Both of these things have slowly influenced me to take some short rides on the green bandwagon. Although I haven't completely transformed my life, I have picked up a few good habits in the past couple years. At first I was resistant to changing my ways, but it's really not that bad and there are definitely some perks.
For instance, today Alson and I went to the Dupont farmer's market. Alson's family prefers to support local farmers/businesses/etc. and I am sure they will be happy to hear that we are slowly integrating a little bit of their lifestyle into ours. At the market there was a huge selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and flowers. Obviously, everything is so fresh and usually organic, two pluses in my new green book. We came home with some string beans, corn on the cob, jalapeños, mozzarella, homemade oat & wheat pasta, ground bison, eggplant, and a bunch of zinnias (in our reusable bags). I plan on using the bison and jalapeños tonight for sloppy joes. According to wisegeek.com "Bison meat is very lean and has become popular in supermarkets. It contains far less calories and cholesterol than either beef or chicken. For example, bison meat contains 2.42 g. fat, 143 calories, and 82 mg. of cholesterol per 100 grams of cooked meat. By comparison, beef has 9.28 g. fat, 211 calories, and 86 g. cholesterol. Skinless chicken contains 7.41 grams of fat, 190 calories and 89 mg. of cholesterol". I have never had bison, but Alson really likes it so I have decided to give it a chance. I will report back on the taste after our dinner tonight.
We also recently bought some Clorox Green Works cleaning products.
We have the Natural All-Purpose Cleaner, Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and the Natural Bathroom Cleaner. They all contain plant-based ingredients, which (among other things) makes them smell so much better than traditional cleaning products. The Toilet Bowl Cleaner smells like limes, so it makes cleaning the bathroom a little bit more enjoyable. I used to have this Kaboom powder stuff that I would pour into the toilet bowl, and I would have to do this maneuver while pouring so that I didn't inhale any of the fumes. The first time I used it I did inhale, and I literally could not breath for 20 seconds and then had difficulty breathing for about 15 minutes. Ultimately, I like the Green Works products because they aren't slowly killing me as I clean. Here is a more complete review of the products from TreeHugger.
Any other simple, easy things I can incorporate into our life?
I haven't quite jumped on the bandwagon yet, though I probably should. I do remember to bring my reusable grocery bag to Whole Foods with me (where we buy locally grown produce), but that's about all I've got for you! I really need to hit up the farmer's market one of these days.
ReplyDeleteWe also bring our own reusable grocery bags when we go shopping. We also buy cage free eggs and try to support local farmers by going to farmer's markets. Every little bit helps!
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