The Three R’s

Happy Earth Day! NASA just declared 2018 the fourth hottest year on record. The top ten can be found here: Hottest Years on Record

The earth warming even by 2 degrees means more frequent extreme weather, drought conditions that jeopardize drinking water, more diseases, more pollution, more wildlife extinction, and the list goes on…

It is all worrisome, scary and overwhelming! You have to start somewhere right? I started thinking of ways to make my carbon footprint smaller and came up with the following list. Keep in mind, this is just the start of my green journey. I have a big list below and it will probably change and get larger. Now, I can’t achieve everything on this list all at once. But for right now, I am going to start off doing some easy ones.

My List So Far:

Take a shorter shower.
Don’t keep the refrigerator door or the oven open for too long.
Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants. If a straw is a must, purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass straw.
Use a reusable produce/shopping bag. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade. Purchase or make your own reusable produce/shopping bag and be sure to wash them often!
Give up gum. Gum is made of a synthetic rubber, aka plastic.
Buy boxes instead of bottles. Often, products like laundry detergent come in cardboard which is more easily recycled than plastic.
Purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container. You save money and unnecessary packaging.
Reuse containers for storing leftovers or shopping in bulk.
Use a reusable bottle or mug for your beverages, even when ordering from a to-go shop.
Bring your own container for take-out or your restaurant doggy-bag since many restaurants use styrofoam.
Make your own cleaning products that will be less toxic and eliminate the need for multiple plastic bottles of cleaner.
Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. Also, opt for fresh fruits and veggies and bulk items instead of products that come in single serving cups.
Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.
Turn off lights and electrical appliances when they are not in use is another one of the simple ways to conserve energy at home. This may seem obvious but most people tend to neglect this.

My List is in no way a comprehensive list! It is a work-in-progess for sure. I am sure that I have missed many areas. So, if you have some good ideas that you would like to share, please do so in the comment section!