a little greenie

I became a "wanna-be-greenie" when I entered University, 15 years ago. Sadly, I am not overly "green" these days, but I am aware, and try to make conscious decisions and efforts. My first green efforts involved helping to promote recycling within my University dorm, and attending weekly meetings where we discussed "green" and "earth" happenings.

I wore t-shirts with funky graphics and slogans telling everyone how much waste we produce per year. I still own one of those shirts - "If it is to be, it is up to me", and I get comments on whenever I wear it.

I find it hard to imagine that any home is less green than it was, say five years ago. But I know that there are "brown" houses, I live in a "brown" city (our energy consumption went UP during earth hour earlier this month), and now I see that I live in a "brown" province.

A "Report Card" released today shows that British Columbia is the "greenest" province when the following trends are measured: water use, waste management, biodiversity, energy consumption and transportation.

Check out the national rankings here

So how am I "green" now?

Here is my "green" list:

recycle weekly (newspapers, toilet paper rolls, milk containers)
stopped running the water while I brush my teeth
only use the washing machine on the cold cycle
turn off the television receiver and satellite receiver when done watching television
use mesh produce bags at the grocery store
use reusable grocery bags
put on a sweater
stopped drinking individual bottled water
took a car off the road (it was a black cloud environmental disaster on 4-wheels!)
bio-friendly home cleaning products
use cloth napkins

If I make this list one year from today, I hope that it will be a little bit longer.

Emily

The Earth Day Symbol