dried or fermented and bottled) were offered to the community that support the farm at cost. In this way, we used the excess or the produce not 'pretty' enough for market and benefited our local community.
We drive a smaller car and have a ride-share amongst the local community. No-one in this community drives alone but we plan our journeys so that two or three people can take the same journey.
For purchasing, we're trying a '100-year' rule. We're buying only that which will last 100 years, or is completely bio-degradable. This is an eye opener and of course it is not very successful, but it serves as a learning process for this community where I find myself temporarily. The purchase of a new computer really is a difficult thing and it forces one to think!

Personally my belief in life is don't harm the earth because my food comes from there, enrich the earth, compost, do companion planting on a permaculture basis, don't use excessively, purchase only from like-minded people, eat locally and support a local community cooperative. Reduce waste, so, if I go grocery buying we take our own bags and we don't buy if the purchase is going to cause unnecessary waste or excess packaging. I recycle all bottles and use it for canning and storing. Re-use .. this community has a informal bottle exchange so, if someone wants to make say wine .. all of us donate our bottles. Where possible, we buy from bulk stores bringing our own glass containers (oils, grains, vinegars, peanut butter and such stuff). We've taken out all plastics in our house. (My father-in-law was to a great extent a pioneer in the plastics and oil by-products industry, so, this led to some very interesting conversations).

This past year we used air travel way too much and this coming year this will be reduced. So, this is what we're doing personally. At some stage I can outline the benefits and what we've found changed in our lives.

For the DR and the area around it? That conversation is still outstanding.