What It Means to be Green
“Green” is no doubt one of the most popular buzz words floating around nowadays. Yet like many other trendy phrases, the definition of what exactly green means is slightly hazy. If you ask 20 people to tell you what it means to be green, you will likely get 20 very different responses. Green seems to be a term that takes on an individual meaning for everyone. However, one thing that can be agreed upon is that whatever green means-it is a positive concept.
We know that living green means being conscious of our environment and our planet. It does not, however, necessarily mean that you must take on a Vegan diet, move to a solar powered house or convert all your toilets to composting bins of saw dust-although none of these are bad options. In actuality there are thousands of both big and small ways you can make a step towards becoming green. How you chose to live green, and the level to which you decide to do it, is a matter of personal consideration. To make this process a bit easier, we’ve included a three-step guide to figuring out what green means to you.
Figure out what issues are most important to you…
Think about the various topics associated with the term “green.” Consider which of these topics or issues strike you as most important. For instance, were you particularly concerned when a friend recently told you how many chemicals and pesticides conventional farming methods pollute the environment? If so, you may want to consider going green in the way of buying organic produce. Perhaps you recently heard a report on how the average American’s ecological footprint is unsustainable and you felt frustrated at the level of resources you yourself might be using. Well then, you may want to consider becoming green by taking steps to decrease your own ecological footprint. Whatever the issues that you decide are most important, and there are many to choose from, the next step is educating yourself about the issues and the solutions.
Educate Yourself
If you’ve decided you want to buy only organic produce educate yourself on what it means for a food to be classified as organic. Investigate what local establishments offer organic products. For instance, where is your local natural health food store? Does your community have a farmer’s market?
If you are concerned about the size of your ecological footprint you may research what factors are included in the calculation. Then calculate how big your own footprint is. After you’ve done that, you will probably want to explore possible strategies to decrease the amount of resources you use. For example, you may decide to decrease your shower time by two minutes a day or find a local carpooling group.
Some helpful websites to explore when researching a greener lifestyle are: www.sierracub.com; www.edf.org, www.nature.org, www.earthday.net
Take Action
Taking action is the most critical step in figuring out what it means to be green to you. Once you’ve decided what issues you want to tackle and you’ve explored the options you have, it’s time to decide what steps you will take to move towards a greener life style. Every little bit makes a difference so if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed with options, start slow and keep it simple! Once you feel comfortable, you can gradually begin to add more and more green practices into your daily life.
January 23, 2010
by Optimum WellnessComments
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