Living Green
At Home
All aspects of our daily lives have ways to engage in green activities. Changing how we live – even in small, simple ways – can make an impact on global warming.
To save energy, shut off the lights if you’re the last to leave a room. Purchase energy efficient lighting and appliances. For short trips, leave your car at home and either walk or bicycle.
How you eat and drink can also help the environment. Don’t drink bottled water. Most places, filtered tap water tastes just as good, and is a lot cheaper. Buy locally grown produce, which is fresher and doesn’t have to be transported long distances. Recycle plastic food storage containers and drinking bottles.
Keep the environment in mind when purchasing personal items. Buying goods online saves time and car trips. Shop at thrift or consignment stores, where gently-used secondhand products save the energy that would go into making a new item, and are cheaper too. Also, share items like ladders and lawnmowers with your neighbors instead of buying them individually. Purchase nonperishable items like paper products in bulk from a big box store or a warehouse club. This practice saves on the per-unit cost of each item, on packaging and on trips to the store.