Make 2009 a Green Year
Hello environmentalist friend or those random online visitors who don’t recycle…
Lets make these easy resolutions in 2009 that will help our world:
1. Put a recycling bin in our kitchen
2. Start a compost pile
3. Only buy compact fluorescent light bulbs - Interesting fact: My brother told me they only sell this type in NYC now. The rest of the US is about 2+ years behing NYC, start the trend earlier
4. Buy and use a re-usable grocery bag when going to the grocery store. Helpful Hint: Put that bag back in your trunk when you’re done using it. Otherwise, you’ll forget it everytime you go to the store. 
5. Re-use plastic bags. Helpful hint: Take your lunch to work in it, use it as a trashbag, etc
Want some more ideas or help on keeping a New Year’s resolution?
Alternet.com suggest some other resolutions for being green in 2009:
1. Put your outdoor lights on motion sensors. Do you need to light the night and burn all of that electricity? No, but you do want safety. Motion sensors are the answer. You’ll save energy and money, too. And if you want to go a step beyond this, you can get LED lights — which are ultra-efficient.
2. Wash your laundry in cold water. We swear it works! Washing machines are major power hogs in our homes and using cold water is a great, easy way to reduce your energy use. If you want to go a step beyond this you can even start to air dry your laundry. This will help your clothes last longer and save even more energy.
Planetgreen suggests:
Week Two: Pledge to Use Public Transport, Walk or Bike
You’ve no doubt gotten the message that using your own two feet or a bicycle is probably the best way to get around, in terms of carbon emissions…And using public transportation or carpooling is a far better way to go than sitting by your lonesome in your car.
So walk the talk and use one of these at least one more day a week in 2009. World Offset estimates that doing this just one day a week will reduce your carbon emissions by nearly 1000 pounds over the course of the year.
Week Three: Reduce or Eliminate Your Consumption of Meat
In terms of carbon emissions, knocking meat off your menu is a significant step you can take to green your lifestyle. Switch to an all vegetarian diet and you can rest assured that your personal carbon emissions are about 2.52 tons less than your carnivorous neighbors. Just setting aside one day a week as a meat-free day would avoid emitting about 720 pounds of carbon emissions over the year.
Don’t know where to start? Check out these great vegetarian recipes.
Week Four: Eat More Local Food
By now you’ve probably heard the term ‘locavore’, and have probably heard about the benefits of eating more locally-sourced food. But what you may not realize is how much resolving to eat more local food can reduce your carbon footprint.
If you resolve to eat just one meal each week comprised of only locally sourced ingredients (or at least the majority…I won’t begrudge your spice usage) you could avoid 666 pounds of emissions each time.
I know that this may be more difficult in the winter across large parts of the United States, so start slowly and then really go local later in the year. Even if the full impact of this one isn’t felt for a couple of months, start thinking like a locavore: How many food miles got racked up for my meal to get here? Is it in season? Is there a local alternative I could buy? Investigate joining a Community Supported Agriculture Co-op for next summer.
What are your 2009 Resolutions?? And how do you plan to keep them???
Check out Nutrition Frenzy for help on keeping your 2009 resolution.
