planet green channel & website

Jun 5, 2008


planet green channel & website



It's not easy being green?



Planet Green started yesterday, so last night I was watching it. I like it – I'm always looking for tips for turning green.







Green tip for today (from the Planet Green website):



if you already own your home and are trying to go green with your next set of renovations, don't feel like you have to tear down a bedroom or a bathroom to green your property. There are many steps you can take to downsize your lifestyle and to shrink your eco-footprint in the process:



· Don't Duplicate. You can downsize in more ways than one. By selling or giving away anything you've got more than one of (or that you'll never use) you're keeping another person from going out and buying a newly manufactured version of that product, which helps the environment tremendously.



Working on it!



· Out of Sight, Out of Mind. If you've got one or two rooms in your home that hardly ever get used, downsize your home and its eco-footprint by shutting off the heating and cooling to these areas and keep the windows and door shut with the cracks sealed. Even if it's just a seasonal shutdown (like an unused sunroom in the winter), by pretending like the rooms aren't there your energy bills will be much lower.



The vents are closed in the guest room – that's about the only room we don't use.



· Stop Buying. One more way to downsize is to stop filling your home with more stuff! Do you really need all those plastic and battery-filled electronics that you may use once and then ignore? If you must have something, purchase used or rent the item… your wallet and your storage closets will be relieved.



I try to get used items when I can. This is something that I really need to work on. I've signed up for paperbackswap.com – I actually have a book coming to me this week! No one is interested in my books (yet).



· Go Digital. Downsize your paper trail and go paperless by requesting electronic statements, by paying your bills on line, and by using a computer-based fax machine. Tons of trees will thank you as you shrink your eco-footprint.



I have been trying to go paperless for awhile – I'm so tired of all of the paper files that I (feel like I) have to keep. I've been scanning in paper after paper after paper to reduce the files. It's a never ending job, but is getting better. I have been paying our bills online for awhile and love it. And we also receive bills online – there are still a couple that I need to sign up for.