It's Not Easy Being Green

With all the focus on global warming one has to wonder why it is so hard and expensive to "go green." Whether or not you believe global warming is occurring is a moot point. The point is we need to take better care of our planet, period! I feel the Earth is affected by what we do in our daily lives and I believe we need to take care of the one and only planet we have. This planet is the true legacy we are leaving our children. My mom always told me "leave it better than you found it" when I used or borrowed something; that idea should apply to this planet as well. We have the power to effect change individually as well as globally if we just remember to leave it better than we found it, it's simple but sound advice.
In a random search I came across a bit torrent on Azureus regarding green fuel/biofuels, the film is called Freedom Fuels. The film got me thinking about being more green as well as saving some green. It also reminded me that the price of gas is outrageous and the oil companies are making record breaking profits yet again; which really chaps my hide! Information in the film showed that the original diesel engine, developed by Rudolf Diesel in the 1890's, ran on peanut oil... a product that would burn clean, help farmers and could be produced less expensively than standard oil, it also doesn't have to be refined into gasoline. We have had cleaner burning fuels for over a hundred years so it pains me to know that politics and keeping oil moguls in business is more important to the US government than clean air. Simply stated, the oil companies have the American people by the cojones. We obviously don't mind their grasp since we refuse to educate ourselves or take the initiative to make the necessary changes because it takes too much effort on our part to make those changes. We would rather get oil from a country that wants nothing to do with us, and what happens if there is another oil embargo? We depend too greatly on other countries for our needs, we would be a stronger power if we were a more self sufficient country.
One thing you can do to help lower gas prices and help clean our earth is VOTE -vote for a candidate that wants a greener future, a future that could actually help American farmers and the people as a whole. On a side note, I really wish Schwartzenegger could be president! Okay back to my original train of thought... we need to buy more fuel efficient, E85 capable, electric or other hybrid type vehicles. Just like everything else the more there are the less expensive they are to make. I will take this opportunity to warn you to research your product thoroughly and really think about the effects past your wallet, make the financial and green choice that is right for you. It's not like you don't have time, you are probably at work surfing right now. If you can't by a green vehicle today, save and buy one tomorrow. Buy a diesel vehicle and put peanut oil in it! There is no conversion kit to buy, it was created to burn this type of fuel.
We do what we can right now for our financial situation. Personally, we can't afford a new vehicle right now so I drive with a plan, what I mean is this- if I am going to the south end of town I run all the errands I need or will need on that end of town. We use the cloth reusable grocery bags, because although paper is better for recycling purposes it does take away trees from our environment-which people forget to mention. We also have compact fluorescent bulbs in ALL of our fixtures including the kids lamps because they make much smaller bulbs now. We buy many eco-friendly products from companies such as Method Home, Shaklee and Seventh Generation to name a few. You can even make your own products! Most are simple. There is a book by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin, titled Green Clean, the book has recipes that allow one to make their own cleaning products, non toxic products I might add that allow you to clean without the worry of your children being poisoned by some manufactured toxic concoction under the sink. Not to mention the space you save by not having five million different products under a sink! I love saving space as well :) The ingredients are mostly common household foods.
We also recycle... our neighborhood is part of a city that is in two different counties, we are on the side that does not have recycling yet because of some snafu with the county trash services. We have contacted our Mayor's office; the Mayor has been kind enough to actually call back, in person no less, and explain the situation letting us know they are trying to work through the problem. He even encouraged my husband and myself to keep calling if things were not completed in a timely manner. In the interim my in-laws area recycles and we take our stuff to their house, a bit of a pain in the butt you say? So what, I am leaving a cleaner environment for my kids which is more important to me than complaining about the little effort it takes to recycle in a not so conventional manner.
We use eco friendly water bottles too, there are some cool ones from Sigg, instead of using case after case of plastic bottles. The recycling process for some items can do more harm to the environment than good so although recycling is better than dumping non biodegradable trash, some things come at a cost. We also unplug anything not being used and are looking at getting a Smart Power Strip or two, a product I saw on Oprah. There are a few sites you can check out to give you even more green ideas and keep you informed, such as TreeHugger, Earth911, Global Green, and Grist "magazine" (these guys are very amusing and very real!).
Most of todays larger electronics are on "standby mode" and don't actually ever turn off. That little red, green or what ever color light that is on when your TV is "off," that is standby mode. The United Kingdom is trying to eliminate products that have a stand by mode by banning the import or manufacturing of those products in their country. I hope Americans will follow suit.
Still another thing I do is plant trees. I love trees, they keep my house cooler (by planting them on the south side) and they improve the look and value of my home. If you can't plant a tree on your property donate to someone who can, like American Forests, the Arbor Day Foundation or some other green group. We also have a sprinkler system, a little pricey up front but more efficient with water, money and time in the long run. We hope to afford solar panels some day too, they make a new type that look just like standard roofing. I also try not over stuff the washer and dryer. Some things get line dried which means they smell better too! Oh let us not forget dinner... we grill A LOT, especially in the summer; grilling out doors keeps the house cooler saving electricity by not over working the AC unit. I also set food out to thaw in the fridge overnight instead of using the microwave, or if I am home I set it aside during the day to thaw; no nasty quasi cooked meat from thawing it in the microwave.
I'm not perfect and I do forget things here and there but any effort I make is better than no effort at all. By becoming more eco friendly our children will grow up knowing how to better treat the planet and hopefully surpass us in being green.