Friday, November 21, 2008

Be Better, Be Greener

By Simon M Skinner

Living green is getting a lot of press lately, but did you know that it can help extend your lifespan? Some people are surprised by this fact, but it's still very true. There are lots of things that help the earth, and help improve our quality of life at the same time. From eating organically to cutting down on fuel usage, lots of things can help you live a greener and longer life. Here are a few.

Healthy organic food from sources you trust helps prevent contamination of the environment by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It also helps your body, offering it the high quality nutrients it deserves. Organically produced meats and other animal products are great for us, keeping antibiotics and growth hormones out of our systems, and out of the would around us. Eating well, from organic sources, also helps us avoid processed foods that have little nutrition, but are great at clogging our arteries and making us sick.

One great (and easy) way to live greener is to join your local Freecycle email list. Instead of throwing away unwanted items, you can post them on the list - it's more than likely that someone will have a need for them. Of course, when you need something, you can look there first before going out and buying new things. Freecycle keeps a lot of trash out of landfills and is a great money saver.

You can substitute some of your household items for more green friendly items. One such item is compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs are much more energy efficient, which means that they use a lot less energy (and save you money) while being about the same price as any other light bulbs - they also last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

You can also get rid of your existing yard lights and replace them with solar powered lights. These do just as good of a job of illuminating your outdoor spaces, but use no electrical power. You can find solar powered yard lights in a variety of pleasing designs and you can install theme yourself without the assistance of an electrician. Solar powered holiday lights are also available, letting you save money on your electric bill while dressing up your home for the holidays.

Even the smallest things, like recycling your packaging, bottles, and cans can help keep your garbage bills low and cut down on your carbon footprint. Using cloth bags when shopping instead of using store provided paper and plastic will help you waste less, and you might even save a few cents on your purchase. You'll reduce litter and pollution and live in a healthier world.

It's actually pretty easy to live a greener lifestyle. You can benefit the environment and your pocketbook at the same time. You may soon find yourself looking for more ways to add a little more green to your life.

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