Green Goals for 2008

Happy New Year!
It's time to take stock and set some realistic green goals for 2008. Here are my top choices:

1. THINK THRICE BEFORE DRIVING: I'm going to continue to reduce my driving my keeping a weekly mileage tracker and when possible walk or take public transportation. I will also try to incorporate car-free days into our family's lifestyle.

2. NO MORE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES! I vow to take my old plastic water bottle and reuse it instead of buying new plastic. The scoop: plastic bottles are made from: OIL. For environmental as well as political reasons, we must lessen our dependency on oil. Every HOUR Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles.

2. I will continue to RECYCLE, REUSE, COMPOST. I'm looking forward to seeing how the compost batch (with the new tumbler) does in the garden this Spring!

3. LESS DEAD TREE: As a member of a book club that meets once a month, I plan on obtain books through the public library or the copious used book stores in town. We've done our no junk mail letters/email (thanks Betty!) As for my sons' arts and crafts projects, we will just have to stick to the 100% recyclable paper and using both sides!

4. Implement more ENERGY-SAVING TACTICS for our home. We've lowered our thermostat in the winter and turned it up for the summer, but this year we need to do more. Jimmy North from air flow diagnostics came out and spent two hours giving us tips for reducing the energy consumption in our home. We sought out the users and loosers of energy: spaces where the outside air leaks in. A visit to Nature Neutral to thicken our attic insulation is one of the many steps needed.

5. Betty's NO-BUYING PLEDGE: This year I am taking the no-new-buying pledge. I vow to buy local, buy less, and buy wisely in order to reduce my carbon imprint. Let's hope this is not the year the water heater breaks down or my eyesight gets worse! No seriously, the pledge excludes life's essentials (food and shelter). (Are Lemon Drops and Dark Chocolate bars considered food?) I believe this will prove an excellent examination of the benefits and challenges of green living (i.e. great blog fodder)

5. KEEP LIVING A MORE E-CONSCIOUS EXISTENCE: 3-minute showers, opting for less meat, make your voice heard regarding issues like growth or mountain-top removal. The important thing I always tell my kids: do your best. Stay in the game. Don't give up living a more "green" lifestyle.

Small steps add up to big changes.

Peace,
T