being green

living in sf has made me very green. although a huge part of it also has to do with my former boss, stephanie, who's back in school for an MBA in sustainable business. anyway, being green is all the rage lately and i hope some people are taking it to heart. my philosophy is that it can only help, so why not?

i've made changes in my life to reduce my carbon footprint and i encourage others to do the same. here are some of the simplest things to get you started:
1) go paperless! stop printing out things at work that are just going to be trashed. instead, using your laptop to look at documents will save paper and clear up clutter on your desk. go paperless on your bills (most places have that feature now).
2) invest in canvas bags. they hold so much more than plastic or paper bags! i used to collect plastic bags under my sink and it was always overflowing. now i have a set of bags i bring to the grocery store and a small, collapsible bag that stays in my purse for my miscellaneous shopping trips. no matter where you go, just skip the store's bag and throw it in a reusable tote instead.
3) keep things unplugged and off. so many people leave the TV on when nobody's watching, leave their computers on when they're not at home/work, leave the lights on when nobodys in the room, and keep appliances plugged in when they're not in use. is it really that hard to push the off button or to unplug your hair dryer/toaster when you're done? every little bit helps and 1 second of your time to push "off" or unplug is really not that much to ask.
4) treat work like your second home. i keep a set of dishes at my desk -- a bowl, mug, plate, glass, spoon. instead of resorting to the stack of paper cups or the disposable utensils in the kitchen, i have my own and reuse them. it reduces waste and is a lot easier to eat with then plastic and paper.
5) don't drive unless you have to! californians have this mentality that they need to drive everywhere. ridiculous. there are smarter ways to go about it. if possible, use public transportation, walk or ride a bike. if not, carpool. and NOT in your huge SUV. SUVs only make sense if you're headed to tahoe or off-roading. otherwise, leave it at home. car sharing is also my friend. cars should be more of an option than a necessity.

although i'm not as hardcore as others, i have begun to look for more locally-grown, organic foods. sometimes the cost difference is so minimal, you might as well pay the extra $0.25 or so. its gross to think about what goes into our food nowadays.

next on my list is to transition to natural products for my home (cleaning supplies) and self (toiletries). i'm also looking into composting, which isn't as easy to do in a condominium community.

overall, i'm a big advocate for being green. its not a trend or a fad, its a way of life and seriously, it doesn't take much.