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Green Tips


“Green” is defined as a color made by mixing blue and yellow in various amounts. The word has recently become a metaphor for ecology, saving the environment and making our living space a healthier place in which to live. The environmental “green” is composed of many actions and concepts. Some are listed below:
  • Carbon Footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide resulting from human activity or a product’s manufacturing and transportation. Here are some simple ways to reduce your “footprint.”
    • Do laundry with cold water;
    • Take a shower instead of a bath;
    • Buy local;
    • Filter your own water instead of buying bottled water;
    • Close curtains during the day in summer to keep out sunlight and at night to keep out the cold.
  • Biodegradable: description of a material that can be broken down safely and relatively quickly into naturally occurring molecules. Here is how long it takes for some common articles to biodegrade if scattered about as litter.
    • Paper: 2-5 months
    • Orange peels: 6 months
    • Cigarette butts: 1 to 12 years
    • Plastic 6-pack holder rings: 450 years
    • Glass bottles: 1 million years
    • Plastic bottles: forever

A paper grocery bag will biodegrade if placed in nature, however, it won’t biodegrade in a landfill because the conditions aren’t right.

  • Eco-friendly: a description of a product or a service that is sensitive to the environment. Being eco-friendly includes recycling, but there are other ways to guard the planet's health. Here are some ways to be eco- friendly.
    • Look for the Energy Star label when buying new appliances;
    • Turn off lights when you are not in the room;
    • Use a programmable thermostat so that you are only heating and cooling your home when you are in it.

There are many more terms that make up the “green” concept. Hopefully your lifestyle embraces at least some of them.



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