Suggestions

Here's a reprint from the blog of a Harford County Green. Check her out at http://shannarows.blogspot.com/. And go ahead and comment on how you are doing something simple to green up your life.

Ten Things Even I Can Do To Save The Environment

"It's great that 'going green' has become so fashionable, but I have a problem with the movement's lack of good suggestions for regular people to green up their lives. The suggestions are usually buy a hybrid car and new windows (which I can't afford) or obvious things like recycling (which is still important). So I came up with my own list. Enjoy.

1. Conserve energy - Ok, this might fall into the obvious category, but little things do add up, plus it can save you money. Here are some suggestions: replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, turn off all appliances and electronics when you leave/ sleep, hang clothes to dry, keep the thermostat low in the winter and high in the summer.

2. Reduce paper waste – I get an ass load of junk mail, so I recently added my name to the 'do not send me so much freaking mail list,' and you can too! Go here: https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/. You can also pay bills online and opt out of paper billing, reuse paper as scrap paper, use cloth instead of paper products like napkins. This year I'm using paper bags and newspaper to wrap all my gifts, and I'm decorating them with pictures cut out of catalogs.

3. Generate less trash – Trash is a huge problem, and we Americans love to make lots of it! The first step in generating less trash is to buy less trash. Pay attention to packaging. Don't put fruits and veggies in a bag unless you really need to. Get a reusable, cloth shopping bag. Find creative ways to reuse what might otherwise be trash. Buy in bulk. Compost and make your own nutrient rich dirt! Here's an article on how you can do it even in a third story apartment: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/urbancomposting.php.

4. Buy local and/or organic – Farmer's markets are actually really awesome, and they are all over the place. You can find one in your area here: http://www.localharvest.org/. Buying local means your food has to travel less. Buying organic means fewer pesticides entering the food web and polluting waterways – not to mention less cancer for you!

5. Join the Green Party – If the Democrats were so great, Baltimore (and Maryland for that matter) would be a utopia. The GP is the fastest growing third party in the US and is the only party serious about cleaning up the environment (among other important issues). And you can really make a difference in this party because it's structured to empower people on a local level. Learn more about the GP in Maryland at http://mdgreens.org// or the national GP at http://gp.org/.

6. Buy used and freecycle – Ok, seriously. There is so much junk floating around it's just irresponsible to buy everything new. And buying used is great for a lot of reasons. First, you're not contributing to more waste. Second, you pay way less. Third, you can find interesting and unique items not mass produced in some dirty sweatshop. And freecycling is giving and getting stuff for free! Go to freecycle.org and sign up for a list in your area. You'll probably be surprised at how awesome this is. I was!

7. Eat less (or no) meat – What finally convinced me to become a vegetarian is the environmental impact it has. Research shows that being a vegetarian has greater impact than driving a Prius (which is good because I can't afford to drive a Prius anyway). But seriously, being a vegetarian is actually very easy. You can get protein from all kinds of food. There are substitutes for basically everything – that actually taste good. The only time it's kind of inconvenient is when I eat out and have limited options, but that's relatively rare. Here's an article to try to convince you: http://www.alternet.org/environment/47668.

8. Use public transportation – This can be difficult depending on where you live, but research your options. You may find out that you can take a commuter bus when you travel to a nearby city. You might be closer to a metro/light rail/train than you thought. Some people think they don't like public transportation because it's inconvenient, but I think it's WAY more convenient than driving. You don't have to worry about parking or crazy, aggressive drivers or how drunk you get. Plus you can sleep, read, crochet, or whatever you'd rather be doing besides driving.

9. Use natural cleaners – I am guilty of buying those caustic, toxic chemicals to clean my apartment. But it's important to remember that when you rinse those things down the drain, they enter the ecosystem and watershed. But don't worry, you don't have to have nasty mildew growing in your shower. There are great alternatives, including a whole slew of products like Seventh Generation that claim to be eco-friendly. You can also make a lot of cleaners out of safe stuff you probably have around your house anyway like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Here's a great resource: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/lifestyle/cleaner.htm.

10. Get inspired – This might seem obvious too, but our society does not make these suggestions convenient and it takes some motivation to stick to it. I stumbled on this great little movie recently, and it helped inspire me, so I thought I'd share it with all of you: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.