Green Living
When you hear the term “green living”, you may get an
image in your head of hippies living in communes making everything
they use. Truth is: the definition of green living has changed. The
concept simply includes doing things to help the environment be
viable for future generations. If you don’t feel like shedding your
worldly possessions and living in a mud hut, here are a few steps
you can take you make your life a little greener.
Buy local organic products. Organic farmers not only use little to
no chemicals, they also take steps to reduce water and soil
degradation, along with other problems caused by traditional
agriculture. Veggies from groceries stores have usually been shipped
a long way, which causes environmental pollution. Buy your produce
from a local farmer’s market or coop. If you can’t find one, start
your own organic garden.
Use natural products. Household products that don’t contain
chemicals are not only better for the environment; they’re safer for
your family as well. You can make various cleaning products from
stuff in your kitchen, like vinegar. If you don’t have the time,
there are products you can buy. Just make sure they’re all natural
and don’t just have a few natural ingredients.
Reduce. We’ve all heard the spiel about reduce,
reuse, recycle; however, most of us focus on recycling and
completely ignore the reducing. Try to use products that don’t end
up in landfills like cloth diapers instead of disposables or regular
towels instead of paper ones. Another great idea is to buy
concentrated products because they come in smaller packages.
Reuse. Many people have gotten in the habit of sending their
recyclables away in the bins, but there’s more supply than demand in
the recycling market. That’s why it’s also important to reuse items
if you can. Before you throw something in the recycling bin,
consider whether you could reuse it for something else.
Recycle. We should all have a recycle bin in our homes, but you can
do stuff to recycle on your own. Instead
of using potting soil in
your garden, set up a compost pile and make your own rich soils. You
can also use products like shredded plastic bags to mulch your
garden. If you get creative, there’s lots of recycling you can do on
your own.
Conserve Energy. There are so many things you can do to save energy.
The big plus on this is that it also saves you money. Get low energy
light bulbs for your fixtures. You could also take more drastic
renovation steps by getting new energy efficient windows or
installing solar panels. Even small steps like setting the
thermostat a degree higher or lower can make a big difference. A big
way to conserve energy is to get a more fuel efficient car, or get
rid of your car altogether. If you don’t need a big SUV, then don’t
get one. You’ll be doing the environment a big favor.
Teach your children. You might not be able to change the world on
your own, but you can start a trend my teaching others to be more
environmentally friendly, starting with your kids. Make sure your
children know what steps you take to improve the environment and
why.
Green Living Products:
Stainless Steel Water
Bottles by
Klean Kanteen - Reusable
and NO chemicals to leach
into your drinking water!
Zojirushi Mr. Bento
Stainless-Steel lined Lunch
Jar - Round jar with 4
food bowls for hot or cold
lunch storage and carrying
bag.
Wool
Bed Pillow - Domestic
detergent washed wool - no
insecticides, organic cotton Percale
case. Made in the USA.
Voltaic
Solar Panel Backpack - The
Voltaic Backpack is built tough for
use as a weekend hike bag or as a
large daypack and it charges your
portable devices like cell phones,
mp3 players, and iPods.
