Simple Steps that Actually Make a Difference for the Environment

Going green does not have to be a complete lifestyle change. If you can do it, then that’s great. However, the most important thing to keep in mind is to do something – anything. Do one thing that is Earth conscious. You know that driving your car is adding to your carbon footprint – so can you walk or ride a bike or carpool to where you need to go? Can you take the time to opt out of receiving physical junk mail and/or catalogs that you don’t use? One inconvenience to your time is a good, helpful change in the big picture.

With some help from the Daily Green, I have spotlighted some easy ways to make a difference in the environment.

Give Up Plastic (and Paper) Bags
Cost: $1
Do you opt for paper or plastic when at the grocery store? Neither is a good choice. Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United States last year. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags.
The best choice is reusable shopping bags made of cotton, nylon or durable, mesh-like plastic. Put a few reusable shopping bags in your car so you have them handy on your next shopping trip. And if you happen to forget your reusable bag (as we all do!), choose paper if you will recycle it or plastic if you will reuse or recycle it.

Stop Buying Bottled Water
Cost: $13.99 bpa-free plastic water bottle
Did you know that it takes 26 bottles of water to produce the plastic container for a one-liter bottle of water, and that doing so pollutes 25 liters of groundwater? Don’t leave a trail of plastic water bottles in your wake! Stop buying bottled water. Use reusable water bottles instead made from materials like stainless steel or aluminum that are not likely to degrade over time. If you choose a plastic water bottle, check the number on the bottom first: Plastics numbered 3, 6 and 7 could pose a health threat to you, so look for plastics numbered 1, 2, 4 or 5.

Check for Leaks in Your Toilet
Cost: $0
Most of us would be surprised to find out that one in every five toilets leak, and since the leaks are usually silent, you probably have no idea if your toilet is leaking. A leaking toilet can waste anywhere between 30 and 500 gallons of water every day, so any leak should be repaired. To see if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the dye shows up in the toilet bowl after 15 minutes or so, the toilet has a leak. Leaking is usually caused by an old or poorly fitting flapper valve, which can be replaced by any amateur DIY-er!

Stop Wasting Gas
Cost: $0
Increase your gas mileage by checking your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have underinflated tires, according to a survey by the Department of Transportation. If every American kept his or her tires properly inflated, we could save 2.8 billion gallons (10.6 billion liters) of gasoline a year — and help curb global warming pollution — so inflate the tires on your car or truck and continue to do so once a month or as necessary.

For the complete list visit the Daily Green at
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/green-new-years-resolutions-10109?click=main_sr

Just so know, at A Cup of Green we do our best to make this our lifestyles. It’s best to do in baby-steps, so you master the change and it becomes second nature to recycle or eat organic. In regards to the list, I can say we each do at least 7 things to make a difference. We’re still taking baby-steps in a lot of aspects and we hope you will walk the green path with us, no matter whether your stride is short or long.