the whole "green movement" has always peaked my interest and i would love to be more environmentally aware and have a smaller ecological footprint. you can find your footprint online,
here, which i had done in college, and completed again today. My footprint is "21" - we would need 4.7 planets if everyone lived like me...[and i'm sure most people DO]. when i was younger [like, 12], i envisioned myself driving [like at age 17 or 18] some stupid looking solar-powered car that i couldn't be in when it got dark. i didn't want that. now, i realize, obviously i would be able to drive a "solar powered car" after dark, but also i wish so bad that i didn't have to pay these crazy gas prices and could have an anything-but-gas powered car.

i would love for it to be easier to be "green". magazines i read talk all about using light and solar energy to power their homes, using recycled materials, public transportation, energy efficient appliances...but for me, that's not really very realistic [or affordable]. however, there are some things i'm sure i could do to make a difference.
i stumbled across
The Daily Green website which has a bunch of cool and easy things you can do to "go green". you can sign up for their newsletter by email as well.
here's a list of some things i can think of that are easy, and some i got from the website.
- recycle. recycle. recycle. i'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but it would at least help me to feel better to not toss every sheet of paper i don't need at work in the trash, or shove every plastic bottle in the garbage. i would also like to use recycled paper more, as well as other recycled materials [we have a lot of panel fabrics at work that are made from recycled fabric - one is made from recycled pop bottles or something.]
- drive less or carpool. this is something that is possible for me, but out of probably selfish needs, i don't do. i could drive with my dad to work and home, but so often i don't go home right after work, so there's a problem.
- Project Switch - switching your inefficient incandescent light bulbs. i don't really know much about this but i found it here on EarthDay.net.
- pay bills online. how simple is this? i do it anyway, now just make sure you aren't getting the paper bills sent to your house as well.
- eat produce from local growers. this seems fairly simple, as long as you can find where to get the produce.
- "fill the fridge" - keeping it full helps it run to its max capacity.
- "power shower" - take a 5 minute shower. this may be somewhat difficult [for those of us with long hair], but i'd say it's doable every so often.
Greenroom Eco [sold at Target stores] creates "environmentally friendly" paper products. Not much on their website, but i have a clipboard in the bottom red pattern made from recycled cardboard, and it's pretty cool! i have to get to Target to check out more things, then i can take some pics of that.



Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd. What can you do?