Going Green
What does ‘Green’ mean to you ?
It seems as though everyone in the media is urging us to ‘go green’. Brand new hybrid vehicles are advertised with new marketing strategies, selling points for a new vehicle are now promises for reducing gasoline and oil consumption. Those who can afford Hybrids are indeed doing their part to help save our Environment.
There used to be Ecology clubs, newspaper drives, aluminum can drives and commercials on television about not throwing trash on the ground. Remember the commercial where the American Indian had one tear trailing down his face after seeing so much pollution ? It made an impact on me when I was a youngster. I know I cringe when I see anyone throw anything out of a car window when going down the highway. If you or your kids toss things out of the car window without thinking, you can Stop that habit today. Think before you toss out that coffee cup or your lunch trash or the plastic wrapping from a snack cake. With Todays financial uncertainty, you should thank your lucky stars you can afford to buy that ding dong in the first place !
Going green is changing your lifestyle by conserving, recycling and doing what you can to save the Earth’s resources and, by the way, saving yourself some money in the process.
In order to save money, we have been doing things out of habit for years that are now considered environmentally friendly. I am sure you and your family do things on a daily basis that you don’t even think about.
Tucan Azalea in bloom
© 2007 photo courtesy L Watts
Here are a few easy tips to help get you started.
Conserving
Gasoline -
Grab a friend and share gasoline expenses -
One easy way to help save gas is by grouping errands together by location.
All you need to do is get organized.
Make a list of where you need to go and try to get most of your running done while you are out and about. For example if you need to drop off mail, get a gallon of milk and go to the dollar store for cookies :) stop and take care of the errand as you drive by. Instead of backtracking, write down what you need to get, where you need to go and the stopping order will become evident.
Water -
The easiest way to conserve water is to keep it turned off while brushing your teeth. Many people let the tap run while brushing. That is an easy habit to break. Another way to conserve water is to use a dishwasher. Dishwashers SAVE water when compared to hand washing.
Electricity -
Turn the lights out when you are not in the room. Unplug anything NOT in use. Just not your clocks or cordless answering machines.
Recycling
Recycling is not new, it was a big part of the effort that everyone made during the World War II era. There was a widespread ‘Save the Earth’ campaign back in the early 70′s. Recycling is a big part of the newest media frenzy, this time around it is called ‘going green’. Same thing, same ideas, and it still works ! Consignment shops, barter boards, flea markets, yard sales, all seem to be flourishing. Here is a small example of something you can do to save money and recycle: If you can not afford to purchase the cloth re-usable bags when shopping, either return the small plastic t-bags to the store for re-cycling or use them in your home for small trash can receptacle liners. That will save you money by not having to buy the often expensive x-small bags sold at your local retailer. They are just the right size for that trash can under your desk or beside the bedroom nightstand. Is it snack-time for the kids ? Instead of using a paper towel or napkin for holding their trail mix, grab an inexpensive coffee filter. It is a little easier for them to hold onto their treat, and saves money for you in the process.
The old timers say – you don’t take what you don’t need and don’t use all you take. In this writers opinion, Becoming Aware of your personal impact – in your little corner of the world,
THAT, is what is meant by going green.
© 2008 oOdles of infOrmation
