Different things drive people to be “greener.” Food safety, petroleum use, landfills, personal health, community building, plastics use, treatment of animals… This series celebrates that we can all be on the same Green Team here, even though we’re all on different parts of the path and may even be here for completely different reasons. Guests share the Top 5 To-Dos in their personal journey to being “Greener Every Day”.
This post is by Michael Nolan, blogger, speaker, and co-author of “I Garden, Urban Style”.
When GGWTV came to me and asked me to name the five things at the top of my personal green to-do list I have to admit that it took me a few days to put them down. I am proud of the 25 years I have been involved in environmental and “green” pursuits and I have spent a lot of that time questioning my own resolve about just how serious and dedicated I was to the cause. This exercise has reminded me just how far I have to go in my own path. I can only hope that perhaps it might inspire you along yours.
- Reduce my plastic consumption. This one’s a no brainer but I am working to reduce the amount of plastic I consume. It simply isn’t reasonable to be “plastic free” but that can’t be an excuse for me to become complacent about cutting it out as much as I possibly can.
Why? Nothing clogs up our landfills as much as plastic. Two generations ago lives were lived without the stuff and now we can’t function a day without it.
Produce at least 60% of my own food by 2012. This isn’t as tough as it sounds with the right planning. I’ve always had a vegetarian leaning and prefer a diet that is predominantly vegetable based but raising chickens for eggs (and even for meat) is not out of the question.
Why? I have an intense need to have a connection to the food I eat. When I nurture a seed or raise a chicken from the day it hatches, I am invested in and responsible for my own nourishment.
- Live Local. This goes beyond eating local and buying local. I made a deal with myself to live as locally as possible. First and foremost that includes growing and making whatever I can (see #2). Then it incorporates both eating locally available foods as well as buying locally produced items and supporting local businesses whenever possible.
Why? We have become a society of instant internet gratification. We can find, order and buy anything with a few clicks. We have lost our connection with shop keepers and craftsmen.
- Grow more than I need. After I plan my garden each season I add extra plants to the list for the express purpose of giving back to my community. Whether that takes the form of sharing with a neighbor or donating to a food bank, the end result is the same; I have given something of myself to benefit others.
Why? I have an ability to grow food and I feel a strong obligation to do what I can to strengthen my community.
- Get off the power grid. The recent tornadoes here in Alabama left me without power for three days. That was when I realized just how crucial it is that I focus my attention on creating alternative sources of energy for my home.
Why? It is no longer simply about cutting utility costs; it is a matter of survival.
Michael Nolan, The Garden Rockstar is an author, blogger and speaker on gardening, sustainability, food ethics and homesteading. He is currently in the process of writing a new guest post on a different site for each day in May. To follow his progress, visit MyEarthGarden.com.
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