You just read an article title like this and think, ugh, more guilt about the clothes I wear, the food I buy, the car I drive. I feel the same way. I wish I could live more like Ed Begley Jr. and less like the Super Consumer I really am. The truth for me, and maybe for you too is that we have to pick a few areas to make new choices in order to help the environment. So maybe a better title is “Baby Steps to Going Green.” Small changes do matter and may be our best shot for lasting behavioral changes.
As I write this, workmen are sweating away in the unseasonably warm April weather (94 degrees in Los Angeles according to the radio) to install the new solar collector panels on my home. (I’m going to make the men some lemonade in just a few minutes!) We hope to generate about half of our electric power needs with the new system. The State of California is providing a few financial incentives but, I’ll be honest, this is an expensive and long-term solution. Some of the simpler things I’ve done include purchasing, and even sometimes remembering to use, our new reusable, fabric grocery store bags. I’ve also gotten the family into the act of being kind to the environment - our 13-year old set up a small compost can for our kitchen waste.
Where else can you make baby steps toward going green? Think about how much time you spend on your computer. There are a few small things you can do with your computer to help save energy. Simply shutting off the power strip where you connect the computer, phone and iPod chargers, can save quite a bit of energy over time. And, best of all, we’ve just announced a new Green PC Service from Norton which is 100% free of charge for the month of April. You get the free services of a trained technician who will check your computer out with a remote connection to find ways you can save energy with a few tweaks on your system. You’ll get a nice little energy report card you can refer to when you show off to your kids about how you’re making some changes of your own. Energy efficiency and it’s free… Your kids will be impressed. You may not make the evening news like Ed Begley often does, but baby steps are baby steps…
