What is it to be green?

I've been kinda off lately. I have back problems and they have reared their head in an unusual way this time around. I've not been very functional for a week now but I am going to work tomorrow because I can't just flop around the house in pain anymore. I've had a chance to evaluate what my thinking is on being green during this period of time.

How do you avoid the inevitable? You must get up and you must go to work and it is not feasible for some of us to do this on a bicycle as lovely as that notion is. If I walked into my job smelling sweaty from riding a bike in Knoxville heat I'd get laughed at as they signed the pink slip and only after my boss killed me and fired my corpse. Not feasible.

But what is? Cutting down on the amount of driving one does, helps. Helps the pocket, helps the environment that time round.

Cutting down? Hmm.. how about spending more.

I'm at the store, I see a sale, I am compelled to purchase that age old product because it is a product I like and it is cheaper at that moment in time than my usual. So I buy... two. Three. Yes. I buy three. Or more. And then I have enough of that to get me through 6 months.

I don't know a lot of people who do this. Those I do know that do it aren't shopping every pay check for the same thing every month. I think right now my part of being green is to not have to make that trip to the store to buy that one thing I don't have that I should have because I needed it but neglected to see that it was almost gone. Buy 3 or 6. Do that every paycheck and you will suddenly find that the store has moved to your cupboard.

Pick two items. Say Irish Spring body wash. It's on sale today for say whatever and you just happen to have whatever. So you buy 6 bottles. And to go with this you buy three really big bottles of shampoo of your choice. Big bottles, not the little ones. You spend $6 each for those! Yes, you do. But you were going to go buy that shirt anyway. Might as well buy these things all now so that you don't have to keep buying them at different prices every time you run out.

Bulk buying is a good thing. One trip and you've saved your self time and money from buying singles. Its another way of keeping those emissions down because it is one less trip you had to make.

I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot. It's one less trip every week or month or however long. But as those trips are less frequent, so are the emissions. Imagine if everyone on your block did that.

It makes a difference. You know how your vote counts? This does, too. The more that do it, the more difference it makes.

I've been confronted with a situation of green. Feeling pretty low on my green meter due to the state of things where I am. One less trip. One less foraging into Wally World because I forgot to get that thing for the thing in the place that time. Crappy. Waste gas due to unorganization.

Green = organized?

I think so. You've got to have it together to get green. You've got to stay strong to stay green. So many unsavory products that promise green but are not green. Less faith in those things our grandmothers trusted like no other and more in the name brand spray bottle.

Staying on top of it. Inventory that house. Know what you have. Know what you need. Set the goals for what you want. Make them happen.

See how easy that is? This epaper that is telling you how simple it is.

But its not. Being seduced by the world of wipes. That is the hardest thing for me to give up my bleach wipes. My Armorall wipes. Rainx wipes. Fogx wipes. I miss my wipes! But I've found a way to make my own. Better. Healthier, safer and without that annoying little thing in the center that keeps me from getting them to pull out like Kleenex.

Wipes.

Then there are other green things.

Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. Cleaning with borax. Oxyboost is good I hear, I'm willing to give that a shot, too.

But what is it to be green?