Small Steps to a Greener Life
Well most scientists believe that climate change really is happening. Today. Now. No waiting around to see if we can get away with not changing our behavior.
So what can we do to be eco friendly? Sometimes when a problem seems too big we just run, hide and ignore it. If you want to make a change then read on. Small changes can make a difference.
This is not just another guide to green living.
This one will make you think.
This is the Butterfly Effect.
Just What is the Butterfly Effect?
What have butterflies got to do with climate change?
So what is the Butterfly Effect? Well I am no student of chaos theory so all you get here is my take on it. No science.
The theory is that a butterfly's wings may create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately delay, prevent or change the path of a tornado.
So perhaps see it as a domino effect. Or the idea that everything affects each and every thing. Every action has a consequence more far reaching that we can ever comprehend.
So using that plastic bag does have far reaching consequences. For everyone.
If this is getting too deep (and I think it may be) then lets turn to the movies to see what I am talking about.
The classic film It's A Wonderful Life explores how a town would have been if the main character,Geroge Bailey, had never been born. What if Marty's parents had never met in Back to the Future?
Think about how things in your life could have been different if just one thing hadn't happened - big or small. You hadn't mailed in that job application, you hadn't read that book, gone on that trip or talked to that person.
So this is what I mean here by the Butterfly Effect. My own take on it. Not meteorology. Not science. Just an interesting idea.
Start thinking about how this Butterfly Effect has changed the course of your life.
And how we can help secure the future by making changes now to live a greener life.
How Can I Live A Greener Life Using The Butterfly Effect?
I can't stop global warming can I?
Why did I decide to talk about the Butterfly Effect in my guide to living a greener life?
Because I think taking small steps towards a greener life is so much simpler and much more important than you may think. Don't just do nothing because you think it won't be enough.
Look closely at the picture. Those cans were used for minutes but their environmental cost will last forever. Even if they are recycled this still uses energy and resources. How about if we cut down on using things in the first place?
What can we do about the fact that the problem of global warming isn't going to go away by itself?
Perhaps we know that we need to do something about environmental change but we think that whatever we do is too small to have an effect. The problem is too big and we are too small.
Well as someone once said 'Small is the New Big'. I know he wasn't talking about this problem but I hope he doesn't mind that I am using his words.
You can do something to lessen the damaging effect we are all having on the environment. It isn't that difficult. The alternative is.
Stop consuming so much stuff. It doesn't have to be painful. It can even be a pleasure. It is easy being more green.
Harness the Butterfly Effect and have small changes make a big impact.
The Power of Solar Energy
How everyone can easily make a small switch to solar power
The sun has been here a lot longer than we have. So use it to make a change towards a greener life. Solar power is an amazing source of renewable energy.
Get solar panels to give you electricity if you can, but make a start with a solar charger for all those gadgets we love to use. You can even use a solar charger for your iPod. You will make a difference.
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Solar Landscape Lighting
Get garden lighting with solar panels
We all want to show our garden in it's best light. Why not do this with solar landscape lighting? It just seems to make sense to use the power of the sun for solar energy rather than electricity. Make the switch.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byThe Grass is Always Greener
How about switching to a reel mower?
Why not think about using less electricity in your yard by using a reel mower? Now I know that grass in a yard is not the most environmentally sound thing to have, but most of us have a lawn and are not about to change that. So why not make things a little better by switching to muscle power to mow the lawn?
Modern reel mowers are a lot easier to use these days. Modern design has moved on from the one that your parents may have used. Not only does it use human energy, so giving you some exercise, but I also think it gives a much better effect of the lawn.
I have to admit that when I moved into my neighborhood I used to feel a little self conscious using my reel mower. I don't think many people had even seen one before. Now I am proud to use it and don't have to get up at 5am to quietly mow my front lawn so that the neighbors don't see..
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Stop Buying Bottled Water
in the US 1.5 million barrels of oil are used each year to make plastic water bottles. Some plastic is recycled. But 86% of the plastic bottles we use ends up in landfill or is incinerated.
Bottled water is even more expensive than gasoline and has not been proven to be any better for us than tap water. Why are we buying so much of it?
Make the change and switch to reusable bottles. Sigg are one of the best brands available.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byWant To Learn More About Your Water Supply?
What's in it and how you can save it.
- Learn More About Our Drinking Water
- This is the US Environmental Protection Agency site which has information about water quality in your area.
- Simple Steps To Take To Save Water
- A good interactive site which suggests ways to save water and lets you calculate your households estimated water use.
Brew Your Own Cup of Coffee
The coffee trade has a big environmental and social impact. Not in a good way. But you probably aren't yet ready to give up your cup of coffee are you?
You could just carry on drinking coffee out of a disposable cup with a plastic lid. And paying $4 for a latte.
Or you could make your own, save a fortune and see how coffee really tastes.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byMake A Cup Of Real Coffee
Stop The Plastic Before It Starts
Coffee that you buy in many chain coffee shops has nothing to do with the real taste of coffee. And why do we drink it through a plastic lid - perhaps it doesn't spoil the flavor because it doesn't really taste that good.
