Going green

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Going green requires incorporating practices into your daily life that contribute to the improvement of the natural environment. What you do at a local level can have a global impact. You can start going green by making simple changes in your daily life. As the saying goes, "Think locally. Act globally."

Members of the green movement always say, "Reduce, reuse, recycle" in regards to consumption. If you reduce the amount of goods you purchase, then you decrease the amount of the Earth's resources that you use, and you are on your way to going green. Similarly, if you reuse items, you also use fewer natural resources. By recycling you reduce your impact on landfills.

If your city does not provide curbside pickup recycling service, make a call to the local Department of Public Works to find out where the recycling center is located. If it is inconvenient for you to make the trip there, investigate commercial pickup services that take your recycling from your home to the recycling center for a small fee.

Going green involves making small changes to your routines. Instead of using plastic or paper bags for groceries purchase or make cloth bags. Plastic bags take years to decompose and can harm wildlife. The constant production of paper bags requires deforestation. You can even make using cloth bags fun: invite friends over to help sew bags from fabric. If you don't have time to make your own bags, you can purchase them from stores for around a dollar each.

Taking a good hard look at your purchasing habits is a part of going green. For example, consider switching your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. While fluorescent light bulbs have a different tint and take a moment to become bright, they use 70 to 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. In addition, they can last up to 10 times longer. You will save energy by switching; in addition, fluorescent light bulbs can save users up to $59 on energy costs during the lifetime of the light bulb.

Becoming conscious of your use of energy around the house is another part of going green. Turn off lights and other electrical appliances when you are not using them. If you need to leave the light on for safety when you leave the house, purchase a timer so the light is not always on. In addition, have you ever considered how much power your computer and all its peripherals use? Even after you turn off the computer, your printer, speakers, and other accessories are still receiving power. Invest in "smart" power strips that stop the energy from being wasted.

You should enjoy going green. While making changes in your life that help the environment take the family on nature trips to help them appreciate the natural wonders that you are working to preserve. It's important that you teach your children the principles of going green. It's also important to show them why you are making the changes in your lifestyle. Going for a hike or a camping trip makes the lessons of going green more concrete, more fun, and harder to forget.

GreenDimes can get you started and will plant a tree in honor of your efforts to make an impact!

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