Doing our part {Listography 2011}.

                                    
Each Wednesday, Danielle, @ Elleinad Spir, Emily, @ Notorious MLE, and myself are working our way through the lists of Listography 2011.

                                                                      

                                                    

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Last week, it was romantic comedies, this week, the tides have turned to a more serious topic, but no doubt of equal importance (per your comments- & the ever-growing list, it's clear these films serve a crucial purpose)... 

List some ideas for earth friendly living.

The "mere" task of saving our planet can appear daunting and overwhelming at first glance.  But there are so many ways that every single one of us can do our part to reduce, reuse, & recycle, often with minimal effort.  Using this article from Real Simple as a guide, I've listed a few simple ideas... all changes that we've made.

                 

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Turn the thermostat down. 
A simple adjustment that saves energy, and saves money.  Win-win.  This fact from Real Simple says it best:  "Turn it down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer and you’ll keep nearly 880 pounds of carbon dioxide from warming the earth."

Wash less, bigger loads, colder water.  

Let me just say that this change is both by choice & procrastination (specifically the first 2- wash less often... bigger loads).  Seriously though, an incredible amount of water is wasted by throwing just a few items in at a time.  When I do wash, almost everything is washed in cold.

Plug in a laptop, not a desktop. 
One of the best changes we've made this past year is getting rid of the desktop and purchasing a laptop.  We use a docking station in our office, so if the kids need to use it, or if I can get OFF of the couch and actually sit at a desk, I have the option of shutting it, docking it, and using it as a desktop... best of both worlds (and major energy saved in the process).
 

Turn off the tap. 

A simple, but huge change... especially with little kids who like to play with soap bubbles while washing their hands, or let the toothbrush hang from their mouth while "brushing their teeth"... and especially with a sink that is endlessly full of dishes (very tempting to leave that water while powering through them).  But thankfully, Hailey went through a course on the importance of saving water, and proper hand washing.  So sometimes she keeps me in check, and vise versa.

   

Skip red meat once a week.  
I bought Food Matters for Ryan for Valentines Day a few years back (because I'm romantic like that), by Mark Bittman.  Life changing.  Less meat.  More green.  Again- win-win all around. 

Donate vs. discard.
Reduce, reuse, & recycle... Check, check, & check.
 
Carry a water bottle with you. 
This is in an effort to save plastic, save money, and DRINK WATER (like Jillian says so).

Give your car―and driving habits―a tune-up. 
Again, Real Simple says it best:  "Tune up your car according to your owner’s-manual schedule (usually every 30,000 miles) and raise your car’s fuel efficiency anywhere from 4 to 40 percent. Bonus: You’ll increase your fuel efficiency and save on gas." 
              
Think local food. 
I am really excited about this one.  Last week, we signed up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) program since it just became available for our town.  Yesterday, I felt like a kid under the Christmas tree, opening our first box, and we can't wait to put it to good use.  A nice supplement until our garden starts to produce!

Bring your own bags to the market. 
Obvious, simple, but a hard habit to break... even with all of the reusable bags sitting right in the back of our car.  Always rushing, always forgetting.  But trying.

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Writing this list has served as a reminder of how much money is saved by making small changes and little investments.  What ideas do you have for earth friendly living?  It is a work in progress to say the least, and the more we share, the more we can accomplish.  Together. 

The link's at Emily's place today, so head on over if you have a post!  And speaking of heading over, head over to Jessica's too-  if you'd like to learn how to make a 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake (and many more recipes)!


*What is next week's topic you ask???  Wonder no further.