Ideas for eco-friendly and sustainable New Year's resolutions
Every New Year slips in with a promise of better things, better lives to come. So what better time is there than the start of 2007 to make a resolution for a greener, more sustainable life?
So as you prepare to usher in the New Year, why not consider one of these resolutions to reduce your impact on the environment, in particular, the amount of greenhouse gases your lifestyle might produce?
- Aim for carbon neutrality. You can offset the amount of carbon dioxide your lifestyle produces by planting trees or buying carbon offsets that support projects to counteract the increase in greenhouse gases. You can find a directory of carbon offset providers at Ecobusinesslinks.com (http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/carbon_offset_wind_credits_carbon_reduction.htm).
- Improve your community. Every action you take to help your community become healthy and self-sustaining is a step toward becoming less dependent on long-distance commuting and products shipped from far away. Look into organizations like The Chez Panisse Foundation (http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/), which encourages hands-on gardening and healthy food in public schools, or Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org), which helps disadvantaged people around the world build adequate housing for themselves.
- Start using renewable energy. You don’t have to spend the thousands of dollars it might take to install a wind-generated turbine or solar-panel roof: many utility companies already offer programs that let you buy energy from renewable sources. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Locator (http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/locator/index.htm) to see if there’s a program operating in your area.
- Eat vegetarian or organic meals. Every time you choose food that’s meat-free or organically produced, you minimize your impact on the environment; commercial farming and livestock operations consume inordinate amounts of petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, energy and topsoil.
- Switch to a more fuel-efficient car. Hybrid cars aren’t necessarily expensive, and they get far better gas mileage than conventional vehicles. To start your research, check out HybridCars.com (http://www.hybridcars.com).
- Cut back on consumerism. Shopping doesn’t have to be a recreational activity. In fact, by buying only what you need and buying used or resale whenever possible, you both save money and reduce your consumption of the natural resources, labor and energy needed to produce new consumer products.
- Ride your bike. If you can ride a bicycle to school or work instead of a car, you should try to do so, at least occasionally; you’ll save on fossil fuels and get a workout to boot. And if biking’s not an option, look into public transportation, car-pooling or ride-sharing..
- Get political. Change for the better happens, in large part, when people – citizens – demand it and work for it. If active protests, lobbying or volunteering aren’t your thing, you can still work for positive changes by writing letters to the editor, sending emails and signing online petitions. A good place to start looking for causes you’re interested in is Care2 (http://www.care2.com/), a global network that lets action-minded people communicate with one another and work to make the world a better place.
- Eat locally produced food whenever possible. The typical grocery-store item has traveled 1,300 miles by the time it reaches your shopping cart, according to FoodRoutes. By eating locally, you not only save on all those food transportation miles and fossil fuel, you support your local farmers and food producers, and keep your dollars in the local economy.
- Put your money where your beliefs are. Whenever feasible, buy products from companies that promote the same causes you believe in, and operate in a sustainable and responsible manner. You can browse numerous green businesses at Co-op America’s National Green Pages (http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages/).
The copyright of the article A More Sustainable 2007 in Green/Simple Living is owned by Shirley Siluk Gregory. Permission to republish A More Sustainable 2007 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
