STEP ONE ~ THINK 'EFFICIENT' ON ENERGY USAGE
Month 1. Save energy to save money.
week 1 *Start to become energy use aware and think Efficient.
How do we switch from being 'wasters' to 'savers'?
This is the way we begin....it is all about being aware.
Notice at home, at work in the car ways you can do more to save energy. Think about doing just a bit more every single day to make another observation, then change. One small step at a time.
Next......how about Considering weatherizing your home?
Start with turning off lights and power strips when leaving a room.
Then set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
It becomes a game to see how aware you can be of all the little things we do to waste energy daily. Then make a small change in the way you do this each day. Just start paying more attention to energy usage. Vow to make a difference in little ways to begin with. Eventually it begins to add up.
week 2* Install compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout your house this week, make a plan to have all your light bulbs CFLS. Or when your older incandescent bulbs burn out, change them one at a time.
week 3* Get a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances and electronics are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use, or just unplug electronics when not in use.
week 4 *Start Washing your clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water. Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time.
STEP TWO ~ BE AWARE OF WATER
Month 2. Save water to save money and the planet.
week 1 * Be aware of your water usage. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too. Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment. Buy a whole house water filter or at least a shower filter. We have too much chlorine in our city water, which is harmful to our health.
week 2 * Buy a whole house water filter or at least a shower filter. We have too much chlorine in our city water, which is harmful to our health.
Check out out the movie 'Flow' and understand the worlds situation in regards to bottled water, our entire water situation on this planet, and begin to have an idea about the problem.
week 3* Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
week 4 * check out your yard water usage. Think about switching to drought-tolerant native plants in your garden if this is an option. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.
STEP THREE ~ CONSERVE ON GASOLINE...THINK ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
Month 3. Use less gasoline, walk, ride a bike or bus
week 1 * Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
week 2 * Consider moving within walking distance of your job if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
week 3* Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.
week 4* Sell your gas gussling car if you have one and buy a hybrid car
STEP FOUR ~ HEALTHY, ORGANIC, GREEN FOOD CONSUMPTION....THINK EAT FOR 'TOTAL WELL BEING' - HEALTHY YOU-HEALTHY PLANET
month 4. Eat Green Cuisine -go vege or vegan when you can
week 1* If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs. Switch to only locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy. * Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great. Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood
week 2*Eat more greens, vegetables and begin to adapt to a whole food diet
week 3* consider starting a vegetable garden and a composting bin.
week 4* Be aware of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in foods. Read up on the side effects of certain poisons we are eating. Eat organic vegetables. Switch to as much organic as you can. Be aware of where food comes from, how it is made and how they are produced. Buy bulk items that are organic Rice, beans, lentils etc. Also, buy local, and buy aware of what is in your food, read labels.
STEP FIVE ~ FOCUS ON THE 3 R'S -REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Month 5. Cut down our use of plastics
week 1* Don't buy bottled water in plastic. Purchase a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. Bring a reusable water bottle with you where ever you go so you aren't tempted to buy soft drinks. preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
week 2* Buy reusable products and purchase items packaged environmentally friendly. Notice everything in your home that is bottled or packaged in plastic. Make a plan to switch to no longer purchasing what is packaged in plastic, except only the truly necessary times when there is not an option.
week 3* Use only your own bags when going shopping and do not except plastic bags from stores
week 4* Remove unnecessary plastic from your environment and recycle everything you can
STEP SIX ~ CONSIDER THIS: BREAK THE SPENDING HABIT!
month 6. Learn to change your spending habits~buy sparingly - only what you need
week 1* Yes, sorry to say it~Plan a budget! Become aware of where your money is going, and spend more wisely, and greener.
week 2 * Become a thift shopper~Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items. When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't. Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free. Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse. Focus on buying in bulk and going shopping less often when you do need to. Get jars and store your dry goods in gallon jars and shop only when those staples are empty.
week 3 * Save-Save-Save the Earth and Focus on Saving money in a difficult economy
* Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.
week 4* Spend your money repairing fixable items instead of getting new stuff. Make a list of ways to recycle the old items you are no longer using, be aware when you spend of the environment and saving it!
STEP SEVEN ~ BORROW, LEND, GIVE AND GET.
Month 7. Be a borrowing and a sharer, share everything you can!
week 1 * Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
week 2 * Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.
week 3 *Be a reuse person! Make it your mission this month to reuse instead of recycling. Reuse something means it doesn't have to be reprocessed again. If you cannot reuse it donate it-or sell it on e-bay!
week 4*Clean out your closets, garage, attic and basement.Give it away, donate it sell it! Get down to only the essential items you and your family need. Share it, give it and enjoy lightening up.
STEP EIGHT ~ GO TOTALLY ORGANIC!
Month 8. Shop smart. Buy organic 'green' products
week 1 * Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
week 2 * Wear clothes that are made with organic, natural fabrics when it is possible. Also clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
week 3 * Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).
week 4* Wrap your mind around ORGANIC in all areas of living. Green, sustainable living is the new way of living, this month make it your lifelong mission.
STEP NINE ~ REDUCE YOUR WASTE - BECOME AWARE OF WHERE IT IS GOING
month 9. Reduce THE waste of unnecessary GARBAGE and reuse what you already have
week 1 * Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem. Recycle your cell phone.
week 2 * Visit your local dump and make a conscious choice to do something to help out - We have way too much waste on this planet. Think of one creative way you can cut down
week 3 * Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event. Talk to your co-workers about it.
week 4 *give up unneeded gadgets, clean your home of junk electronics
STEP TEN ~ BE COMPLETELY CHEMICAL FREE IN YOUR HOME ENVIRONMENT
Month 10. Remove as many chemicals from your life as possible
Week 1 * Use up all the old chemical cleaning supplies or give them away to someone that still uses them
week 2 * Make your own cleaning supplies. You can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap. Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.
week 3* Check out toxins and chemicals in drugs you take or food you ingest? Clean it up, out of our bodies and out of the system
week 4* need I say this, quit coffee, alcohol and cigarettes if any one this has become a habit
STEP ELEVEN ~ BE IN NATURAL SKIN CARE HEAVEN!
Month 11. Use only natural products on your skin
week 1* switch over to all natural skin and body care products made without all those HARMFUL chemical preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers and wasteful packaging. Make sure your products are at the very least 50% organic and natural.
week 2* commit to read labels on every body care product
week 3 *buy locally or from environmentally friendly companies that are making their products consciously. Big business in skin care products is big pollution!
Week 4 *Make some of your own products from natural oils. Buy chemical free sunscreens to protect from harmful sun rays.
STEP TWELVE ~ STAY FOCUSED ON GREEN! YOU DID IT!!! YOU ARE NOW A CERTIFIED ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE LIVING, GREEN BEING!
Month 12. Stay informed about going green, and be a advocate to continue
Week 1 * Have a good spiritual practice ~start meditation and yoga
week 2 * Focus on others, in service to the Whole of Humanity
week 3* Do your part to advocate greening to others
week 4* Start your own local 'Greening the Planet' group
If you have done most of the things and comply with at least 65% percent of this list then
Congratulations! You are now certified 'Green'.
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