New Year’s Resolution

When I had originally planned this post, I had these grandiose plans of creating this great New Year’s resolution list.  Then when I started thinking about all of the different resolutions, they weren’t different at all.  Like the great Bon Jovi once said, “they’re all the same, only the names have changed.”

My resolution is to consume less and produce less waste.  Reduce.  Reuse. Recycle.  Simple as that.  The question now is, how am I going to do that? I’ve already taken a lot of steps to reduce my waste and footprint overall.  I would like to be even more diligent about recycling.  There are always scraps of paper that get put in the trash that should be recycled.  Our worms are doing a great job on the food scraps.  I need to get my fuel consumption down a bit, too.  Not only gasoline, but also electricity. 

There is one other dilemma in this whole process – how to make strides without spending a ton of money on green products.  Sure somethings are easy like turning down your thermostat a degree or two.  I really want a nice dual-flush toilet – but I’m not sure I’m ready to spend the $300-500 on the one I want when I have a working toilet already.  I guess I’ll stick with putting a brick in the tank for now.  I know there are retrofit kits, too – but I’m torn whether to spend the money on that or save it towards the true dual-flush.  As for other water consumption without spending much, we are doing better already.  I have one rain barrel that I made for ~$15 and I have another barrel sitting there ready to be made.  I picked up the barrels for free from the local Coca-Cola bottling plant.  We use the water for the trees and for all of our outdoor gardening.   I could write an entire section on “gadgets” that I want, but can’t afford.  Like a turbine and solar shingles and did I mention a dual-flush Caroma toilet?

Another resolution is to educate others without preaching to them.  Sometimes it’s difficult when people ask about a certain “green” thing to not get preachy – but to be able to tell them why they need to make changes in a manor which is easy for them to follow (without telling them they suck).  Many times I’ll give them the information they need to find the answers or I’ll recommend a simple product that they can replace (like Dr Bronners soap). 

Third resolution is to eat healthier, organic, and locally.  Eating healthier is my main focus.  The other two elements can support that quest.  I don’t necessarily strive to be a locavore (2007 word of the year), but I will buy local as much as I can.  I’m always looking for more sources of local foods.  I’m also always looking for organic products - but I’ll generally buy local over organic.  I miss this time of year when the farmers markets are closed.  There is an indoor one in the city each weekend, but that’s a long haul for a farmers market.  We’re lucky to have a store near us that will carry things like grass-fed beef, organic apples, and eggs. 

Oh yeah…I want to lose about 20 pounds, too.

What are your green resolutions for 2008?