a week ago, when i had nothing better to do on a friday night than take online practice tests, i came across this post in the new york times blog. the accompanying article is pretty cool; it's a good idea to try to live as low impact a lifestyle as you can [although going into it with the purchase of two pairs of chloe boots? um...]. however, what really struck me was reading all the comments about what people would or could or wouldn't sacrifice for a more environmentally sound life.
and i decided i don't think i'm doing enough and it inspired me to try harder.
things i do
recycle [paper & plastic]
wash all my laundry on cold
walk/take public transportation [and bike!]
eat vegetarian [i try not to drink cow milk, but i haven't got over my cheese addiction yet]
unplug my cell phone charger when i'm not using it
shut down my laptop instead of leaving it on standby when i'm not using it [i've got better at this recently]
bring my own bag to the grocery store
things i'm interested in doing
buying locally
buying organic [i try to do this as much as i can, but sometimes my college student budget overrides it]
bringing my own container for takeout
air drying my clothes [maybe? i'm too impatient for this sometimes]
flushing selectively? [lauren might not allow this]
not buying bottled water [i don't do this very often, but sometimes i am thirsty and don't want juice or soda]
more!
i've added grist, worldchanging, and treehugger to my bookmarks so i can make this list longer.
In order to lead a more environmentally conscious life, I will henceforth leave all poo unflushed. That way, I can not only save the world, but you can marvel at my impressive turds.
This op-ed from NYtimes about food may be interesting to you if you're interested in eating in an environmentally sound manner.
When I move out of my house, I'm definitely going to incorporate a lot of those things you mentioned. *nod* It just seems like the right thing to do. Well, except the vegetarian thing. I have nothing wrong with animals for food in a sustainable manner. We evolved as omnivores, so this seems natural to me. Probably doesn't help that my grandfather was a butcher or that I become anemic when I don't eat red meat, though...
*shrug*
Good luck with the less impact thing! No Impact Man has a really fascinating blog.
thanks for the link to the 100 mile club. i've been trying to eat locally too, but our farmers' market is pretty sparse due to all the rain texas got earlier this year. good luck with your endeavor!