Listen to the podcast.

It's Not Always Easy Being Green

YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT MAKING ECO-FRIENDLY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS, BUT IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY BEING GREEN. WE’LL HELP YOU KEEP YOUR PLEDGE ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

WHETHER YOU’RE SHRINKING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT OR TRYING TO EAT ORGANIC, KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS CAN BE CHALLENGING.

BUT ALAN MARLATT, DIRECTOR OF THE ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS RESEARCH CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, KNOWS HOW TO MAKE IT WORK. SUCCESS, HE SAYS, STARTS WITH REASONABLE GOALS AND DETAILED PLANS.

MARLATT: PEOPLE MAY HAVE AN IDEAL GOAL, BUT UNLESS THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC WAY THEY’RE GOING TO CARRY IT OUT, THEY’RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO NOT BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO IF YOU WANT TO TURN OVER A NEW, GREEN LEAF, MARLATT SUGGESTS YOU ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS, KEEP A JOURNAL OF YOUR PROGRESS, AND REMEMBER NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED BY SETBACKS. 

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

Here are some other green New Year’s Resolutions from the staff at Grist and E the Environmental Magazine:

• Try taking public transportation for a week, or if that’s not possible, try avoiding driving during the weekends for a month
• Ride a bike or walk instead of driving
• Try to find necessary items at a thrift store before buying something brand new
• Get a shower timer
• Start a compost bin
• Replace 2 shopping trips with visits to Goodwill, Value Village or other vintage/second-use stores
• Learn to sew
• Eat local and organic food as much as possible
• Eat less meat (ie, only twice per week)
• Drink more organic vodka
• Banish bottled water from the office
• Stop smoking
• Change all my light bulbs
• Read up on candidate energy/climate/environment positions
• Write at least one letter to the newspaper about an important issue, and call my Congressmen at least once regarding an important issue
• Vote

Click here to email us your green New Year’s resolutions!