Green

I am not the deepest shade of green on the block when it comes to conservation and the “green living” trend that is picking up speed in our nation, but deep inside, I’ve always had more green blood than not.

To be honest, there are great extremes on both sides of the fence that make me hesitate to pick a cause and wave signs and push for changes that may or may not have been well thought through or be reasonable for the common person to do.  But while extremes can give a bad impression of an otherwise good thing, and regardless of how far some may take it, I can’t see in that an excuse for the rest of us to be thoughtless and careless about how we live and what we choose to do with the resources we’ve been blessed with.

I believe that God created this earth with all of the beauty and resources for us. It is a gift, and just as we guard our health, and because we want to guard our health, I think that each one of us would do well to take a look at what we can do in our own homes to be wise stewards, to waste less and to use wisely.  Because of that, I find living green and conservation of sorts to be something that fascinates me, something that I can be committed to. That’s why I enjoy places like The Recycle Bank, or other blogs that give simple tips and hints about every day green, because they remind me that you don’t have to do big things in order to live more carefully.

So, while I am not joining up with the coalition to save the forest, I am going to recycle those boxes and papers sitting in my living room. I’m going to buy used books and use places like PaperbackSwap to look for books and to share books I don’t need anymore. I’ll use less plastic, and recycle the plastic and glass and metals that I can.

I may not have funds to set up solar or wind power for my home right now, but I will learn to use the electricity I do use more efficiently, so that I waste less—both for conserving energy and conserving money.

I’ll combine trips to town, travel less for the sake of it, and drive in such a way that fuel use is as efficient as it can be. I’ll buy local produce, and support my local farmers.

I don’t live in a place where water is limited sometimes like it was back in Colorado, but it doesn’t mean I should use water without a care, either.

I’ll use less harsh chemicals and more natural products for cleaning my home and taking care of my plants and the land around me.

I may not make a huge difference in the life on this planet by my little every day choices to live more green, but what matters is that I make a difference in my little sphere, and that I do my best to make what I can do count for something.

What part of green are you the most passionate about?