Illy coffee is one of the finest tasting coffees you can find. If you make this yourself at home you simply will not want to drink coffee any other way.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byBuy a Travel Coffee Mug
So I may not have convinced you that you are ready to give up the coffee shop yet. That is fine. Just use a coffee travel mug and you will save money and not use the disposable cups. Why wait?
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Cloth Diapers - How Yucky is That?
It took me until I had my third child to be convinced to try cloth diapers. Now I wish I had started much earlier. They are easy to use, economical and not as yucky to deal with as you are probably thinking.
Ebay is a great place to buy them as they last a lot longer than your child is in diapers. Although the disposables ones will also last for thousands of years - in landfill sites. Billions of them.
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We can easily reduce the amount of electricity that we use by thinking before we load the clothes into the tumble dryer. Consider using the traditional method - air drying. All you need is a clothes drying rack and you could save up to 700 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. And some money on your utility bill.
Think about the temperature that you set on your washing machine too. It takes a lot of energy to heat water so try and wash your clothes in cold or warm water. 30 or 40 degrees and a cold rinse cycle is usually all you need.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byWe Can All Make an Impact
Small Changes Can Have an Effect on Global Warming. Make a Change Today.
How Green is My Television?
How can you find a television that uses less electricity?
Let's face it. A television isn't green. But we are talking about small changes here to make a difference. Hang on to that old TV for as long as you can. Ask yourself if you really need that upgraded fancy new model.
I am not asking your to give up your television. Just to make a difference by selecting a television that uses less electricity. LCD televisions use the least power and the Sharp Aquos range is amongst the best.
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How to Save Electricity Without Thinking Too Much
The average family spends around $1900 a year on utilities, according to Energy Star, and as much as $600 of that is wasted. Wouldn't you rather be reducing your impact on the environment and saving money at the same time?
A simple change is to turn off a light when you are not in the room. All it needs is a simple shift in the way that you think. It will soon become a habit.
A lot of the electrical items we have in our home live on standby mode. So we don't need to even get up from our chair to press a switch on a TV. That is if we can ever find the remote control.
But what many people don't realise is just how much electricity the items in your home on standby mode actually consume. If we all turned things off at night or as much as we possibly can we would make a difference.
How do you make this easier on yourself. Spend a few dollars on a power strip and just switch one switch. That is all it takes. You will save money on your electricity bill too.
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More Ways To Make A Difference
- Energy Star
- ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
This is a good resource for finding out ways to save energy, and find the most energy efficient products when shopping for new appliances. There is also a good section of the site directed towards teaching children how they can help to make a difference too. - An Incovenient Truth
- The official site of the movie which gives lots of information on global warming and the simple steps that we can all take to bring about positive change. There is a feature which allows you to calculate your own personal impact to see how much CO2 you produce each year.
- An Easy Way to Recycle Household Items
- A solution to the problem of what to do with your unwanted household items. This free service allows you to list items that you want to give away to people in your local area.
How Many People Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?
We can all make a difference
If every household in the US replaced just one regular light bulb in their home with a Compact Fluorescent Bulb it would give a reduction in pollution equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road for one year.
Go a bit further and if every household replaced 3 light bulbs with a CFL it would be the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road for a year.
Small changes have a big effect.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byHow Many Plastic and Paper Bags Do You Use in a Week?
Just think for a moment about how many plastic and paper bags you use in a week. Usually we use them for a matter of hours at most and then they are discarded. Some may be recycled and others will just go to landfill. To make the bag has used energy and resources. Plastic bags which we use for a few hours will remain on the planet for thousands of years.
There is an alternative. It does need you to be a little more organized, but all you need to do is use reusable grocery bags instead.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byLearn More About The Impact of Plastic Bags
And what you can do to make a change
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Plastic Bags Should Be Banned In All Stores
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Plastic Bags Should Be Banned In All Stores Somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. At the supermarket check out you are given a choice - paper or plastic? The answer should be 'Neither thank you I...
More Tips For Living a Greener Life
Take one step a day towards a green lifestyle
Are You Going to Use The Butterfly Effect and Have A Greener Lifestyle?
What steps can you take today to be more eco friendly?
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- mulberry mulberry May 4, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
- This is a good lens, and the tips are all very do-able!
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- TheGreenerMe TheGreenerMe Apr 30, 2009 @ 8:55 am
- I love this lens! Small changes will result in a big difference. I think a lot of people don't think about the environmental consequences of bottled water. Not only does the bottle take resources and energy to create, but the water itself is heavy, and uses huge amounts of fuel to transport. Great work, welcome to A Million Ways to Go Green!
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- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Apr 19, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
- Excellent lens. Squid Blessings to you. :) Going to feature this in the Living the Green Organic Lifestyle Blog.
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- awelldressedbullet awelldressedbullet Feb 17, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
- I love green lenses, thank you Alison. Both Mr. Bullet and I are pretty green friendly, we aren't perfect I'm sure, and we feel we have greatly reduced our footprints on this earth, but believe that a person can always do better! Some things are harder to do than others, but even if we all try and do a few easy things, it will really make a difference. - Kathy
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- starsam starsam Feb 16, 2009 @ 9:56 am
- Your lens would be a great addition to the 'Solar Technology and Solar Energy' Group
( http://www.squidoo.com/groups/solar )
Feel free to add it anytime!
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by EverythingMouse
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