Green is the new Purple... or something.
I'm a tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping, wanna-be Greenie. I'm kinda bad at it, but only because I'm lazy.
I daydream about planting my own garden of spices, veggies, flowers, anything I could grow. I remind other people to recycle; I instruct them that not all plastics are recycleable and they want your steel and aluminum cans WAY more than they want your cardboard. I tell people to be healthy and smart about what they put in their bodies (don't smoke, watch the unhealthy fats.) I LOVED living next to the Farmer's Market and visited once a week for a while.. then got lazy and shopped at the grocery store. I heard about natural alternatives to body/beauty products but was too lazy to really look. I snuck organic veggies and fruits into the cart when I remembered... I buy recycled or reclaimed materials... unless they're expensive. I have the computers auto-hibernate to save power, but then leave the monitor and speakers on (their little lights blinking to remind me they still draw power.) We turn the AC up to 80 when we leave the house... when we remember. I've been Green-Lite. Love the idea of it; took baby steps, but didn't really try too hard.
I love quizzes. I took one today titled "How Green Are You." I did rather abysmal. (My results will be at the bottom). So maybe it's time to really start paying attention instead. (I would like to preface one thing... I love the environment. I curse at people who run over animals and leave them to die/rot in the road. I'm not insane though: I researched and believe that the heating of the atmosphere is a result of natural climate shifts, and think the idea that the damage we're doing to our globe could be causing such a trend (when it's documented to have shifted warmer and colder at semi-regular if not very long intervals) to be the equivalent of one man thinking he's killed the entire human race just because HE has a cold. Our problem is population related.. not product related. There are too many humans on this planet, and way too few of them are conscientious about their personal environment, let alone the Earth.)
I think I'm going to start with the personal stuff, to really ingrain the concept into my brain. I'm as lazy about my bathroom products as I am about everything else: I had to go into the bathroom to read the label of my deodorant because I didn't know what it was: I purchased something I recognized from an ad or was generally inexpensive. I'd heard about "green" deodorants but didn't really look into it until I stumbled across an ad. I'd thought about "green" hair/shower stuff but was terrified to try anything on my 35" long hair (a LOT of hair to screw up if I did something wrong.) So... Today I started. It's going to be a little bumpy for me, as my Ultra-Frugalness forbids me from throwing away my current products until they are empty. When it comes to things like Lotion, I use it so infrequently (bad I know) that I just finally finished a bottle I got in Boot Camp (July 2001).
I found this in my diggings today; and I like the concept.
The Green Your Insides Challenge by One Green Generation. "First, start paying attention to what you put on your body, in your body, and around your body. Right now." I'm already making my menstrual cycle "green" (and so much more comfortable) with my Lunette Cup and stitching my own cloth, reusable, pantiliners (for daily cleanliness, not menses.) Today I started on Deodorant. hey.. it's a start.
Getting Greener (20 to 27 Points)
There's no question: Environmental concerns are on your radar, and you're starting to make real strides in your approach to green living.
Your Challenge
As you have come to realize, it's one thing to be aware of the impact of your actions and habits -- and another to change them. Your heart is in the right place; now you just need to take the extra step to make change stick.
Action Plan
1. Measure your footprint. Find out how much energy you're using with a personal audit; consult a carbon calculator, like the one offered by the EPA. Then consider purchasing carbon offsets or credits, which allow you to support projects that help reduce carbon emissions elsewhere to balance out your personal emissions. Purchase credits from Green-e certified nonprofits -- like NativeEnergy -- who sell a variety of options, some starting at less than $10 to offset one ton of greenhouse gases.
2. Align your concern with your actions. If reducing your use of plastic bags is a priority, keep a stash of reusable ones in the car or your purse for your next shopping trip. Or exchange the mess of boxes and cans in the corner into an organized recycling system. With good habits in place, you'll be able to look for areas outside of your usual sphere for new ways to go green.
3. Fill in the gaps. Choose a few areas of interest (reusing, sharing, and donating used goods; energy conservation; green design), and find out how you can do things more easily, cheaply, or efficiently. For instance, you may discover that those green substitutions on your next home renovation don't have the huge price tag you'd anticipated.
4. Go organic. Yes, there's a slightly higher cost associated with purchasing organic products. But being selective and consistent can make a difference. Pick up organic versions of the 12 worst offenders for chemical and pesticide contamination (including apples, lettuce, and peaches) and you could reduce your exposure by almost 90 percent. Check out the organic food dos and don'ts.
