Going Green Doesn’t Take Much Green
Although “going green” is taking the nation by storm, for the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or who have huge credit card debt, the Green Movement certainly is not #1 on their priority list.
Although even environmental experts admit that “going green” can sometimes be expensive, they concur in the opinion that some techniques are simple, free (or nearly so) and can even save cash-strapped Americans a little of their own green. Key to saving the environment and cash are the 3R’s; reduce, reuse and recycle.
In an article in The Washington Post, Peter Krull, president of Krull & Co., a socially and environmentally conscious Georgian financial services firm, stated that two actions people can take are 1) installing an inexpensive, programmable thermostat and 2) turning off the lights when leaving a room for a period of time.
In this same article, authored by Nancy Trejos, Shel Horowitz, author of Painless Green: 110 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life -- With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle, mentioned a few of his own tips for protecting the planet while protecting one’s finances. Horowitz recommends turning off the water while brushing your teeth, using fans instead of air conditioners and closing drapes at night to keep warm air trapped in your home.
Other low cost, earth-friendly tips include: turning down the thermostat a few degrees (put on a sweater); air-drying your clothes (not always practical in a small home or apartment, especially in the winter); walking, biking or taking public transportation to work, school or errands; repairing old cell phones instead of discarding them; taking lunch to work or school in reusable containers and cleaning your home with inexpensive, time-proven and natural cleaners such as ammonia, vinegar and baking soda.
Other tips may cost a bit of money up-front but have demonstrable cost-saving effects down the road (not too far down to be practical). Some tips from Matthew Grocoff, founder of http://www.Greenovation.TV, include using water-saving shower heads which, though costing about $75, can save enough electricity to run your TV for nearly a year! He also recommends purchasing and using “smart power strips” and vacancy sensor light switches to save electricity--a good thing for Mother Earth and Mother and Dad Jones.
If you do have the money to make some investments, why not invest your hard-earned dollars with environmentally-sensitive corporations and/or mutual funds. Another way to go green while saving some green. Oh yeah, on St. Patrick’s Day, spend a few bucks on a green beer, and have one for me, too!
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