Readers’ Voice: How You’re Making Positive Changes for the Environment

My readers are making positive changes for the environment.

This past week I asked the question, “What is the best thing you’ve done for the environment this year?” And I was not disappointed in the answers. Honestly, I was more than impressed by a few of the responses. I mean, I used cloth diapers for awhile, too, but I NEVER dreamed of using cloth wipes. I guess it is no worse than cleaning the diapers. And to all of you who participate in neighborhood or city clean-ups, BRAVO!

Here are 18 ways my readers are making a difference:

1. We switched to energy efficient bulbs as of 2010.
2. I am offsetting my carbon impact through carbonfund.org.
3. We have started recycling!
4. I have really been working on a lot: 
I am making gift bags with material instead of wrapping paper.
 I am hanging my clothing. (most of the time)
 I use cloth napkins.
 I am using a windup clock (nothing is left plugged in…) I am working on it in many ways. [Annonandon]
5. best thing i’ve done for the environment is to compost our kitchen waste. [kl jasus]
6. I’m going all green in the yard and garden this year. No chemicals! I have a rain barrel and a composter. I’m set! [Cori Westphal]
7. We have switched to CLFs and we use reusable tote bags for all our shopping.
8. I have started to use reusable containers instead of plastic bags. [FrugalScienceGal]
9. At work, I save all throw-away printer paper so the back side can be used. I usually bring it home, print and recycle.
10. I know that I could and should do more, but the one thing I always do is save up my magazines, catalogs, newspapers and even junk mail in a canvas tote. When the tote gets full, I walk up to my son’s school and empty the tote into the paper recycling bin. It helps the environment and gives a little extra $ to my buddy’s school! [Julie Smith]
11. the best thing i have done isssss switch to cloth diapers!!!!! wasnt easy at first…but now i will never go back…next step is cloth wipes!!!
12. the best thing I have done for the environment is using reusuable shopping bags!! I know I can do more, though!! [burlap+blue]
13. I started a compost pile.
14. We quit buying bottled water. We recycle all our newspapers and magazines
15. Not using chemicals in our gardens or lawn.
16. I ride bike to campus every day instead of driving.
17. So far this year in addition to our usual recycling and repurposing efforts, the boys and I have been on a mission to clean up our neighborhood. Literally. Armed with a trash bin, a grabber, and a rake, the boys set out to pick up all the trash on our street. It’s an ongoing mission and they’ve done a really thorough job of it twice now. So proud of my little guys [Loretta]
18. The best thing I’ve done for the environment this year was spending a day doing clean up on park land adjacent to a highway with a diversity group on MLK’s birthday weekend. [Lynette Mattke]

My Aha Moment

When I was a little girl my mom would have me hang laundry on the washline; I hated it! When I was in my early 20′s and had no dryer and had to hang my clothes on the washline I hated it! And when I first moved to Virginia and we decided it would be more economical to hang our laundry on the washline, well, yes, I hated it!

What changed?

One day back in 2007 while surfing the internet I came across an article that told of a wondrous thing. Imagine a way to dry your laundry for free. Well, I’m all for free. I clicked. What I saw was a picture of a washline. Free wind and sun to dry my clothes. And the light bulb went off. {duh!} I no longer hate it. In fact, I choose to do this by myself, barefoot, with music playing and my thoughts keeping me company. Something about saving my family money, utilizing Mother Nature’s free resources, and doing something good for the environment makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Want to start making environmentally conscious changes but feel a bit overwhelmed?

Change is something that continually happens, whether we want it to or not. Choosing when to change how we do things can make it less daunting.

First, make a commitment to change.

Second, pick something simple and start there. Don’t want to spend the money on reusable bags, then be sure to return those plastic bags to the store for recycling.

Third, keep at it until your change become habit. No need in adding too much to your plate only to decide it’s too much. Every little bit helps.

Once you make one change it becomes easier and easier to make others. For more ideas, here are ten small changes to improve the environment that everyone can do, in their own time that is.

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