Reduce – The Important First “R!”
Read entire August 3, 2011 newsletter
I admit that I get frustrated sometimes when people make a point of telling me they recycle. I don’t want to but I do. So I take a deep breath, praise them, as recycling truly is a GREAT thing, and then try to gently slip in: don’t forget – the first “R” is reduce. It’s also a good time to remind myself how far I have to go in my journey to lead a more sustainable life and I mean “far.” It’s also a good time to remind myself how far I have to go in my journey to lead a more sustainable life and I mean “far.”
Below is my no-brainer, “how- hard-can-this-be EASY Top Ten REDUCE” list.
- Reduce your use of plastic bags – or better yet – ELIMINATE your use of plastic bags. How hard can this one be? Put yellow stickies on your head if you have to, but make sure the reusable bags make it back into your car or on your bike and use them. Just try counting how many plastic bags you see blowing on trees the next time you take a trip anywhere – even if only traveling one block.
- Reduce your use of plastic beverage bottles – not hard, save LOTS of money, save the water used in production of them, the foreign oil it takes to make and transport them, and on and on and on. Downside? None.
- Reduce your water use by turning it off when you brush your teeth.
- Reduce your energy costs by turning off lights when you leave the room, lowering your thermostat in winter and raising it in summer, and turn your computer off when you leave the house. (Need help? Have an energy audit. Our local energy provider, TEP, has a gonga deal going.)
- Reduce the amount of meat you eat by having a meatless Monday…or Tuesday or whatever day. Can’t go an entire day? Eliminate one meat meal. Tell me you can.
- Reduce the amount of new clothing you buy by going to a used clothing store (like Goodwill) or setting up a clothing exchange with friends. They are getting more popular!
- Reduce your intake of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides by committing to buying organic, pesticide free fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt or SOMETHING! Local farmer’s markets a great start!
- Reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals by being conscious of the myriad of products you mindlessly put on/in your body every day – shampoo, conditioner, soap, dry skin cream, toothpaste, sunscreen, make-up, lip gloss/lip moisteners. Try counting them someday.
- Reduce the number of new books you buy either by supporting used book stores, setting up trades with friends, or downloading your favorites to your electronic device of choice. (OMG – I am a Bookmans fanatic!)
- Reduce the amount of gas you use. I drive a VW TDI – clean burning and almost 40 MPG at this point. Carpool, get regular tune-ups, plan your errands to minimize miles, get junk out of your car because more weight uses more gas.
Reuse and recycle? A story for another day.
Gardening Tips for Your Reading Pleasure!Root Pruning Containers are the latest break through for soil gardeners! Especially useful in hot climates, these fabric potting containers allow your root zone to breath. The increased levels of oxygen promote root growth, resulting in more healthy, fast growing plants. — Brought to you by Sea of Green
Celebrate With Me – We Have ANOTHER New Sponsor!
I love to write about good news and having another wonderful new partner is something to shout about – always. Let’s give a big, Mrs. Green warm welcome to Green Living Magazine! Green Living AZ is a first class print magazine with great, informative, fun content. And their online version is all that as well. In addition to their Features section, they have areas on how to live green, work green and play green. Gotta love it! They also have an active Facebook page and their team shares the mission and vision of the Mrs. Green team. Their content encourages us to live our conscious life. How can this new partnership do anything other than pump up the green volume and help exponentially increase spreading the good, green word? Please check them out, follow them and become a part of their community. Welcome!
Now About That Radio Network!
This story has really only just begun because you are going to be reading about the Mrs. Green’s World radio network expansion very soon. Please remember, you can listen to Mrs. Green’s World live show from anywhere you have Internet access – including your iPhone, Droid or Blackberry. We continue to bring you fun, informative guests from around the country and we bring our message to you in the most cutting edge way possible. You are only a click away every Saturday. (You can listen to podcasts of past shows too.) Please to go Mrs. Green’s World at 12:00 pm every Saturday and listen live. Be a part of the Mrs. Green ACTION tribe and spread the word.
Three Things You REALLY Need to Know About VerVeThis is torture – THREE things to share with you about why I not only go to VerVe Salon Aveda but encourage every man, woman and child I know to go there too?
- Both VerVe Lifestyle salons have warm, friendly people greet you when you walk in the door. It feels homey. No plastic bottles in sight but rather a large glass water container with something like lemons or limes or cucumbers floating in it.
- As Mr. Green says “it doesn’t smell in here.” The reason? Aveda products are plant and botanically based. Their mission is to care about the world we live in and they walk the walk – all over the place.
- Can’t help feeling proud going to a salon that showcases products from a company that is the FIRST beauty company in the WORLD to receive a Cradle to Cradle sustainability endorsement. Will you just trust me when I say that is a huge flippin’ deal and no small accomplishment?