Going Green is nothing more than reducing your carbon footprint. Every time you get in your car, turn on the air conditioning, or spray an aerosol can you are not only consuming resources, you're also depleting the ozone layer that keeps our planet safe.
Here are a five ways to make your mark for humanity.
1. Use roll-on deodorant rather than aerosol. Become greener still by giving up deodorant all together. (The aluminum compounds in some deodorants and antiperspirants are suspected of being toxic.) Mix 1 part baking soda with six parts of cornstarch and use as a dusting powder.
2. Landscape with plants native to your area so it doesn't require superhuman feats to keep them alive.
3. Take shorter showers. If you normally take five minutes showers, speed it up and try for four minute showers.
4. Buy organic foods whenever possible. Buy in season.
9 comments:
Raelyn Barclay said...
Number 5 is why our desktop is going on 10 years. We need to add memory and replace the monitor but it's still going strong and makes a great computer for the wee beasties.
Great list Maria!
LD Masterson said...
Not sure I can give up my deordorant but I do use a stick and not a spray. It's the showers I'm really bad about. I love long hot showers.
On the flip side, I do hang on to electronics as long as possible and either donate or take to an electronics recycler when the time comes.
Maria Zannini said...
Raelyn: Greg has to pry my computers away from me. I hang on to them until they're too old or just die.
Linda: I go the powder route, though I do keep a roll-on in the cabinet for emergencies. A few years back they came out with indications that the aluminum in antiperspirants is a carcinogen.
Shelley Munro said...
Showers are one area where I'm a bit naughty. I love my showers and have trouble getting out. I do lots of thinking in the shower.
Baking soda is such a versatile item. I use it in cleaning all the time.
Maria Zannini said...
Baking powder is the one ingredient I always buy in bulk. It's so useful.
You can even make baking soda by combining 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Jackie Burris said...
If only it were not a "powder" the natural alternative to my stick anti persperant would work, however asthma and powders do not go together so in deference to my husband needing to breathe will stay with store bought.
Maria until we lose our source the "organic" eating is easy and so much tastier, our garden is "killing" me with "kindness" right now but the veggies it is producing are so delicious because no pesticides in them!
Electronics in our house "fry" before we replace them, my Mac computer is going on 5 years old and the desktop PC had before that was over 10 and so outdated it still used floppy disks!
Maria Zannini said...
Jackie: Floppy discs? What are those? LOL.
I've seen recipes for homemade roll-on deodorants. It's just too much trouble for me.
Angela Brown said...
All of these are very good tips. I can handle the roll on deodorant but will have a small problem with the powder part with an allergic kiddo around.
The shower part, I can do, Working on getting my kiddo to get things down.
Since I can only afford what I can afford, that electronics tip is on point :-)
Maria Zannini said...
Angela: It's tough with kids. I wonder if they'd be more willing to become frugalistas if you made a game of it.