Going Green
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I’ve been hearing this terminology for a while now, Going Green. It’s actually a pretty smart analogy used to link to the environment and being healthy.
Because it’s the first thing people will think about when they hear the terminology right? Going green, trees, grass, organic! I don’t know about you, but it says those things to me!
What is Going Green really, what does it mean?
Going green is what you do in an effort to save our planet. It’s not just recycling anymore. It’s conserving energy, the type of food you eat, less use of plastic where possible – although some type of plastics have been used to make things more environmentally friendly, anything that you can do at home or work and in your daily life that will help to make our planet better.
I’ve been doing little things, and trying to encourage my children and hubby to do likewise. For one, I’m buying differently, albeit a little at a time, because those organic food are not cheap! For example, buying more whole grain products – bread, spaghetti, etc. That’s better for our health and helps to support those manufacturers and farmers who are being more environmentally friendly.
I remind my family not to run the water when they are brushing their teeth or when they are soaping up in the shower. Turn off electricity that is not being used and unplug those cell phone chargers and other items that don’t need to be plugged in when not in use.
We’ve been opening our windows more, especially now that the weather is cooler, and turn off the air conditioner.
Maximizing our trips so that we don’t make unnecessary trips by car and this also saves on our gas consumption.
These may not be really big things, but every little bit will help.
Eviana Hartman wrote an article for the Washington Post online last year entitled “Going, Going Green” Link.
In it she wrote about the use of Plastic, Sustainable Energy, Composting Toilets, Bio-degradable fuel, Green Burials – [you have to read the link to learn more] and Clothing Swap – yes, clothing swap!
I also found this really cool Going Green Website that will give you more information and helpful hints on things you can do. Link
According to the Website, there are some good reasons as to why we should be going green:
(A) Each year, 1 million sea birds, 100,000 marine mammals, and 50,000 fur seals are killed as the result of eating or being strangled in plastic.
(B) Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour.
(C) Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars to fill the 1,350-foot twin towers of New York's World Trade Center every two weeks.
(D) Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back nearly 20 times.
(E) Eighty-four percent of a typical household's waste--including food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard, cans, and bottles--can be recycled.
(F) Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees.
(G) A 1/32" leak in a faucet can waste up to 6,000 gallons of water a month, or 72,000 gallons a year.
(H) America's refrigerators use about 7 percent of the nation's total electricity consumption--the output of about 25 large power plants.
If we were to begin making changes this is what could happen:
(A) If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year.
(B) It takes only one-twentieth as much raw materials to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables as it does to raise animals for meat.
(C) By turning the heat down, Americans could save more than 500,000 barrels of oil each day--that's over 21,000,000 gallons.
(D) If all the cars on U.S. roads had properly inflated tires, it would save nearly 2 billion gallons of gasoline a year.
David Lurey also has a great website, Find Balance where he features his Green Yoga concept. Link.
He also has some wonderful suggestions that will help you begin the journey to living healthier and becoming one with the environment!
So don’t forget Re-use, Re-duce and Re-cycle!
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