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Tip Tuesday: Green your 2010
From the Sierra Club:
Tip #1: Drive Less
If your pledge is to walk or bike more and drive less, you?ll relieve the environment of harmful greenhouse gases as well as reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Added bonus: This will nicely complement an exercise or diet resolution.
Yearly Impact: Reducing your driving distance by just 15 miles per week will save 900 pounds of carbon emissions annually.
Tip #2: Try Veggies Instead
The environmental vegetarianism movement grows by the day, assisted in part by the recent assertion by the Worldwatch Institute that livestock production is to blame for more than half of the world?s greenhouse-gas emissions. If people resolved to cut back on meat and dairy in 2010, the world would be a much cleaner place.
Yearly Impact: If you refrain from eating meat just one day a week, you'll save as many emissions as you would driving 1,000 fewer miles this year.
Tip #3: Restrain Methane
We hear people preach about recycling all the time. But did you know that composting may be as important? As food and other organic waste decomposes anaerobically in the landfill, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that's more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Because composting is an aerobic process, it only produces carbon dioxide and not methane. Not sure how to get started? Click here and here to find out.
Yearly Impact: If the average family composted regularly, that household would prevent about 30 pounds of methane emissions per year, the equivalent of around 620 pounds of carbon dioxide (the same as what a small diesel car driving 1,200 miles would emit).
Tip #4: Give Your Time
Heed President Obama's call to service by signing up to help an organization that works to improve the world. We know we?re biased, but we think the Sierra Club, which fights to preserve and protect the environment, is an excellent candidate for your time. Find your local chapter to learn how to get involved.
Yearly Impact: Immeasurable.
Re: Tip Tuesday: Green your 2010
I keep my driving down as much as possible, but its really hard for me to get anywhere without driving. That's one thing I regret about where I bought my house. Its a ways to any bus stop and out where you'd have to do a ton of transfers anyhow, and nowhere really to bike, plus, the weather is so bad most of the year!
I've been really good about eating locally, composting and reducing my meat consumption, so that offsets my driving some, but I still wish I had a more EF car -- Ed Begley's book made me so want an electric! - and could walk or bike more.
Yeah... I'm not going to be able to cut down my driving by 15 miles a week due to where I live. But, I do want to make an effort to walk to my lunch errands as much as possible instead of driving. Though, like Alisha mentioned, it can be hard because of the weather.
I also want to work on eating more veggies and less meat. This is a hard one for me since I don't love veggiges.
I think the first two are not only good for the earth but for the body as well.
And last night dh said that he really wants to start composting! Yay!
I live in Houston a.k.a the most sprawiling metro-ples in America. Seriously, the time it takes to get to our downtown from the suburbs North to us is an HOUR and a half! For that reason, I live in the city. Not downtown, about 15 minutes away. Due to my "frugal" upbringing, I refuse to ever live anywhere that a bus can't take me to or from. No buses run out to our suburbs except for shuttles to downtown. No thanks! (besides, who wants to spend an hour+ in their car each way just to go to work, YIKES)
At anyrate, we bike and walk all kinds of places. Also, I have been toying around with the idea of no meat Fridays. With lent coming up, it seems like a good idea. I would include no fish or poultry too though. I think the easiest thing to do is to volunteer.
Thank you so much for the reminder, and here's to 2010 being the greenest year ever!
Great tips
and I appreciate that they are easy and doable.
Driving and meat are hard ones for me...but it is easy to try to do at least some of your meals per day or week without meat
Learning to start all over again... Blog
Hi Karo,
I live in a TH with a tiny backyard and I compost. It's really easy. We bought an outdoor compost bin for $25 off Craigslist. Google "what can I compost?" and I'm sure you'll find a list. Meat, dairy, and grease should not be composted b/c they smell, can turn rancid, and attract animals. Pretty much all other food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, clean shredded cardboard & paper, and a bunch of other stuff is fine. Get a compost pail, throw your carrot peels and pepper tops and whatnot in there. Every few days take it to your composter bin, mix everything that's in the composter together (this is "turning your compost") and add some water. If you make sure your composter is in a sunny area, you'll have gorgeous black compost in a few months. It goes faster if put in a 50/50 mix of "greens and browns." So make sure you have enough grass clippings, leaves and shredded cardboard or paper to even out your food scraps.
Thanks for your suggestions Super Green! I am going to start looking into this and get it going! I am so thankful for you all on this board and your helpful advice and tips to help me get going!
First step on the list find small outdoor composter!