How to Go Green - Community

For centuries, we (the people of planet Earth) have done harm to Mother Earth, polluting rivers by dumping waste into them, and by simply burning too many non-renewable resources. What can we really do to foster the earth? You, the reader, probably expect me to go on and on about transforming your routine in some drastic way, in order to save our planet, right? Wrong... There are simple things that you can work into your everyday life that won't change who you really are. Take a chance, be aware of your impact on the environment, and help your community be greener one day at a time.

  In this author's humble opinion, plastic is one of the most evil products mankind has ever concocted. This material, usually used to produce Tupperware and a range of other things, is useful, but don't let it fool you. This durable material is usually thrown away, taking an estimated time of 5 centuries to breakdown in a landfill. Rising problems, similar to plastic waste, involve aluminum and Styrofoam. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle comes in handy when trying to overcome this crisis:

* Reduce consumption by buying bio-degradable products which are capable of being decomposed by bacteria.
* Reuse plastic containers by using them to cook, and to carry your lunch
* Recycle at your local recycling center so that your trash can be transformed into another useful item. (Recyclables include: plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum, etc.)


  Water Conservation, scary phrase, right? People across the world use more water than they should, causing stress on water treatment facilities and on their wallets. Of course, there are the known ways to save water, such as turning the faucet off when brushing your "pearly whites'' and reducing your time in the shower. But, there are other ways to conserve the most abundant resource on planet Earth. Water IS in great quantity, but only 3% of the Earth's water supply is fresh, and only a third of that is drinkable to humans. Yes, the rest of that percentage is used for other things, such as irrigation for crops and habitats for thousands of species of creatures. Think if you, and at least half the population of our country, were to do anything as little as taking a shorter shower, you could make a difference. Water conservation is not a scary thing, but conserve wisely:

*When replacing your old shower head, consider a low-flow head.  It reduces the amount of water needed but still gives you the power that you need.
* Buy an electric razor, or fill the sink instead of using excess water to rinse your razor.
*Turn off the faucet while you shave, brush your teeth, or lather your hands.
*Scrape food into the garbage disposal, instead of using water to rinse it down.
*Water houseplants with water you used to clean vegetables or clean the fish bowl.
*Flush your toilets only when "necessary".
*Put food coloring in your toilet's tank.  If the coloring appears in the bowl, you have a leak, and that is causing water to be wasted.
*Place a brick in your toilet tank. The extra weight will cause the toilet to use only half the water as normal when you flush.


  Making your community a greener, better place, is one step closer to saving the world. It doesn't need to make your life more difficult, but working some of these changes into your daily routine, can have a positive impact on the environment.