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Old Resolutions Go Green
The pleasures of winter holidays fall quickly to the stark New Year. Besides the short days and gray weather, we have those darn New Year’s resolutions — personal commitments we make to enhance our lives. Problem is, they are hard to keep because they are personal. They only affect our own lives, and so it’s easy to let them slide.
What if our commitments affected the earth as well as us? What if we added a green dimension to our resolutions and see if we can make them stick? For example, if we consider some of the top resolutions made, and twist them green, we just might find a better you and a better earth. Try these popular resolutions:
Lose weight Instead of just losing five pounds, why not resolve to lose 5,000 pounds off your carbon footprint?
Exercise more Most try to get fit by joining a gym or taking up biking or walking. Why not add those calorieburning moments to your trip to work or for errands? Instead of driving your car, walk, bike or take the bus. That regular addition of movement costs less than joining a gym or buying the latest flex-machine, and gives you a trimmer shape and the earth a lot less carbon emissions.
Quit drinking To this common resolution we add from plastic bottles. Add a reusable water bottle to your daily efforts to drink more water and totally ditch the plastic!
Eat healthier Do it with local organic foods, grass-fed beef, pastured pork and free-range chickens and eggs. Or go vegetarian a meal or more each week. Drink organic milk, and for something a little more potent, try the local wines and brews. The carbon footprint from a local winery is much less than one from France, Italy, Australia or Chile. Besides being healthier for you, buying local foods and drinks has a positive financial impact on your local community.
Get out of debt Want to save money? Do so by lowering your thermostat in the winter, and raising it in the summer. Add layers of clothes and keep lap blankets or Snugglies handy at home in the winter and use fans rather than AC in warm weather. Save money AND the environment.
Learn something new Join an environmentally friendly organization. Some, such as the Sierra Club, Slow Food and Green Drinks, have active and fun meetings. Others work hard to inform and encourage participation in policy making such as the Hoosier Environmental Council and Indiana Conservation Alliance, or INCA. (Join INCA at
Conservation Day at the Statehouse this year!). Some, such as Central Indiana Land Trust Inc., Sycamore Land Trust and Friends of White River, protect our natural resources. Still others are more locally focused on improving the sustainability of your particular city or region. Keep an eye on the ILG calendar online for events and opportunities to join in and have fun while making a difference.
With these ideas, you can make a difference for yourself, your family, your community and the earth. Share your own green resolutions at the ILG forum on our Web site. Happy New Year!
LYNN JENKINS
• Lose weight. Instead of just losing
five pounds, why not resolve to lose
5,000 pounds off your carbon footprint?
• Exercise more. Most try to get fit
by joining a gym or taking up biking
or walking. Why not add those calorieburning
moments to your trip to work
or for errands? Instead of driving your
car, walk, bike or take the bus. That
regular addition of movement costs less
than joining a gym or buying the latest
flex-machine, and gives you a trimmer
shape and the earth a lot less carbon
emissions.
• Quit drinking. To this common
resolution we add “from plastic bottles.”
Add a reusable water bottle to your daily
efforts to drink more water and totally
ditch the plastic!
• Eat healthier. Do it with local organic
foods, grass-fed beef, pastured pork
and free-range chickens and eggs. Or go
vegetarian a meal or more each week.
Drink organic milk, and for something
a little more potent, try the local wines
and brews. The carbon footprint from a
local winery is much less than one from
France, Italy, Australia or Chile. Besides
being healthier for you, buying local
foods and drinks has a positive financial
impact on your local community.
• Get out of debt. Want to save money?
Do so by lowering your thermostat
in the winter, and raising it in the summer.
Add layers of clothes and keep lap
blankets or Snugglies handy at home
in the winter and use fans rather than
AC in warm weather. Save money AND
the environment.
• Learn something new. Join an environmentally
friendly organization. Some,
such as the Sierra Club, Slow Food and
Green Drinks, have active and fun meetings.
Others work hard to inform and
encourage participation in policy making
such as the Hoosier Environmental
Council and Indiana Conservation
Alliance, or INCA. (Join INCA at
Conservation Day at the Statehouse this
year! See info on page 13). Some, such
as Central Indiana Land Trust Inc.,
Sycamore Land Trust and Friends of
White River, protect our natural resources.
Still others are more locally focused
on improving the sustainability of your
particular city or region. Keep an eye on
the ILG calendar online for events and
opportunities to join in and have fun
while making a difference.
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