It's Not Easy Being Green

Ahh, yes. Kermit. His simple little line translates into today's sudden need to be "green". It's definitely not easy being green, that's for sure.

Now, in this sense, being "green" refers to being environmentally friendly. Old habits are the toughest to break. How often do we just throw away the plastic bags we get from grocery shopping? What about throwing everything into the trash can instead of recycling? It takes effort. For some reason, people have recently had this epiphany that Earth is not in very good shape; the reports are saddening. The green movement crashed and burned about 10 years ago, especially in the housing industry, since people didn't really see it as that big of a deal. Now that we're running out of room to put trash, parts of the world are now in severe drought conditions, and glaciers are melting, there's this big push to be green.

Not that this is a bad thing...

One question I often have is whether or not people are making changes because it's the cool thing to do or if it's because they're truly concerned about the environment. I know, I know... that shouldn't be an issue, right? A change is a change... but aren't you more likely to stick with it if it's for the true reason of being more environmentally friendly instead of being cool?

Now, on to what simple changes can be done to help out the environment a bit:

-Limit driving to necessary trips.
-Change light bulbs to CFLs.
-Change from plastic bags at the store to reusable bags.
-Switch to vinegar-based home made cleaning solutions.
-Line dry your clothes.
-Use a rain barrel to collect water, which is then used for watering flowers and gardens.
-Reuse bags whenever possible.
-Turn off water while brushing your teeth, shaving, etc.
-Use low-flow toilets and showerheads/faucets.
-If replacing a toilet isn't feasible at this time, put in a 20 oz. bottle filled with sand or another heavy substance to limit the water usage of the toilet.
-Use ceiling fans to your advantage.
-Use Energy Star appliances.
-Compost yard clippings, kitchen waste, and leaves.

The list goes on for miles, but here are a few links for those who are interested:

http://lowimpactliving.com/

http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/annies-top-10-vinegar-uses.html

http://futuremakers.com.au/category/all/