Kellie and Green go together

Many of us including me are concerned about our future and the future of planet earth. We want to make the world better, live healthier and preserve what we have before it’s too late. But most of us, are at a loss of where and how to begin a green different way of life. Consequently, because it feels like an extra burden added to our already hectic lives and not knowing where or how to begin, we do nothing.

Often when we do think of what we could do to help the future of our lives and this planet, our inner antagonist pulls us away by making us question, what can— I —do, or how will what— I— NOT do, make a difference. I am only one person out of millions. I am just a drop in the bucket, what I do or don’t do, won’t matter.
This is not so.

The other day I tuned into the Weather Channel when they had an interview with David Suzuki airing. (David Suzuki is a Canadian world known green earth activist, who’s been fighting for green, before green was in. He must be doing something right. It’s hard to believe he is in his seventies.)
During the interview David was not promoting we give up our cars or some of our conveniences to go live in a cave.
“That is not our world of today and it would almost be impossible”, he says.

But he is big on promoting the health and welfare of earth and what we are doing to cause its demise and changing the way we live to accomplish the goal of stopping this demise in its tracks.

He mentioned, that today, many families of two, have four cars. That every 20 years, houses built increase in size by 500 square feet using three to four times more energy to heat and light, though fewer people live in them. Energy used in one month that could heat and light a smaller house for 6 months. Which brings up the questions, why in today’s energy crises and economic times would two or three people need four baths and five bedrooms in an already energy wasteful home

The time has come for each of us to start asking, “What should I do to make our world better? What can I do to save earthly resources before they are gone? How can I live an energy efficient life? Now is the time to throw away the rest of those words “I am only one out of millions how could I possibly make a difference.” Remember, a small continuous drop over time will fill a bucket. You know, like a bucket you’ve placed to catch dripping water, some how, time goes by quick and that bucket you thought was big enough, is full.

Over the years, I’ve tried to increase my energy and earth consciousness. I know there is more to do, and many are doing more than I am, but these are a few of my drops of contribution.

I buy energy efficient appliances, live as simple as I can and avoid gadgets that have to stay running all the time.

I do need a pickup truck for the farm, but I have a gas efficient vehicle that I use for all other medial running around and use it 90% of the time.

I turn off electric devices when I am not using them, such as printers, computers and I unplug TV’s that the timers don’t matter, because they use power even when powered off.

My coffee pot does not have a timer and I unplug that too, just incase of stray electricity.

If I am not in a room, the lights are off.

Seldom do I use paper plates and I do not buy plastic cups, or eating utensils, they only add to our landfills because most of the time we forget to recycle them.

I do not have an electric dishwasher, which means yes I wash dishes by hand; really, it doesn’t hurt to wash dishes by hand and I use less water, less electricity and less gas to heat the water used in a dishwasher

I buy beverages in recyclable cans, glass bottles or cardboard and stay away from buying cases of bottled water. If one family buys one case of bottled water a week and throws the bottles away, multiplied by 100, 1000, or 10000 families, and so on, that is a lot of plastic in the landfills.

I use as many recycled products as I can.

I shovel what snow I can instead of using the snow blower. Doing this achieves two things, saves gas and gives me exercise.

I try to keep my snow plowing to a minimum, depending how bad the lake effects are, here in WNY.

I cut my driving miles by consolidating shopping and running around at once. I don’t run out to get one item. I wait. Usually my list will grow and waiting one or two more days doesn’t hurt a thing.

I use the carpet sweeper powered only by me, to pick up dog hair rather than run the vacuum every day.

When I do barn chores in the morning, I turn on only half the lights.

I try and plant a new tree every year.

I grow a garden; can many of my own vegetables, fruits and dry culinary herbs. Canning jars are freezable, reusable, and the lids are recyclable. If I buy vegetables in the store, I try to stay away from plastic bags and buy cans or jars. (I admit, I’ve slipped sometimes, because the bags are convenient. It’s one of my news steps, it’s a new thing I have to get use to.)

When I buy products for Herbs & Things, I consciously look for biodegradable, recycled, or recyclable packaging.

I have a rain barrel that collects water to water my garden and flowers. Not because are water levels are low where I live, but because I feel that’s less time the well pump is running.

I use solar fencers for the pastures and solar accent lights for my decorative water garden and barrel. (This year my goal is to invest in solar water pumps for those decorative water displays.)

I am searching for ways I can afford to make my house green energy efficient at least some of the time.

I drink organic, fair trade coffee, teas, and use handmade eco friendly body soaps.

I use little insecticides in my barn. Cleaning stalls and sweeping the barn every day, helps keep flies down during the summer.(I did try using natural flea control on my dogs, but my one dog is allergic to what I used, so I must keep searching.)

I bet you can think of one thing you can do today to help conserve.
What I did, to make my transition to energy wise easier, is do one change at a time. When that change became a habit, I changed something else. If you do this too, before you know it, one good for you and good for earth, habit is ten. If only a few people did that every day, soon one bucket would be two.

For more info about David Suzuki and living green, check out
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

If you have ways, you save and help cut down on energy use and less garbage, share it with Herbs & Things in the Blog comment section,
or e-mail me at
herb_sandthings@live.com.
I would love to learn more how –to’s, and share your ideas with others.

Lucky for me, with a name like Kellie, I was born to be green!