For decades, living a “green” lifestyle was shrugged off as something solely for eccentric hippie types and social separatists, too far removed from consumerist reality to be appealing to most of us. But somewhere along the line, it became increasingly clear that socially and environmentally, we’ve been moving in a dangerous direction; eccentricity gave way to common sense, and green living went mainstream.
“Reduce, reuse, recycle” became a nationwide mantra, millions joined the organic panic, and Earth Day was named a national holiday. It was just a matter of time before environmentalism was given a marketing makeover, assigned a catchy acronym, and presented to us as something we all had to have. And so the myth about green living is that it is unattainable except to those with the other kind of green, and lots of it.
Fortunately, that just isn’t the truth, says Melissa Everett, executive director of Sustainable Hudson Valley. Real sustainable living, says Everett, is not just about the products we buy, but “the ways we find to deepen our connection with people and place so that we naturally take care of what’s around us and find ways to live creatively yet frugally.”
Indeed, a green lifestyle is accessible to anyone eager to refine their habits and willing to examine their consumer choices, their investment in their communities, and the impact that they can have, both on small and large scales. “We tend to think about sustainable living with the same American individualism and can-do attitude that we bring to other challenges,” says Everett, “but some of the necessary response is social. It’s one thing to cut your meat consumption down when you live alone, and another thing when your family’s choices are interdependent with yours. Living sustainably is not just about making initial choices, but having them survive” in our families and our communities. And despite the misconception that living sustainably requires independent wealth, there are plenty of things anyone can do to make a real difference that will cost next to nothing. Here are ten ideas to navigate the sea of green.
Seal Your Envelope
Though SUVs are every environmentalist’s favorite CO2 villain, the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions are our homes. You can reduce your carbon footprint—and your utility bills—by making sure your home’s attic and basement are properly insulated. “Go around with some cans of foam insulation,” advises John Wright, vice president of Hudson Valley Clean Energy. “Spray around doors and windows, any areas that penetrate the house, to seal the envelope. By tightening up the envelope of your house, you can reduce your energy consumption by up to 30 percent.”
While you’re at it, install a programmable thermostat. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it can reduce your home’s CO2 emissions by about 1,500 pounds per year, not to mention it’ll save you about $150 annually on heating and cooling costs.
Manage Your Load
After you’ve sealed the envelope, says Wright, simple conservation steps in the house can reduce your electric load by up to 20 percent. “Turn lights off when you leave a room,” he says. “Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs,” which use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescents.
Plug your computers and electronics into power strips and turn them off at the end of the day. “Home electronics, TVs, DVD players, computers, printers, faxes, all take a phantom load of electricity even when they’re turned off,” explains Wright. “That can add up to 10 percent of the total electrical load in the house.”
Turn Down the Waterworks
Water conservation is an effective step toward your greener life, and it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your greenery. When you water your lawn, do it in the cooler hours of the morning or the evening. Make sure you set that sprinkler up so that it’s watering your grass—not the sidewalk or the street. Collect rainwater in buckets and barrels and use that to water your garden and shrubbery. Better yet, put some creativity and muscle into xeriscaping your yard—landscaping with plants that don’t require a whole lot of supplemental irrigation.
Inside the house, water-conserving shower heads, aerators, and flow restrictors can save up to 800 gallons of water per month. Take shorter showers. And only wash your clothes or your dishes when you’ve got a full load. It takes just as much energy to wash a few shirts as it does a week’s worth.
Minimize Your Gas Guzzling
Unfortunately, in some cases the more environmentally friendly choice is financially out of reach for many of us. Not everyone can afford a brand-new, fuel-efficient hybrid car, even with the tax incentives and the promise of a long-term return that come with it. But there are plenty of other ways to reduce the amount of gasoline we consume, and it’s more critical than ever that we do.
Most obviously, lessen the number of cars on the road burning gas; find another way to get where you’re going. Ride to work with a friend. Recruit neighbors to organize a carpool. Take the bus. The higher gas prices go, the more economically advantageous these options are, too.
If you can’t eliminate the use of your car, drive more efficiently. Plan your day to maximize your travel: Combine errands and make sure you know the shortest routes to get where you’re going.
You Have the Power
One of the most commonly overlooked sources of power is you and me. Tap into your body’s power, and see how great it makes you feel to not only be making a difference in the world but to make a tremendous impact on your physical and mental well being. Walk where you need to go; ride your bicycle if you’ve got to get there quicker. If your lawn is a modest size, use a reel mower instead of a gas-powered one. While you’re at it, manual edgers, trimmers, rakes, and garden hoes—coupled with the sustainable, clean-burning, renewable energy that is you—are just as effective as their electrical and fuel-burning counterparts.
