Becoming a parent has turned me from a lip-service-paying dilettante into an actual tree-hugging freak, my heavy disposable razor blade habit notwithstanding. I used to care about the planet, now I actually try to find ways to show that I do. Things like DivineCaroline's list of 50 Green Tips are useful, because no matter how many things on the list that you're already doing, there are bound to be a few that you're not, but could be. Like, I might be the last eco-mama to get on board with Tip 7, Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs, which is criminal given that I live within walking distance from an Ikea.
Several of the things on the list actually make a parents' life easier: cutting back on junk mail (Tip 16) and getting bills sent and paid electronically (Tip 26) not only saves trees, but it eliminated one of the major sources of clutter in our house, leaving more clear spaces for Polly Pocket shoes to collect. Using eco-friendly cleaning products (Tip 42) or better yet, making your own from vinegar and other household staples (Tip 21) both saves money and relieves the fear of having your child take a swig of Scrubbing Bubbles. Tip 22 might be controversial though: if you have a baby, consider using cloth diapers. There's a school of thought that the chemicals, power, and water necessary to sanitize cloth diapers brings its own set of problems, and I have a feeling that this is ultimately something for which you'll have to follow your gut (too bad that diaper recycling thing seems like such a bust).
Tip 27 is Teach kids about the environment, but so many of the tips are fantastic ways to teach by doing. My four-year-old is on Reusable Grocery Bag patrol, charged with helping remind me to bring them into the store from the trunk and with helping me remember to return them to the trunk when we get home. She takes this job seriously to the extent that one day she had a complete meltdown when she realized we'd forgotten the bags at home. And my three-year-old is already a champion sorter of paper, plastic and bottles. Both kids are itching to move to a neighborhood where we can safely bike to more places. We talk in age-appropriate ways about not wasting resources and about reusing what we can, and we'll keep building on that as our family gets older.
What environmentalists practices has your family adopted? Anything on the list sound like something worth picking up?
(photo credit: University of Oregon)
