“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Going green is all the rage, but not everyone is taking the plunge. Why not? For starters, you may think that it takes a lot of effort or a lot of money to go green. This just isn’t the case. Here are ten very easy ways that you can help save the planet.
Fill up your body, not the landfill. Seventy-two million plastic water bottles are tossed daily and fewer than one-third are recycled. Plus, 25 percent of bottled water is simply filtered municipal water.
2. Reduce food miles.
Do this by buying locally produced food. Supermarket produce travels as far as 2,500 miles, so it’s less fresh and requires more fuel to transport. Visit your local Farmer’s Market, it’s a fun morning out!
3. Buy Fair-Trade coffee.
Or any other java brewed from beans certified as grown on sustainable farms. These farms work to protect the world’s pharmacy, the Brazilian rainforest, for medicinal plants awaiting discovery.
4. Use Google Maps.
Know where you’re going and you’ll save on fuel and frustration. While you’re at it, avoid left turns. Idling in traffic produces twenty times more pollution than if you hooked a few rights.
5. Drink beer from bottles.
It takes about twice as much energy to make an aluminum can as it does to produce a glass bottle of equal size. And no matter what kinds of cans they develop, bottled beer always tastes better.
6. Exercise in the A.M.
You’ll eliminate the extra shower after a midday or evening workout, saving water and time. Plus, air-pollution levels are lowest in the early morning, so you’ll fill your lungs with oxygen, not ozone.
7. Use a shampoo-conditioner combo.
If 10 percent of us skipped the separate conditioner, the plastic saved would cover twenty-one football fields. The shorter shower also helps your skin retain more moisture.
8. Dispose of disposable razors.
Ninety-nine cents buys you a scraped face and a hunk of metal and plastic that can’t be recycled and isn’t biodegradable. Better: Refillable razors. Best: Safety razors — you get a great shave and recyclable blades.
9. Be water-wise.
Always check that you have turned taps off properly: a dripping tap loses about two drops a second, which is around 25 gallons a week. Fit water-saving devices to toilet cisterns and water-saving taps. And if you have a dishwasher, use it sparingly: half-loaded machines use more than half the water of a full load.
Fifty percent of the planets air pollution comes from cars. Most journeys are still less than 2 miles. There is no more important issue that we have to face together. It’s amazing that we have yet to understand the severity of the oil world and pollution situation. Give it up. Get a bike.
You never need to feel helpless. There is always something you can do. There are so many other people ready, doing, activating, speaking, writing, imagining, organizing, praying and working towards a green and healthy future.
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Actually, I’m surprised that a half-full dishwasher doesn’t use exactly as much water as a full load. That’s progress! And for God’s sake, don’t let the water run for no reason, like when brushing your teeth, or waiting for it to get cold.
Great list of simple, practical tips that everyone can apply to their lives. I especially like “exercise in the A.M.” because that’s when I enjoy working out. I have exercised a few times in the afternoon and felt too uncleanly waiting to shower for 1/2 the day. Now I always make sure to exercise first thing in the morn. so I can help save the environment, and be clean the rest of the day. Thank you for sharing these great tips!
It is very good that we each do our part by using examples like these, but for the survival of human kind we must come together and unite as one voice to really save mother nature. One voice that speaks for the well-being of all and not just profit.
Thank you for sharing this, every little thing helps indeed!
Nice post… Biking is also one of the most activities that I enjoy.
I do the biking one very often because of gas prices.
Great list.
If you guys don’t mind, I wrote a blog post about 20 ways to get rid of stress.
http://zenplease.com/
Biking is something I do a lot now because of gas prices! Great list!
If you wouldn’t mind reading about this, I wrote a blog post about 20 ways to get rid of stress.
http://zenplease.com
5. Drink beer from bottles.
Great post. I for sure didn’t know about the dishwasher thing.
I recently switched from conditioner to making my own rinse with a shampoo size bottle filled with water and a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar. You just pour some on/through your hair and rinse it out. I’ve always had to use conditioner (and lots of it) to just comb my hair. With the apple cider vinegar, it’s awesome. I can comb, the smell evaporates when my hair dries, and my hair is in great shape. It’s environmentally sound, no chemicals, and CHEAP. No more petroleum-based conditioners for me. I also switched to an organic shampoo.
I’m chairing a PTA committee to encourage more elementary and middle school students to ride their bikes to school, or walk. Rising gas prices and childhood obesity rates are “fuel” for our cause. Can you tell me the source of the “Fifty percent of the planet’s air pollution comes from cars”? I’d like to use this in our promo literature.