Category Archives: Going Green

How Can You Avoid Consumerism This Holiday Season?

Halloween is just the beginning of the holiday season. Stores have long since put out Christmas decorations for sale and many children are already thinking about what they’d like for Christmas. Is there any way to avoid excessive gifts and so forth throughout the holiday season?

Remember Why You Celebrate

No matter the holiday you’re celebrating, remember why you’re celebrating it and think less of the things involved. Holidays of all sorts are celebrated for special reasons, and sometimes these reasons get lost in the drive to participate in the way family and friends have come to expect. This often leads to too much stuff being bought and a lot of stress to make everything just right.

Focus on People, Not Things

What really makes a holiday celebration a success? It’s usually not so much the gifts or even the food. It’s the people. Your best holiday celebrations are shared with people you care about. There may be some arguments and hurt feelings, but there’s a reason why holidays are such a focus for getting family together. Enjoy it as best you can.

Agree to Limit Gifts

There are many ways you can control how much is spent on holiday presents. You can agree to dollar amount limits. You can agree to shop at resale stores. You can agree to give each other things you’re done with that the other would like. You can draw names so that each person only needs to shop for a few.

Handmade gifts are another great option, especially if you have a lot of creative people in your family. Handmade gifts have a lot more personal meaning to them than anything you can give from the store.

You can also agree to simply exchange holiday greetings with extended family rather than gifts. This can be extremely welcome if finances are tight for some families.

Find something that works for your family. It may take some time – sometimes one or more people will agree at first, then fall prey to the urge to continue on as before, leaving others feeling as though they haven’t done enough. It takes a lot to make a limit on holiday shopping work, but it can be done if all participants really want it to.

As for your own children, they really don’t need a ton of presents. In my family, the stuff grandparents give them take care of most of that urge kids have to unwrap presents, while my husband’s and my main gift to them is a shopping trip with one or both of us. A budget is set, and they get to pick a toy and some new clothes, then we head out for a treat. Simple and they beg for that to be their gift each year right now. Kids love it when your time is a part of their gift. I love that the clothes they’d need anyhow can be a gift.

Give to Charity in Someone Else’s Name

A gift doesn’t have to be something that sits in the recipient’s house. It can be given to a charity the recipient approves of.

Think about programs that allow you to buy schoolbooks or livestock for people in need, or that bring clean water to communities without clean water nearby. There are a lot of great charities that help with the specific things communities need.

Think About the Food You Buy

Food is a big part of many holiday celebrations. Everyone has their favorites and their traditions. Some ways, it’s harder to change food traditions than gift giving traditions, but you can make it work.

Start with food sources. What can you buy that was grown or made locally, free range or organic? How much can you make from scratch? Can you avoid processed foods?

It’s not always easy to improve your food sources. It can be downright expensive or impractical, depending on what’s available in your area and your budget. Just do what you can.

It takes time to make major changes to how your family celebrates holidays, but the benefits are great. Not only do you give things that are more wanted, but you get less stress and more time to truly enjoy the holidays and the time with your family.

Climate Change – Covered by Warranty?

CC: This is the Terra Firma Customer Care line. How may I help you today?

HM: Hi, this is Hugh Manity, and I’m calling about a warranty issue on the climate. When can someone be out to fix it?

CC: Just a moment please sir, while I call up your account… Mr. Manity, it appears that you’ve contacted us on this issue in the past and been informed that the damage is outside your warranty coverage. Is this correct?

HM: That’s correct, but I called in a tech of my own, and he said the damage isn’t my fault and should be covered by warranty. I want you to fix it.

CC: I am very sorry sir, but our tech found that the change in your climate is in part due to your own actions, and therefore not covered by warranty.

HM: That can’t be right. My guy said that the stuff I’ve done is too little to account for the changes and that they must be natural. The changes made to the atmosphere by me are too small compared to what volcanoes and other natural sources put out on their own.

CC: I’m sure you’d like to believe that sir, but that’s just not how the system works. Your planet has a balance that it can deal with and it doesn’t take as much as you’d think to throw it off. Our tech also noticed a few other issues we think you should be aware of before they cause you further problems.

HM: Like what?

CC: I see in the notes on your account that we’ve previously explained to you about your climate change being in large part due to your carbon dioxide emissions. Has the effect of those emissions on your oceans been explained to you yet?

HM: What about my oceans? They’re huge. They can take it.

CC: Not really, sir. Some of that carbon dioxide is dissolving into your oceans and making them more acidic. Frankly sir, this may be a bigger deal than the original issue you called about today.

HM: You have got to be kidding me. Is that covered under warranty?

CC: I’m afraid it doesn’t, sir.

HM: Dammit! What am I supposed to do about all that? I can’t afford to make a lot of changes to my lifestyle, and I certainly can’t afford to pay for repairs on my own! Can’t you make an exception? I’ve been a really good customer.

CC: Our hands are tied, sir. If you want your climate and oceans repaired, you’re the one who has to handle it.

HM: But you’re talking billions of dollars and massive changes to my lifestyle! It’s ridiculous! Surely you don’t expect…

CC: It’s not about my expectations, sir. It’s about yours. I can say that the sooner you get started, the better.

Things to Do for Earth Day

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.

How Does Being Eco Friendly Effect Your Relationship?

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.

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

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.