From Sammie:

Five Ways to Go Green Gently

            “Nope! Not me,” Sarah said. “I’m concerned about the environment, but I’m sure not ready for the whole Walden Pond experience!”

            Sarah and I had just watched a TV documentary about a family that moved to a small cabin in the woods, forsaking electricity, processed food, and a car. We watched as they washed their clothes outside in a large, black kettle and prepared meals on a wood cook stove. Certainly that family was making major changes in lifestyle to protect the environment.

            Our conversation quickly moved to another topic. Do Christians have a special responsibility for caring for and preserving creation? Matthew Sleeth, in Serve God, Save the Planet, contends we do. “Let us keep in our heart this thought: God created the earth, and if we do not respect the earth and all of its creatures, we disrespect God.”

            “I want to do my part, but I just want to do it a little more gently,” said Sarah. “Definitely not the cabin in the woods!”

            Knowing that landfills are overflowing with plastic which will not disintegrate for hundreds of years and that America burns huge amounts of fuel, how can we individually make a difference? A gentle difference, that is.

            Here are five suggestions:

1.      Stop junk mail. Go to: www.ecocycle.org for instructions about how to stop direct marketing flyers, credit card applications, and various other types of junk mail. More than 100 million trees were sacrificed to make the 109 billion pieces of junk mail produced in 2009. Stopping some junk mail may take placing phone calls to various stores or organizations that target your mailbox.

2.      Stock up on reusable, fabric shopping bags. Every shopping trip means you come home with one or more plastic bags which a few days later end up in a landfill and take literally hundreds of years to disintegrate. Purchase a few inexpensive reusable fabric bags, keep them handy in your car,  and take them with you on your next shopping trip.  

3.      Adjust the thermostat. Rates vary across the country, but the general rule is that you’ll save approximately 3% on your power bill for every degree you adjust the thermostat. For a change of only three degrees, you could save almost 10% on your fuel bill and have a positive impact on the environment, as well.

4.      Catch the water. How much water goes down the drain while you wait for cold water to run warm or hot? A lot! Keep a gallon jug handy in your kitchen and bathroom. Catch that cold water and empty it into your clothes washer. You’ll have a head start on the next load of laundry and conserve huge amounts of water.

5.      Buy recycled toilet paper. It takes 27,000 trees to produce the amount of toilet paper used around the world every day! If your family buys recycled toilet paper rather than virgin-fiber tissue, you’ll save an entire forest in no time. While we’re talking about paper, go ahead and give up paper towels and paper napkins. Think of all the trees that have been cut just to make paper that we throw away after one use. Instead, use kitchen towels and cloth napkins.

Making a difference is easy. Start with one of these suggestions. Next month, try another. Gentle does it!