LIVING GREEN 101
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Life on Earth is fragile - Let's all help to improve life on Earth for everyone. First, we'll learn how, or find ways, to improve what we're now doing.
Knowing how to live green.
These pages will help us make better decisions to preserve limited resources and nature on this one finite Earth -- reducing excess, reducing waste and pollution; thus enabling better lives for billions of people and Mother Nature's family. Ideas are presented for home, family, and community to take positive steps and tread softly. We can have fun living green and enjoy life more with less. Which brings us to the 3-Rs.
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Reduce - Reuse - Recycle are the common R-words associated with living green. I would suggest a fourth - RETHINK. We may think we already apply the 3 Rs; however, let's take time to review the basics and give ourselves a chance to rethink and improve what we do daily. Just a little thinking adds Refrain and Repair to the list -- the 6 Rs
The biggest concern for Earth relates to the excessive use of fossil fuels (primarily petroleum based oil, natural gas, and yes - coal). A lot of the green house gas (GHG) emissions are driven from manufacturing processes, transportation, and building heating/cooling with fossil fuels. Our daily habits can help curb this fossil fuel use. Hence, the first thing we can do is REDUCE our usage of what we take for granted each day. When we use less there is less to Reuse and Recycle. Let's keep it simple!
A good start is to reduce vehicle trips. Planning a route to make several stops on one trip helps. Carpooling, or getting a ride with a friend are other trip savers. Even better yet, use transit when possible, or walk or cycle.
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Amazingly, petroleum is also a major contributor to products we use every day - like many plastics, clothing and cosmetics. Asphalt shingles and many other building products are petroleum-based. So, in addition to traveling more efficiently, we can simply buy less, or buy smaller - as in the case of a house or car - to reduce "oil" consumption. For example, avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass, cups and bags which are often made of petroleum-based plastics.
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Often, electric power for our homes is generated by burning natural gas. Naturally then, it makes sense to use less electricity. Simple things like reducing the time that lights are left on, using LED lighting, and running dishwashers and clothes washers
only when they are full, will reduce electrical power consumption.
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One of the things many of us have learned in the 2020 COVID-19 lock-downs is that we can often get away with driving cars less - using less gasoline, often cooking more, but, hopefully using less pre-packaged meals. When local foods are used, again we lessen fossil fuels usage in transporting those foods to our kitchens. A blender is a great tool to efficiently turn local foods into luscious goodies. Time and energy is saved to prepare sauces, smoothies, dips, and so on for scrumptious eats with local foods.
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It's likely we've gone beyond incandescent light bulbs, perhaps even beyond CFLs, to LEDs. Great! We're using less electrical power and lowering our power bills. However, when changing our habits or products we use, the environmental cost of manufacturing should be considered to determine if the change is significant, i.e., truly creates a worthwhile green contribution.[LG-1]
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REUSE, the 2nd R of the 3 Rs, is another simple strategy to help live better. Reusing means less purchases and consequently less resources used. By reusing, we're reducing as well. Instead of buying disposable products like paper towels and napkins, think reusable. Grab a dish cloth instead of a paper towel. Cut up old T-shirts to make cleaning cloths.
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Not only are cloth napkins nicer, but they can be reused for years rather than tossed like paper napkins. Save a tree or two!
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Rather than let items go unused, donate extra clothing, kitchenware and toys to your local mission or help-for-the-needy organization. This reduces the clutter in your home, helps needy people and reduces landfill.
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RECYCLE, the 3rd R of the 3 Rs, has a huge role in reducing waste and pollution. It's not perfect, but recycling is a very green process. Yet, "roughly 1 in 4 items placed in a recycling container is actually not recyclable through curbside programs."states Brent Bell, Vice President of Recycling Operations for Waste Management (2018). So, DON'T STOP, let's just do it better.
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Non-recyclables often get put in single-stream containers – things like plastic bags, organic matter (food, liquid and yard waste), rubber hoses, wires and low-grade plastics.
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Next: go to Living Green 102
Footnotes
[LG-1] External costs (known as externalities) refer to the economic concept of uncompensated social or environmental effects. For example, when people buy fuel for a car, they pay for the production of that fuel (an internal cost), but not for the costs of burning that fuel, such as air pollution.