Simple things to do to help the planet

It's overwhelming sometimes, trying to be "green." You have to drive places, you have to eat, and you need to save money. Making big changes can sometimes seem impossible.

But you don't have to make big changes. Sometimes little changes are just - if not more - effective.

Here are some super-simple things you can do to help save the planet (and often save some money, too!):

Food

• Eat less meat. I'm not saying go vegetarian, but one less meat meal a week can do a huge amount to reduce global warming. Eating less meat means less CO2 emissions, as well as less need for cutting down trees for land to grow feed crops, and the less fertilizer needed to produce feed crops. I'm not saying that you should go vegetarian (though it's tasty!), but why not try one less meat-based meal a week. You'll help your pocketbook, too.
• Eat locally-grown produce and produce that's in season when you can. Don't buy tomatoes in winter unless they can actually grow where you live. Don't buy winter squash in summer. Not only will they not taste as good, but they have to be transported long distances, contributing to global warming as they travel. Shop at a farmer's market when you can and get to know your local farmers. You'll probably save money, too, since out-of-season produce can be pretty expensive!
• Eat less processed food. There's nothing wrong with a can of diced tomatoes in winter, but try not to eat that day-glo mac & cheese too often. The more steps required to process your food, the more it contributes to global warming and other environmental troubles. Stick to little-processed fruit, veggies, and whole grains. If you can't bare giving up your mac & cheese (or the kidlets won't let you), cut out something else. Don't buy baby carrots - sure, they're cute, but they're cut down from bigger carrots, using energy when they do.

Shopping

• Buy less. Do you really need that brand new t-shirt when you have a drawer full of them that you never wear? Each thing you don't buy saves energy and chemicals.
• Repurpose what you have. Do you need a new storage container? Do you have something around the house that would work just as well? Could you cover a shoebox with pretty paper or fabric and use that? Will an old mug or cup hold pens? Can an old Easter basket be painted and used to hold magazines? Can an old peanut butter jar hold nails?
• Use your own bags. This is high on the list of "granola" signals, but you don't have to do it all the time. If it makes you uncomfortable, just do it where other people are likely to be doing it, too: the farmer's market, Trader Joe's, health food stores, and gourmet markets.

Around the house

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Even one will make a difference if you put it in a light you use often. If you don't like the light it gives off indoors, use it for your porch light. Though they cost more at the outset, over time they save considerable amounts of money, not just in replacements, but even in heating costs, since they give off less heat (we used to have to unscrew at least one of our overhead light bulbs in the living room in the summer because they made the room so hot. We switched to fluorescents and haven't had that problem since - and we haven't changed the bulbs since then, either!).
• Use the sun for heating. You can save energy in the winter by opening the drapes on sunny days and closing them at night. The solar heat will help warm the house during the day, and you'll keep that heat from escaping at night. In the summer, close the drapes during the day to keep the heat from the sun out.
• Stop drafts. If you have an old house like ours, this is a never-ending battle. Don't try to do it all at once, but anything you can do will help. If you find a new draft, wither fix it then or make a note of it to do sometime later. You'll save energy in both summer and winter.

Don't feel that you have to do all of these at once. Try one and see if it works for you. If it doesn't, try something else. Or, try to implement one new one each month. But don't sweat it. Remember, every little bit counts.