I thought it would be appropriate to write about Earth Day, and find out what others are doing in their day to day lives to be more conscious of their impact on the Earth.
There are a few things that I have begun adapting into my life over the past few years, but now that I am a homeowner, my husband and I have really been trying to incorporate even more greener options into our life.
Below is a list of the ideas I have been reading about on blogs or in magazines. Let me know if you have ideas as well!
Recycle- This one seems so obvious to many of us, but it is not something that everyone participates in. Check out Whole Living's Recycling Handbook.
Use reusable grocery bags as often as possible- I am still trying to figure out the best way to remember these!
Stop buying bottled water- I am currently loving LifeFactory glass water bottles.
Get rid of junk mail- When we moved into our house we received an endless amount of catalogs addressed to the previous owner. We responded and made sure we were taken off the list. It was such a waste to receive every month. (It was irritating too!)
Purchase energy efficient appliances- I think they cost more up front, but the energy and cost savings over the life of the appliances will be well worth it. Also, use cold water whenever possible to wash clothes instead of warm or hot water.
Use rechargeable batteries- We have switched most of ours, but we have a few left to switch out.
Use energy efficient light bulbs- Click here for a complete light bulb guide.
Bike or walk when possible- We live in a township so it isn't as convenient as it is living in the city. We still have a couple of grocery stores within five miles of us so in the spring-fall months we like to bike with our backpacks and pick up our groceries.
Also, I am not sure if you saw that one our very own state representatives referred to celebrating Earth Day as a Pagan holiday. See the full news story on Kare11. This isn't Rep. Franson's first time in the news for saying something a little wonky. She also compared poor people using food stamps to animals. I think the people who voted for her have far too much to be embarrassed about to ever make that mistake again...hopefully!
There was a saying I heard once (author unknown) that said, "when you throw something away, there really is no away".
ReplyDeleteHere's a TED video on the pacific garbage patch. These patches have now been found in all the oceans (based on currents). There are some that call it a hoax but I find that doubtful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg
Walk the bags back to your car right after you unload your grocerys. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteI like your contributions to making this a better earth but do you really feel that these actions you listed, if taken, can really enact the kind of change we need to save the earth or is it like dumping a bottle of life factory water on a forest fire. I think every little bit helps, so way to go, i just think it will take alot more than that to change anything.
I agree Jakob. It will take a lot more than just me to save the earth, but you have to start some where. I wouldn't feel right about myself if my excuse for not recycling, continually buying bottled water etc, was because I didn't think I could make a difference. Who knows, maybe because I made the changes, someone else might too.
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