10 Quick and Easy
Tips for Going Green

Here are several quick and easy tips for going green. I picked ones that didn't require a huge commitment, but just a slight change of habits for mere mortals. When starting out, go ahead and pick the few that are easy or of interest to you!

1) Lose something and need to replace it? Buy it used. You can get them at Goodwill, consignment stores, thrift stores. Nowadays with the internet we have access to a abundant supply of used items from ebay.com, freesharing.com, half.com, craigslist.com, amazon.com (when used), etc.

2) Use a reusable cloth bag for groceries. You probably have seen grocery stores "advertising" the use cloth bags.

3) Use only the power you need: open shades to let light in, use a toaster oven for small foods instead of the conventional oven. Also, you can buy a "smart power strip" which detects when a device is not in use and turns it off. There's a push for a smart power grid to analyze exactly how you consume power.

4) Drink from tap water. Avoid drinking from plastic containers, most of the time it's just filtered tap water. So get your own water filter, save on the cost. It requires energy to store and transport them. Only about 20 percent of the bottles get recycled. If you are concerned, buy reusable water system.

5) Drive closer to the speed limit, avoid putting rapid acceleration, and keep your tires inflated. Also, lobby your local government officials for more sidewalks and bike lanes. (note: feel free to exempt yourself from rapid acceleration if you have a sports car, after all thats why you probably got it!)

6) Shop at Farmer's Markets. The food travels far less and if they stay in business, they won't be forced to sell off the land they grow our food. They cut out the middle man, so you'd be supporting them directly. If you're in the U.S. Go here to look them up, there are over 4000 in the U.S.

7) Recycle your stuff. Especially electronics, they contain mercury and other noxious chemicals. The average person throws away 4.5-6 pounds of trash. That's a lot of trash from all of us. If you have curbside recycling pickup, this is one of the easiest tips for going green.

8) Make your own cleaning supplies. So easy and cheap. Just get 2 spray containers and pour in 1/2 a cup of vinegar and peroxide with a quart of water for each. Those two items will meet just about all your household cleaning needs. Other "cleaning recipes" use lemon and baking soda.

9) Become a vegetarian. If that's not possible then take a one day meat fast a week. Raising animals for meat consumes an enormous amount of resources.

10) Buy items in bulk and high quality when possible. If you buy in bulk less packaging is required. Also, if you invest in high quality items that you plan to use for a long time you are less likely to re-purchase it.

These 10 tips for going green are just some very small ways you can change the world. Go have fun!

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