The Longest Journey Begins With a Single Step
It happens too often. We read an ad or see an uplifting documentary about conservation, saving the environment, ecological responsibility, going green, and say "Hey! I can do all that stuff!" And that's great and encouraging but, like a good golf swing, the whole deal needs a follow-through.
The trap is that many of us try to do too much at once and end up not doing any of it for very long. What starts out with the best of intentions ends up as a stack of unrecycled newspapers molding in the corner of the garage, or a bin of unrecycled glass containers too heavy to be lifted to the truck.
So here we will explore a few things one can do - one day at a time - one action at a time - that will help to make a difference in the long run.
BOOKMARK THIS to see new ways to save the environment... and maybe even some money!
What's Here?
- Lo-Flow Faucet Aerator (see microhints)
- American Red Cross Radio
- Just found and added here...
- Featured Favorites of the Eco Friendly Sort
- Coming Attractions...
- It's Easy Being Green
- Think Ahead and Be Reasonable
- What Can Be Recycled
- Lower Energy Use with Fluorescent Lights
- Frugal Living for Dummies
- Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Burden
- Plug into the Sun: Solio
- Truly Environmentally Serious?
- Save on Water with Low-Flow Sprinklers
- Take Your Own Bags When You Shop
- Bigger Steps
- Get Mowing and Get Exercise Too
- From the Mouths of Babes...
- Green Remodeling
- Windmills and Wind Turbines (Subject to Availability)
- Green Company
- Solar Power, Solar Panels (Subject to Availability)
- But Don't Take MY Word For It - Read On...
- Microhints
- Did This Help?
- Leave Tracks Here, not on the Earth
Lo-Flow Faucet Aerator (see microhints)
Do it Best Import/TW 425087 Do it Duo-Fit Water Saver Faucet Aerator
Fits faucets with 55/64" x 27 outside threads or 15/16" x 27 inside threads. Controls volume to 2.0 GPM. Polished brass finish.
Amazon Price: $1.14 (as of 10/08/2008)
American Red Cross Radio
Hand crank radio and power generator
Below the product display on their page is a chart that gives some guidelines to picking which radio you need. Please read it first to make sure the one you pick is the one that will help you personally.
American Red Cross FR400 Emergency Radio, White
The Etón Grundig American Red Cross FR400 is one of Etón's American Red Cross branded, weather-resistant emergency radios. With a dependable hand-crank power generator that powers the unit's AM/FM/TV/Weather radio, built-in LED flashlight, cell phone charger and emergency siren -- all surrounded by a sturdy, weather-resistant casing -- the lightweight and portable Grundig FR400 is an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a radio that can be relied on in emergencies or in environments where there are limited power sources
Amazon Price: $59.00 (as of 10/08/2008)
Just found and added here...
As further incentive... you can get it for free (see the detail page in the Product Promotions section).
Mesh Beach Bag with Heavy Duty Handles
Can be used year round for laundry, toys, sports equipment, camping gear, shopping, wash and tote bag. Heavy duty handles with drawstring closure. Measures approx. 18-in x 20-in.
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 10/08/2008)
Featured Favorites of the Eco Friendly Sort
Other lensmasters who contribute wonderfully to the cause
Take a look at the work of other Squidoo Lensmasters who are focusing on the environment, and support their lenses as well.-
Energy Conservation
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15 In-Depth Conservation Tips We see it every morning and evening on the television news. Our air is becoming toxic, the ground is filling up with chemicals, and our dependence on petroleum-based products has skyrocketed into the stratosphere! This...
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Sustainable Architecture
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Climate change is a fact of life today and buildings are responsible for consuming more than half of the energy consumed in the US. This site looks at what is being done around the world to make buildings more sustainable both in their construc...
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What is Green Energy and How Can We Make a Lasting Impact on the Environment
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It's difficult to find a primary color that is bulldozing through as many people's lives as green is. Green and Christmas, green beans and the luck of the Irish may have been temporarily shelved as popular color associations, because green energy is...
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Green-Sustainable Building Design
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More than 76 million residential buildings and nearly 5 million commercial buildings are consuming one-third of all energy and two-thirds of all electricity in the US. Another 38 million buildings are expected to be constructed by 2010. Building desi...
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Making Your Own Recycled Yarn
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Make cool stuff and help the Earth at the same time. If you like to knit, crochet, or any other yarn craft have a go at using recycled materials. You can make your own yarn using plastic bags, thrift store sweaters, scraps, and t-shirts.
Coming Attractions...
Vote here - what would YOU like to see next?
