It is Easy to Be Green:

Over the past few years, environmental causes have been making their way into the main stream. What was once reserved for the granola eating, green tree hugging few, has now been embraced by the masses. Words like "green", "eco friendly", and "organic" have been ushered into our vocabulary seemingly overnight, and companies like Clorox and Honda are eagerly promoting their new, "green" products. SUV's, who were once praised for their versatility, awoke to find their popularity diminished in favor of -----corn?

Welcome to the 21^st century and a new dawn of collective consciousness. Going green is trendy, even hip. Our desire to help save our planet coupled with our desire to save a buck has fueled the recent "Going Green" pep rally that is parading through our society. We want to go green, but most of us can't bike to work. We want to help the environment, but most of us don't know where to start. With all of the information out their about going green, carbon footprints and emissions, it's easy to loose sight of the little things that add up to make a BIG difference. You can go green, it's easy, and in the process you might even keep a little green in your wallet. Here are 5 easy ways you can go green TONIGHT!

Easy Ways to go Green #1: Change your Light Bulbs

Go green by changing the light bulbs in your home to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL's). While they initially cost a few dollars more, CFL's last up to 10x longer than traditional light bulbs. If you are skeptical about the way they look; don't worry, you are not alone. When my husband brought CFL's home a year ago, I assumed that I would hate them. Boy was I wrong! New and improved CFL's are made to look more like traditional lighting and most consumers can't tell the difference. Going green saves not only money, but also time. Fewer light bulb changes, was a great incentive for going green!

Easy Ways to go Green #2: Open up the Curtains

Many homes are built to incorporate as much natural light as possible. Over the years; however, many homeowners have reduced their available sunlight by adding awnings, patio covers, curtains, and even hedges. Try opening up your blinds and curtains each morning, and if a tall hedge is blocking the sunlight, consider trimming it a bit. A home can be adequately lit with sunlight the entire day enabling you to take advantage of the earth's free energy source. By going green, you will save not only energy, but $$Money$$ as well. The sunlight is also great at warming up a home in the winter therefore reducing your heating bill! Going green is not only great for the environment, but also great for your wallet. Go green to save some green!!

Easy Ways to go Green #3: Dump the Junk

Junk Mail that is! Most Americans receive more junk mailers in their mailbox than bills. Every time I go to the mailbox I pitch more than half of its' contents in the recycling bin before I even enter the house. In addition to being wasteful, junk mail is just plain irritating. You could continue to pitch your junk mail in the recycling bin every day, or you can take it one step further and register with www.dmaconsumers.org. You can remove your name from mail, email and telephone marketing lists as well as manage which ones you would still like to receive.

Easy Ways to go Green #4: Don't Zip it Up!

Go green by embracing glass! Kick your plastic Tupperware containers and Ziploc bags to the curb and switch to glass Pyrex containers. Pyrex makes glass containers that have fitted tops, they are dishwasher and microwave safe and cost under $20 for a set of 3. It is also nice to be able to see directly into the containers without opening them-no more mystery meat! Investing in several sizes of Pyrex containers will save you money in the long run and help your kitchen get organized in the process (an added bonus for going green!).

Easy Ways to go Green #5: Go Local

When you are thinking about going green at the grocery store, think outside of the box and take a trip to your local Farmer's Market. Supporting local farms can be a bit difficult at first, but well worth the effort. Reducing the distance food has to travel is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for YOU. When you eat fruits and veggies soon after they are harvested you will not only get more vitamins and minerals, but also more taste! Interested in going green and supporting your local farms? Try visiting www.eatwellguide.com. Enter your zip code and they find all the farmers, Farmer's Markets, Grocery Stores and even Restaurants in your community that have gone green and are environmentally friendly. In my area alone, I found 5 green restaurants that buy local produce, beef and dairy for their menus as well as 15 Farmer's Markets and stores that I can visit to purchase locally grown items. If you are interested in going green further, you can read Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. This book chronicles a Canadian couple that embarks on a life-changing journey to eat only locally grown food for an entire year. While most of us can't go green to that extent, it is an interesting read.

Once you start going green you realize how easy it is to incorporate green living into your daily routine. Even your children can get involved in going green and saving the environment. When you are thinking about going green, it is easy to become discouraged. Many of us think we need to compost our garbage or bike to work in order to really, truly make a difference in the environment. But in truth, if each one of us improves our carbon footprint a little bit, the cumulative effects will be outstanding. There are so many easy ways to go green. Whether you are an experienced environmentalist, or a novice naturalist, going green is the future--- and the future starts now.