Sunday September 7th, 2008
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Resolutions For My Planet and My Community
Posted by AmandaLeighHaag on January 22, 2007 - 7:04am.
If you've resolved to be greener in 2007, take heart. Every small change goes a long way. For instance, if every American household replaced one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent, the energy saved would equal that of an entire nuclear power plant running full-time every day for a year. The fact that making a simple, day-to-day change to my stodgy routine could make a difference to my entire planet—and to my community—is exhilarating. And that change just might stick.
1) Make your favorite indulgences more eco-friendly. For example, chocolate or coffee lovers might find local companies similar to Denver's Kaladi Brothers Coffee, which sells only shade-grown, organic, and fair-trade coffee. New "modernized" farming practices degrade soil, forcing coffee trees to subsist on a chemical diet. But old-schoolers like Kaladi Brothers support farmers who are nourishing the environment, and our souls. And Kaladi sells Dagoba Organic Chocolate to boot—a morning doesn't get better than that. Do a search for fair-trade practices in your area, and look for ways to support your addictions in a sustainable manner.
2) Become a localvore. It can be hard to get to the local farmer's market every week. But the numbers might change your mind; food sold to supermarkets travels on those hulking 18-wheelers for an average of 1500 miles, heading down the interstate like army ants, belching air pollution and greenhouse gases every inch of the way. Becoming a regular at your local farmer's market can be fun, and can teach you to be more creative in the kitchen and to support your local community. The more ambitious may want to try the 100 mile diet.
3) It sounds cliché, but why not resolve to save a few trees? Cut paper towel waste and cancel unwanted catalogs. Do you really need that Pottery Barn Teen catalogue the previous tenant of your home ordered? If you don't want to waste the paper, check out Green Dimes, a group entirely dedicated to reducing junk mail. The trees, and thus the planet, will benefit. As for your community, well, at least your mailman will appreciate it.
4) Spread the word. Connect with communtiy members to share green wisdom. A great model for this was the recent neighborhood campaign to host or attend an An Inconvenient Truth house party within your zip code, an event that took place in living rooms around the country on December 16. These types of gatherings create opportunities to mobilize, share ideas, and refuel one another's convictions to keep on going for the rest of the year. It's also the spread the word virtually.
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Thanks Amanda for a great article on green resolutions! I was one of those people who hosted a house party on December 16th for the viewing of An Inconvenient Truth.
We shared our deepest concerns, contributed ideas to support both our indivdual and collective actions for more positive change, and collaborated on post cards that are being sent to our Representatives about global warming. Community gatherings are growing and creative solutions are flurishing. Coming together to support efforts for positive change empowers us to make the seemingly impossible, become possible, and in even better ways than we might imagine.
I have been using the Green Dimes for about 6 months and that is a great service. Also the whole idea that changing light bulbs can have such a large impact and it's so simple to do. That is really great.
Something I find very intriguing is this new program I discovered. Finally, I can afford solar energy for my own home without a huge upfront investment. http://www.AffordSolarNow.com
Affordable Solar For Homeowners:
This changes everything about solar. Instead of investing $10,000 to $80,000 for a solar panel installation, you can have solar for the mere investment of what it costs for you to pay your local utility company every month.
Citizenre REnu rents -- solar systems, all you pay for is the energy your system produces. The company makes their own solar panels, at significant savings. They send an engineer to your home to design a system for you that will meet 100% of your energy needs, then installs and even maintains the system for you.
When you agree to the installation, you pay a $500 interest-bearing refundable deposit and they start the process. They will also lock in your system rental rate for up to 25 years based on the same rate you paid last year to your utility company allowing you to save money on electricity year after year.
First installations will be sometime in early to mid 2008. Today, you can sign up; http://www.AffordSolarNow.com to be put on a list. When the company actually has solar panels in their hands in your area, they will set up an appointment for an engineer to come to your home and design your system. At that time, the $500 deposit will be required to begin installation. Sign up now and you will be higher on the list when installation begins.
Citizen REnu can provide the solar panels for the same price you are now paying for nonrenewable, polluting energy.
Become and early adopter like me and sign up now at:
http://www.AffordSolarNow.com
Regards,
Erin