Going Green.

After reading Skinny Bitch, I began to realize just how much I love not only animals, but the environment. I know that a lot of people are skeptical about Global Warming, but it's there and it's effecting our environment. I've always been the "tree-hugger, animal-lover" but never really thought that just one person could make a difference. The solutions to global warming don't have to start with a big-time politician with new laws and such - although it would be great. Global Warming action can start with you, the individual.

Lets start with plastic. If you read Time Magazine, then maybe you caught a glimpse of this article. "Just say 'no' to plastic." As in the article, it states that every year, 500 billion plastic bags are distributed with most of them ending up in a landfill. Of those 500 billion plastic bags, about 3% of them get recycled. Plastic bags are generally made up of polyethylene and can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. So what can you do about it? You can say 'no' to plastic the next time you visit the grocery store. In fact, say no to paper as well and go purchase a cloth tote. I have three totes, one from Origins and two from Cost Plus World Market. They're cute and a great way to start making a difference. So go pick one up and take them to your grocery store every time you go shopping. When you check out, tell them no paper or plastic and hand over the totes. They will fill them up for you. :-)






This is another great find that I recently discovered. Cleaning products... they work for grease on counters and germs, but they're not so great for the environment, especially when it comes to throwing away the empty bottles. Arm & Hammer has recently released a new cleaning line called Essentials. You purchase the plastic bottle and the liquid solution in a pack together. You pour the plant-based solution into the bottle, then fill the bottle up with water. Simple. From then on out, you just go back to the grocery store to buy the refillable, so you keep the bottle and just refill it with water. Awesome.





For more information about global warming and how you can help, I suggest visiting a few of these sites:

www.fightglobalwarming.com
www.greencoast.org (for CA)
www.edf.org
www.savewithgreen.com

For cloth tote bags, I got mine at Origins and Cost Plus but a lot of retailers sell them, most of the time near the cashiers. Trader Joe's is another great place to find them, but here are some sites you can visit if you're into online shopping:

www.thinkgreenconsumers.com
www.earthwisebags.com
www.happymonkeyplanet.com
www.shopshagbags.com