>Going Greener Part 2

>Going greener takes some effort I must admit. Not a lot; mainly changing the way I think & stopping to actually pay attention to what I’m doing & buying. Personally I believe a lot of little changes add up over time. Little changes become habits & lead to big changes in lifestyles. And let’s face it folks, little changes can make a big difference in the environment too.


Anyhow, back to my family & some of the changes we’ve made to be more eco-friendly over the past few years.


Electricity – Slowly we are switching over to CFL light bulbs in every single light fixture in the house. Each CFL (compact fluorescent lamp)will save approximatelyT $30 over it’s lifetime & last longer as well according to Wikipedia. Most of our light fixtures are ceiling fan lights. I wasn’t too keen on the swirly look in the ceiling fans but you can now find regular looking CFL at places like Wal-Mart.  The cost has been dropping which helps make the switch easier as well. 


I did some reseach with our electric company, Reliant, & in addition to switching our plan to a lower rate, 20% of our electricity is wind generated. Unfortunately we can not afford to replace all of our appliances to more energy effiencient ones at this time but you can bet when we do, I will be researching for Energy Star approved ones.


Of course the easiest way to save on your electric bill & help the environment is to TURN THINGS OFF. Yes, I yelled it. Like every other parent on the planet Earth, I am constantly reminding my son & my husband to turn off lights when they leave the room. And it’s not just lights anymore, according to the Energy Star website, there are electricty vampires that continue to draw power even when turned off. Computers, chargers, DVD players, etc. continue to draw electricity even when not “officially” turned on or being used. According to Science Daily’s article back in 2002, vampire appliances can cost a household up to $200 extra per year. Of course Wikipedia has more info as well as many other websites. So I have started to unplug appliances when not in use (toaster, phone chargers, etc). I use my computer all day long so do not turn it totally off until bedtime. My husband turns his off every night plus weekends but his is only used for work.

Using cloth shopping bags – I finally have a use for all those free cloth bags I’ve collected over the years. You know the ones you get from trade shows, conferences, book clubs, etc. I have been using them for groceries for quite awhile now. I have supplemented them with purchased bags from a variety of places. Etsy has cute ones made from recycled/upcycled t-shirts & most stores sell their own versions as well. For those you who are crafty; you can even crochet a bag from the plastic bags. Shelly did it. You can read her posts about it on her blog, This Eclectic Life. Target will even give you back 5 cents for every reusable Target bag you use while shopping there. I keep mine in the back of the CRV.

I must admit I still the plastic bags for somethings. I use them as fillers for packages when mailing if needed. I use them for icky wet stuff in the trash (chicken carcasses for example), wet swimsuits, etc. I return the extras when they start to overflow the house to the recycling bin at my local HEB, although plenty of stores offer the same thing. I do like Bongga Mom’s idea for when she forgets her cloth bags – she just puts the groceries in the cart & bags them in the parking lot. I think I will start doing that myself. I have refused bags for purchases when it isn’t necessary as well.

More ideas & suggestions coming every day!

Elizabeth

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