Organic and Earth-Friendly Merchants
Who's respecting the environment and what you can more...6 points
How to Read your Electric Meter
How to find out just what that microwave oven real more...2 points
http://www.squidoo.com/purewater-cleanair
Most drinking water provided to communities comes more...1 point
How to Read your Gas Meter
The secrets of what those racing dials really mean0 points
How to Read your Water Meter
Real life detective work, AKA how to turn this int more...0 points
It's Easy Being Green
Read a book.. it's contagious
It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living
Surveys find that over 80 percent of Americans agree with the goals of the environmental movement. Sadly, most Americans admit to doing little more than basic recycling when it comes to acting on that disposition.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $10.39 (as of 10/08/2008)
List Price: $12.99
Used Price: $1.87
Usually ships in 24 hours
Think Ahead and Be Reasonable
A wee bit of humor but perhaps not all laughable
Know your lifestyle and limits. A few things to consider:
If you are allergic to bees, don't gather honeycomb
If the presence of a bee sends you into anaphylact more...4 points
If you live where there's no wind, don't put up a windmill
No matter how quaint the ones in wild west movies more...4 points
If you don't have a yard or garden, don't compost
If your domain is on the sixth floor of an apartme more...3 points
If you can't walk to the mailbox, don't marathon
If you're out of shape and lose your breath before more...3 points
You wouldn't intentionally pour 2000 gallons of water out into your yard, but did you know that a dripping faucet can waste that much in a year? Small steps add up!
Recycle a Can
Just one. Start simple. It will feel so good you'll want to keep doing it.5 points
Take a Hike
If you need a carton of milk, leave the car in the driveway and walk the two blocks to the convenience store or grocery.5 points
Pull the Plug
If you're not using an appliance, a television, your third computer, shut it down and pull the plug out of the wall.5 points
Give Stuff Away
Face it. Most of us have too much stuff. Box up things you haven't used in a few years and donate it to the Goodwill or a family who needs things. Don't give away junk - recycle broken items properly.5 points
Fix the Leak
A dripping faucet can cost gallons of water in a very short time. Check it out: Stick a big bowl in the sink under the drip and see how much has accumulated overnight. You may be shocked.4 points
Refill your wine bottles
This lens shows you how http://www.squidoo.com/refillable-wine-bottles/
Another small step1 point
Use Soapnuts
The natural, environmentally friendly and cheap alternative to all that toxic stuff you use on your laundry and to clean your house. More info <a href="http://www.squidoo.com" target="_blank">here</a>0 points
Use green cleaning supplies
Most common household cleaners are detrimental to your health and the environment. Find a better way to clean with natural remedies or green products that are truly green! Check out my lens on Creating a Healthy Home at www.squidoo.com/cleanandgreen.com0 points
What Can Be Recycled
(and what can't!)
Knowing the difference between what can and cannot be recycled with today's technology can mean the difference between a happy emptied recycling bin and a full bin left at curbside, improperly prepared and abandoned. Learn here and then pass it on to a friend.
Garbage and Recycling (Young Discoverers: Environmental Facts and Experiments)
Explaining the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage, this book shows how glass, metal, and wool can be easily recycled. How Can I Help? boxes give suggestions for the young environmentalist who wants to recycle at home.
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 10/08/2008)
Lower Energy Use with Fluorescent Lights
I was a bit wary, the first time I installed one of these swirly lightbulbs, wondering if it was going to spiral up and smack my pretty lampshades or look ugly or put out spiraling light.
None of the above. You can actually install smaller wattage fluorescents as you replace your burned-out ones and get the same light (or better in some cases). I've got them everywhere I can reach, including in that strange vent/fan thing in the hood over the stovetop.
Globe 23-Watt Mini Compact Fluorescent Spiral Bulb (100-Watt Incandescent Equivalent), Soft White, 4-Pack #48526
A 23W CFL is equivalent to a 100W regular incandescent bulb. It uses less energy, and helps protect the environment. Depending on your kWh rate, you will enjoy significant dollar savings per bulb!
Amazon Price: $16.00 (as of 10/08/2008)
List Price: $19.99
Frugal Living for Dummies
Don't be put off by the name
Don't let the name put you off - I've found a lot of for Dummies books are anything but. This is here because recycling and saving on energy costs directly impact your pocketbook.
Fru Living for Dummies
Feel like you're trying to dig out from under a mountain of debt without a shovel? Tired of working your tail off just to break even? Is the high cost of living taking all the joy out of life?