Seek Alternative Power Sources
Consider, too, energy sources alternative to the greenhouse gas-emitting fossil and nonrenewable fuels we have come to depend too much on. Getting a diesel-engine car to run on refined biodiesel is as simple as filling the tank. And for the industrious, making your own refining kit and cleaning oil to fuel your car is within the realm of possibility. On the other hand, converting a diesel engine to run on “dirty” cooking oil requires a few parts (and a tolerance for the faint aroma of French fries), a little elbow grease, and a source—and most restaurants are happy to part with the stuff. In both cases, the real investment is one of your own sweat, time, and dedication.
While it may seem a daunting financial investment, turning to the use of clean energies like solar, wind, and geothermal power is perhaps where we can make the greatest difference in our lives. “With solar power,” says Wright, “as long as you have a south-facing roof or area on the ground, it’s a reasonable option. We design systems that are right for our individual clients, and they’re modular, so we can start small and end big. And energy prices play a key factor in your seeing a return on your initial investment. The higher and faster energy prices go up, the faster you’ll see a return. An average solar system will displace about 5,000 pounds of CO2 emissions on an annual basis. That’s the equivalent of planting an acre of trees.”
Buy Local
Sugar, coffee, chocolate, tea, and bananas aren’t the only goods that are shipped long distances to come to our tables. Fruits and vegetables that once commonly grew in backyard gardens and on local farms travel greater distances than ever to get to our plates. It’s estimated that the average American meal travels about 1,500 miles to get from its source to its destination. Imagine the impact this has not only on our environment but also on the nutritional value of the foods we eat.
In 2007, Hilary Hillman, Hudson Development Corporation’s Main Street Manager, set out to prove that although supermarkets are convenient, there is a better way to be a green shopper. For the entire year she limited herself to shopping within her zip code, seeking out locally produced goods, foods and services, and avoiding major chain stores. “I buy all of my food from local vendors,” says Hillman. “The highest priority is locally grown food, which I get at our farmers’ market or farm stands. When shopping at my local food market, I continue to make my selections of the closest to local or regional products. I never buy processed foods as the process aspect reduces both the nutrition value and the economic value.”
Buying your fruits and veggies from local food growers affords you the opportunity to shake hands with the person whose energy and dedication imbibed the foods your taking home, and particularly in our lush valley, it doesn’t mean limiting your options. During the growing season, there is a weekly farmers’ market in every corner of the region.
Another increasingly popular way to support local food production is to buy a share in one of the dozens of CSA (community supported agriculture) farms in the Hudson Valley. Buying your portion of the crop’s yield before the growing season ensures the financial stability of the farms—many of them organic—that deliver your fruits and veggies at weekly pick-ups.
But buying locally doesn’t stop with what’s for dinner, reminds Hillman. “For all of my other goods,” she continues, “I try to purchase from locally owned, sole-proprietor businesses. Trying to finance large purchases like a mortgage from a locally owned bank that reinvests in one’s own community is another great way to buy local.”
Buy Smart
It takes a real shift in our collective cultural attitudes about consumption to make a difference. Start by continuing to ask yourself a few simple questions: Do I really need this? Will it last? How has its production impacted the environment? Am I spending my money wisely and responsibly?
For every bit of throwaway product we’ve grown so accustomed to using in our daily lives, there is sure to be a preferred nondisposable, reusable equivalent, so stop buying paper napkins and towels and opt for cloth linens instead. Cloth diapering a baby from birth to potty training will prevent an average of 5,000 disposable diapers from languishing in our landfills for centuries. Even better, it’ll save you thousands of dollars.
Pass on furniture, clothing, and household goods that still have life in them, and find what you need in consignment shops and garage sales before you head to the mall.
Beyond what we buy, businesses pay attention to how we buy, and in giving our financial support to environmentally responsible companies, we move closer to a truly green economy.
Make—And Bring—Your Own
It is nothing short of amazing how many expensive, toxic household chemicals can be replaced with a few less expensive ingredients. Baking soda, vinegar, plant-based dish soap, and your favorite essential oil, in various combinations, virtually eliminate the need for soft scrub, floor and surface cleaner, window spray, even drain opener. The benefits to making this change—to the environment in and out of our homes, not to mention to our health—are unquestionable.
Americans use more than 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year, consuming an estimated 12 million barrels of oil and clogging our landfills. On the other hand, processing paper bags burns nonrenewable energy and generates more pollution than plastic. In the grocery store, the real sustainable answer is neither paper nor plastic. Get into the habit of bringing your own bag.
Recycle Everything You Can
Recycling isn’t just the smart thing to do. In most parts of the Hudson Valley, it’s mandated. Ulster County’s Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Law has been in effect for over 16 years, and it applies to every household, business, institution, school and government agency. As well, if you’re only recycling your soda cans and milk cartons, you could be keeping so much more out of the landfill. Visit Ulster County’s Resource Recovery Agency online at www.ucrra.org to learn how, where, and when to recycle your appliances, plastic grocery bags, electronics, tires, packing peanuts, and more. Keep everything you can out of the landfill.