Everything is turning green

            Here is my latest paper that I wrote for my English 112 class.  We had to pick a topic to write a persuasive paper about, and then produce a three page paper about the topic.  I found that picking my topic was the hardest thing for me to do.  I literally didn't pick a topic until the day before my rough draft had to be turned in.  I had so many different topics that I'm passionait about, and I wanted to write about all of them.  However, I finally narrowed it down to what I thought would be the best topic for everyone.  This means that I pretended someone would actually read this and give a crap about it enough, that I might actually influence them to change a bit.  So, I picked the topic of "going green".  I hope you all enjoy this and please please please leave me some feedback on what you think.  

Going green is the way to go

            With the world's population on the rise and our natural resources rapidly diminishing, everyone should be looking for how they can do their part to "go green".  Really, it's not that hard once you start to look around and think about it.  There are all kinds of ways to start pitching in around your own home, in your daily activities, or even looking into the latest trend of installing alternative energy sources.  It only makes sense to start doing your part to save our environment; in the long run, you will be saving your bank account as well.

            Just taking a quick look around the house, you may be able to see a few ways to be a little more "green" almost instantly.  The most obvious of these may be right in your trash; all of those paper, glass, and metal products can easily be recycled at your local recycling center.  Most new neighborhoods and communities are also offering some type of recycling service for free.  If this isn't the case in your neighborhood or you live in a more rural area, you may want to try and find a local recycling center.  If you have access to the internet, www.recyclingcenters.org is a great reference for finding a center close to you.    

            Some other rather simple ways to save some money and our environment around the house may include replacing your current lighting with CFL or LED bulbs, using a programmable thermostat to save energy when you are not home, installing low-flow water heads and aerators to reduce the amount of water waste while showering or washing the dishes, placing items like a brick or a plastic bottle filled with sand in your toilet tank to use less water per flush, and unplugging those “vampire” electronics that use electricity even when they are supposed to be off (Go green, 2010).  All of these things only require a minimal investment of time and money; in fact, the CFL / LED lights and the water aerators will usually pay themselves off in less than a year (Department of Energy, 2011).

            There is also the option of reusing those everyday items that some of us take for granted.  Do you really need to throw away those Ziploc sandwich bags, or can you use them for something else?  Should you use a paper towel to clean up that mess, or can you use a washable towel?  You can also refill those plastic water bottles with filtered tap water or use a cloth grocery bag when you go shopping.  These are just a few examples of how little changes in your daily habits can go a long way.  It is all about getting into the mindset of finding ways to cut back on spending, that will ultimately allow us to cut back on the harm we are causing our environment.  Even picking up a couple packs of Kool-Aid can help keep soda cans out of our landfills, and with Kool-Aid costing about a third less than soda (Kraft Foods, Inc., 2011) it’s helping to save you money as well.  All it takes is asking those right little questions as we are walking through our everyday lives to make a huge impact. 

            Another great part of your life to look at for “going green” opportunities is your job.  With the way our transportation system and technology are advancing, there is usually more than one option available to get us back and forth to work.  Some of the options may include biking, car pooling, metro system, or possibly telecommuting.  Ignoring all of the statistics about how you'll be saving fossil fuels and reducing the amount of annual greenhouse gasses emitted into our o-zone, look at the financial and health benefits that you gain.  Most of the options alleviate any type of rush-hour traffic that you would normally be stressing over behind the wheel, biking to work provides an excellent source of exercise, and all of them greatly reduce the cost of having to pay for gas every week.  It may take some getting used to, and you may have to make some minor adjustments to your everyday schedule; however, I believe that the overall savings involved, would greatly outweigh those minor inconveniences.

            You can even make an effort to start saving in the workplace.  The most prominent effort you can make is to start saving your documents on a reusable USB memory drive instead of printing them or burning them to a disposable CD/DVD.  Some other things may include packing your lunch with washable items instead of using foam and plastic, put a plant in your office for cleaner air, switch to a laptop instead of a desktop to save energy and offer mobility, and try to purchase items that are made from recycled material (Davis, 2008).  If you don’t have any control over these types of things, than you may want to suggest them up to your supervisors.  Once they realize some of the cost savings involved, they may look to you for more advice or even better, a raise.      

            Finally, you could look into alternative energy options as an investment.  Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal heating / cooling are the biggest names in this department.  With the popularity of these technologies growing, the products are becoming much more affordable to the everyday homeowner.  There are even government incentives until 2016 to help cover up to 30% of the initial cost for these technologies (Energy Star, 2010).  With the savings that you will see on your electric bill every month, it really narrows the gap on the overall cost.  There are even consulting firms that are willing to come out for free and give you an estimate on how much an installation will cost and how much you can expect to save on your home energy bill.  Granted, this may be the most expensive “green” investment yet; however, it does have the potential to significantly reduce or even eliminate your monthly electric bill.

            There really is no reason for not trying to go green.  In almost everything that you do, you will be helping the generations to come as well as helping relieve the strain on your finances.  I highly doubt that we will ever be 100% green. However, I do believe that if everyone pitches in just a little bit, that the impact will be enormous both physically and socially.  After all, if we are all sharing this planet together, we might as well try to make it last as long as we can.

Bibliography

Davis, C. (2008, March 21). Going green in the workplace. Retrieved from www.Entrepreneur.com: http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/article191852.html

Department of Energy. (2011, February 8). Light bulbs (CFLs) for consumers. Retrieved from www.energystar.gov: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB

Energy Star. (2010, November 16). www.energystar.gov. Retrieved from 2011 Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Go green. (2010, February 5). Retrieved from Greater Lansing Initiative: http://www.lansingmi.gov/how_you_can_go_green!.jsp#Green Up Your Home

Kraft Foods, Inc. (2011, February 5). Kool-Aid. Retrieved from brands.kraftfoods.com: http://brands.kraftfoods.com/koolaid/home.aspx