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 10/08/2008)
Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Burden
Of course, if you look back even further into the past, even back a century or so, you'll find that recycling and conservation was quite common. A pioneer woman on a farm in Illinois or Nebraska would no more think about throwing out a slightly dented pan than she would consider ditching a basket of sewing into the henyard. What cloth was on hand was used, reused, mended, patched, hemmed, taken in, let out, repurposed and then possibly retired. The pan would be fixed, patched, smoothed, reused until it would no longer serve its purpose at all, and then a new purpose would be found. One did not just walk to Wal-Mart and get a new one. I know. My grandmother told me about some of those times, and she heard a lot of it from her mother and elder sisters.
We're spoiled by excess. We're spoiled by immediacy which strips quite a bit of the value of the items themselves. Could you put all your belongings in the back of a covered wagon and move 1500 miles to a new homestead? I know I couldn't.. not anymore.
I'm not saying it is wise to give all your goodies away and live like a hermit in a log cabin or out of the back of a covered wagon. I'm not saying that it's necessary to give up the comforts of this century's existence.
But I am saying that it makes sense to be careful what we do with those goodies and comforts, short term and long, so the footprints we leave as we race through life aren't big dents in the environment.
Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash
From Publishers Weekly
"Nothing is inherently trash," claims Strasser (Satisfaction Guaranteed) in this vibrant social history of American attitudes toward superfluous or unusable material items. Before the 20th centuryAwhen mass production, post-WWII consumer culture and planned obsolescence created a society in which disposability was the normAbroken crockery, food, buttons, bones, fat, rags, tin, paper and other refuse were precious commodities, especially in areas of urban or rural poverty.
Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 10/08/2008)
Plug into the Sun: Solio
A dream gadget hits the reality bricks
Get one. Or two. Or 15, for gifts and family members. I'm frankly amazed that I hadn't heard about this from one of my gadget-conscious friend, but now that I have, it's high on my list of Micro-Green steps.
UPDATE: I got one of these for my husband for his birthday and got a huge grin and cheer in return.
Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger (Black)
The Solio universal "hybrid" solar charger is powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move. The Solio works by absorbing power from either four hours in the wall socket or 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight, and then storing the energy within its internal battery.
Amazon Price: $80.33 (as of 10/08/2008)
Vote as you go and watch to see what everyone else is doing as well - and let's see what the most popular starting steps turn out to be.
Install Compact Fluorescent Bulbs to replace Incandescent
Almost instant savings for you and the environment. Compact fluorescent bulbs last longer, use less electricity, and look pretty cool.4 points
Schedule your Appliance Use
Run your washing machine in the early morning or late evening when the power load on the grid is lower than midday. It probably won't save you money but you'll be making a difference.2 points
Air Dry or, better, Line Dry
If you have an automatic dryer, set it on the lowest possible setting for the shortest time possible. Better yet, put wet clothes on a line outside.1 point
Put your Power on a Curfew
Set a family lights-out time at 11:00 (ok, after Letterman, if you must) and make the turning off of lights and appliances part of the nightly ritual.1 point
http://www.squidoo.com/cleanandgreen
Have you considered green cleaning supplies. Most common household cleaners are detrimental to the environment and your health1 point
Truly Environmentally Serious?
then check this out...
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySave on Water with Low-Flow Sprinklers
Raindrip Low-Flow Sprinkler Kit #R547DP
The Low flow sprinkler kit is ideal for watering ground cover, flower beds, new and hillside planting. The sprinkler heads are adjustable and have three spray patterns.
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 10/08/2008)
Take Your Own Bags When You Shop
A large handful of nylon bags stuffed into the glove compartment or underneath a seat can save a lot of time. Just don't forget to put them back. I have two net bags I keep in a ziploc bag in my purse, which comes in very handy.
ChicoBag Reusable Shopping Bags
ChicoBags rock! - The Reusable Nylon Shopping Bags Use the ChicoBag Reusable Nylon Shopping Bag for everything trips to the grocery store, farmers market or out shopping.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/08/2008)
Bigger Steps
Extra effort, extra rewards
Yes, these are going to take more work than the first micro-steps, but the payoffs will be greater as well. Some will even add value to your home, I'm sure, especially if you leave your Energy Star appliances behind if you move. And besides, with all the money you'll be saving, you can treat yourself to even more net bags and spiral light bulbs!
Replace Old Appliances with Energy Star
If your refrigerator is running half the day and it's time to replace it, look for new ones with Energy Star efficiency. Read the ratings carefully.3 points
RideShare
Once a month, or even once a week, rideshare with a neighbor heading the same way to work. Daring? Take a bus or rail!3 points
Throw Out your Lawn Mower (well, recycle it!)
