Sunday, August 19, 2007

It Ain't Easy Being Green

The Hoos and I were environmental studies majors in college; after college we both went and worked for environmental consulting/engineering firms; actually, I currently work for an environmental consulting firm. And yet, it is hard to be environmentally-friendly.

Our most recent "green" transition was actually inadvertent. We needed to replace our dishwasher. It wasn't broken per say, but it was 20 years old and it only held about four of our plates at one time. I am thrilled to say that our new Kenmore Elite dishwasher not only fits more than four plates, it uses way less energy and water. Apparently, our old dishwasher used 26 gallons of water per washing; the new one uses eight. And it does a better job. And because it fits more than one place setting at a time, we only have to do dishes once a week!

Of course, we recycle and we have switched out several of our light bulbs and light fixtures to convert to more energy-efficient fluorescent lighting. But still, we would like to be doing more. What do you do to be a more responsible citizen?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We no longer use bottled water, unless absolutely necessary - tap is more controlled anyway. The difference in our recylcing is significant! We don't keep chargers plugged in unless they're in use. We are trying to eat more locally grown and seasonal foods. A book I recommend: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Love,
Aunt B.