Red State Green

A discussion’s been raging on the Riot for Austerity group about what suggestions might spur others towards reducing their ‘impact’, whether gauged in energy usage, CO2 emissions, or whatever. Sarah made an interesting comment:

The message that I’m getting from the mainstream green movement (at least those parts of it that aren’t obsessed with “green” gadgets, which are often just sad) is a sort of half-hearted asceticism. There is *no point whatsoever* in half-hearted asceticism. Either tell me to be a real ascetic, which I probably won’t actually do but will see the potential spiritual benefits of, or give me eco-friendly locally-sourced hedonism!

I like the sound of that!

I’ve been trying to get those of you who have no clue as to what to start with, started, but here’s “yet another list”. Hopefully mine is a bit more fun!

1. If you’re a meat eater, try a vegetarian meal once a week in place of a meat meal. If you Google ‘vegetarian recipes’ you’ll find more than you can imagine. But this doesn’t have to involve weird food you’ve never heard of. Macaroni and cheese is vegetarian! Nachos are vegetarian! Red beans and rice is vegetarian! Green salads! Spring rolls! Bean burritos! (now I’m getting hungry …)
2. Try and see how local you can buy your food. The way I started this was to look for food grown in my state and the states surrounding it in my regular supermarket. If I couldn’t find anything in that area, I chose the item made the closest to me. The next time I went for that item, I looked in other stores and farmers’ markets to see if I could find something closer. It’s really fun, and it’s a good way to teach your kids geography, about the food transport system, and how to spot a good deal.
3. Take a no-driving day once a week. Stay home with your family, invite friends over, go biking, or take a walk. Forget about shopping for once!
4. Shower with a friend.
5. When a light bulb burns out, replace it with a CFL light. It burns cooler, saves energy, and will save you money after a month or so. They have them in all sorts of fun shapes and colors now.
6. If something breaks, try fixing it, or using it for something else rather than just tossing it. When we moved here, there was this broken porch swing — really just the frame — in the back yard. I use the 1/2″ pipe that had fallen off to aerate my compost pile (works perfectly), and the big frame I’m going to cover with plastic and turn into a mini-greenhouse!
7. If you’re on a train route, try the train rather than flying. A group of us is going to take a trip to Dallas by train next month (on a half price special, even better). Take a group and make it a party!
8. Plant a tree. Most any garden store sells them in the spring for twenty bucks or so. If you plant a fruit or nut tree, you’ll get yummy snacks for years to come. (warning: fruit tree planting can become addictive!)
9. Hang your laundry to dry. It’s actually faster than using a dryer if you live in a dry climate, they smell wonderful afterwards, and it doesn’t heat up the house. If you can’t hang your clothes outside for some reason, the bathroom, garage and bedroom are all places you might consider using. I hang clothes in the garage, the laundry room, and off the linen closet doors from time to time.
10. Try a no-TV day once a week. Spend time reading, on a hobby, cuddle up with your sweetie in front of the fire, or play with your kids!
11. Learn to make something that you currently buy. If it’s learning to cook a meal you usually go out for, learning to sew a shirt, or taking a woodworking class, it helps because that thing you would have bought now doesn’t have to be shipped in from somewhere else.
12. If you have the choice of something packaged in plastic and one packaged in something natural (cardboard, paper, wood, cloth), pick the more natural wrapping. The world has too much plastic in it already!

Anyone got any other suggestions?