Earth Day Experiment

Being green is becoming more fashionable, but the movement as a whole is still fairly easily ignored in a culture that values convenience and the bottom dollar above all else.

I've always been attracted to the concepts of living simply, getting back to basics and going green. I read a lot about them, but it usually ends there. I'm guilty of looking for the easiest way to get things done, so the principles haven't often found their way into my daily routine until now. Starting today, I will be making a conscious effort to apply what I learn.

Inspired by Colin Beavan's year-long experiment chronicled in the documentary, No Impact Man, I knew I had to conduct an experiment of my own. And what better time to begin than on Earth Day? Today,  I publicly commit to gathering information about sustainable living and to apply as much of what I learn as possible to my family's daily living.

The goal is to push out of our comfort zone in order to see what changes we might be able to make long-term. But, I am realistically going into this knowing that we are not radicals and that not everything we attempt will stick. The project is more about finding "our own shade of green". Not all of us are called to be environmental activists, but everyone can take a look at their own lifestyle to see where changes should be made. Keeping myself aware of the problems and potential solutions is the first step.

Like Beavan, we will tackle topics such as conserving energy and natural resources, eating sustainably, and reducing consumption, waste and our overall carbon footprint. Unlike Beavan, we won't be giving up toilet paper. (That was my husband's biggest concern.)

Our foray in to the ecologically-savvy unknown should at least be entertaining if not informative. And in the end, we hope to have a clearer idea of how we fit into the bigger picture and what it means to establish our own shade of green.