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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Live Environmentally, Live Greener

By Simon M Skinner

Unless you live off the grid in a remote area (and if so, you're probably not reading this anyway), you no doubt hear a lot about the need to reduce our carbon footprint and to live a greener life. It's important and almost everyone will acknowledge this, but it can feel like you're being lectured at times.

By eating healthy, organic foods you are not only helping your body by giving it fresh food, you are saving the earth from being contaminated by pesticides. Organic meats help by keeping the environment free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Plus you're avoiding all those nasty things from going inside of you! By eating fresh, organic foods, you are avoiding all the processed foods that do a better job of clogging your arteries than they do of providing nutrition.

Try to drive less. By combining your errands, you not only save fuel and reduce the traffic on the roads; you are giving yourself less stress from dealing with traffic jams and other drivers. Carpool or use public transit when you can. If you choose to ride a bike or walk for some of your errands, you also get needed exercise. This will help keep your heart healthy and keep you limber and toned.

Composting is a wonderful way to save money, keep organic material out of the landfill, and provide rich soil for your own landscaping and gardening efforts. Add vegetable and fruit waste, coffee grounds, egg shells, grains, and yard waste to the pile. Take care with animal products, however - they can take a long time to compost and attract pests. Keep a compost pile moist so it stays active, and you'll soon have great soil and less trash.

Other things you can do will just make your home more comfortable. Larger windows can help let in more natural light so you don't need to turn your lights on early. Using compact fluorescent bulbs can save you money and will save energy. Use energy-efficient appliances and don't leave your air conditioner on when you're not at home. You'll be amazed at how much this impacts your energy usage.

Small things like recycling cans, bottles and plastic packaging helps lower your garbage bills and helps reduce your carbon footprint. Use cloth bags when you shop instead of taking their paper or plastic bags. Some stores even knock off a few cents when you use your own bags. All of this will help reduce pollution, which is healthier for you because you'll be breathing cleaner air.

Once you get started, you'll wonder how you ever lived another way. Living greener allows you to feel better, be healthier, and be happy knowing that you're living on a healthier planet. Try greening up your life a little and live a lot longer.

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