5. Get the family on board. It's hard to live the green life in a vacuum, so enlist your family's support and creative collaboration to make it a group effort. Go on a family field trip to a working farm or national park to encourage a love of nature and the environment. Make green a part of your everyday life, from the groceries you buy to what you put in the trash. Others are sure to follow
--
weyrcat@gmail.com
http://www.weyrcat.com
I daydream about planting my own garden of spices, veggies, flowers, anything I could grow. I remind other people to recycle; I instruct them that not all plastics are recycleable and they want your steel and aluminum cans WAY more than they want your cardboard. I tell people to be healthy and smart about what they put in their bodies (don't smoke, watch the unhealthy fats.) I LOVED living next to the Farmer's Market and visited once a week for a while.. then got lazy and shopped at the grocery store. I heard about natural alternatives to body/beauty products but was too lazy to really look. I snuck organic veggies and fruits into the cart when I remembered... I buy recycled or reclaimed materials... unless they're expensive. I have the computers auto-hibernate to save power, but then leave the monitor and speakers on (their little lights blinking to remind me they still draw power.) We turn the AC up to 80 when we leave the house... when we remember. I've been Green-Lite. Love the idea of it; took baby steps, but didn't really try too hard.
I love quizzes. I took one today titled "How Green Are You." I did rather abysmal. (My results will be at the bottom). So maybe it's time to really start paying attention instead. (I would like to preface one thing... I love the environment. I curse at people who run over animals and leave them to die/rot in the road. I'm not insane though: I researched and believe that the heating of the atmosphere is a result of natural climate shifts, and think the idea that the damage we're doing to our globe could be causing such a trend (when it's documented to have shifted warmer and colder at semi-regular if not very long intervals) to be the equivalent of one man thinking he's killed the entire human race just because HE has a cold. Our problem is population related.. not product related. There are too many humans on this planet, and way too few of them are conscientious about their personal environment, let alone the Earth.)
I think I'm going to start with the personal stuff, to really ingrain the concept into my brain. I'm as lazy about my bathroom products as I am about everything else: I had to go into the bathroom to read the label of my deodorant because I didn't know what it was: I purchased something I recognized from an ad or was generally inexpensive. I'd heard about "green" deodorants but didn't really look into it until I stumbled across an ad. I'd thought about "green" hair/shower stuff but was terrified to try anything on my 35" long hair (a LOT of hair to screw up if I did something wrong.) So... Today I started. It's going to be a little bumpy for me, as my Ultra-Frugalness forbids me from throwing away my current products until they are empty. When it comes to things like Lotion, I use it so infrequently (bad I know) that I just finally finished a bottle I got in Boot Camp (July 2001).
I found this in my diggings today; and I like the concept.
The Green Your Insides Challenge by One Green Generation. "First, start paying attention to what you put on your body, in your body, and around your body. Right now." I'm already making my menstrual cycle "green" (and so much more comfortable) with my Lunette Cup and stitching my own cloth, reusable, pantiliners (for daily cleanliness, not menses.) Today I started on Deodorant. hey.. it's a start.
Getting Greener (20 to 27 Points)
There's no question: Environmental concerns are on your radar, and you're starting to make real strides in your approach to green living.
Your Challenge
As you have come to realize, it's one thing to be aware of the impact of your actions and habits -- and another to change them. Your heart is in the right place; now you just need to take the extra step to make change stick.
Action Plan
1. Measure your footprint. Find out how much energy you're using with a personal audit; consult a carbon calculator, like the one offered by the EPA. Then consider purchasing carbon offsets or credits, which allow you to support projects that help reduce carbon emissions elsewhere to balance out your personal emissions. Purchase credits from Green-e certified nonprofits -- like NativeEnergy -- who sell a variety of options, some starting at less than $10 to offset one ton of greenhouse gases.
2. Align your concern with your actions. If reducing your use of plastic bags is a priority, keep a stash of reusable ones in the car or your purse for your next shopping trip. Or exchange the mess of boxes and cans in the corner into an organized recycling system. With good habits in place, you'll be able to look for areas outside of your usual sphere for new ways to go green.
3. Fill in the gaps. Choose a few areas of interest (reusing, sharing, and donating used goods; energy conservation; green design), and find out how you can do things more easily, cheaply, or efficiently. For instance, you may discover that those green substitutions on your next home renovation don't have the huge price tag you'd anticipated.
4. Go organic. Yes, there's a slightly higher cost associated with purchasing organic products. But being selective and consistent can make a difference. Pick up organic versions of the 12 worst offenders for chemical and pesticide contamination (including apples, lettuce, and peaches) and you could reduce your exposure by almost 90 percent. Check out the organic food dos and don'ts.
5. Get the family on board. It's hard to live the green life in a vacuum, so enlist your family's support and creative collaboration to make it a group effort. Go on a family field trip to a working farm or national park to encourage a love of nature and the environment. Make green a part of your everyday life, from the groceries you buy to what you put in the trash. Others are sure to follow
--
weyrcat@gmail.com
http://www.weyrcat.com
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