8 ways to go Green in 2014 It has never been more important (and more in style) to go green and lessen your carbon footprint. This year for your new year’s resolution, plan to go green and never go back with these 8 easy suggestions. 1. Create your own compost pile. It is cheap and easy to create a space for you to grow your very own garden. Put any fruit and vegetable leftovers in your dirt, along with some newspaper and any feces your household pets may leave behind. You will be surprised at how much you can create for yourself when you put your mind to it. 2. Use less water. It may not be wartime with a severely limited amount of water, but there really is not an unlimited supply of water. Start taking shorter showers, and advise those you know and share a house with to do the same. While doing the dishes you can even use less water by applying a low-flow filter onto your tap. 3. Drive less. Set a goal that you will walk to an errand rather than drive once a week. There is no reason for you to drive the car to the grocery store down the street when you only need to pick up dryer sheets. Walk instead and you can get a little exercise at the same time. 4. Save Water. You can save water not only by using less but by capturing rain water in a rain barrel or cistern. It can be useful for your garden during times of draught and has other useful purposes, such as being used to wash your car. 5. Recycle. It may take a little bit more effort to organize all of your trash into different piles but not everything you throw out needs to be put in the dumpster. You can recycle your glass, plastics, and tin cans. Donate any old clothing to stores that might take them such as Salvation Army or Good Will.
6. Arrange car pools. If you have children that constantly need rides to school and soccer practice and games and friends’ houses, arrange to have them go via carpool. This means donating your services to pick up other kids certain days of the week, but it also lets you off the hook for others. It allows energy to be saved all around. If you yourself cannot benefit from the carpool, choose to bike rather than drive some days. 7. Turn your thermostat down. In the winter you do not have to crank up the heat. Rather than make it sweltering hot, turn the thermostat in your home down a bit and wear socks and a sweater. You’ll be under a blanket anyway and might as well get cozy with some extra clothing rather than relying on the technology that allows you to change the temperature on a whim. 8. Helios 310 watt panels. Start benefiting from solar energy by using these panels to take advantage of it rather than expensive electricity. There have been numerous innovations in solar tech increasing its efficiency and reducing costs. With tax credits as they are it is definitely something to look into now. Photo Credit: Nick Wheeler, Jenn Durfey, Lars Plougmann