The GreenRoost Blog

photo credit to keetsa.com

Everyone’s talking green.  It’s on the news, in magazines, in newspapers, and on countless websites.  There’s a lot to know and a lot to be considered, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist, have a green thumb, or let your hair grow and start giving everyone the peace sign.  It’s very easy to make your everyday life greener and here are five ways you can start right away.

1.  According to Consumer Reports, prerinsing your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher wastes up to 20 gallons of water per load and doesn’t get them any cleaner.  So stop prerinsing, make sure to wash only full loads, and if possible, invest in an energy efficient dishwasher.  (Same goes for laundry - wash only full loads or adjust the water level for the size load you’re washing, and invest in an energy efficient model when possible.)

2.  The fasting and prayer of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, August 21 - September 19 this year, provides opportunities for reflection, self-purification, renewed spirituality, and compassion for people in need.  Muslim or not, fasting or skipping a meal from time to time can help put you in touch with the virtues of consuming less.  If fasting isn’t your thing, you can still make a big difference by  having more vegetarian meals.  Try alternating between all vegetarian lunches one week and all vegetarian dinners the next.  Ethnic foods offer tasty meatless options, so this is a good opportunity to investigate different cuisines, but there are also great-tasting meat substitutes out there, like Boca, Morningstar Farms, and Quorn (my favorite).  Bonus:  Meatless meals can be much healthier than meals with a meat entree.

3.  We’re pretty much at the end of a growing season, so consider preserving some of the bounty of the harvest, whether you grew it or someone else did.  Pickling, preserving, canning, and drying are great ways to ensure that you can still eat local during the cooler months.  Check out Shawna Coronado’s post about preserving veggies or look at this guide about freezing.

4.  If you take vitamins, think about switching to the liquid variety.  You’ll get more servings in less packaging, and may get a better value also.

5.  Cigarettes aren’t just bad for you, they’re bad for the planet.  The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that at least 25.6 million pounds of pesticides are used on domestic tobacco crops each year.  So just butt out - or, if you must, roll your own with certified organic tobacco.  Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company offers cigarettes made with organically grown tobacco without additives.  You can even try them for free by clicking here or calling 1.800.872.6460 ext. 79272.

So there you go - easy peasy, lemon squeezy!  If you’re in the mood for more instruction, visit Mr. Miyagi’s Guide to Going Green, or just browse around GreenRoost some more!