Have a Green Summer Part 2 – How to Go Green at Home
How to Green Your Summer? Walk Instead of Driving a Car
Get Into Greening Your Summer: at Home
We’ve put together a 3-part series on greening your summer and today we’re focusing on how to go green at home. In Part 1, we offered up some tips on going green at work and today, we are offering up some suggestions on ways to green your summer at home.
There are so many small ways you can incorporate green changes into your day-to-day activities at home that help you have a green summer, but today we are offering up a few you may not have thought of.
1. Walk Instead of Driving a Car
Whenever possible instead of driving to your destination walk – this alternative is better for the planet and your health since you’ll be burning calories instead of gasoline. There are a lot of variables that impact whether or not walking is possible, for instance if the mercury is soaring in the triple digits or if you need to stock up on groceries and couldn’t possibly carry everything home than your car is the better option, but before you hop in the car think about whether you could hoof it instead.
2. Green Up Your Lawn Care
How to Green Your Summer? Green Up Your Lawn Care
Did you know that one hour of using a gas-powered lawn mower can generate the same amount of air pollution as driving for 100 miles? Can you believe that? Well it’s true ad a great reason to look for alternative mowers, like old fashioned rotary mowers which are very low maintenance or even electric or battery powered mowers.
Not only are all of these options a lot quieter than gas-powered mowers (so your neighbors will likely appreciate this switch), but they work just as well, are often easier to push and have a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
When it comes to lawn care and maintaining flower beds and gardens, try to select varieties of plants that are indigenous to your area since these plants will be more likely to thrive and stick to natural fertilizers and compost. Also think about installing rain barrels. When placed under a downspout a rain barrel will fill up in no time and not only will you have this water for your flowers and garden, but excess water will also be kept away from the foundation of your home.
3. Buy Local and Organic Fruits and Vegetables
How to Green Your Summer? Buy Local and Organic Fruits and Vegetables
There are so many merits to buying local produce. Since locally produced foods travel a shorter distance to get to you that translates into lower carbon emissions, and you are supporting your local economy, so the money you spend stays local and helps your neighbors and community. When you purchase organic produce you further up the green ante.
Organic farming methods do not use synthetic chemicals to control bugs or weeds, so the fruits and vegetables produced are not covered in residue from potentially harmful chemicals and in turn you and your family do not ingest these chemicals. Studies have shown that some fruits and vegetables are more prone to high levels of chemicals, so if you are going to purchase organic try to stick to apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach and strawberries. Visit the EWG’s site to learn more about organic food.
How Will YOU Have Green Summer?
Reducing how often you drive your car, making responsible and eco decisions regarding lawn care and purchasing local and organic produce will certainly make your summer greener. What do you think? Have you tried these methods? Do you have suggestions on how to go green at home this summer?
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