Modern Gurl on "Going Green"

Modern Gurls,

Ok, at the minimum, most of us modern gurls have heard of "going green" and we probably recycle at home and are all about saving our planet... but lately I've learned that that isn't enough. I'm just going to put myself out there and say that I never even thought about my "waste footprint" (amount of waste I create in a period of time) until I started reading and watching more on tv about "going green."

I mean geez, I was always the one that hated when people littered in elementary school.

Since so many of us have been touched by someone with cancer, which is clearly partially enviromental. We have all been affected by the gas prices, and let's face it, you can't help but hear a report every day about the North Pole melting...

I just took it upon myself to learn more. I'm reading a book called "It's Easy Being Green."

Here are some things that I've learned recently that have propelled me into action:

1. Those caps on our water bottles and cans are NOT recycleable
2. If you don't put it in the recycle bin correctly, it may end up in the landfill
3. If you flip over any object you can see a recycle number within the recycle symbol - typically the number is between 1 and 6
4. The higher the number, the more difficult it is to recycle
5. Everything we put in the trash, has to go to a landfill somewhere - when we don't recycle things that don't decompose (i.e., synthetic clothing, styrofoam, bottle caps, lids, etc.), it sits in a landfill til Kingdom Comes
6. Most of the makeup we wear is CRAP and can cause adverse health reactions
7. Most thrift shops throw out clothing that you donate and they can not use... only Goodwill actually recycles clothing!!! They have a central center that breaks down the clothes and recycles them into usable post-consumer recycled products

We really have an opportunity to do little things every day to be a little more conscious about our natural resources.

Ok ladies - hold your hybrids and solar panels ...

It's the little things...Here are some that I have commited to that you can do too...

1. There are websites that you can go to do donate anytime to offset when you leave a carbon footprint (e.g. if you fly an airplane you can donate money to alternative fuel research for every mile that you flew) - www.carbonfootprint.com
2. When your lightbulbs go out, get compact flourescent bulbs to replace them and use solar lights outside when you can
3. Create a "go green" contract with yourself, your roomate, husband, family - whomever!
4. Recycle bins are free - get extra bins and organize your recycling at home
5. Try to recycle 50%, then 75%, then 90%, then 100% of your trash - this means, don't purchase anything that you can't recycle!
6. Carpool to work, take public transportation or try to work from home at least one day a week
7. Water off when you brush you teeth, lather up in the shower!
8. Take advantage of fresh air like the olden days and turn the thermometer up in the summer and down in the winter.
9. Carry shopping bags with you, don't buy anything that can't fit in the bags you have
10. Recycle your junk mail
11. Yes, you can still get money at a local recycling center for glass bottles and aluminum - check it out !!
12. Encourage the businesses that you patronize to allow you to recycle
13. Buy all natural products - check out this website to see ratings on cosmetics http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ - you will be afraid to see how many of our products are environmentally unfriendly
14. Tune into Planet Green, a whole channel by Discovery Channel with practical advice
15. Spread the word....

These are just little things we can do to change in our behavior every day. Keep a green diary.

Modern Gurls... Will you join me?