Inside My Mind

Have you seen the new Sears TV commercial?  A male consumer, not overly impressed with the idea of energy savings, shops for a new washer. The enlighten salesperson informs Mr. Consumer that the energy savings on the new washer will pay for a new dryer.  His attitude immediately turns receptive.

In a recent article entitled Green Construction, the opening statement was, “When it comes to purchasing products and services, consumers are increasingly making their decisions with the environment in mind.” Sorry, but I beg to differ, I believe consumers are increasingly making decisions based on their pocketbooks.  And, in this economy who isn’t??

In this super tough economy, the good news is that living green is extremely cost effective.  Returning to a simpler world, free of harsh chemicals, toxic cleaners, and risky contaminants, actually saves money.  Add to that the energy rewards from simple, inexpensive updates and you are putting cash in your pocket, plus saving the polar bears (even if that is not on your radar!!)  Plus, these savings are tax-free, year after year.

Here are some energy saving examples:

• Planting trees and shrubs to shade your home can lower surrounding air temperatures during warm summer months by up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit and can reduce wall and roof temperatures by 200 to 400 F, Saving about $250 per year.
• Perform regular maintenance on your car to keep it running efficiently. Properly inflated tires, for example, can keep 5,800 pounds of carbon from entering the air each year. Putting about $798 in your pocket per year.

• Switch all the light bulbs in your home from conventional incandescents to compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, you’d save about $270 in one year. And, don’t forget to turn off lights when you don’t need them.

There are many other ways to “go green” yet save money.  Some we have implemented include, upgrading our inefficient cooling system, driving slower to save on fuel (and nerves), adding a programmable thermostat, and the list goes on.

As I have said many times before, the living green concept will have to be consumer driven.  Corporate America is waiting for us to decide if we are going to develop a new attitude and open our pocketbooks to green living.  It is time for us to wake up, and make our world a better, safer place….yes, and save money, too.

Let me know about your green living ideas!!

Yesterday I ventured outside to take a walk around my neighborhood dodging the deluge of Florida showers.  Turns out, I was not the only one trying to catch up on outside activity after several continuous days of rain.  Right next door was an all too familiar sight, a chemical lawn spraying truck.  Totally clad in yellow rubber boots, gloves, coveralls, and hat, the person applying the liberal spray was unrecognizable as male or female. Happy you’re protected, but what about the rest of us?

After circling the block, the truck was gone leaving behind a sign prominently located in my neighbor’s front yard.  The small white sign warned of the dangers lurking in the freshly sprayed lawn.  Now, I don’t know about you, but after seeing the appropriate attire for venturing into said yard, and after reading the emphatic admonishment to stay away, I was not about to trudge across that yard.

Later in the evening, I heard the neighbor’s two dogs barking while happily playing in their backyard.  Sadly, it occurred to me that these sweet, beautiful dogs could not read the warning sign nor could they report to their owners the harsh smell their sensitive noses most likely encountered.  Plus, what about the exposure of our children, and grandchildren to chemicals so harsh the applicator needs to be fully covered in rubber??

Today there seems to be genuine concern about the health and safety of family and pets, but are we really taking the steps to make a difference? Could it be that our current healthcare system is at the brink partly because we have allowed ourselves exposure to chemicals so toxic they are banned in most regions of the world?

‘An EPA-funded study published in the November 2001 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives found that 2,4-D and dicamba (another chemical used in herbicides) are easily tracked indoors, contaminating the air and surfaces inside residences and exposing children and pets at levels ten times higher than pre-application levels. Environmental Health Perspectives 109:11, November 2001.’  Read more at http://catsdogslawns.org

We must reduce and/or eliminate chemical usage in our lives in order to protect our environment and ultimately preserve the life quality of our families and pets. There are amazing companies and products available that have as their sole mission to protect you and the environment.  Organica Technologies (www.organicatechnologies.com) is one of those companies. They offer a 100% All Natural Four Step Lawn Care Program that is 100% effective.

Always keep in mind when you make a change to organic, all natural living…..natural products often take longer to work.   Disrupted by years of chemical abuse, it takes time to restore the ecological balance within our soils, waterways, and households.  Chemicals are quick acting but ultimately create devastating results in our lives.

Be safe, and look for every opportunity to reduce and/or eliminate chemicals in your life.  Gotta go talk to my neighbors now……thanks for reading.

My grandmother is 89 years old.  She has worked her entire life and does not know the meaning of the words, move slowly.  Everything she does is at an accelerated speed.  I appreciate her fortitude, but it is her environmental prowess that this particular blog will address.  Talk about a small carbon footprint, my grandmother is practically a ghost.

Most of us grandchildren were unaware that gifts could be wrapped in “new” shiny paper.  We thought all gifts came wrapped in the funnies or paper carefully stored from Christmases past.  You mean aluminum foil is not intended to be severely wrinkled from multiple usages?  And, how many ways can you use an empty egg crate?  I believe my grandmother has about 999 different ideas!

An amazing woman totally unaware of how much she has taught her many friends and loving family about life, she recycles everything.  Nothing was ever created, given to Granny and only served one purpose.  She has made art out of milk jugs, vases from jelly jars, Easter baskets from strawberry containers; everything is recycled into a new form and life.

Granny worked many years in a school cafeteria.  She still cooks for an army when the family gets together.  With her perfect garden to choose from, she cooks the fresh veggies and fruits that are in season, grown with love and picked with pride!!  Abundant garden items she can’t cook and eat during the season are meticulously canned for the winter or shared with neighbors.  Never a waste, she can fix yummy potato pancakes from left over mashed potatoes, sweet creamed corn from the left over cobs, and the best turkey salad in the world (we look forward to the turkey salad as much as the turkey on Thanksgiving Day!) Although she has little money, she consistently shares her bounty with those around her who are sick, despondent or simply less blessed.    She collects store coupons like they are precious gold, and she can make a dollar out of 25 cents!!

In the current climate of environmental conscientiousness and green awareness, people today are making wiser choices so you may think this is not too unusual.  But, my grandmother has lived her entire 89 years this way.  It is not a lifestyle choice, but a way of life.

We typically equate blessings with material possessions that could not be further from the truth.  True blessing comes from a dear grandmother teaching her family by example how to live life to the fullest, enjoying and respecting what is given to you, and living each day to serve others.  I love my Granny, and am most blessed that she is in my life!!