Posted on August 06th, 2009 in
Green Living
Going green tips and ideas. There are literally thousands of green living practices that can be applied to our daily lives. Do a search for anything green and the results are overwhelming. You’ll see things like “how to build a wind generator” or “how to create solar panels”, “how to make your own cleaning solutions”, or “how to build an electric car that runs on batteries”. Still, as I look around me, I don’t see much of this going on and I only see a few other eco tips and ideas that are actually being practiced.
So, from a realistic point of view, what are the top ten eco-green principles that are actually being practiced….., at least in my own city? While I’m sure that bigger cities are creating more awareness because of necessity, the stats are probably still close to the same. While eventually we will all be forced to observe all the fine details of living a green lifestyle, there are a few practices that are becoming a common part of everyday life. Besides being easy to add to our lives and routines, a few of these practices are the result of forced awareness and implementation which is why they’ve become common.
These are the top ten going green tips that I’ve actually seen folks practicing around me. They’re simple and so an easy way to get started doing your part.
- Reusable Grocery Bags
Often made of recycled materials themselves, reusable grocery bags are available at the checkout counter of every store or thrift shop. My church even has their own branded bag for a two dollar fee (that goes to a good cause, of course). As plastic bags dot the landscape like a weed infestation, reusable grocery bags are a great idea…..if you can remember to put them back in the car so you’ll have them when you need them.
- Pay Bills Online Or Direct Draft
If you’re not taking advantage of this, you’re wasting a lot of time, money, and resources that you don’t have to. Seriously. This isn’t new anymore so there’s no reason to be afraid of it. It’s been tested. So use it to free up some time as well as save energy and money.
- Disposable Plastic Water Bottles
These are as non-green as you can get. Besides filling our landfills with a mass of materials that never break down, disposable plastic water bottles are also a health issue due to chemicals that leech from this thin type of plastic into the water. Get a good quality reusable water bottle and an inexpensive filter for your sink. You’ll save a ton of money, help the environment, and reduce one more risk to your health.
- Water Rationing
Nobody likes this one and most communities have to have forced water restrictions to maintain water levels that will sustain the basic needs of communities. Green lawns are a luxury and not a necessity. Do your part. Also, see Xeriscaping below.
- Using Renewable Energy
Wind, sun, and bio-diesel are just a few of the most visible types of renewable green energy being used today. Eventually, there will be no choice. While these may not be highly visible in my area, they are visible all around us. Sign up for it and use it where you can. Wikipedia has an in depth explanation and definition of renewable energy here.
- Lighting
CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) lighting took a while to catch on but is quickly replacing most common light bulbs in homes as well as shelf space in the stores. In the near future we should see LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting become even more widely used than CFL as they are even more green and energy efficient. This is an easy transition. Next time you’re at the store, pick up some CFL or LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs. As the old bulbs burn out, replace them one at a time until you make the transition. Of course, you can also change them all at once as well.
- Xeriscaping – Water Wise Landscaping
I know a little bit about this one and it ain’t what you think folks. Xeriscaping, not zero scaping, can be applied to almost any garden design style and landscaping. Of course, since it was developed and is most widely used in the Desert Southwest, most folks relate to Xeriscaping as the Desert landscaping style of rocks and cactus. Educate yourself on this one. See xeriscaping principles for explanations, examples, and ideas for xeriscape landscape design.
- Working At Home
While there are a lot of reasons for this one, working, freelancing, and contracting from home is becoming much more common. Regardless of reason or intent, it does save energy from travel, lessens the need for more building, and for heating, lighting, and cooling large office buildings.
- Email
Betcha don’t even think about how much energy and resources you save every time you replace a snail mail with an email. Of course, you’re not helping any of the postal services but you are saving trees and energy resources. Reassess your contacts and business and use email every time you can.
- Carpool
This one has been around since the “energy crisis”. And even though you don’t hear much of it anymore, it’s still widely practiced by smart folk. I can see it a bit in the industry around our little city and every time I go to a county fair or picture show in a big city, I see lots of folks still using the carpool lanes.
Of course within the scope of our site, there are a lot of sites that specifically deal with green landscaping and gardening. See green gardening advice and ideas for some tips and resources that may help you move the green movement into your own yard and landscaping.
Again, these may not be the top ten going green tips on the national or even global scale. They are simply but a few of the many thousands that I see folks actually doing. And also again, they are common mostly because they are easy to fit into our own lifestyles. They are an easy way to do your part for your community and environment. Do your part.