... and get a hand mower instead. You'll benefit by saving gas, reducing emissions, and getting exercise to boot.3 points
Wrap your Water Heater
A $15-20 expenditure for a water heater blanket is a significantly lower expense than $700 for a new water heater. Try that solution first.2 points
Get Mowing and Get Exercise Too
Scotts 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower #2000-20
The Scott's classic reel mower is light, maneuverable, and economical. The business end of this push reel mower is solid, sharp, and everything a reel mower should be, with five heat-treated, knife-sharp steel blades that can be adjusted for nine grass heights with very easy wheel tabs.
Amazon Price: $119.99 (as of 10/08/2008)
List Price: $180.00
The more you take microgreen steps, the more you are going to run up against naysayers who refuse to believe that who recycling and environmental steps are worthwhile. Do what I do - smile and step aside, and let them discover all on their own just what a difference one person can make. It's your wallet, after all.
The Next Step: 50 More Things You Can Do to Save the Earth
When the book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth came out in 1989, even the authors were astonished to see it become one of the bestselling environmental books of all time. Based on that huge interest and participation by large numbers of people, they have come out with this book as the next logical step. It goes beyond simple, individual actions, and focuses on ways of expanding community participation and awareness, ways of empowering people to create an impact beyond their own homes.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/08/2008)
From the Mouths of Babes...
Some pretty durn good advice!
Recycle Please!
My fourth grade students made these four commercials to promote recycling. Follow superhero "Recycling Boy" as he cleans up the universe! You can help him by passing this video on and doing your best to recycle. Thanks!
Runtime: 11:16
17727 views
10 Comments:
Ok, maybe not so microgreen, and they are heavy duty steps to take, so please don't enter into any of them lightly or without consulting knowledgeable professionals. If you live in a flood plain, please don't just dig a hole under your house and move in.
Move Underground
If you're faced with the curse of unlimited funds and highly stable land that you own, dig in and build your living quarters underground.3 points
Recycle the Chevy Camaro and buy a Prius
... if you can find one, that is. This is a serious big step and is not going to be cheap.2 points
Solar Panels on your Roof
Expensive. Horribly expensive, but in certain areas with tons of sunshine, the payoff may be enough to warrant the long cost recovery cycle.2 points
Windmills in your Yard
Not on the scale of the windmill farms on the hills east of San Francisco, but you might consider one if you're in an area where the wind rarely slows down.2 points
Plant a Forest
I'm not talking about a measly few acres. I'm talking about getting out with a crew and helping reforest the areas which have been decimated by cutting and fires. Plant some underbrush while you're up there, and keep the mudslides under control.1 point
Green Remodeling
Natural remodelling - sounds almost too good to pass up, especially for the skilled do-it-yourselfer. The book touches both on the conceptual and the practical, making it good read for both sides of your brain. Remodeling an existing house to 'green it up' is vastly less expensive than buying a new one, plus just think of the added property value when selling time comes around.
Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature (Natural Home & Garden)
To have a home that's more in touch with the earth, you don't have to start from the ground up! It's possible-and more environmentally friendly-to go green by renovating an existing home. With the help of Carol Venolia, an award-winning architect and bestselling author, and Kelly Lerner, a world-famous innovator in the field of sustainable development, even the least mechanically inclined person can make a difference in his or her dwelling%u2026and to the planet.
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 10/08/2008)
Windmills and Wind Turbines (Subject to Availability)
6 Foot Windmill
6 Foot Windmill Our garden windmill stands 6 feet high and is a perfect decoration for your yard and garden. Metal construction comes in the colors green and yellow. Ball bearings allow easy windmill motion. Anchors included for securing into the ground. Assembly is required. (Decorative item)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/08/2008)
List Price:
Green Company
The pressure is on for businesses to take ever-increasing responsibility for their impact on Planet Earth. Those who dig in their heels or balk at taking that responsibility pay the price in reduced revenues as people (like us) turn their attention toward the one who do support environmental efforts.
50 Simple Things Your Business Can Do to Save the Earth
The pressure is on for businesses to take ever-increasing responsibility for their impact on Planet Earth.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/08/2008)
Solar Power, Solar Panels (Subject to Availability)
Let me repeat that, just in case you missed it... check with a professional electrician before laying out the money to put in a solar system on your roof or in your yard (and possibly a roofing contractor as well, to make sure your roof is actually appropriate for putting a solar system on).
