Dec 31 2008
10 Simple Steps for a “Greener” New Year!
I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!
Remember the trick to beating a hangover is drinking a lot of water before you go to sleep! But that’s not my “Greener” tip…no, no, no…I am talking about making your environment greener.
I refuse to try and make a New Years resolution because I think it’s just too stressful. I would love to lose weight, but it’s too much pressure to try and stick to a diet and then set myself up for disappointment.
I would love to say that I resolve to ballance my checking account, always have at least a half a book of stamps in my wallet, be asleep no later than 11:00 pm and remember to take my vitamins…everyday; but I know that I have to be realistic and decide to decide on actually attainable goals. Okay I know those things I mentioned are easy, I was just joking. What I am not joking about though, is we need to resolve to make our environment cleaner and greener. If we can’t change the world by ourselves, we can change our living environment and feel just a little better about the money we save and the healthier we can be.
So first I want to connect you with the 10 tips I found on The Daily Green.
1. STOP IDLING:
Every moment you spend idling your car’s engine means needlessly wasting gas, as well as rougher wear on your vehicle. Idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is needed for startup. Overall, Americans idle away 2.9 billion gallons of gas a year, worth around $78.2 billion.
2. TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER:
Save energy and wear and tear on your hardware by shutting down your computer at night. You’ll save an average of $90 of electricity a year. The Department of Energy recommends shutting off your monitor if you aren’t going to use it for more than 20 minutes, and the whole system if you’re not going to use it for more than two hours.
3. SIGN UP FOR GREEN ENERGY:
More than half of all electricity consumers in the U.S. now have the option of purchasing green power from their utility. Find out how you can buy it by visiting the Department of Energy’s state-by-state list of providers. You can also check with your own utility to see what’s available.
4. TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT:
It definitely pays to give a thought to your thermostat, since most households shell out 50 to 70% of their energy budgets on heating and cooling. For every degree you lower the thermostat, you’ll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill. Do the same thing in reverse with air conditioning.
5. WASH YOUR LAUNDRY iN COLD WATER:
An easy way to clean green is to turn the dial on your washing machine to cold. Most loads don’t need hot water, and 90% of the energy used by washing machines goes into heating. The higher the water temperature, the higher the cost to you and the planet.
6. PAY BILLS ONLNE:
Save natural resources - as well as late fees - by enrolling in online bill-paying options. Paperless billing not only saves trees; it also eliminates the fossil fuel needed to get all those billing envelopes from them to you and back again. Plus, you’ll save money on stamps.
7. JETTISON JUNK MAIL:
Around 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water are used to send junk mail to Americans every year, according to greendimes.com. You can stop 75% of unsolicited mail by registering on the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association website (for a fee of $1). Within 90 days, most unsolicited mail will stop.
8. PRINT ON TWO SIDES:
Know what? It’s not that hard to print two sides on your computer. But even though most software programs give that option, most of us still print only on one side of the page. Consider this: the U.S. alone uses 4 million tons of copy paper annually, about 27 pounds per person. Save dough and your local landfill. Print 2-sides.
9. CARPOOL :
If your drive to work is 25 miles each way and at least half is in typical stop-and-go traffic, you’ll save almost 10 percent of your monthly carbon emissions by carpooling. Not to mention the gas dollars you’ll save and the fun you’ll have sharing office gossip with your friends.
10. CHOOSE HORMORE-FREE MILK:
Look for milk that has been certified organic or carries the words ‘no artificial hormones.’ Conventional dairies inject cows with synthetic recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), aka bovine somatotropin (rbST), to boost production. The practice has been implicated in udder infections, requiring more veterinary antibiotic use, and is banned in many countries. Some scientists worry the hormones may affect consumers.
Okay, so now that you see how easy it can be to be GREEN, I am giving youa few FREE fun activities, contests if you will; which may put green in your pocket for the new year…now wouldn’t that be nice?
The DAVOS DEBATES from the World Economic Forum is committed to improving the state of the world. You can watch some of the forum, submit your response video on Youtube by clicking here , you could be one of the eco-concious people to win a trip to Switzerland to stand next some of the top environmentally friendly people in the world!
Avery is offering FREE environmentally safe stationery!
Found on imommies, the Environmental Defense Fund works to “fight global warming, protect endangered species, restore our oceans, clean up toxic pollution and promote tough clean air and water health and safety standards.” In an attempt to improve actions concerning environmental policy, the EDF has drafted a letter to both of the Presidential candidates requesting several actions to be taken during the first 100 days in office. In exchange for signing that letter, the EDF will send you a free gift of your choice: a travel mug, umbrella, or reusable shopping bag.
That’s all for tonight kids, I wish you all a blessed, healthy and safe 2009!
