What it means to be green

Kermit the Frog may have coined the phrase, “It’s not easy being green.” However, it’s much easier than most people may think.

What does it mean to be green? Being green isn't’t just a fad or a way to sell things. It is a way of living. Living green means that one chooses to live while keeping the environment in mind. Living green means to know where our resources originate, especially access to clean water, food and other resources for survival.

Living green to me means to be conscious of all the things I do on a daily basis. Whether we like it or not our actions affect all other life on Earth, including other human beings. It’s important to think before we act.

First and foremost in being green one must have an understanding of where resources/consumer goods originate. Where were the products made? What materials are contained in these products? Are these products harmful to our families and community? Were people or other life displaced to make this product? How many natural resources were used to make this product? Will this action create more pollution or less?  Is this action or product harming the  U.S. economy?

While this may sound overwhelming, all it takes is education. Read the labels, ask questions, look up information from reliable sources, and most of all keep an open mind.

One of the easiest first steps in living green is using the three R’s: Recycle, reuse, and reduce

Recycling is available to everyone! Schools and office supply stores will take your printer cartridges. Schools and battery suppliers will take old cell phones and the batteries that come with them. Many non-profits will take computers and old vehicles. Grocery stores now have bins to take plastic bags, which are used to create composite fencing and decking materials with wood and other plant matter. Citizens can cash in aluminum cans, arrange for recycling pickup from private trash collectors or non-profits like the El Jebel Shrine, or take recyclables to a recycling center. Donate clothing and household items to local charities. There are many ways to recycle.

Reuse items that can be used over and over again. Use reusable grocery bags now sold in almost all retail stores, which are made out of recycled materials. Bring a mug to your favorite coffee shop rather using paper cups. Use a refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. Buy used clothing instead of new items.

Reducing our consumption is extremely important. Remember the days when consumers bought something that would last? Spend the extra money to buy something of quality. When shopping in a store, buy only what is needed and not what is wanted. Try not to buy on an impulse.

Conservation is an extremely important part of living green. Turn off appliances and lights when they are not in use. Conserve energy by adjusting your thermostat to consume less. Turn off water until it is needed. Find ways to reduce water consumption: Drip irrigation, plant drought resistant plants, mulch, and use low flow toilets, faucets, and shower heads.

Now the big question is why should anyone even try to live green in these tough economic times? Actually by living green one is being thrifty.

Furthermore, the consumption of resources is exceeding the amount of natural resources being produced. Plus, 25% of the products/resources Americans buy are wasted and disposed into our landfills (See the Story of Stuff). These products produce water, soil, and air pollution. Many of these products will be around much longer in the landfills than in one human life.  What wastes don’t end up in landfills end up in our waterways and eventually to the ocean. Plastics kill thousands of species which depend on plankton for food and instead consume millions of pieces of plastic which don’t biodegrade. This impacts the food we eat and food that other animals eat.

However, we can change this consumption by conserving resources, establishing community gardens, and cleaning up our neighborhoods. Build community and work together to clean up neighborhoods and practice the three R’s.  These are some of the steps to green living.

We can begin to stop saying, “It’s hard being green” and start saying, “We must begin to live green for the sake of life on Earth and for the sake of our future.”