Over the summer, I made a point to watch Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. It is a moving piece about Global Warming and how we, in our everyday lives, can help lessen the effects by making greener choices. If you haven't seen it, please try to watch it. It serves as a reminder to us all that what we do effects generations after us.
Click here to see the trailer: http://www.climatecrisis.net
As a busy mom, wife, daughter and designer, I know I have been (and still am) guilty of making our carbon footprint bigger than it needs to be. So, I do what I think is possible for me, personally, to move in a greener direction. I know that it would be very difficult to go completely green because of cost and convenience, but I know that every little movement is one in the right direction. Obviously, I can't just junk my reliable, gas guzzling SUV for a more expensive hybrid because I need to chauffer my kids to school and their activities now. However, I can practice "The Three R's" like Jack Johnson sings: "REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE."
REDUCE - We get rid of things that have not been used in years or we are pretty sure no one will be using in the near future. Surprisingly, I always find something we don't need practically on a daily basis. Instead of just chucking everything in the garbage which would be the easier, less time-consuming solution for us, we make the extra effort to REUSE and RECYCLE whatever possible. The kids and I walk to the bus stop unless it is freezing or pouring out saving gas and reducing the fumes in the air. I take the local roads so I don't need to hit the gas pedal too much. I try to buy things locally for the same reason and get only items I know will be used in the near future. My husband bought everyone in the family pba free plastic water bottles so we can reduce the amount of water bottles we use. It is definitely more of an effort to wash bottles everyday, but it is less plastic out there. We are still investigating aluminum vs. pba free bottles. For the business, I bought a high energy star printer with longer lasting pigment inks for the majority of my projects in the hopes of using my color laser printer less. I am presently researching soy ink possibilities and recycled papers, also.
REUSE - So far, I have three reusable bags for grocery shopping. Those bags can hold a lot! When I handcut paper for projects, I keep the longer strips and reuse them for grocery lists. They fit perfectly in my purse. My kids like to use the smaller scraps for crafts. They pretend that they are tickets to movies, receipts, money, etc... Recently, I found a blog about using used coffee grinds in the garden. As a self-proclaimed coffee addict, I have been saving my grinds and plan on spreading them around my hydrangeas. They are supposed to attract earthworms which in turn will make my soil nice and rich and my garden lush and vibrant. I'll let you know how that experiment goes in the future.
RECYCLE - We recycle everything possible: paper, plastic, aluminum, ink cartridges, cell phones, batteries, etc... Any clothes or toys that have not been too worn out go to neighbors, friends, The Good Will or my aunt's mission in the Philippines. The kids get into the process. It makes us all feel good knowing that these items will be used or enjoyed by other people who are less fortunate.
There are so many things we can do to go green. Although I'll most likely never achieve the ideal green that eco-friendly gurus strive for, I am happy knowing that there are many shades of green and that every day I'm getting closer to that ideal lifestyle. What shade are you?
If you have any comments or ideas about how we, as a people, can lessen our carbon footprint, please feel free to email me and I will post your commentary online. Thank you!
