Baby Step Your Way To A Greener 2008
Earth Day is April 22. For many people, this is a time to start baby stepping your way to a more eco friendly lifestyle. All the magazines on the newsstand are full of articles with helpful tips, products, websites and other resources to help you along. But don’t get the impression that “going green” means buying a bunch of stuff or spending a lot of money, regardless of what some of the marketers who are engaging in a bit of “greenwashing” try to sell you.
Many people get discouraged when they start thinking of making changes in their day. We moms are already busy and many of us stressed out and tired. The thought of adding something new to the routine is overwhelming. That, coupled with discouraging reports from the media that claim it all doesn’t matter, can cause many a mom to just give up. Yet I think most of us have a nagging sense that we’re going to be forced to change at some point in the future. We’re all concerned about what kind of air, soil and water our kids are going to inherit.
My feelings on the matter are this: Baby Step it. There are plenty of changes you can implement, one at a time that add up to a big difference over time. And the changes build on themselves. Isn’t it true that once we start a new routine, it seems like a big deal at first, but then we hardly notice it? Here are some ideas of things you can do right now to Baby Step your way to a greener life. I’ll borrow the Three R’s to illustrate.
1) Replace
As I mentioned, going green doesn’t mean going out and buying all new stuff. While hemp t shirts are all well and good, throwing out your kid’s wardrobe isn’t exactly eco friendly. Neither is selling your perfectly good car to buy a hybrid. Think in terms of replacing stuff as it wears out with a better alternative. As an example, I had family in town last week an with the hustle and bustle and extra bodies, I managed to lose the charger to my cellphone. Instead of replacing it with another plug in charger, I’m buying a solar charger. As your light bulbs die out, replace them with CFLs or LEDs. The next time you have to repaint your home, choose No VOC paints. When your favorite cleaning product wears out, keep the bottles and buy an earth friendly, non toxic all purpose dilutable cleaner.
2) Remind
Put reminders on your calender so you don’t forget to take steps to reduce your consumption. For example, put “check tire pressure” on your calendar once a month. You’ll burn less gas and save money too. What about reminding yourself to make a once a week trip to the recycling center instead of letting your recyclables pile up, tempting you to toss them instead? You can also do a yearly check up of your home: see if any of your toilets or faucets are leaking water, and check the seals on your refrigerator.
3) Rethink
Part of going green is giving a little more mindfulness about your day to day decisions, especially about what you bring into your home. For instance, if you’re planning a party, do you have to buy disposable plates and napkins? Why not use cloth napkins and real plates instead? They’re far more elegant. When your computer wears out, instead of just tossing it, take it to a recycling center. Or have a tech savvy teenager sell the parts on eBay. I did this once and made almost as much money on the parts as the computer cost new.
Think in terms of baby steps and you’ll make changes that will stick.
May 25 2008 12:26 pm | Environment
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