As the new year approaches, making a few small changes to your daily routines can do a lot to help the environment.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Something Wild. I’m Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Once upon a time, there was a movement afoot to have people incorporate more low-impact options into our daily lives. Remember “50 Ways to Save the Planet?†Whatever happened to that?
Well, since a new year is nearly upon us, I’d like to revisit some tips in time for resolution making. It’s still pretty clear that the earth could use help; and it’s been proven that even tiny measures, when undertaken by enough people, can have a big impact.
I’m talking simple things, like reducing your paper use. Consider using cloth napkins a few nights a week instead of paper for example. If you have gifts to wrap, use grocery store bags, or my personal favorite, the comics section from the Sunday paper. Looks festive and fun to read!
Another easy way you to reduce your impact on the planet is to drink more coffee at home, instead of getting take out. This way you can make sure it’s free trade coffee, which is better for the coffee growers. And you’ll have fewer disposable cups to throw away. If you do get it to go, bring along a reusable travel mug if you can. You’ll often get a discount if you do.
Packaging is one of my environmental pet peeves because so much of it is unnecessary and has such a short shelf life. That’s just one reason why drinking bottled water should be low on your to-do list. Water from your tap is just as healthy and carrying your own reusable bottle saves money too.
This isn’t an all or nothing proposition, of course. Do what you can when you can. And besides saving money and ensuring that the earth’s resources may last that much longer, you’ll feel good about yourself too.
The idea is to be greener not guiltier!
Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, New Hampshire Audubon, and New Hampshire Public Radio.
For Something Wild, I’m Rosemary Conroy.
