The New Wednesday Series

There are soooo many ways that we can make small changes in our lives and help protect the environment. And finally people are paying attention to them. So, while I'm not going out and buying a Prius in the next week or two, I AM going to encourage you to help keep this world a beautiful place. Most of the tips will be painfully simple, with a few more advanced notions for the overachievers out there. Every Wednesday for the foreseeable future I'll be posting five or so things to try. If you'll commit to just one a week, we're well on our way to doing our part.

1. Replace one (or more) of your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They cost a little more, but earn their keep in the energy savings you'll reap during their lifetime.
2. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. I KNOW our mothers tried to drill this one into us, but I am surprised how lackadaisical I'd become. Just paying more attention to it has helped me change my habits. Check yourself out and see how you're doing...
3. Just say "no"...to receipts. If you have a choice, like at the ATM or gas station, don't print out a receipt. You save paper, eliminate a source of litter, and protect yourself from identity theft all at the same time. (Those tiny pieces of paper have plenty of info to get someone started on cleaning out your bank account.)
4. Use a canvas bag at the grocery store. Paper or plastic? Neither! Over 1 million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide. That's 12 million barrels of oil a year in the United States alone. And many of those bags end up as litter. So take a reusable bag with you when you shop. After you've unloaded it at home, put it back in the trunk of your car so you have it whenever you need it.
5. Need a vacation? Make it a "green" one. Check out some of your options at globeaware.org. You too could help by clearing trails in a forest preserve in Costa Rica. And it's tax-deductible!

There's a start! How many are you willing to try?