New Year: 10
Ideas to Go Greener For 2016
The New Year
is here! This is the time where we all are inspired to start fresh, get
motivated and accomplish our goals. Many people are budgeting their finances,
buying gym memberships and creating vacation goals for the coming year. How
about going green? Now is the perfect time to make steps toward becoming
“greener” for the planet and your child’s future. It takes everybody’s help to
really make a difference, but it starts with one.
“The
greatest threat to our Planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” –
Robert Swan
The best
part about finding ways to reduce our carbon foot print, is that most of the
ideas can tie in with your financial goals and save you money! So here are 10
ideas of ways you, as an adult, can start living green:
1.
Ziploc
bags are the thing of the past! Try glass containers instead of a baggie when you
need to store something in the fridge. It will reduce your grocery bill and the
amount of plastic that is left behind for years.
2.
Another
way to reduce plastic production is to use re-usable bags when grocery shopping
or whenever needed. Amazon has these super cute bags that fold into small strawberries!
3.
Why
buy water when you have it at home! Bottled water can easily be replaced by a Pur or Brita that attaches to you facet. You can fill
your favorite BPA free bottle with filtered water right at home.
4.
On
the topic of water, you can reduce the amount of water you use in the shower by
opting for a low-flow shower head.
5.
Check out this nifty rain water catch. You
attach it to your rain gutter and it can redirect the rain into a barrel. Use
the recycled water for your lawn versus the hose.
6.
Paper
towels are filling our landfills, using valuable trees, and eating up your
money, especially if you have a little messy one running around. These cloth
dish towels by Ikea are a great swap to have on
hand versus disposable paper towels.
7.
Buy
locally. Most people think that the farmer’s market is more expensive than the
conventional grocery store. However because most farmers only grow what is in
season it is often less expensive. My most recent grocery trip found that one
8oz container of strawberries cost a staggering $7, because they are currently
out of season and came all the way from California! So buying locally and in
season, saves money and valuable energy that goes into exporting goods.
8.
What
to do with all your newly found cheap veggies? Go meatless one day every week! There
are many reasons why eating less meat can drastically improve our environment. Animal
agriculture uses over 50% of our nation’s water. Another fact, if every
American dropped one serving of chicken per week from their diet, it would cut as
much CO2 emissions as taking 500,000 cars off the road. Check out more facts
about choosing veggies instead of meat here.
9.
Next time you are cooking smaller meals try
using a toaster oven instead of your full size oven. Or even try using all of
the space in your oven by cooking large quantities for meals throughout the
week. Less energy equals less bills.
10.
This
last trick I personally find useful. Turning off the AC/heater when you are out
for the day. Or not running it at all and instead bundling up with socks and
blankets when the weather is a little chilly. When it gets to be really cold at
night I turn the heat on low and turn it off during the day. If socks and
blankets are not enough for you, try creating your own heat by moving more.
Jumping jacks, squats or even pushups are a sure way to get you warmed up!
Get the kids involved too! As an adult we have the power to
sculpt the next generation that will be taking care of our Planet. So why not
let them become a part of our “going green” steps. Try not to lecture or haunt
them with the problems of the environment, but instead encourage them to create
empathy and love for the Earth.
“Give children a chance to love the earth before we ask them
to save it” – David Sobel
Maybe bring you children to the farmers market and let them help
pick out some veggies. While you’re cooking encourage them to play outside for
at least an hour and see how it impacts your child’s behavior. The rain water
catch can be a great opportunity to allow them to help with watering the
flowers or lawn. Let’s make it a goal this year to help and encourage our kids
to become the generation that grows with the environment, not stifle it in
their path. In every decision we make this year, let’s take the time to stop
and think about how we are impacting Mother Earth.
Happy New Year!
