Resolutions

It is that time of year when about 46% of people start thinking about New Years’ Resolutions. Of those, about half of the people typically keep their resolutions. Another recent study revealed the surprising fact that people who do not make resolutions are less likely to achieve them 🙂

Here are my thoughts on eco-friendly options for consideration.

• Commit to not using plastic bags from retail stores.  Taking a re-usable bag in to the store is really pretty easy once you establish the habit.  Leaving a stash of re-usable bags in the grocery getter is typically a helpful strategy and some stores (like Target) give discounts for using your own bag.  If Chicago, Austin, Seattle, and most recently California can impose bans and regulations on plastic bag use, it is clearly an achievable resolution.
• Stop buying bottled water and use a BPA free re-usable water bottles or an at home filtering pitcher.
• Re-program your thermostat and commit to being 1 degree less comfortable.  In the heating months having the house slightly colder also burns more fat J
• Drive a little slower on freeways
• Use less water – if you have an irrigation system, as opposed to having it run daily have it run twice a week and for slightly longer cycles; your lawns roots will learn to dig deeper in to the soil for water and be healthier in the long run.  This can also include showering faster, only running the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads, etc.
• Bring your own mug to your favorite coffee shop
• Unsubscribe from junk mail, phone books, junk e-mail, etc.
• Use less electricity by making your computers power management settings more aggressive, eliminating vampire devices by putting them behind a surge protector you turn off when not in use, etc.
• Shop local and second hand; and to avoid the Craigslist killer always meet the seller in a public parking lot with cameras during the daytime
• Buy in to Community Supported Agriculture or similar programs that support local farmers and force nutrition in to your home.  Here is the one we recently joined.