Going Green: Helping the environment, one month at a time

PortWatch

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must use your real name as your screen name. Instructions can be found on this link: SIGNING ON

comments powered by Disqus

January 13, 2010

Going Green The Daily News of Newburyport Wed Jan 13, 2010, 12:12 AM EST

I realize it is a few weeks after New Year's Day, but it's not too late to make some environmentally friendly resolutions. Since most resolutions made on Jan. 1 do not last long, I thought I would pass along a fantastic idea that was posted on a recent "Greenversatic" blog on the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site, http://blog.epa.gov/blog/.

The blogger, Tara, stated that she resolved last year "to make one small green change in my life each month to ensure I wouldn't get overwhelmed or drive my family crazy." I thought this made more sense than large, over-the-top resolutions that are impossible to keep or generalized resolutions such as "to be greener."

I plan to personally try this monthly concept, making one environmentally sound improvement each month, and I will stick with it if it shows itself to be a good idea. If it doesn't end up making sense at month's end, I will not feel as though I failed because the resolution is to try. If it works, that would be great. If it doesn't, I have the next month to do something else.

Here are some of the changes that I intend to incorporate into my life during 2010:

Bring reusable tote bags back to the car after unloading groceries so I will always have them available, or at least leave them with my keys to bring out to the car on my next trip.

Put a timer in the bathroom and set it for five minutes when showering to reduce the length of time in the shower, saving water and reducing energy used to heat the water.

Avoid big box stores and shop at local merchants, buying only items labeled "Made in the U.S.A."

Use cloth napkins at meals instead of paper towels.

Donate old bedding and towels to a local animal shelter, animal boarding center or veterinary clinic instead of throwing them in the trash the next time I clean out the linen closet.

Pick one day every week to leave the car at home and only walk or ride a bike.

Plant a vegetable garden with food my family and I will actually eat.

Contact my children's schools to find out if they have any use for some of the items I now throw away or recycle, such as magazines, paper towel rolls and old craft supplies.

Put one extra blanket on each bed and then turn the thermostat down an additional degree every night until I find the coolest temperature at which my family can still maintain comfort.

Avoid all drive-throughs. Park and walk into banks, dry cleaners, coffee shops and other businesses, reducing the amount of gas used idling and giving me a little extra exercise.

Take stock of all postal mail I receive in a month and collect it in a pile. At the end of the month, I will consider if any of the mail can be canceled, changed to paperless statements or otherwise reduced. I will also set up my preferences on www.dmachoice.org, a Web site that allows individuals to remove their names from mailing lists for companies that send catalogs I no longer wish to receive.

Hopefully, after doing each of these for a month, they will become habit and a regular part of my "green" life. I encourage everyone to make up their own list based on areas they feel they can improve on and see how easy changes are to make when they are only "required" for a month at a time.

¬¢¬¢¬¢

Bill Goss is the owner of Quality Systems Consulting Group in Amesbury. His Web site is www.merrimackvalleygreen.com. If you have any questions regarding Going Green, send them to merrimackvalleygreen@comcast.net and he will answer them in upcoming columns.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

PortWatch

Search Results

Discussion

Going Green: Helping the environment, one month at a time

Site Map

Contact Us