Linda Arroz is a proud grandmother. It's not because her grandson gets straight A's in school or has won a baseball trophy. She's beaming because, at age 4, he already knows about recycling. Of course, he doesn't call it that. “Here, Mimi,” he'll say to his 52-year-old grandmother from Southern California as he hands over a bottle from which he's finished drinking. “Where does it go?” He's used to putting the plastics at his house into Big Blue, his name for the family's recycling bin.
"Thirty years ago, the world was a different place,” says Arroz. “We just weren't aware of the damage we were doing to the environment. Now it's not that people aren't aware, it's more that they don’t care. I don't want my grandson to be that person. I want to instill social values in him.”
Many Americans are feeling a similar urge to green up their living. A survey by GfK Roper released Monday shows that three-quarters of the Americans polled plan to be more environmentally responsible in 2008. Half of those who took the telephone questionnaire said they'd make a green New Year's resolution. Here are ten simple ways you can be a greener grandparent.
Go Paperless
Americans could conserve 16.5 million trees a year by switching from paper to online bank statements. What's more, a June 2007 study by Javelin Strategies and Research, an independent research firm, reports that if all U.S. households viewed and paid bills online, we'd lower the amount of solid waste annually generated by 56,000 fully-loaded garbage trucks. Think of all the trees that leaves your grandchildren to climb! You can also cut back on paper by going to Newdream.org to request not to receive junk mail.
Upgrade Your Light Bulbs
If every American household switched five regular bulbs to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), we'd keep more than one trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air, reports Earthlab.com. Sure, compact CFL bulbs may be pricier than incandescent bulbs at checkout, but they last ten times longer. Plus, using a CFL bulb can lower your energy bill by about $15 a year and by more than $60 during its life.
Unplug It
If you have a rarely-used appliance, maybe an extra refrigerator in the garage or basement, unplug it. Doing so can shave $10 from your monthly utility bill, reports the Natural Resources Defense Council. And, keep your chargers unplugged when not in use. Use power strips to switch off television sets, stereos, and home theater equipment. Even when you think these are off, the “standby” consumption can be that of a 100-watt light bulb continuously burning. When working on your computer, enable the sleep mode feature. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel; on Macs, energy-saving settings are under system preferences in the apple menu.
Program the Thermostat
Create an energy-efficient living environment by installing a programmable thermostat to set your heating and cooling equipment to turn on or off automatically to match your schedule. These units typically offer savings of 10 to 15 percent and cost $40-$100, reports the Green Building Team at the National Association of Home Builders. Also, remember to set your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer and a cooler temperature in the winter — especially when you're on vacation! Moving your thermostat down just two degrees in winter can save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide for the earth and $98 for your wallet.
Teach Your (Grand)children Well
Sit down with your grandchild and help him or her think about all the things they get from the Earth that make them healthy and strong, says Ellen Sabin, whose activity book, The Greening Book: Being a Friend to Planet Earth, hits bookshelves in 2008 and offers a ton of Earth-friendly activities to do with kids. Until then, suggests Sabin, teach your grandchildren the importance of turning off faucets, picking up litter, sorting glass and plastics for recycling, and planting gardens and trees. If your grandchildren are teens, encourage them to take the Going Green Challenge sponsored by By Kids For Kids. If one of their new eco products or services to save the environment is selected, your grandson or granddaughter could win $10,000!
Get Yourself a Hybrid
If you’re chipping in for a teen grandchild’s first set of wheels, consider a hybrid car instead of a traditional gas-guzzler. Compact models such as the Toyota Prius are most popular, and average about 60 miles per gallon for city driving and 51 on the highway, according to EPA tests. If your grandchild cares more about looking cool than looking ecologically responsible (they might not be teens if they don’t) there are a few surprisingly green options for a kicky new SUV, such as the Saturn's Vue Greenline or the Ford Escape. In addition to saving the environment, they can save your grandchild’s parents thousands of dollars in gas money.
Purchase Carbon Offsets
Sure, we all want to be green, but it’s hard to be a jet-set grandparent without the help of big polluters like cars and airplanes. By purchasing carbon offsets for your airline or automobile travel, you can invest in green, renewable energy to neutralize your occasional CO2 offenses. Calculate your carbon footprint at Terrapass.com, and for about $10, you can cancel out the 2,500 pounds of carbon dioxide 98 gallons of fuel used for your last cross-country flight to visit your grandchildren.
Re-use Shopping Bags
Or, use a canvas tote. Instead of collecting yet another plastic shopping bag from the grocery store, reuse one you already have from a previous trip. You can also get rid of the non-biodegradable sacks all together with a canvas tote. It's not only green and sustainable, but it won’t tear or fall apart when filled with a heavy carton of milk. Super grandmas can personalize one with a picture of their grandkids here. Even more eco-friendly and all natural totes can be found at EcoBags.com.
Use Cloth Diapers
Your new grandbaby has the most precious little feet, but his regular diapers are leaving a mammoth carbon footprint. Start your grandchild off green with reusable cloth diapers. They do the same job and look a lot cuter than their plastic counterparts. Visit FuzziBuns.com or GreenMountainDiapers.com to pick up a pair.
Start a Compost Pile
A compost pile can add even more fun to the gardening you already do with your grandchildren. An easy and eco-friendly way to get rid of biodegradable waste, composting stores recyclables and foodstuff in a special container that’s half-submerged in your soil. Grandchildren love figuring out what they can take to the compost after dinner, and it’s a natural, chemical-free way to nourish your gardening soil. Heaps of containers can be found at Composters.com.
Additional writing and reporting was contributed to this article by Phoebe Assenza.
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