Things to Do for Earth Day

Apr 22, 2011 Going Green

Earth Day can be a bit of a challenging holiday to celebrate. It’s about doing better for the planet, but figuring out a way to do so isn’t always easy. It’s a day to keep things simple but at the same time a day to consider how you can have a positive impact. Here are some basic ideas you can do to celebrate.

1. Don’t go shopping.

Sure, there are all sorts of “eco friendly” products you could be buying, but do you really need them? Especially if they’re being advertised as a way to celebrate Earth Day, take another look at whether or not they’re really worthwhile. Anything you buy in honor of Earth Day should be something you absolutely need, not just something you like that sounds kind of eco friendly. Your purchases should absolutely not be in honor of Earth Day – they should be necessary.

2. Don’t drive.

Consider your other options instead. Can you walk, bike or take public transportation?

If you must go somewhere by car, see if there’s any way to make it into a carpool. I know many people have to get to work every day, and other options aren’t always realistic.

3. Volunteer.

You can do a lot for the planet and for people in need. Take just a bit of time out of your Earth Day or your weekend if you have to work today, and do something for a good cause.

If you can’t volunteer, pick a good cause and send in a donation.

4. Plant a tree, a garden, wildflowers.

Make the world a more attractive place by encouraging more green things to grow. It can be in your own backyard or someplace in your local area.

5. Help an entrepreneur through Kiva or other microloan sites.

These loans can help out entrepreneurs in developing countries. You can choose the project you’re funding. Microloans aren’t perfect, but they’re a way to help people get a business going in communities that need help.

6. Go meatless for the day or longer.

If there were ever a day to eat entirely vegetarian, Earth Day is the day. Skip the meat and try out some great new vegetarian or vegan meals. You might find some new favorites.

7. Clean out your closets.

Get rid of the clutter in your own life and donate it to charity. You’ll be glad to be rid of the excess.

8. Turn off the TV, computer, etc.

How little electricity can you use today? Give it a try and see how many other ways you can enjoy life. For best results, unplug everything that isn’t in use to cut out the phantom power load.

9. Get outside.

Enjoy some of the natural beauty of your area. It might be in your backyard, it might be a hike in a local park or nature reserve. Just get outside and remember why our planet is beautiful and worth helping.

Tags: earth day

How Does Being Eco Friendly Effect Your Relationship?

Apr 7, 2011 Going Green

One of the most difficult parts about trying to raise a family in an eco friendly way is when you don’t have agreement in your household about what you should and should not be doing. Very often one person will feel much more strongly than the other about environmental topics, and this can lead to disagreements. Is being eco friendly being hard on your family?

Kids

Kids are interesting creatures, as any parent will tell you. They can be so amazingly eco friendly one day, utterly indifferent the next. They’ll be passionate about things you may never have considered.

It’s vital that you give your kids the habit of being green. This is easiest when they’re young, so it’s just a fact of life for them.

If they’re resisting, talk to them about it. Resistance can be a sign of not understanding the problem, an issue with peer pressure or simple disinterest. See what you can do about it.

Fortunately, more and more kids are aware of environmental issues these days, so you can find good examples for them if you look around.

Husband

If there’s anyone more difficult for a mom to change than her kids, it’s often her husband. Most mean well, they try, but if it’s not a subject he’s interested in you’re going to have quite a battle.

With my own husband, it’s his willingness to go the easy way rather than considering sustainability at times that can drive me up the wall. I finally have him understanding why plastic bags don’t go in the regular recycling. Not because I told him, but because he talked to a professional who explained that plastic bags tend to generate static electricity, stick to everything else whether or not it’s the right sort of plastic, and generally cause trouble. They need to go through the recycling at the grocery store.

On the plus side, he gets the recycling mostly right, loves to garden, and composts when possible, which sadly isn’t much where we are now. He also likes his Klean Kanteen water bottle I got for him to use at work.

The key is proper communication with each other. It doesn’t do a lot of good for your relationship to yell at each other over your differences. It’s better if you can talk about them.

Make sure your communication includes why you’re making the changes you are and why you support the causes you do. Education is a big part of being environmentally friendly. Otherwise it all feels like extra hassle to a lot of people. If you show your husband and kids as appropriate why you don’t use certain things or certain brands, they may be more cooperative in the matter.

Your own attitude can be a problem as well. If you have too much of an attitude that you know best, you’re going to put people off. You need to accept that sometimes you will have different priorities and even develop different opinions despite looking at the same information. That’s fine. What you should be hoping for is that you will both make an effort to understand the other’s perspective.

Remember, marriage doesn’t make you one. You are still two different people hoping to spend your lives together. You’re going to have differences. Don’t let the differences obscure what’s good.

The Parts You Can Enjoy Together

The great part about raising your family in an eco friendly way is that there are so many things you can enjoy together. Hiking, camping, fresh foods. Even learning to live with less than others can be a pleasure with the right attitude. It’s not things that make us happy, as a rule. It’s having people you care about with you.

Tags: eco friendly differences, eco friendly family, husband, marriage

With Gas Prices Going Up, It’s Time to Cut Your Usage Down

Mar 24, 2011 Budget Environmentalism, Going Green

It seems as though the price of everything is going up right now. That’s especially true when it comes to buying gas. The prices are awful, and not expected to improve anytime soon.

