Staying Green Through Tough Economic Times

I am fearful that with all of the attention being paid to the economy, means less attention is being paid to green efforts. Funding is being diverted away from green businesses and new initiatives like alternative fuel and energy sources. But we can all still do what we can to reduce our environmental impact.

Reminders- Easy Ways to be Green

• Remember to bring reusable bags to the grocery store, or reuse plastic bags and cardboard boxes to cart home food. An ultra easy tip: when you are only purchasing one item, stick it in your purse or just carry it to your car. We don't need to put everything in a bag.
 
• Make use of your programmable thermostat. When you are asleep or away for the day, set your thermostat to go down in the winter and up in the summer. You'll save money and energy. In the same vein, turn off lights and unplug appliances you aren't using to stop phantom power.
 
• Buy local, especially food. Buying local cuts down on the gas used to transport produce and other items across the United States and the world. Also, when you spend money in independently owned local stores, more of those dollars stay in your community.
 
• Carry your own water bottle instead of using disposable water bottles. This tip goes for coffee mugs as well. For those who work in an office bring in a plate, bowl, glass, mug and utensils to use instead of throwing out disposables day after day.
 
• Purchasing fewer individually wrapped drinks and foods is smart on two levels—it cuts down on power used to create those packages, and less waste gets thrown away.
 
• Cutting back on purchases and using what you've got is perhaps the easiest way to live green. This doesn't exactly help out retailers, but it will prevent discarded items from ending up in landfills. Upgrading on appliances, kitchen tools, home furnishings and clothes can still be green as long as the old items are donated to be used again.
 
• Rinse out your plastic, glass and aluminum for recycling. Most cities offer curbside recycling so take advantage of it and get a couple of bins. If the service isn't available, find a drop off center near you. Sure it takes a little more time, but when you see how much waste your are keeping from the landfill, it will feel worth it.

Take small steps to go green. Once you start to make strides in living more sustainable, the more you will continually want to do, eventually resulting in big impacts. So get started and see where it leads!