Go GREEN in New York City

Why go green???

Our world is fixed with an a certain amount of resources that unfortunately, keep depleted…many of which, are already depleted. As we continue to grow our population is rapidly burning up those natural resources.
Saving clean air, water, fuel sources, and soil is incredibly important for not only us but the generations after us.

As I’m learning about “going green” I did some research on the Going Green Initiative and learned this:

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Did you know…

• For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
• You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
• By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.”

Make your makeup bag green!

Not only is going green good for your planet, but for your skin as well! When you think of all the chemicals that we put on our faces or wash our faces with everyday it’s actually a bit scary….

As the trend catches on, going green isn’t as expensive as it used to be either!
Switch to:

Aveda
Burt’s Bee’s (May I suggest the honey chapstick…which can also come in different tinted shades)
Tom’s of Maine
The Organic Pharmacy
Avalon Organics
Origins

EAT GREEN!!!

   Ah, us American’s we like to eat as many chemicals as humanly possible on day don’t we? Yeah, healthy. No wonder we have so many health issues….and um, weight issues. Eating organic, meat, dairy, etc or locally raised foods keeps the money in the local economy and is MUCH healthier for you. By eating organically you lessen the harmful pesticides that you may be ingesting otherwise.

TIP: Plant a tree!

TIP: TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!

Go Green Laundry

Between 75 and 80 percent of our clothing’s lifecycle impact comes from washing and drying. It takes so much energy to heat the wash and run the cycle. Here’s a couple things you can do to help:

1. Buy Energy Star. Switching to an Energy Star-qualified top-loading (or “horizontal axis”) machine can save as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year. Over the approximately 11-year life of a washer, that’s enough water to fill up three backyard swimming pools or provide a lifetime of drinking water for six people.

2. Hang things out to dry.

3. Wear things more than once…that’s right, as long as it isn’t too funky.

4. Use Green laundry detergent.

5. Go to the laundromat! They’re much more efficient than home washers.

Wear Green!!!

Wearing green and organic clothing doesn’t mean that you have to give up fashion or trends anymore! Some of the most well known designers are jumping on the “green” train and making clothes, with all the style as before and with a little environmental consciousness. Diane Von Furstenburg, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, and Botegga are just a few of the big name designers who now make “Green” clothes!

Learn more about going green!

The best thing that we can do for ourselves is educate ourselves on the issues at hand! Reading, watching documentaries and staying aware is incredibly important. Check out some of these books:

1. An Inconvenient Truth- Al Gore, that is if you haven’t seen the film already.
2. It’s Easy Being Green- Crissy Trask
3. Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability- Greg Horn
4. The Lazy Environmentalist- Josh Dorfman
5. The Green Book- Elizabeth Rogers
6. Gorgeously Green- Sophie Uliano
7. Earth in the Balance- Al Gore
8. The 11th Hour (documentary with Leonardo Dicaprio)
9. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- Nicky Scott
10. Green Living for DUMMIES, SO HELPFUL.

Tip: Drive a Hybrid!