Developing a Green Lifestyle - the Basics

Much as been written on the topics surrounding sustainability and sustainable living. You’ve had pressure from the blogs, your local news, your national news, your friends and neighbors, and even your children to be more conscious about your everyday habits. Now, you’re finally starting to feel a little bit guilty, or even just want to make some changes on your own accord, but where do you start? Navigating the sustainability waters can seem daunting to even the experienced green-goers, but there are some basics to a sustainable green lifestyle that you need to know and consider. In this article, I’ll break these basics down into three basic areas of your life and then explore and expand from there. Again, these are basics and although I might touch on some more advanced methods, these are meant as starting points.

At Home

We’ll start at home because this is the area of your life over which you have the most control. You can make changes here most easily because you decide what goes, what you are comfortable changing, and what you can afford. You can influence your family, or even use their ideas and encourage the family unit to be creative together.

Basic (easy)

Change light bulbs

Unscrew unneeded lights

Turn off the lights when leaving the room

Turn down the thermostat (winter)

Let hot air escape from the oven when finished

Turn up the thermostat (summer)

Use a fan instead of air conditioning

Unplug unused appliances

Turn off the TV immediately when finished

Put computer to sleep or hibernate immediately when finished

Unplug computer charger immediately when finished charging

Use power management settings on computer

Power down cell phone at nights, unplug charger immediately when finished charging

Take shorter, cooler showers

Turn off the water while brushing/shaving

Flush less often

Reduce-reuse-recycle

Moderate (more difficult)

Install automatic/programmable thermostat

Turn down thermostat on hot water heater

Replace old appliances with newer more efficient models

Insulate hot water heater

Install plastic covers over windows (winter)

Check and repair home around windows and doors for energy loss

Shower less

Shop with reusable shopping bags

Eat more vegetables instead of meat

Start a compost

Your Car

We’ll move to this area next, because again, you have a higher level of control here than in other areas of your life. You might not be able to run out and buy a hybrid or convert your car to bio-fuel burning transportation, but you can develop a green lifestyle with some basic adjustments.

Basic

Keep the car free of extra junk/added weight

Keep tires inflated at proper levels

Keep car fully maintained and lubricated

Accelerate slower, coast more, use brakes less

Drive with windows up

Turn off air conditioning

Garage your car in the winter to cut down on idle time for defrost

Turn your car off immediately after parked

Moderate

Carpool

Use public transit, bike, or walk instead

At Work

We’ll wrap things up with the workplace because you usually have less control over what happens here. That doesn’t mean you can’t influence others or get the office involved with a little creativity and pressure.

Basic

Turn off lights at the end of the workday

Turn down the thermostat (winter)

Turn up the thermostat (summer)

Bring a fan to work during summer

Unplug unneeded machines

Unscrew or turn off extra lighting

Use computer power management software

Use the recycling bins or get the company involved in a recycling program

Use less paper, less ink, less power by printing less

Bring your own coffee mug

Bring your own reusable dishes

Throw a green office party for Christmas or for any other occasion

Moderate

Replace older machines with newer, more energy efficient models

Enroll the company in a computer recycling program to dispose of old hardware

Install programmable thermostats

Telecommute

Carpool

Consider 4 day work weeks

Start a compost

Stay on the Horse

Although this list covers a lot of areas, it is unlikely that I’ve made it completely comprehensive. Again, this is a basic list of simple things you can do. You can also find more complicated changes after you master these. If you see that something is missing from the list that you do on a day-to-day basis that should be mentioned as a basic for developing a green lifestyle, please add your comments and suggestions below. I will add them to the list!

Make these changes slowly. Don’t commit to this entire list all at once, but instead pick a few and try them for a week. If you fall off the horse, don’t worry about it. Just realize that you are off track and then get back on. Your individual changes might not seem like a big deal, but the power of education and the reach of the Internet should help to reassure you that others are making these changes too. Strength in numbers is a powerful and inspiring force.