Whenever I read about global warming, I tend to wonder about posterity. Would my great grandkids be able to inhabit this planet that we call earth? Who knows, maybe humans will be able to live on other planets within the next century. But, until we get there, we need to protect the environment within which we live. Whether we believe in green technology or not, it wouldn’t hurt us to modify our lifestyles if we could be getting a ‘bang’ for our buck. There are several reasons why we need to green our lifestyles. These include but are not limited to:

• Future survival
• Healthier lifestyles
• Social responsibility

Action Plan

Future survival – We need to use our resources effectively. Most of our actions affect the climate. Activities such as driving, cooling our homes, burning trash and polluting our waters could all have an adverse effect on climate change. Global warming experts indicate that spewing greenhouse gases into the air will accelerate global warming.

If we drove less, we will be saving money on fuel. Let’s plan our trips before we set out on our errands. Let us carpool or have our children take the school bus as much as possible. By regulating the heating and cooling in our homes, we are likely to save money on our electric and gas bills. For example in the winter, the lower the temperature on the thermostat, the more likely you are to save on your bill. By leaving your thermostat on 69 degrees Fahrenheit, you will be paying a lower heating bill than your neighbor whose heat is on 73 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summers, keep your air conditioners at higher temperatures. I know several folks that have gone as high as 78 degrees Fahrenheit, yet felt comfortable within their homes. I’ve tried it and I’m liking the extra money that I’m saving on my bills. It’s all about our legacy. What are we leaving behind for posterity?

Healthier lifestyles – When we reduce the ‘chemical stews’ that we are using, we lesson some of our health risks.  Considering the possible effects of the environment on human health, environmental health continues to be a growing area of study. Concerns include air quality, food safety and climate change.

Maybe if we walked, instead of drove to our neighbor’s house, not only would we be exercising (which is good for our health), but also we would be reducing our carbon footprint. Financial benefits of a healthier lifestyle include, the opportunity to get a better quote on your life insurance, staying healthy for your paycheck and spending less money on healthcare costs.

Social responsibility – Apply the concept of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Practicing green through social responsibility is like paying it forward. We can teach others to be green by example. Some of our socially responsible actions include donating items that we no longer need, recycling, reusing items, going paperless with our bills and refraining from printing non-vital information. By donating items that we no longer need to groups like the Salvation Army, we would be able to include our donation as an itemized deduction on our taxes. You will probably enjoy saving a little bit of money on your tax return. Did you know that some States would pay you 5 cents per bottle or can if you turned in your recycling to a grocery store? That doesn’t sound like much, but a little bit here and there helps. By going paperless with your bills, some utility companies will offer you a one-time or recurring discount on your bill. Even if you don’t get a discount for going paperless, remember all the trees that you’ll be saving. Lastly, refraining from printing vital information will help you save money on paper and ink.

If there is any lifestyle, environmental or sustainable benefit from being green, we are likely to increase our benefits by practicing and spreading the word on ‘green living’ today. Make it a moral decision to go green. Some may argue that going green may not necessarily help the environment. But, what if going green helps the environment? Thus, it doesn’t hurt to make it a moral obligation to try ‘being’ green. Besides, you could be saving some ‘Benjamin’s’ along the way.