Have you ever thought about your own CARBON FOOTPRINT?

I just about freaked out when I saw the Human Footprint video in a class I was taking. I had never really thought about it in that way. Actually breaking down one’s consumption of products starting at day 1, yikes. I mean laying out every single product ever consumed by a single individual…what an insurmountable amount of crap. Search for “The Story of Stuff” narrated by Anne Leonard on Google and definitely check out this video if you haven’t already, you will not be disappointed…in fact you will be amazed.

I am as guilty as many, though I have a little head start at least on the concept being from CA where recycling and environmental social responsibility is a huge deal and very common place. So, now that we have realized our mass consumption, how can we change? I think the answer is educating ourselves and retraining ourselves one day at a time.

If we try to take it on all at once, it might seem like a daunting task and we might subconsciously avoid it. Going green encompasses so much more than just recycling, though that is a huge part there is also home energy consumption, product consumption, lifestyle choices, the car you drive, keeping current and the list goes on and on.

If we come up with a plan and involve the whole family it could actually be fun. Maybe have a different family member in charge of a different recyclable…one for glass, one for plastics, one for paper etc… Then possibly the most enthusiastic recycler could become the official energy monitor for the month. Who knows, be as creative and resourceful as you are willing to be. I do know that recycling and becoming green takes time, energy and effort and we are all very busy. But, little by little if we all make an effort to help our environment, I believe our environment will in turn be a much happier host for its inhabitants, us!!