Tag Archives: environment

There are varying degrees of green lifestyle choices you can make. It depends on your level of comfort, concern, and personal preference. More “advanced” green lifestyles differ from those who are just getting started, or who prefer to do just a few basic things. Here are some of the differences.

The Basics

For a beginner or someone who simply prefers to do a few simple things, the basics usually cover it. This includes some or all of the following:

* Eating whole, natural foods grown organically and, if possible, locally
* Recycling household waste such as cardboard, paper, glass, and plastic
* Conserving water in the home by cutting back wherever possible
* Choosing eco-friendly paints when it’s time to redecorate
* Saving energy by turning out lights, installing CFLs, and using daylight whenever possible
* Saving energy by using electric appliances sparingly and in a strategic way (such as baking foods at the same time, using the microwave to reheat foods, etc.)
* Using solar lighting outdoors
* Cleaning the home with natural, eco-friendly cleaners, homemade and/or commercial
* Investing in more eco-friendly toys for children, such as wooden toys
* Cutting back on fuel use by walking, carpooling, or biking
* Using cloth bags for shopping

“Advanced” Green

In addition to the above, a more advanced green lifestyle might include some or all of these lifestyle choices.

* Setting up a recycling program in the office, school, or community
* Organizing and/or participating in a community clean-up day
* Engaging in eco-friendly travel, such as driving a hybrid vehicle
* Installing solar panels, personal wind turbines, or other alternative means of generating electricity for the household
* Composting kitchen scraps in a worm bin or compost pile
* Growing your own food using organic methods
* Wearing only natural fibers and sustainable footwear
* Using only sustainable woods and materials in the home, such as natural linoleum or bamboo flooring, mango-wood furniture, and natural countertops
* Using only recycled materials in the home such as paper and cardboard
* Doing business as an eco-consultant
* Installing a low-flow toilet or composting toilet
* Building an entirely eco-friendly house out of natural materials

As you can see, there are varying degrees of going and being green. You may well begin with the basics and then add more and more of the more advanced options. And remember, you don’t have to be super-advanced to be effective in your greening efforts. The important thing is to take steps in the right direction and do what you are able to do.

Have you heard the term “going green,” but aren’t really sure what it means? It’s become such a common phrase that it’s lost its meaning to an extent. What, exactly, does it mean to “go green”? What’s the point? And how does one go green?

“Green” is a reference to nature and the environment. Trees, grass, and plants are predominantly green in color, so working to preserve those ecosystems and environments is, quite literally, protecting what is green.

Due to concerns about the destruction of the green environment, many people are looking for ways to preserve it, either by engaging in active conservation or by making an effort not to contribute to its destruction. What contributes to environmental destruction?

Practices like deforestation, chemical farming, and large-scale agribusiness are often cited as being environmentally destructive. Emissions of carbon dioxide are said to contribute to global warming, which is another environmental concern.

So “going green” means minimizing the destruction of trees, not supporting large agribusiness with the consumer’s dollar, lowering personal emissions and not contributing to increased emissions by others (such as buying food that has been transported a long way). Going green also usually involves conserving energy and taking care not to waste natural resources.

When someone takes an active role in environmental preservation, that person is said to be “going green.”

So How Can You Go Green?

For one thing, you can recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal. All of these materials use energy and natural resources to manufacture (particularly paper and cardboard, which uses trees), so recycling them makes sense from a green standpoint. When possible, purchase items made from recycled materials.

You can also take care to cut back on the energy use in your own home. Turn your thermostat down at night and when you’re not home, or even better, install a thermostat timer that will do the work for you by lowering or raising the thermostat at prescribed intervals.

Energy use in the home can be further reduced by taking some simple steps. For example, upgrade to Energy Star appliances where possible; turn off lights when you leave a room; don’t run the dishwasher unless it’s full.

Try to eat local, organic produce – local, because less fuel is required to get the food from farm to table, and organic because of the possible negative environmental impact of conventional farming practices.

Resource-wasting can be reduced by conserving water and fuel. Shorten showers and minimize excessive use of water use, such as washing the car too often.