Top Five Green New Years Resolutions

Even if you do not believe all the hubub about Global Warming, you have to admit that the earth needs some serious help. Pitching in to make this world a much nicer place to live doesn't have to be painful at all. Here are a few pretty easy resolutions for you. Pick one or pick them all.

1) Click-a-day: This is number one because it is the simplest way to help. You don't even have to leave your computer for it. Websites about that donate advertising revenue to various causes. Places like care2.com give you a choice on where you wish them to put your clicking proceeds. There are up to 10 causes from saving the wetlands to feeding a primate. Don't scoff. These websites are doing a whole lot of good, and all it takes for you to help is a mouse click. How easy is that?

2) Recycle Old Cell Phones & Batteries: These are both notorious for seeping poisons into the groundwater when tossed in with the regular garbage. Instead of just throwing them away, why not donate them? In fact, Teen Trend Magazine makes it very easy for you to do so. Just visit our website to find out how.

3) Turn Your Computer Off: Producing electricity involves carbon. Many folks have a bad habit of leaving their computers on at night, which means more electricity use and a bigger carbon footprint. If everyone turned off the computer at night, the combined saving of energy would be tremendous. In fact, when you turn off your electronics, go one step further and unplug them. A lot of folks don't realize that even in the off position, these items are still using electricity. For instance, the remote control on your TV and Stereo would not work if there wasn't something left on inside there, would it? Such a simple change in routine, but cumulatively can have a very profound effect. Plus, it will help save on your parent's electric bill. Easy way to make points there, eh?

4) Turn the heat down 1 degree: This one will require permission from your parents, obviously, but what is one little degree? Seriously. You probably won't even notice the difference, but the Earth certainly will. This is another one that might get you into the good graces of your parents for helping them save on heating costs.

5) Pick Up 1 Piece of Litter: This one requires a little more effort on your part, but not much. All too often we walk past an empty candy bar wrapper and think to ourselves what a pig the person was to just toss it there on the sidewalk. Next time, bend over and pick it up. You can put in the next trash bin you pass. If you do this once a day, it will help the earth (not to mention your own neighborhood) immensely. This one is good also in that others will see you do this and possibly pick up something themselves. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to walk down a street in America and not see garbage laying everywhere? You can start a trend with this one.

6) Bonus Idea! Use cloth shopping bags or a backpack: Next time you stop into your nearest convenience store on the way home from school, put your purchase into your backpack instead of the store's plastic bag. You can even purchase a cloth shopping back for a buck or two and keep it in your backpack or purse for bigger shopping purchases. This is catching on all over the world and is very big in Australia. It is not considered 'nerdy' at all. In fact, not doing this is frowned on outside the US.

An Edited version of my article appeared in the Dec-Jan 2007/2008 issue of Teen Trend Magazine. All rights reserved.