My favorite color is green...

I've had this post sitting in "draft" for quite awhile now.  Why I never got around to posting it I don't know.

My favorite color is green.  Green grass. Green trees.  Green.

I recently watched "No Impact Man" - a documentary about a family as they live for a year making no net impact on the environment.  No electricity. No driving.  No buying new clothes (purchasing used from thrift shops was OK).  Their daughter switched to cloth diapers. Buying locally grown organic produce and meats.  Hand washing clothes and not using detergents.  No more eating out or getting delivery.  As coffee isn't locally grown they cut their coffee consumption.  And the list goes on.  Yes, it was extreme and its not for everyone, however it did spark some thought, which is sparking some change, which I suppose was the purpose of his documentary.

I am of the personal belief many of us can do more to help protect the environment.  I was on the environment committee in high school - I had a hand in jump starting the school's recycling program.  I stayed after school to sort and wash sticky, smelly pop cans so they could be returned for recycling.  I grew up with my parents being composters and having their own vegetable garden.  So its always beens something that has been part of my life.

I recently moved (again), and my two new roommates are fully on board with recycling and composting.  Our plan for next spring is to put in a vegetable garden and get our own composter.  For now, the municipality takes away our compostables, which is a far cry better than dumping them in the garbage.

Anyway, watching the documentary got me thinking about ways I can go greener in my day to day living.   I've pitched the idea of making my own household cleaners to my roomies and they're both excitedly onboard.  Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon are soon to be my best friends.  Not only are they more environmentally friendly they're also kinder to my bank account.  I'm still deciding on making my own shampoos.

Ways to go green(er)....

• choose certified organic:  this means its grown in such a way that preserves the ecosystem.  And if you can get one that is also Fair Trade, even better!
• support local growers.  If you buy locally you reduce your dependance on suppliers that ship food nationwide, reducing the reliance on oil and therefore gas emissions.
• use reusable grocery bags instead of plastic
• use water efficient shower heads and fawcets
• recycle cell phones, digital cameras etc instead of just dumping them in the trash
• use energy saver light bulbs throughout your home. They use less energy and last much longer than regular bulbs.
• when it comes time to replace appliances choose energy efficient
• use homemade cleaners
• once a week eat strictly vegeterian for a day.  Why? Because growing plants is cheaper in terms of energy than animals.
• use a reusable travel mug instead of the paper coffee cups at your favorite coffee shop
• instead of using paper coffee filters switch out for a reusable one.  If you do use paper, remember they're compostable.
• choose bamboo.  Bamboo is a far more sustainable natural resource than wood because it grows quickly.  Look for bamboo bowls and cutting boards.  I have bamboo socks that I love!
• Remove yourself from junk mail lists.
• set your printer to print on both sides of the paper
• turn lights off when you're not in the room
• if you have a dehumidifier use the water to water household plants instead of just dumping it out
• set your computer to "sleep" if there is no activity for 15mins.
• use old towels and sheets as rags around the house
• turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. dont' let the water run.
• choose gas efficient, low emission vehicles. Change air filters often.  Drive the limit.  Driving 10mph over the limit is liking adding fifty cents to the price per gallon of gas.
• Use your dishwasher.  Run a full load whenever possible.  It uses less water than washing the same amount of dishes by hand.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket to lower its running cost as much as 10%
• Set all your bills to come by email instead of on paper
• plant trees around your yard.  Plant them in places where they'll shade your AC unit

Anyway....this is likely starting to sound preachy.  But its my blog and I'll preach if I want to! haha....yeah.  

I just really believe more can be done to take steps to help preserve what is left of our environment.  Will I ever take it as far as No Impact Man?  No. I like to watch TV. And I like to be able to drive to where I need to go.  There are some creature comforts I'm not willing to give up.  And really, if you think about it many of these things are pretty easy to incorporate into our daily lives, and their initial expense is pretty minimal. 

So there you go.  As I am settling into my new place I am also contemplating ways to live just a little bit greener.

~Be kind to the environment, it is where I keep all my stuff.