about 12 years ago, two idealist teenagers set to make earth day memorable at their high school. they had plans to bike or walk to school, but most importantly, to plant watermelon seeds (found the night before after raiding the kitchen) near their treasured daily lunch spot. some plans fell through (read: were sabotaged), but at least they wore the best earth day fashions around: t-shirts with images of the globe, people holding hands, and peace signs; khaki shorts; and the essential tevas with socks.
years later, as "green becomes the new black," when even wal-mart is going organic, i've been thinking a lot about what i can do on a daily basis to help our precious planet. sometimes it seems hard to be green without spending a lot of green. let's face it, i love organic milk, but as prices continue to go up, i just won't spend $7/gallon. still, there are simple daily things we can do that don't involve buying all the seventh generation products on the shelves.
i've vowed to continue all of the water conservation methods we have learned during the drought even though drought conditions have improved: flushing only when necessary, reusing shower water to flush the toilet (who knew toilets used so much water!!!), using a makeshift rain barrel to collect water for use on our outdoor and indoor gardening (one day i will get a true rain barrel!). if no flushing scares you away, just try putting a brick or a bottle in the tank. we've also switched all of our faucets to low-flow. can't even tell the difference!
with gas prices reaching the absurd, i also am trying to walk or bike to work instead of driving. it's only 1.5 miles, but old habits are hard to break!
but what changes can we make before we are forced to make them? here are some of my other green goals:
1. plant a garden with native plants
2. shop at the farmer's market more regularly
3. buy local products when available
4. little by little, switch to green household products
5. use a clothesline instead of the dryer
6. bring my own bags to the grocery store
do you ladies have suggestions on simple ways to go green?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment