Well, today is Blog Action Day and thousands of blogs are writing about climate change!  When I get a chance, I’ll go check out what they’ve all written, but for myself, it’s all about what I can do as an individual.  Certainly it’s not much on the grand scheme, but individual actions add up and I’m hoping that down the line I can start an eco-consulting firm to address this very issue and get people to change their behavior in positive ways.  With enough people making enough effort, we can make a powerful impact.  That’s my dream for the future.

As for now, I decided to explore the ways I’ve greened my life and what I can do to continue along that path.  I’ve made a lot of small changes to my life over the years to get to this point and I plan on continuing steadily for the rest of my life.  So some ways that I’ve already greened my life are…

~ using reusable tote bags and saving all plastic bags I do get for other purposes

~ composting (I’d like to start a worm compost one day)

~ recycling (too bad so many things aren’t recyclable!)

~ unplugging everything when not in use

~ changing out light bulbs (some of the smaller ones are still traditional bulbs… are they going to make smaller energy-efficient bulbs?)

~ eating little red meat (I don’t eat much meat in general, especially beef)

~ printing only when absolutely necessary (which is hardly ever)

~ using a green service provider to power my website

In the next couple of months, I plan on implementing some new ways of improving my own sustainability.  Some options may have to wait until I’ve settled a little more and know where I’ll be living for the next couple of years (namely, planting my own fruits and vegetables to eat).  Each change is a step towards progress and by the time I’m 30, I hope I can proudly claim a sustainable lifestyle.

~ plant fruits/vegetables to eat

~ buy more locally

~ change shower heads

~ filter water – no more bottles! – and continue using reusable bottles

~ get a hybrid car (and try to drive less)

~ walk/bike/skate more (it’s good for your health, after all!)

~ phase out commercialized cleaning solutions for more old school ones (like using baking soda and vinegar, or those squash-looking loofahs)

~ buy an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly laptop

I’m sure there’s a lot more I can do, but this is a start!  I’ll keep working on my list over the years as solutions are developed and I discover more ways that I can change my ways to leave a smaller carbon footprint in this world.  I’ve begun to educate and influence those around me as well, and I intend on doing that in a greater scale further into my career!  Someday I’d like to see everyone in my city living this way and a good portion of the country as well.  I don’t know if I’ll live to see the world change like that, but that would certainly be amazing.