It's Great Going Green

It's time to take action and search around your home for ways to decrease your eco-footprint and go green. This will reduce your ecological footprint upon our planet.

Ecological footprint means how many resources you as a human are using up, and how or if they are being replenished by mother nature, at the same rate. Are you replenishing them personally or do you think a government agency is doing it for you? If you buy a set of furniture, do you go out and plant a tree? Do you grow fruits and vegetables in your garden? It doesn't take much math to realize that this is not happening, but perhaps you can decrease your consumption, which can add up to a lot over one year.

Take one day during the summer to think about anything you can do as you go through the day that could be done differently? Can you take a shorter shower in the morning? Can you eat fresh fruit rather than processed cereal? Can you dig to the back of the closet for clothes to wear rather than going on a shopping spree on the weekend for more clothes you do not need? Can you take a staycation at home rather than spending money on fuel for transportation?

Here are some more tips.

Recycle. If you don't already have a blue bag or bin (blue means recycle), you can get these from city hall, or go through your storage, perhaps you already own a plastic bin you can re-purpose for recycling.

Set up a compost site in your back yard for trimmings and vegetable matter. You can get a small composter for your balcony or patio, if you are in an apartment. When the cycle is complete, you are left with fresh soil to use in your yard or planters.

Walk or bike to work and errands or consider driving your car part of the way and taking transit in. That way you don't have to pay for parking.

Use cleaning products that you already have around the home. Baking soda and vinegar are great replacements for most chemical spray and powder cleansers, and so much cheaper too. You can put some vinegar and water into a spray bottle, for easy cleanups around the kitchen.

Unplug electrical appliances not in use ie. Stereo, chargers, computers. All electrical items still draw power even when they are turned off. Unplug them when not in use and see the savings on your electric bill.

Go to the library instead of buying books. This will cut down on the number of trees used to make books.

Make a variety of salads instead of cooking and turning on the stove or oven. A bowl is easier to wash than trying to scrub grease out of a frying pan with too much dish soap.

The healthier the food at the grocery store, the less packaging it has, for example, fresh fruits and veggies.

In the summertime plan board game championships in the backyard, rather than sitting inside watching TV.

Healthy lifestyle choices go hand-in-hand with protecting the environment and reducing the number of natural resources that we are taking from the earth. Be sure to do your part in making our planet a better place to live.