I have tried to practice living a greener lifestyle ever since I left college, studying environmental conservation has changed my thinking forever about protecting the Earth and doing my individual part for the greater of the whole.
It isn't always the easiest and it takes time and awareness but I believe that what I do comes back to me in greater abundance, that is true for all of us.
This year I am living very simply and it has been nice to have the time to ponder my lifestyle and practices that I will be teaching my growing family. I like to give thanks for the Earth and seek even further changes I can make to help out with our planetary health. This year I am making a pledge to cleaning up even more. What I have already done and what I will start doing to help out me, my family, the Earth, and you!
Here is my list of 20 lifestyle changes I've made other than recycling religiously;
2. Compost my food scrapes and turn them back into rich healthy soil. An old plastic garbage can works great with some holes in the top.
3.Using canvas or any other reusable shopping bag for groceries, shopping, farmers markets or anything else that they use plastic bags...if I forget my bag I carry my goods to remind me to place them in my car for next time. The habit has stuck and now I leave bags in my car all the time.
4. Carry around my own water bottle. I don't buy bottled water. The plastic from those bottles is a terrible hazard to the environment. Watch water bottle story to learn more about this impact.
5. Turning off the lights when I leave a room, JJ can tell you all about me following behind him and turning off the lights as he leaves rooms as well. I also keep the lights off outside unless I am out there.
6. Changing the lightbulbs to CFLs, saving so much energy and money!
7. Washing my clothes in cold water instead of hot, better for my clothes anyway.
8. Combining my errands for one trip instead of driving needlessly everyday to the same place. Also, Drive the speed limit and coast to the stop signs instead of gassing the car and slamming on your breaks.
9. Ride a bike. If at all possible, in Tennessee it is NOT very bike friendly, I would like to try to ride my bike more often for errands or to visit a friend if they live close.
11. Turn off my computer at night.
12. Hang my clothes outside to dry. Clothes dried in the sun smell soo good.
13. Before buying anything new, check craigslist, KSL, or a thrift store and see if I can find something that needs to be saved instead. Keeping my carbon footprint down by reusing first. Also, donate to thrift stores instead of throwing things away.
14. Make my own household cleaners. Check my tutorials for recipes.
15. Unplug my chargers when not in use.
17. Use a Diva Cup for my menstral cycle. I have been using one for a year now and it is amazing, never have I leaked and I can do every sport and swim.
18. Use cloth napkins at dinner, then wash the kitchen with them before placing them in the dirty laundry.
19. Reuse glass jars for flour, honey, syrups, dried beans or anything else instead of plastic bags.
20. Buy food in bulk. Freeze it, continue canning food or place in cold storage.
What will you do to help our planet????
Awesome list! Cloth diapers are fun and so stinkn cute! Can't wait to use them on my newborn. I didn't start with Caleb until he was about 8 months old. As for the CFL's, I avoid them like the plague. LED lights are a fabulous alternative. Here is an interesting video about CFL's. They emit a ton of dirty electricity, and because they contain mercury, they are extremely hazardous for our environment, especially since most people don't dispose of them correctly.
ReplyDeleteCFL video below:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=425444185921