going GREEN!!

I wish I knew exactly what or who was responsible for my own personal "green movement." I think a lot of it was just random education I picked up from different articles, programs, etc. Really, for me, it was the statistics that compare one things to another that opened my eyes to the disgusting waste we all are responsible for each day. And up to a certain point, I truly had no idea! Somewhere along the way there was this "ah ha" moment of awareness that creeped in and made me not only aware, but also accountable, for all of my actions. Surprisingly, I have found these new changes very convenient, and even cost efficient. I am in no way perfecting the way I lead my life, or coming close to eliminating my carbon footprint, but I am doing so much better than ever before, and I'm continuing to educate myself and those around me about choices, and therefore making a promising step for our mother Earth's future.

Some of the choices were so simple. For instance, going to buy a light bulb and deciding to pay more (in the short term) for the compact florescent ones that will save you more in the long run. (Now anyone that knows me knows that if there is one thing I hate, it is overhead lighting. So even the thought of buying something with word "florescent" in it made me cringe. However, they are available in lower wattages, as well as "soft light", and the only difference you will ever notice is a reduced electricity bill!)

Others took a bit more thought. Such as grocery bags. Artie really deserves credit here. When we lived in downtown Charleston with the grocery store less than a block away, she helped me get into the habit of walking over with a bag or basket (like these: http://www.surlatable.com/product/id/149023.do FYI: look for these same totes in your TJ Maxx or Marshall's for $9.99--they are well made and you can remove the canvas part and throw it in the washing machine if something spills). These days I tend to use the green tote bags you can buy at the grocery store for 99 cents a bag. That way I have enough to have them stashed everywhere. Sometimes, however, I do forget to take in my bag, but it those instances I choose plastic bags and I make a point to take them back to the store and drop them in the bag recycle next time. (A paper bag is much harder to recycle.)

Laundry detergent: You walk down the aisle, look to see that your signature laundry detergent has gone 2X, and therefore you think "wow, I'm doing something fabulous for the environment!" Hate to bust your bubble but the truth is: is it better? of course is it fantastic? not hardly
From what I have learned, you have two choices to go up from regular 2X detergent:
you can go the most inexpensive route with 3X detergent (you find it at Target, fantastic stuff made by Method--unscented version, and a light "clean" scent)
OR
you can pay a bit more and go with the best environmental choice (I mean come on, we aren't going to be able to buy a new Earth in a few hundred years people): vegetable based detergent (made by such companies as Seventh Generation-- also found at Target, and in a few scents, including unscented)

"If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 100 oz. 2x ultra petroleum-based liquid laundry detergent with one bottle of 100 oz. 2x vegetable-based product, we could save 460,000 barrels of oil!! (FYI: That's enough to heat and cool 27,000 U.S. homes a year!!)" -from our green friends at Seventh Generation

That's my food for thought this evening. My goal isn't to overwhelm. Just a little awareness that might inspire the thought of a possible change.