What is Green Living? We hear a lot about green living on an almost daily basis, yet many people aren't aware of what those very important words are really all about. Green living, or living green as men refer to it as, is living your life in an environmentally responsible and eco friendly way in an attempt to decrease the ecological impact you'll make. There are wide varieties of practices we can all take to conserve our resources and help keep our planet healthy. Some of the most common include sustainability, recycling, alternative energy sources, green construction, organic food choices and several other environmental topics. Becoming educated on green living and its impact on the environment is the first step towards each of us doing our part because it has to be a group effort. If we all want our children and grandchildren to live healthier lives, it needs to start now with us and needs to continue. Your local library, government agencies and the Internet are great sources of knowledge and information about green living and the part it plays in decreasing global warming and preserving the planet. Simple things can make a huge difference such as using organic flowers and plants for decorations as opposed to artificial flowers you buy in the supermarket. Instead of using batteries that need to be tossed in the garbage after a few weeks, consider rechargeable green batteries. The next time you consider buying a new item of clothing, consider recycling something you already own. Are you having invitations made up for your next big party? If so, consider making your invites on the computer and emailing them or using recycled paper. These ideas may not seem like much, but they'll make a huge contribution to living green. We can't be expected to change our lifestyles overnight and no one expects us to do so. However, by making just a few changes in our daily lives, and encouraging our children to do the same, we'll be making a huge impact on the problem of global warming. Rather than making huge changes in your lives, try adopting new methods of doing the same things. For instance, next time you go shopping for a snack, look for items that use recyclable packaging. We all like drinking water. Rather than buying bottled water day after day, consider refilling the bottle a few times before tossing it. An even better idea is investing in a eco friendly stainless steel water bottle. You're still going to be drinking the water you love so much, but you'll be doing it in a green or eco friendly manner. These simple steps are what it's going to take to provide generations to come with a healthier environment. Better Choices Make for Greener Living Living green is all about making smart choices for ourselves and for your homes. It's not just something we do occasionally but a matter of taking action and making choices that will provide us with a more sustainable and healthier life 365 days a year. It's also something we all have to do. Choosing a green lifestyle can involve purchasing an energy efficient hybrid car or building an energy efficient home with solar and wind power. However, we don’t have to go to these extremes to make the choice to live greener. We can do many small things in our daily lives that will help keep our environment greener and save our planet. Wintertime is a difficult time for many with the cold weather and icy roads and sidewalks. Ice is often eliminated with the use of a salt. While salt quickly eliminates the ice and makes roadways and walkways easier, we seldom realize the damage these salts are doing to our environment. The commercial salts you buy at your local hardware store have chemicals such as calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride or magnesium chloride, which are toxic to trees, plants and waterways. When the snow melts away, the salt is washed into our rivers and lakes. It only takes one teaspoon of this salt to permanently contaminate 5 gallons of water. The best way to eliminate this problem is to shovel or plow the snow before it has a chance to accumulate. If you must use deicers, choose ones that are salt free, biodegradable and have a low toxicity rate. Even when using these deicers, use them as lightly as possible. Using compact fluorescent light bulbs is another way consumers can contribute to a greener lifestyle. Compact fluorescent light bulbs not only save almost 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year but also use 60 percent less energy than conventional light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs rated as Energy Star are a great way to do your part for the planet. By replacing just one light bulb with a CFL will conserve enough energy to light up over 2.5 million homes for 365 days. It will also prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of almost 800,000 cars. Just imagine if you replaced all the light bulbs in your home with Energy Start light bulbs! Water is something we use every day and often take for granted. However, we seldom stop to consider the true value of water or the importance of conserving it. Simple measures you can do right inside your home to conserve water include using water saving shower-heads, ultra low flow toilets and drip free faucets and filters. Benefits of Buying Green Energy We're constantly hearing or reading about the benefits of living greener lifestyles as an attempt to help save the planet. There are many ways we, as individuals, can do our part to save energy and help the environment from simply using recyclables to building solar powered homes. While many people think of powering their homes with green energy as a major step, it's actually one of the easiest ways to have a huge impact on global warming and the environment. Green power is generated from nature in the form or renewable energy sources like the sun, wind, hydro and geothermal. Why should we continue to pay thousands of dollars each year in energy costs between heating, electricity, hot water, etc. when green energy is out there waiting? The benefits of switching to green energy are phenomenal. Using green energy lessens, if not eliminates, CO2 byproducts, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants that result from the fossil fuels used to create energy. This is a huge benefit to the environment. Because our natural resources are depleting faster than they can be replenished, we've had to purchase fossil fuels from other countries, accounting for billions of dollars spent each year. In 1997 alone, $65 billion dollars went to other countries to have fossil fuels imported here. By using more renewable energy resources right here in our country, we're keeping the money here to help economy and create more jobs. The major difference between fossil fuels and the sun is that while the sun will last forever, oil will not; therefore, the future of our children relies on us using more renewable energy sources. Our country's dependency on foreign oil has put our freedom on shaky ground. Switching to renewable sources of energy will decrease that dependency. Production of wind generated electricity has increased 31 percent last year as electricity supplies and utility companies are supplying the customer's demand for cleaner energy. Consider plugging into this rapidly growing division of the power energy. You'll not only enjoy cleaner air but will save thousands of dollars each year. Buying clean energy really will make a financial difference in your wallet. Purchasing just one 100kWh block of renewable energy is as beneficial as not driving a car for 2400 miles. Power providers in some states such as Colorado are now offering their customers blocks of renewable energy. They can buy enough to cover their monthly bill or choose to buy just one or two blocks. Learning more about renewable energy for our homes is the first step towards a greener environment for everyone.

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