Well, I got onto a roll with the last "Start small, think big" article, so I figured I'd follow it up with some more ideas.
Today, I'll talk about going "Green". It seems like the first thing everyone tells you to do is buy a set of solar panels, and install them in your house; or else you are just "Talking the talk". That's some BS.
I suggest you start small here: Separate your trash. Don't put metal, plastic, cardboard, and corrugated paper in your trash can. The City of Buffalo gives you a tote that is almost the same size as your garbage totes. Use them!
And, if you are like me, you still have your blue totes. Put the blue tote in your kitchen. Rinse your cans and bottles, and drop them in the bin. Emptied a cereal box? Drop it in the blue bin. Every couple of days, empty it into the green totes. Don't have your blue tote anymore? Just get another garbage can, and mark it "Recyclables".
Another small thing that a lot of people here can do is instead of driving into work every day, take the bus. You still have a car for those nasty weather days, or days when you have to do errands; but by and large, you get into a car, drive to work, it sits all day, then you drive it back home. You've commuted 20 miles, and burned a half gallon to a gallon in gasoline to move a single person.
Taking the bus frees up space on the roads, spends a fraction of gasoline per person, and many times, you'll be on a hybrid bus.
I've been doing this for a couple of years now. I've saved a lot of money, and it gives me a "Good Feeling" that I'm doing my small part. And, here's a little secret: You can catch up on a lot of reading during that commute. Or, catch up on movies in your Netflix Instant Queue.
The key here is start in small steps. Don't plunk $30K down for a solar install first. Make small steps. Then, gradually work up to larger items.
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