Ten Ways...

As most of you know, it's Earth Day. In an effort to motivate myself and others to improve the environment, here are Ten (relatively) Easy Ways to Help The Environment!
1. Turn off your monitor. I don't mean right now, but if you're going to be reading a book for ten minutes, turn off your monitor. If you're going for a walk, turn off your monitor. Basically, turn it off it you're not using it.
2. Become vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, or flexitarian. Meat takes a lot of energy to make. By reducing your consumption just a little, you can have a big impact.
3.Turn down (or up, depending on the season) your thermostat. Even two degrees will make a difference.
4.Stop buying junk. If it's something that you've lived without for any significant length of time, you probably don't need it. If you won't have any use for it in six months, just don't buy it. Remember the story of stuff?
5.Use reusable bags next time you go to the grocery store. I have a bunch of cotton tote bags that have been accumulated by my family that we use all the time.
6.Fair trade. This is mostly a good to others kind of thing, but a lot of fairly traded products are grown organically. Good for people and good for the environment!
7.Use the legs God gave you! If it's less than a mile or two away and you're able to walk, just walk to wherever you have to go! It's no-impact and it's good for you.
8.That light bulb thing. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs wherever possible. It's really simple, and it saves a ton of energy.
9.Cotton? No way. As you may know, cotton takes about a bizgillion pounds of pesticides to grow, harming the workers and polluting the water. Try to buy organic cotton or hemp instead.
10.You knew there was going to be knitting involved, right? Recycle yarn! Finding sweaters on sale or from thrift stores and unraveling them is a great way to get new yarn!

Some other websites about going green are Green as a Thistle and No Impact Man