Myths about Living Green
Whenever you see or hear something that discourages your desire to live more efficiently and with a mind to the environment, don’t listen. If you get the feeling that there’s nothing YOU can do to help take care of our planet, change your attitude! You have more power than you think! There are many myths about living green out there designed to make you believe you could never make a difference.
1. You could never make a difference
Don’t you love it when people say ‘their vote doesn’t matter’? I have the same reaction to that statement as I do to the claim that a single individual could never make a different when it comes to eco-friendly living. I get frustrated. Something as simple as choosing to spend your money (which in this world, is your power) on products that were made with the planet’s interests in mind. Make an effort to look for products that use a high percentage of recycled materials. The more people who band together in movements like this the greater the chance we have against inconsiderate manufacturers and corporations.
2. Eco-friendly groceries are more expensive
Did you know most food travels anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 miles to get to your grocery store? (*NRD Council) So when they say buying eco-friendly food is more expensive, they must not be factoring in the transportation and fuel costs alongside all that carbon! Shop for locally grown groceries, ideally from farms that grow on-site. Not only will you help stop enable these irresponsible cross-country transport methods but you won’t be supporting the commercial use of all the (or at least, as many) pesticides or artificial ripening agents. You’ll keep petrochemicals out of the ground, and further help reduce crude-oil usage. Every little bit counts!
3. An appliance switched ‘off’ is not using any power
You are probably already aware of this but it’s always worth repeating. Your electronic devices, be it your computer or TV- are always costing you energy unless they are unplugged. This is because of something called vampire power, a function designed to assist electronics to turn on faster. Invest in a couple powerstrips (don’t overload them!) and click them off when you’re not utilizing any of the appliances. Remember, every little bit helps! It certainly doesn’t pay to buy into the myths about living green.
4. There is no eco-friendly way to bring your groceries home
This one cracks me up. There has long been a debate among environmental enthusiasts about whether paper or plastic is better for the planet. Here’s the thing, they’re both horrible. The production of them alone is questionable and harmful. While you could argue both can serve new purposes upon returning from the store- we can all agree in most cases they end up in the trash. Bring your own cloth bags each time you go to the store and help end the debate. Save the bags for a last minute resort if you undergo a big shopping trip.
5. The need to commute will always cost the planet something
I wouldn’t consider this entirely false- but it is definitely incredibly misleading. While it is true that we will always require some form of fuel or energy to get ourselves to work there are steps you can take to make sure you are reducing your carbon footprint. The most obvious (and most unrealistic) option is to adopt biking as your leading means of transport. Hey, if you’re eating local, shopping local, you can’t have too far to go right? More doable ways to be effective include keeping up with replacing your air filter (can get up to 10 more miles per gallon), get regular tuneups (to keep miles per gallon at its most efficient), and keeping an eye out on your tire air pressure. That’s just the beginning.
We will occasionally tackle more myths about living green because it’s important you know what’s what!