- Recycle the magazine (Easy I can do that)
- Bring your own bags to the grocery store (I have canvas bags)
- Support your local economy and curb excess fossil-fuel consumption by shopping close to home. (This isn't easy for me, I live 20 minutes from the nearest grocery store, round trip about 40 miles)
- Install Energy Star-qualified double-pane windows for better insulation (Our house is over a 100 years old and we kind of like the old look)
- Buy energy-efficient appliances, look for the Energy Star Label
- Go for bamboo: flooring, cutting boards, towels, sheets, and so on (I've got a bamboo cutting board!)
- Clean the fridge coils for better productivity
- Turn off the lights when you leave the room (This also helps keeps our house cooler)
- Install low-floor showerheads and take shorter showers (Me: Whistling)
- Eat more veggies
- Get a library card (I would be the last person to live without one of these)
- Ride your bike (I love riding my bike)
- Don't let the sink faucet run when you wash dishes and brush your teeth.
- Leave only footprints when you travel
- Unplug your electronics when you're not using them
- Use greener cleaners. Baking soda will clean just about anything!
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Cover pots on the stove to avoid losing excess heat--and wasting energy
- Line dry your clothes when possible (I love hanging clothes outside, it makes me feel old fashion :))
- Find a green dry cleaner, and bring your own garment bag (This doesn't really apply to me, not many of my clothes require dry cleaning)
- Turn off dishwasher's drying cycle (Hmm there are 4 dishwashers in my house, sometimes 6 :))
- Shut your computer down when you leave work especially on Fridays
- Vote for change
- Drive a hybrid (Unless I win the lotto, this will never happen, unfortunately)
- Join a food co-op
- Swap paperbacks with paperbackswap.com (Oh no my books I don't part with sorry)
- B.Y.O.B. of water (Call me stupid, but I don't know what this means)
- Get off junk-mail lists by registering at dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist
- Shred old paper for packing instead of using Styrofoam peanuts (yuk Styrofoam!)
- Skip the elevator and take the stairs
- Check the air pressure in your tires since under inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency
- Buy recycled toilet paper
- Print on both sides of the paper
- After you finish baking, turn off the oven and leave the door open to heat your home (Do they expect us to do this during hot 90 degree days :P )
- Eat only sustainably harvested fish to help protect the health of the ocean visit oceansalive.org (I like some seafood, but fish is not one of them)
- Go carbon-neutral
- To save gas, drive under 60 mph or don't drive as much (But it is so much fun . . . .)
- Don't use pesticides on your lawn
- Find new uses for old things
- Compact your nonrecycable trash and use fewer bags
- Give your car a tune-up so it drives more efficiently
- Buy things that will last
- Invest in environmentally conscious mutual funds find them at socialinvest.org (I rarely have extra funds)
- Buy shade-grown coffee (Accomplished . . . I don't drink coffee!)
- Unload your trunk; the lighter the load, the less gas your car consumes (Darn gotta get rid of that body, joking)
- Seal up your house
- Switch to as reusable coffee filter
- Go toxin-free at home
- Eat what's in season
As you can see I commented on some of them. I suppose if I'm making an excuse for why I won't and can't accomplish one it means I am unwilling to try. However, some people I believe can and will be able to be 125% Green, while others like me may only be able to attain less. The best I can do is try and it won't happen over night.
Quote of the day (By the way I'm a quote person, I just can't get enough of them) :
As if we could kill time without injuring eternity! - Henry David Thoreau
