Go Green with the Top Five New Years’ Resolutions

by Kelly Ann Schneider, December 26, 2009

Ok, so we’ve been talking going green all year. But have you really done anything to promote conserving our green resources? Try these easy ideas as your New Years’ Resolutions and you’ll be going green for our planet and future generations.

1. The reusable shopping bag. If you don’t have one, go to any major supermarket or even one of those boutiques like Trader Joes and get one! Or a half dozen! Most are recycled from something, so you are doing double-duty-green by using a recycled-reusable bag. In some stores the bags are priced at under $1.00. Keep them in your car trunk. Just don’t forget them when you go grocery shopping.

2. Email billing statements. According to San Diego Gas and Electric, for every 2,800 customers who have paperless billing, over one ton of paper is saved. Here’s what is saved when we save one ton of paper:

• 12,000 trees
• Energy to power 211 homes for one year
• 2.8 million pounds of greenhouse gases, which is equal to the amount used by 258 cars in one year
• 14 swimming pools full of waste water
• 41 garbage trucks full of solid waste.

3. Who needs a gym? Just get out and walk! I know it’s easier said than done, but if you live in a mild temperature winter area, try walking or biking to do your errands. Some people I know even bike to work, which may seem extreme for some people. But how about at least biking to the gym? Or carpooling or taking public transportation? Using the bus for a year could reduce your carbon emissions by 800 pounds in one year. That’s about 2.2 pounds per day!

4. If you must drive your own car, please drive slower. Yep it’s proven if we reduce our speed from 65 mph to 55 mph we could increase fuel efficiency by as much as 15 percent. Are you speedy driver? From 70 mph to 55 mph increases your fuel efficiency by 23 percent. Now are you listening?

5. CFL light bulbs. This is so simple I can’t believe it: if you replace only four incandescent bulbs with those squiggly compact fluorescent bulbs, you can save up to 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions in one year. That’s going green without really trying!

Hawksbill turtle hatchings have their first swim in Barbados

At Going Green Resources.com we are committed to preserving the environment.When you have a chance to see Mother Nature at work, as we recently did, the point of environmentalism is made really clear.

We traveled to Barbados to see these Hawksbill turtles hatch and go to sea. This occurred on beautiful Turtle Beach, at the east end of St. Lawrence Gap.We helped release 126, day-old, Hawksbill turtles that hatched earlier in the day.A local fisherman had collected them and protected them until nightfall.They are released at night to increase their chances of survival.

Hotels often dim their lights so as not to confuse the turtles as they are attracted to light.A naturalist uses a light to lead the turtles to water.We are not supposed to help them into the water as their lungs and hearts have to be ready to swim. These special creatures try so hard to start their lives and yet many people make their life more difficult.

Plastic bags and bottles, fish nets and wastewater runoff, all impact their survival.Next time you plan to wash your car and let the soapy water runoff into the storm sewer, please think of these turtles. It is really amazing to witness.
Thank you for caring. We hope you enjoy the video, even though it was taken at night for the turtles sake.

Founder’s Message

Around the world people have been “going green” for many years and enjoying it. There is a sense of pride when we incorporate some basic steps into our everyday life, at home, at school and at our place of business. The cumulative effect of our actions can have a dramatic effect on our environment.

At GoingGreenResources.com we realize that people are often prevented from doing more as they don’t have a central resource of ideas and products. We aim to change that!

Ten years ago some ideas seemed crazy that we now take for granted. Now within ten years it is entirely possible we may not have gas stations as auto manufacturers are finally creating some really incredible “green” cars. Many people we know now drive hybrids and are not only thrilled with the reduced cost of gas but they also feel good about fighting global warming in their own small way.

In March of 2008 we visited a “sustainable farm” in Costa Rica. Using intriguing methods this farm is growing beautiful organic vegetables, tasty free-range eggs, unique plants with health benefits and so much more. There is reason to believe that many of these farming ideas can be used around the world. More on this wonderful experience can be found in our travel section.

Last November, we traveled to Barbados in the Caribbean. Beaches were lined with recycling bins. There a small number of visitors were fortunate enough to help the locals return some newborn turtles into the waves so they could begin their journey. The excitement everyone felt as they helped Mother Nature along was beyond words. Our travel section has some great photos.

Back at home we take the steps that we can. Our recycling container is full each week, while the trashcan is nearly empty. It’s a good feeling knowing that there is a lot less waste being sent to landfills. Where possible at home, CFL’s are used for lighting; water waste is minimized; biodegradable detergents are used and all personal grooming products are organic and fragrance free. The benefits are many of minimizing the chemicals that come in touch with the skin, the body’s largest organ.

Please bookmark our site and tell your friends. New content will be added frequently and we will be offering commentaries from our fellow green citizens and well-respected individuals in the environmental field.

- John Livingstone, GoingGreenResources.com