No excuses! Going green makes sense for everyone.
Bankrate has published its “5 worst excuses not to go green“. A lot of people talk about making changes, but most never get around to actually doing it.
- It’s too expensive.
- I can’t make a difference.
- It doesn’t fit my lifestyle.
- Green products don’t work.
- I don’t know where to start.
#1, #2, and #5: The key here is that small changes can make a difference. Just changing out your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents as they burnout out will make a dent in your electric bill. Adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can also make a difference. It’s not about the size of each change you make. Just keep trying things, experiment. Because you’re making small changes, the cost is usually minimal.
One example from our home: We have a bonus room above the garage that is used as a kid’s playroom. It uses a separate HVAC system from the rest of the house. Since this room is not used continuously every day, we realized that it was costing a lot of money to heat/cool the space. Just by leaving the door to the room open and running the ceiling fan in reverse, we are now able to pull conditioned air from the lower level to the bonus room. This simple change in behavior has enabled us to completely turn off the upstairs unit most of the year.
#3: I don’t buy this argument. Most people will be motivated by one of the following: saving money, doing the right thing for the environment, or living a healthier lifestyle. Each of these can be accomplished by making green lifestyle choices. The key for me is to make changes that fit into one of these categories.
#4: There was a time when some “green” products didn’t work as well as traditional products. That problem largely doesn’t exist anymore. Most of the changes we made in the design of our home resulted in a better overall experience.
I think many people are starting to come to the realization that make green choices doesn’t make you a tree hugger (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Personally, while I like the fact that I may be helping the environment my primary motivation is the money that I can save by conserving energy. I like the idea of living a more sustainable lifestyle. I still have many things I want to try and I’m by no means an expert at living a sustainable lifestyle, but I’m making progress. So, what’s one change you can make today to get started?
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