Archive for Environment
I Threw Out the Can
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The other day I threw out a can instead of recycling.
I believe in taking care of the earth. We have the right kind of bulbs. We recycle everything that can be recycled. I use cloth bags. We buy mainly locally and organic if we can. We use natural cosmetics, grooming products and cleaners.
Yet I could not bring myself to wash out the potato soup can. I was tired of washing out the cans. I didn’t want to ever have to do it again.
But, the next day I saw a can. I rinsed it out. I kept going.
We have enough guilt in our lives, without adding eco-guilt. Do what you can. Feel good when you lighten your ecological footprint. But, don’t kick yourself in the rear with it when you can’t be pure eco-friendly.
Eco Living Arso
Posted by: | CommentsARSO is an acronym used by people working with the environment. It stands for…
Avoid
Reduce
Substitute
Offset
So what are things to Avoid?
- Certain plastics
- Pesticides
- Household chemical cleaners
- Non organic makeup
- Styrofoam
- Plastic with a #7 recycling code
- Things that are overpackaged
- Plastic utensils
What about Reducing?
- Car travel
- Temperature in house during winter
- Light use
- Printing paper
- Water use
What can you Substitute?
- Paper towels and napkins – use fabric instead
- Disposable batteries – switch to rechargeables
- Compact fluorescent bulbs instead of Incandescent bulbs
- Energy efficient appliances instead of energy hoggers
- Use a tote bag instead of a plastic or paper grocery bag
- Low flow showerhead instead of a regular one
How can you Offset your carbon footprint?
- Recycle what you can
- Give to green organizations
- Compost
- Socially responsible portfolios
Now since I am all for living simply, I would never suggest you start doing all of these at once. Choose one to work on this week and let us know how it went.
Is Your Commute Worth It?
Posted by: | CommentsWe woke up to a Snow Day today. We have about a foot of snow on the ground right now. I was thinking how wonderful it was to work from the house and not have to drive anywhere in this.
When my husband first got his job, we lived about 40 minutes away. In winter, especially it felt like a long commute. Others drive over an hour to get to his work.
We decided to get a house close to my husband’s work. Right now his drive is only 10 minutes (well 20 during the snow storm last night). And when I worked outside the home, it was only a 10 minute drive for me too. I looked for a place close to our new (at the time) house.
Cutting down the commute can have one of the biggest impacts on your every day life. This simplifies your life in a big way. If you live an hour from work – you are commuting for two hours a day. What else could you be doing for those 2 hours?
Shortening your commute also saves on gasoline and helps the environment. Longer commutes equal higher stress. When you have a long commute, time with family and friends and time for basic home and health maintenance dissolves. Bad traffic often leads to grumpy moods when you get home.
Is there any way you could find a house closer to where you work? This would be a perfect time to downsize. Some states even have grants and loans to help people live where they work.
Or if you don’t like your job anyway, you can begin looking for jobs closer to you. Even if the job pays less, you will be saving with fuel, wear and tear on the car, meals to go when you have no time to cook, etc.
If a new job or a new home isn’t in the picture for you right now, is there anyway you can telecommute a couple days a week. Or take public transportation so you can at least do something while you are going to work. At my husband’s work a few people got their work hours changed so they could all ride into work together. You can see how much money you would save with the Carpool Savings Calculator.
Just because you can’t move or change jobs now, doesn’t mean you can’t plan to do this for the future. Too often we think we are stuck – with our mortgage, in our jobs. We forget our choices. Things can change if you plan for them. Here is a 10 step plan for career change and here are resources to plan a relocation.
Is your job and commute worth the effects on your lifestyle?
