Living Life to the Greenest: Going Green

This month we celebrate the luck of the Irish, four-leaf clovers and one of my favorite colors: green.

Green stands out not so much as a hue, but for what the color has come to symbolize—healthy living for us, our families and our environment.

As a tribute to green living, this month’s trio of blogs is devoted to living life to the greenest. This is a three-part blog series this month devoted to living life to the greenest.

Today there are thousands of energy-saving vehicles on the road. Shoppers are saying no to paper and plastic and bringing their own reusable bags to the grocery store. And recycling has become the cool thing to do.

All of these efforts are great for the environment. Every bit helps, and if we all do our part, Mother Earth will thank us later.

Here are a some easy ways to make your home eco-friendly.

• Change Bulbs. The average home has about 50 light bulbs—from recessed lights and flood lights to chandeliers and pendants. That’s a lot of energy. You can save big on your electricity bill and go easy on the environment by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. LED bulbs, which are costlier yet longer lasting, lead to more savings and less waste.

• Lights Out. If you’re not in the room, it’s this simple: Turn off the lights. And while you’re at it, shut down the TV, radio or whatever else may be running. Even if your computer is asleep, it’s still zapping energy.

• Get Recharged. Batteries make our world go round, no doubt. But rather than toss every used triple A, buy rechargeable. These batteries offer consistent performance and can be used more than 500 times.

• Recycle Electronics. Many cities sponsor Household Hazardous Waste collection centers. Take advantage. Not only is it illegal to dump game consoles, computers, cell phones and microwaves, improper disposal can pollute the environment and harm our health.
 
So tell us: What is your favorite way to go green? Share your tips below.