By: Molly! Goodyear, Executive Director
How cool is this poster? I love when kids “get it” and want bring everyone else in on the secret. Because when it comes to ways to save the earth and good things for the planet, nothing should be a secret. Poster designers, Lizzie, Trace and Winston understand that we each can make a difference when it comes to protecting our environment. Sustainable actions from each one of us can make a big impact. Take for instance using cold water whenever possible. Usually the default on your washing machine is “warm-warm” for the wash and rinse cycles. Using cold water for all of the cycles gets your clothing just as clean and saves a lot of energy.
I’m a huge proponent of using cloth in the kitchen. If you’re looking for a paper towel at my house, you won’t find anything but dishtowels and reusable dish rags made from old t-shirts or eco-friendly wood and cotton blend. By making the switch away from paper towels you’ll save trees and money!
Layering up to stay warm is smart whether you’re at home, in your car or at work. I admit that I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold. I love the cold weather, but I don’t like being cold. To stay toasty I wear scarves, down coats and wool socks. I don’t warm up my car before I head to work, I don’t idle even if I know I’ll only be a couple of minutes (ask my husband about this!) and I don’t crank the heat in my house.
We all need to do our part for the environment and make some changes. Try it for a few weeks and see how you feel. I bet you’ll see stains gone, you won’t notice the extra layer of clothing and you’ll start reaching for the reusable dish rag before the paper towel.
Not only will you feel great for reducing your impact and helping our environment, but you’ll save money, too! Join us on Wednesday, January 21 for our first Fireside Chat at the ERC. We’ll be talking about sustainable actions to make your home green!