Living Green

Are you trying to be more aware of your individual environmental impact? Trying to improve your financial bottom line by looking into daily practices that will save you money as you recycle things for new uses? Have you always been thrifty & responsible?

I was raised by parents who both grew up during the Depression and WWII in working class families. They both lived a thrifty lifestyle their entire lives, because they had to. Some of their practices seemed ridiculous in the 1980s when I was growing up, and many are the things that we are being told are good daily practices now.
For example, we re-used our brown lunch bags until they fell apart, which we found embarrassing as kids, but now I say why not? My mom would rinse out the Baggies from snacks, turn them inside-out to dry, and re-use them. My favorite re-use, which I now admire greatly, is the Reynolds Aluminum Foil. My mom can get up to 6 uses of a piece of tin foil in which she cooks her awesome grilled potatoes! I could tell you all about her various money-saving efforts, but this post is really about being green, so I'll save the "savings" for a future post!
Going green isn't just about saving the planet for our children, it's about protecting human health and creating a sustainable economy where the entire biosphere, plants, animals, & people, can coexist. I've been skipping around the blog world, as well as the Internet in general, and I've found some interesting places I'd like to share with you!Grandma Goes Green is an AMAZING blog in the original tradition of an on-line journal! Here is what Barbara says, "In January 2008, I pledged to stop shopping for myself for one year. I am a 53 year old psychotherapist who realizes that I have to set an example for my children and grand kids in regards to consumerism and the environment. I am at a point in my life where I don't really need anything new, but I realize that I have gotten into a habit of mindlessly consuming things. This blog will record my journey through this year of no shopping. " I find reading about her journey so interesting and inspiring!
Low Impact Living is a great place to start learning about your individual impact on the environment and can help you make choices about daily practices and environmentally-friendly products. They even have a cool Environmental Impact Calculator that shows not only the carbon footprint but also energy, water, wastewater, trash, and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. It can recommend ideas based on your specific information that can save you money, reduce your environmental impact, or in many cases both at the same time!

David Suzuki's Nature Challenge is really cool! He gives you 4 top ways you can make a difference, one of them being to talk about your "green" living. So many of us bloggers have big mouths, that should be the easiest! By signing up you will receive monthly newsletters with green living ideas. This website is out of Canada & is written in both English & French.

So, have you switched to tote bags for groceries? Bought a hybrid or smaller car? Gone with organic foods & cleaning products? Switched to CFL bulbs? How is it working out for you? Tell us here in the comments!