Just call it more motivation to cut back on how much gas you and your family uses. It’s not always easy, but you can often find areas where it’s worth changing your routine to save some gas.

1. Daily commute.

For family members who work outside the home, how is that daily commute? Do you have any alternatives? Carpooling, public transportation, riding a bicycle, even walking? Depending on the distances involved, one or another of these could be worth it. My sister carpools to her job with two other people, which has cut her costs to about a third of what it would be if she drove only herself to work daily. Pretty nice deal, and the added time isn’t too bad.

Public transportation is great when you’re in an area with a good quality system. Not everyone is so fortunate. If this is going to be a regular thing, see what a monthly pass costs versus paying each day, as this can make the difference in whether or not you’re saving enough money to be worth the additional time public transportation costs.

Not everyone can bike or walk to work. The distances or road conditions may not allow it, and arriving at work all sweaty isn’t always the best image to bring forth.

This also goes for students in the family headed for school. Walking or biking is usually far more possible for students.

2. Running errands.

How often do you really run your errands in an efficient way? Do you combine errands and make a list so you won’t forget something and have to go shopping again too soon? These are some of the things you need to be more careful about in order to save gas.

You may be able to walk some errands or ride a bike when they’re local enough. Grocery shopping can be a little challenging, but not impossible depending on weather conditions and just how far you have to go.

3. Other trips.

When it comes to the other reasons to drive, think about when it’s really worth it. Can you walk that far and will it still be worth it? What options do you have? Are there any more efficient ways to get there?

Increasing gas prices are really hard on a tight budget, and even those with more room in the budget don’t particularly like paying more for it. If you haven’t done so already, now is a great time to start using some of the alternatives you have available so you don’t drive as much.

Tags: combine errands, combine trips, gas prices, saving gas

Plastic Wrapped Bananas? Say What?

Mar 4, 2011 Going Green

Yeah, sure, that makes sense. Wrap a banana in plastic and say it’s green because it keeps them fresh longer.

I’m not sure I have words for the idiocy.

I suppose on a business level there’s a certain degree of brilliance. Apparently they’re going to cost about $1 per individually wrapped banana, compared to maybe $0.20 or less per banana if you buy them in a bunch.

The keeping them fresh longer as green line I just don’t buy. Can’t possibly make up for the wasted plastic. Besides, that’s what banana bread was invented for! It’s easy to use up overripe bananas if you want to.

Last I checked, bananas have a fabulous natural wrapper. It decomposes beautifully in the garden. It keeps the part you eat fresh and clean until you’re ready to eat the banana.

It never ceases to amaze me how anything can be greenwashed into an eco friendly perspective if the marketing department tries hard enough.

Tags: bananas, del monte, greenwashing, overpackaging

Have You Made Your Green New Year’s Resolutions Yet?

Dec 17, 2010 Going Green

Here comes the New Year, so soon after Christmas. Have you started planning your resolutions for the new year. Any goals yet?

I’ll admit that I prefer to think in terms of goals rather than resolutions personally. There’s just no surprise about it when someone gives up on a New Year’s Resolution. Lots of people fail at those.

It stings a bit more, in my opinion, to drop a goal. The commitment simply feels different to me.

Whatever you want to call it, make sure you’re being realistic about it. You can’t set a goal of living in a perfectly sustainable home completely off the grid if you’re barely scraping by and haven’t made any changes yet. You have to focus on the things you can really accomplish.

That doesn’t mean give up on the idea of off grid living if that’s what you want. It simply means you should break down your goal into more manageable steps, and work toward the big goal over time.

Goals don’t have to be all that grand, of course. You can have much simpler goals if that’s what you’d prefer. The main thing is to commit to action.

Since we’re talking about green goals, this has nothing to do with your resolve to lose weight or other traditional resolutions. They’re just fine as goals, and you can combine them with your eco friendly goals. Plan to lose weight by going vegetarian or eating more vegetarian meals, for example. Eating less meat is definitely good for the environment, and a well thought out vegetarian lifestyle can help you lose weight.

Now is a good time to start thinking about it all. If there’s something that needs to be bought for your goals and someone still needs an idea for a Christmas present for you, this may help you give them ideas. Who says you have to wait until next year?

Need some ideas? Think about riding a bike for more errands or to work if that’s possible where you live. Think about other ways to drive less or use public transportation more.

Think about your garden or starting one if you don’t have a garden yet. What would you love to grow? Don’t limit yourself to vegetables or foods that have to be replanted each year. Fruit trees are a great idea. You can’t get more local than grown in your own backyard.

Think about cutting plastic out of your life as much as possible. Can you commit to using your reusable shopping bags? Where else can you quit using plastic, especially any single use plastic?

Have you been considering any volunteer opportunities? It might be the right time to quit thinking and start doing.

How good are you at the “reuse” part of “reduce, reuse, recycle?” Could this be the year you fall in love with shopping at thrift stores? Some amazing deals can be found in thrift stores.

What else would you like to do to be more eco friendly in the new year? Are you ready to start now?

Tags: goals, new year, resolutions