Being green isn’t all about carbon reduction and organic food. It’s a state of mind. One that respects the Earth and all of the animals and people on it.
Our family’s green initiatives center on these ideals:
- We are part of the environment. How we treat the Earth starts with how we treat ourselves and each other.
- Greener, more sustainable living is a lifestyle, not a destination or a race.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is an order-of-operations, not a list of equivalent choices. Reduce first, then reuse what you can and recycle only as a last resort.
- Locally grown food is preferable to organically grown food from the other side of the Earth, especially when it’s not frozen. Distance really does matter.
- Small changes add up over time.
- As a species, we should conserve the finite resources of the Earth, even if it turns out we’re not causing climate change (we are!). Animals still need homes, we still need to breathe and we still want a blue sky not a grey one.
- Spiders and bugs deserve to live too. Don’t squish them. They help our food grow.
- Inspire others by example and share what you learn, but don’t preach at them or indulge in a superior attitude.
- Learn to avoid instant gratification. Often we don’t really need that shiny new thing. It’ll just collect dust.
- Invest in high quality purchases. It’s better (and often cheaper) to buy one good item than multiple breakable/disposable items.
- Technology and commerce aren’t inherently evil but waste is. Minimize waste, not technology.
Have some bullets of your own? Share them below, we love to learn.
