It’s hard to ignore the Green movement these days. Everywhere you look in magazines and on television, people are talking about the hottest new topic.  Assessing one's carbon footprint can be an overwhelming experience. To be honest, 5 years ago I didn’t even know what a carbon footprint was.  I live in a small city of 80,000. We recycle & compost, buy local and ride our bikes when we can, but it is becoming painfully obvious that it's just not enough anymore.  The good news is you can start by making small, simple changes which can have a huge, positive impact.  There are many opinions out there about where to start and what changes you should and could make. Let's face it, change is hard and BIG changes can be especially overwhelming, not to mention self-defeating.  Most of you are probably like me, we have a lot on our plates and we have little time to take on more projects.  After doing a small amount of research, I determined three things I could commit to immediately to reduce my carbon footprint without creating more work for myself.

1. I now carry my own coffee cup and water bottle everywhere I go, even when I travel.  I have read a lot on this subject, and the overwhelming opinion is that if we all carried our own water bottle and coffee cups we would make a HUGE impact by lessening paper & plastic usage, therefore lessening landfills and leaving our trees to do their real jobs.  The less obvious benefits are that your coffee stays hotter and you can usually fill up your water bottle for free . . . look around, water coolers are everywhere!
2. I carry collapsible shopping bags with me at all times.  Imagine never returning home with another Nordstrom, Target or grocery bag!  Look around your house, I bet you will find MANY worthy bags willing and ready to carry your groceries and everyday purchases.  Keep them in your car, and keep a small collapsible bag in your purse, backpack or coat pocket.  The feeling you get when you are at the store filling up your bags is worth the effort alone.  The less obvious benefits? Monkey see monkey do, be the inspiration to your fellow consumers.
3. I use only biodegradable and unbleached cleaning and paper products.  These products are readily available and not that much more expensive. I noticed the biggest difference with the automatic dishwasher detergent.  I have always noticed a chemical residue on my clean dishes. When I switched to a biodegradable, non-toxic type my dishes seemed cleaner and had absolutely no noticeable residue.  Since I have made the change with cleaners I can't even walk down the detergent or cleaner aisle without having a reaction to the harsh cleaning chemicals. These chemicals are in your homes, and there is no reason you shouldn’t eliminate them.

The effort I have made to make these changes is minimal and the impact I am making is substantial! I feel really good about what I am doing.  Dipping your toes in the water is a great way to introduce yourself to the notion that eventually everything we do, buy and choose needs to be with our Earth in mind . . . it’s the only way. 

Spring is a new beginning!