cogito ergo sum...green

There is only one way to live green, and that is to think green, know green and be green.

I care about doing the right thing. I want my planet to be clean for my and future generations, I also just drove my Prius 2 blocks to buy a bottle of organic carrot juice. As Josh Dorfman so fittingly refers to himself, I am a passionate yet lazy environmentalist.

I'm not looking to make a statement, I'm looking to respect the world I live in and am asking you to do the same.
So let's start easy. Here are 10 tips to living a little greener:

1. EDUCATE YOURSELF: How can you solve the problem if you don't know what the problem is? There are plenty of radical websites and bathroom books just waiting to be read.
Some of my favs:

websites
http://www.treehugger.com
http://www.worldchanging.com
http://www.sundancechannel.com
http://www.grist.org
http://www.inhabitat.com

print
William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle
Josh Dorfman, The Lazy Environmentalist

flicks
An Inconvenient Truth
Who Killed the Electric Car?
The Eleventh Hour

tube
Sundance Channel
PBS
Discovery Channel

2. TRANSPORTATION: One of the biggest impacts we have on the planet is a direct result of the way we move ourselves around. You might consider walking, biking or using mass transit, at least a few days out of the week. Maybe you can convince your boss to let you work from home from time to time? Maybe you can carpool? fuel consumption is most certainly a priority these days. the price of gas alone is a deterrent from driving. so maybe reconsider public transportation- trains, planes...not automobiles- unless you've got company.

3. WATER: Clean, drinkable water is precious and needs to be used most efficiently. Every drop of tap water we use requires energy to filter, purify and transport [and that means fossil fuel emissions]. We know that Dasani is just filtered Philly tap water and that Aquafina comes from Queens- but how many meal plan points have you wasted on baby bottles of the stuff anyway? Break the cycle. Buy a Brita. Buy a Nalgene bottle. They come in psychadelic colors, are endlessly refillable and don't drain the wallet.

4. CONSERVE ENERGY:How many of you leave the house for hours or days on end without even thinking to unplug the microwave or the phone charger you forgot to pack? All of these appliances such energy slowly but surely adding up to a lot of wasted resources.
Turn up the heat the minute weather.com predicts the night might fall into the 50's? Layering is cool and conserves monumental amounts of energy. Bundle up in a blanket or with a body instead of reaching for the foot heater and feel good about doing your part.


5. BUY IN BULK: Recycling plastic, aluminum, glass and paper is too convenient to ignore. But don't stop there- buy in bulk and put an end to excess packaging.

6. BRING A BAG: Bring a reusable bag to the market instead of stock-piling paper and plastic bags in your closet. This month, Whole Foods is banning plastic bags in an effort to convert everyone to canvas. So get on it before those totes are as hot as a Balenciaga and start the trend now.

7. FOOD: Eat local, eat seasonal, eat organic, and although you will often catch me in the act- eat less meat. Almost every state in the United States buys the majority of its food from someplace else, even when the state grows it themselves. The environmental costs of transporting this stuff is huge- over a quarter of all transportation on roads and freeways is dedicated to hauling food long distances. Not to mention, when you buy food from big supermarkets, little of the money you spend trickles down. By buying from local farmers you not only keep the money in the community, you keep the vegetables from being Fed-Exed to colder climates, racking up more travel miles.

8. STYLE: Just because Barneys sells vintage Levis doesn't mean you are doing your part. Bust out some scissors and a sewing machine (or needle and thread) and make something old new again. Trade clothes with a friend. Donate some threads and get over the fact you have 5 white t-shirts instead of 10. And when you are in need of some retail therapy, try to consider investing in some organic cotton and other alternative fabrics like hemp, flax and bamboo (even Costco sells bamboo towels!) And of course, trusty vintage and thrift stores always have some scores- plenty in walking distance in the east bay area!

9. NON-TOXIC PRODUCTS: Switch out those toxic paints and scrubs for eco-friendly materials. They may have a slightly higher dollar sign at the check out counter, but the benefits for your body and environment are priceless.

10. RECYCLE: Duh! It's almost too obvious to list. It is too easy to not dispose of aluminum, paper and glass the right way. Batteries do not belong in the garbage; take them to a local drop-off center where they may be disposed of in a proper way. Composting is cool if you can make it happen (if you live in the Berkeley Hills, it is mandatory). The consistent use of reusable bags, nalgene bottles and coffee thermoses saves a ton of waste. Places like Peet's Coffee and Strada even give you $.10 off your drink when you bring your own mug (and if you drink caffiene the way I do- those savings add up fast!) If we all do our part, we can make big changes.

Living a more eco-friendly life will require us to make small sacrifices for a greater good we may never personally notice.
It might take us a few extra minutes to get somewhere because we're taking transit, or we might need to remember to bring a Nalgene bottle, or vote to pay a few extra dollars a year in taxes to support alternative transit and energy projects, but it's worth it. Take responsibility for accepting externalized costs and reap the benefits of a cleaner community.