More Blah Blah Blah About Saving Green

I know that most of you by now, are probably tired of all of the blab about global warming this, climate change that, do this to be green, cut back on emissions yada yada yada. At this point, many of these terms are just starting to fade into the background, and when someone says "save the earth" or "go green", its so easy to simply ignore them. They've become a part of so many marketing terms and commercials, which we tend to ignore in the first place, that we no longer really differentiate between the two. For those of us who still feel strongly about the lack of action that we feel is taking place, or things should be learning, doing, or teaching, I think that it is about time for a different approach. For those who don't really care, you should probably stop reading this....

How are problems that we are having, related to the environment, related to our everyday lives? Think about it...think about it....have an idea? Yup, its economics. Its money. Just continually spitting out terms and facts and information on seemingly irrelevant information is not going to change anyone, or anything. What we should be talking and writing about is: How we can save money, how we can improve the economy, how we can create new jobs.

Sadly enough, economics seems to be what our world revolves around nowadays, whether we like it or not. Money makes the world go round. So why not change the old talk about the environment and global warming into talk about economics? Now, I'm not saying to abandon these terms and all the facts and all the blah blah blah, its important we know what is really going on. But if we could just change the approach, and change the way the topic is being marketed.

How are we going to do this? You may ask. Simple. Literally find ways how "going green" will save the green. Money I mean. The problem right now, is that upfront, most things which are considered to be better for the environment are expensive, like solar panels for example, and most people don't wish to spend that much money all at once. Show them that in the long run that they will be saving money, and show them examples and how much, and they might be more convinced.

Lost for other examples as to how going green can save you? Here are a few obvious ones that I'm sure you've heard of before, you know...the usual blah blah blah about saving energy and such:

• air dry your laundry, rather than running the dryer
• buy a water-saving or water efficient washer and other energy efficient appliances
• don't run the water for longer than you need it
• turn off the lights when you walk out of the room
• don't use plastic plates, cups or silverware - they cost money vs. washing dishes
• avoid using paper towels and paper napkins as much as possible - use hand towels, sponges, or cloth napkins to clean up the mess instead
• eat your leftovers - rather than making something new
• eat at home as often as possible - eating out is expensive and wasteful in many cases
• take the bus, train or other public transit system when possible - it is often cheaper to pay for a $10 bus ticket rather than paying for the $20 or $30 in gas it would take you to go the same route
• don't buy water bottles - they may be tempting, but using a reusable one saves you lots
• re-use grocery bags as trash bags - rather than buying trash bags
• adjust water temperature settings in your home - hot water makes up a good portion of the cost for heating
• switch to a hybrid car - again something which is expensive up front, but really saves you in the long run...rather than paying $40 or more to fill up your tank you'll pay closer to $10
• repair, when possible, rather than buying new
• improve insulation in your home
• borrow books rather than buying new ones, or read it through Kindles/iPads/online
• have a garage sale, rather than throwing away - someones trash is someone else's treasure, right?

More examples that you might not have heard of:

• install solar panels - they may be expensive upfront, but they start paying for themselves within about 7-8 years
• make your own cleaning products - vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice make efficient alternatives to spending more on grocery store brands, and they work just as well
• collect runoff from rainwater to flush your toilets - saves on water and money toward your water bill
• if you own a business and you do advertising through brochures, business cards etc.. consider your target audience and send your advertisements to those who more specifically fit your criteria...rather than spending to print and send 20,000 pamphlets and get only a 15% return rate
• Go paperless, when possible, and do your advertising, brochures, paperwork, revisions etc. through the computer only
• replace PC's with desktops - they use much less energy to run

I'm sure there's much more that I haven't listed. But I hope its enough to get you started....and remember...think save green...not go green. Saving green saves green, going green does nothing.