Posted in Going Green

Over the last several months I have gotten lots of email asking questions regarding how to teach kids green methods of doing certain tasks and making changes within the family to promote an earth friendly lifestyle. Many have asked for my opinions on going green and global warming. Over the next few weeks I will be posting answers to a lot of those questions while offering tips and ideas that promote simple ideas for green living.

So no one is confused, I don’t have an answer to global warming. I do not take a side, because I don’t feel there is a side to be taken. The truth for me lies in a logical thought alone; the earth is a planet of clean resources. If those resources are abused, mistreated, and squelched into non-existence, the planet must change to accommodate. This means that you cannot cut down trees and other vegetation endlessly and recklessly at a quick rate and expect the air quality not to be affected. God made earth with a perfect balance to support life. Plants give off oxygen, which supports animal life. Animal life gives of carbon dioxide to support plants. Destroy this intricate balance without concern and there will be problems. God’s design for life is intricate and complex and we were given the task to care and respect His design (Gen 1:26-28 and Psalm 8:7); a simple concept in my mind. God in His omnipotence already knew what man would invent over the ages, how many humans would inhabit the earth, and how the earth would be treated. Yet, we have been given free will to follow His commands. So, my official stance is, live, but be careful and mindful as much as possible.

So today I offer a few simple ideas for incorporating earth friendly lifestyle choices. Lift this topic in prayer. Ask God for wisdom and guidance on how He would use you and your family to care for His earth. Remember, every change takes time. If your family currently doesn’t have a focus on how many water bottles they dispose of, you will not change this overnight. Take it step by step and soon your motivation and mindset will be changed, because your focus is on glorifying God and respecting His creation, not because it is the politically correct thing to do.

• Water your lawn and gardens in the early morning or in the evening, helping to reduce evaporation and allowing you to use less water to do so.
• Create a common place for a recycling center, even if it is only one bin to place all recyclable items.
• Consider taking recycling items to a recycling center on errand day. You may be surprised at how much money you can put back into your wallet. We do not have a specific schedule of how often we go, but we average $80-$100 on each trip.
• Purchase items in bulk whenever possible. Make certain you are getting the best bang for your buck; not all bulk items are a good purchase. When it is cost effective, you will also have less waste, due to less packaging.
• Avoid using any spray cans that use CFCs (cloroflorocarbons). Instead purchase items that come in stick, pump spray, or creams. Believe it or not, CFCs remain in the atmosphere for over 50 years! That cannot be good for your in home air quality, or for the atmosphere in general.
• Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable. They are a very inexpensive investment now, and will save you a fortune for all those battery operated gadgets such as flashlights, clocks, video devices, remotes, and toys. The additional benefit is that all those batteries will not be leaking lead into the earth’s surface.
• Check out stationary stores for deals on recycling printer cartridges. Many offer return policies that either give you a coupon for cash off your next cartridge or will give cash back just for bringing them in. Some cartridge manufacturers give you postage paid return envelopes to send the used cartridges back, so they can be recycled properly. Consider saving yourself money by refilling or having your cartridges refilled for a fraction of the cost of purchasing new ones. These won’t last forever, but by refilling them until they need replaced and then taking them to a store that will give you cash or coupons towards purchasing replacements, you will save a bundle and reduce trash all at the same time!

Try incorporating one or two of these over the next month and your family will be well on their way to helping improve and maintain a healthful balance of the earth’s resources.

These are my thoughts.

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~