Monday, March 29, 2010

I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life!

Last night ron and i watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution tv show and the movie Food, inc., and tonight we watched the movie No Impact Man.
With Earth Day (April 22, 2010) and its 40th anniversary, i was wondering what i could do to make more of a change both for the environment and to be healthy. what could make a bigger impact!?

a list of Green things we do already:
-Recycle EVERYTHING: cans, plastic, paper (even the paper from canned goods, to junk mail), cardboard (don't forget toilet paper rolls), glass, anything we can peel or tear off packaging that can't otherwise be recycled!!)
-i use reusable bottles for water, and i take it with me everywhere! (it actually helped me to drink a lot more water)
-i try to line dry as much clothing as possible!
-Ron eats his own feces
-we try to turn off lights of rooms we aren't in.
-we are pescetarians, we follow a vegetarian diet, and eat fish, but no MEAT!
-we use reusable bags at the grocery store. (Ron was buying a new reusable bag every time he went because he said it was a way to punish himself, for forgetting the bags in his car or at home, but i told him it was creating more of a waste!)
-we use cloth napkins (this is a semi-new thing and we are still trying to remember)
-we use old terry cloth towels cut down for cleaning rags. i even use these for my swiffer mop.
- if i have leftovers at a restaurant, i ask for a piece of foil or wrap it in a napkin (because those have been given to me already and will be thrown away). i HATE styrofoam! i would eventually love to carry my own tupperware or an alternative and use that.
-we do try to eat at home as much as possible. not only are you using reusable silverware and plates, but you are also saving a lot of money.
-if i get something carried out of a restaurant, i use my own bag and i tell them not to put any silverware, condiments, or napkins. (i love when places ask first!)
-every place i have worked in the past 10 years, has been environmentally friendly in some way. i even get everyone involved in recycling at my work (this isn't 100%).

this is a start and i'm sure there are other things, but i want to do more.
the guy on NO Impact man said that if there was just one thing that you could do to start change, it would be volunteering for an environmental group! maybe that is what i do!
what do you do that is GREEN? Do you celebrate EARTH DAY?

-claire