Baby Steps to a Green World - Part 6

That's the title of a song that became enormously popular when American boys were being sent off to Europe during World War One. Its popularity lasted a long time, and the title has come to stand for the universal truth that innocence cannot be regained. Going back to old simpler ways is really hard.

This is probably the root problem with going green in the 21st century. Green living isn't really anything new. Our ancestors lived greener than we do. Without all the labor-saving appliances and disposable products we have, they had no choice but to keep, wash, repair and reuse things. But then, they didn't have tons of trash piling up because it won't biodegrade for centuries. They didn't have the power to denude thousands of acres of rain forest and wetlands daily to satisfy a market hungry for lumber and land for expanding subdivisions so they could live 50 miles from where they work. They usually lived within walking distance of their workplace, where they shopped and where they gathered with other people.

You, You're Drivin' Me Crazy

How far do you travel for those things? How much of that is by car? Don't panic, you won't be expected to sell your car or walk across Utah to visit your mother. We're talking baby steps here, remember? First thing you can do is watch how and how much your whole family uses your car(s) over a week. You know the drill.

After a normal week's activity, take stock. You may have driven to a regular meeting or appointment and discovered a friend who goes there, too. Hint, it's more fun to have someone in the car to talk to while traveling.

You probably made several trips to the grocery store, often for something you forgot, or something no one told you when they took the last of it. Stick a sheet of paper and a pencil on a string to the fridge door with magnets so everyone can write those things down. Make a rule that no extra trips will be made for anything that isn't on that sheet of paper.

Some busy families keep a large calendar on the wall in the kitchen where all members post their schedules. It could also hold reminders to pick up the cleaning, make a bank deposit, get the muffler checked. Then group these errands or include them in other trips. The trick is to write them down rather than jump in the car for each little thing. Teenage drivers will not like this plan without some incentive.

Walkies

Probably the most embarrassing car trip is to a gym to exercise, especially if it's only a couple of miles or less. Unless circumstances won't let you off the hook, this could bring you to the most basic travel mode of all - walking. Few people healthy enough to walk, really use this greenest of all resources to their full advantage. This has been shown to be the healthiest and most effective exercise for the most people. Not to mention, absurdly cost effective. Most of us live in subdivisions or urban neighborhoods where it is safe to walk. Choose the safest or most convenient time, recruit a partner, take the dog, dress as warmly or coolly as necessary, but WALK.

But that's exercise, not travel. So, look for ways to use walking to actually get somewhere. Since it also serves as free exercise, that's double the points for the green team. Study your route to work for ways to substitute walking for gasoline consumption. Walking five miles may add an hour to your commute, but it can add years to your life.

You don't have to live in Manhattan to employ Manhattan shopping technique. They take a wheeled shopping cart to carry all their purchases in. Easily managed up stairs, on the subway except during rush hour, and can carry a whole lot more than you can. Take one with you into the mall. You will enjoy walking around shopping more when you aren't struggling with bags.

Other ways to walk greener: Check the mileage distance to all the places you normally drive. Surely some places on your list of errands are within walking distance. Take the cart or a wagon. Don't want to look eccentric? Take a kid in the wagon. The cleaning won't get that wrinkled on the way home. Take the kid to a park. Take a book to the park. Take all the kids someplace for ice cream, even if it's only the nearest convenience store. Every time you can leave the house without taking the car is a point for the green team.

Wheelies

Depending on where you live, you may be able to extend the range of your non-automobile travel significantly with a bicycle, which is faster than walking. Considering traffic and one-way streets, it could even prove faster than driving. All of the suggestions under walking go double for biking. Picture the whole family biking across town to Grandmother's house. She would be so proud.