I admit I havent been into the "green" lifestyle. I would like to try and be a more environmentally friendly person. How would I go about starting? Any tips or advice?

For me it started with awareness. I’ve always been into energy conservation and taking care of nature, I’ve recycled since the 70′s, but that was as far as I had gone. I got invovled with the Earth Club at my sons school and started looking for more information. I read "The Green Book" and was amazed at how many things I did without thinking that was harming the environment. I started making changes and have saved a lot of money, reduced the amount of harmful chemicals in my life and eat healthier. I believe in a green, greener, greenest approach. There are many things to consider and sometimes you just aren’t ready to make drastic changes, so just doing better can be a way to start.

I also believe we vote with our wallets, when you have to buy something buying from a company that uses sustainable or non toxic practices takes money away from the toxic manufacturers and helps the companies trying to do the right thing. I like the websites www.biggreenpurse.com and www.treehugge.com to find links to eco friendly retailers. I’m not saying you need to go out and buy green products the most important principal of a green lifestyle is reduce. Think about things before you buy them, do you need them or just want them. Before you go out and buy new clothes try this, decide what a reasonable number of shirts, pants etc is then count what you have, chances are good you have a lot more than you think you need. If you really feel like you need to refresh your wardrobe throw a swap party, go through your closet and find things that you never wear, invite a few freinds to do the same, have them bring their unwanted items and trade items. You could wind up with a whole new wardrobe without spending a dime. Then make a commitment to never buy an article of clothing without trying it on first.

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Why don’t Green people say that living green can be cheaper way of life rather than calling someone an idiot for ignoring or not believing in global warming?

That is one of my favorite points to make. I don’t argue about Global Warming, I have no idea if it what they say is true. I was green long before I heard the term.

When the 1st principal is reduce how can it not save money. You don’t have to go out and spend money on solar panels or live like a cave man to reduce the amount of energy you use. We have so many things in our home that use electricity with no benifit to use. Almost all electronics use standby energy, we have many things that have batteries that we charge 24/7 when they only need to charge once a week. I cut my electric bill by at least $50 a month by using a power cord with a switch to plug in my tv,vcr, stereo and game system. I also unplug chargers when they aren’t charging. No decline in lifestyle there.

I save money also be switching to durable reusable items instead of disposable one use items. I haven’t had to buy disposable plates for our bbq’s for years instead I have a selection of heavy duty plastic plates that will last for years.

I save money and reduce my exposure to questionable chemicals with natural cleaning products, it cost about 50 cents to make a bottle of window cleaner instead of paying over $3 for windex and I don’t have to worry about amonia damaging my lungs.

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As it is, I walk mostly everywhere I go, so as not to add more car transmissions into the environment. I recycle paper, bottles, and cans. But what else can I do to live more green and eco-friendly?

Going green is easy, there are so many great resources about the subject. My personal favorite is "The Green Book" which has parts of its book online as well at www.readthegreenbook.com.

As I have been striving to "Go Green" I realize it is like stepping back in time without getting rid of my modern conveniences. I’m doing many things I learned as a child, like line drying my clothes, sweeping instead of vacuuming, opening the windows in the morning to catch the cool breeze, only buying what I need instead of everything that looks cool, growing some of my own food, and canning what I can’t eat now.

To me "going Green" is a frame of mind. Do what fits your lifestyle and do the easy things first, it is a process and like dieting if you go to radical to soon, you are more likely to go back to bad habits. I also believe there are good, better, best choices in most things. If you aren’t ready to start a home garden, then try finding a farmers market, until you locate one look for produce grown as close to home as possible and go organic when available.

Many people think "going green" is expensive, I disagree. Some changes may take an initial investment, but they usually have a short payoff time. Things like weatherstiping and insulation cost, but the energy savings will add up quickly. You may need to purchase reusable bags, but most stores give you a 5 or 10 cent credit, so you are paid back within a few months.

My top tips are make your home more energy efficient, that also means using natural light, cooling and heating.

Reduce your packaging, if you eat more fresh food you will generally reduce packaging, it’s the same thing they tell dieters, shop the perimiter, that is where all the meat, dairy and produce are located. Only buy what you will use, many Americans throw away a lot of unused food. Buy in bulk, that doesn’t just mean large packages, but that area with the bins that you buy only what you plan on using.

Replace disposable items with durable items, if you eat outside often and use disposable paper or plastic plates, it is a wise investment to purchase a set of reusable plastic plates. Replace disposable razors, diapers and cleaning products like swiffer. Avoid bottled water, get a home filter like Pur or Brita.

Recycle, www.earth911.org will help you locate the nearest recycle center. I try to only purchase plastics that are #1 or #2, they are more easily recycled. I also buy recycled products when available, that includes paper towels, napkings, toilet paper, tissue, school/office supplies and clothing.

Detox your cleaning, vinegar and baking soda clean almost anything, they can even losen a hair clog. Seventh Generation and Method are a couple mainstream brands that are very earth friendly.

Just start small and build from there, don’t get overwhelmed.

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Why is it so expensive to live organic and green? Where food is concerned, organic products are much more expensive than non-organic products. I just read an article that Honda has introduced a vehicle that is similar to the Civic and runs basically on water. Yet a 3 year lease of the vechicle costs $600 per month. I know that the technology that allows a vehicle to run on water is not at all new. So why is green living so expensive? At a time when our planet really needs to use alternative fuel sources, the overwhelming majority of people cannot begin to consider a change because our economy is in such bad condition. How is someone that is just getting by supposed to get on this bandwagon?

the previous answer is only partially true. Yes Organic food is much more diffucult to get because they can only use natural fertilizers and no pesticides whatso ever, therefor making less of a yield and a higher cost. As for the electric car your talking abou im sure you read the same article on Yahoo as everyone else. It does cover matinence and other cost related to the car. The reason why it is so expensive is because it is very new. It may be better but this is basically a large beta test of how this technology works at home. There are only roughly 200 of these cars on the road so if you have a limited supply you can charge whatever you want due to the insane amount of demand for it. I am not sure if Honda has the technology to mass produce these yet, so these cars could be built one at a time there for increasing cost. Our economy is in bad condition but hopefully with the up coming election things may change, after all that is what both parties were preaching.

i hope this helps resolve some of the questions you had

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I need to do an email interview with someone who is an expert in green living.

Where should I start? Do any universities have professors that are experts in green living?

Any ideas would be helpful!

*Thanks!*

Lots of universities have experts on environmental issues. Look for physical geographers, earth systems science people, or environmental scientists.

or, if there is an environmental activism group in your area contact them. (i.e. a watershed association, park cleanup group, etc).

The city might also have someone you could contact that promotes environmental issues.

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