What's the 1 green thing on your new year's resolution list?

I like Leah's idea of removing my estimated contribution to the ocean's garbage (500+ lbs). I live near a beach in Mexico and see plenty of trash every day... last year I probably removed at least 50 lbs of garbage... I can do better than that this year!

Last year I made a resolution to stop using the dryer and let the abundant sun and wind here in the southwest do the job. It only takes an extra ten minutes or so and I've come to love the process of hanging the clothes, the smell of them after they are dry...the lower energy bills are icing on the cake. I'm also eating more local food - local fish and organic produce in season, as much as possible. Finally, I have cut way back on my shrimp intake, this is big for me as shrimp is one of my all-time favorite foods... so I will keep weaning myself off of them this year.

For this year, cut fossil fuel intake by 50%.

I've been struggling to come up with one really, really good thing good thing ... and while I figure out what that is going to be ... I have already given up paper coffee cups, plastic lids, and am committed to re-using ziplocks (when possible). But I am aiming way higher in 2010, and will definitely do more than just that.

I will run outside and spray aerosol into the air on a daily basis. I want beach front property.

This is my 1 green thing I would like to accomplish this year:

An environmental/political website, an Organic revolution aimed at solving our Agriculture system, climate change and stopping the chemical contamination of our soil and water.
Focusing on reforestation, halting deforestation, pressuring for alternative energies and creating a just economic system for all.

As a non profit organization, a people's movement, we will STAND TOGETHER and change this reality.

My vision is strategic and only wants to focus on the highest priorities.
For example:
Campaigning to label GMO food can be good, we have the right to be informed but it is not wise.
It might take years to achieve that and ultimately GMO food will still be there destroying our Nature and health.
The focus should be exclusively on eliminating GMO altogether.

I was seven years old when I first dreamed of changing the world and make it a better place.
Now, I want to make it come true, with my art one day but internet can do this right now.

Information and people's awareness gets bigger by the minute and action is only a few steps away.

I can't help but thinking of Mother Teresa's words right now:

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."

Happy new Year to all!

being green is cool but climategate should prevent the carbontax scam

I need to find a recycling center, and visit it regularly... that's my resolution, that and try to buy less things that come in metal or plastic... I can visit the farmers market as much as possible too, that might help. I already have a garden most of the year and have a compost pile.... I think I need to try worm composting again, some how I messed that up and well the worms didn't do to good...

I'm going to start a tool library in my neighborhood. Hey, why not take this whole green project up a notch - do something that's good for the planet AND empowers others?

wrote it on green paper...recycled green paper

I'm changing my diet which I think will help me in my green goals as well as health and weight loss ones. Basically the ideas are simple: Eating locally, cutting my meat consumption significantly, swearing off fast food and growing my own food (my garden last year was a terrific failure but try, try again!) ... I think these types of changes will have many green implications for my lifestyle. I live in an area with a lot of farms so I hope to make some pods about them for the Act Locally group. Good post! Good luck, everyone, in your New Years Resolutions!

Not to eat shrimp and to go plastic free for a month!

perhaps that would be a great way to reduce the population.

Smoke more weed

1. get some weed
2. smoke it

A couple of things, actually!

1) Start reducing my usage of plastics, including prepackaged food containers.
2) Start a garden on my boyfriend's plot of land and grow our spring, summer and autumn foods.
3) Use the BeachBody Insanity workout program I got for Christmas to reduce the weight of my carbon footprint ;D

Usually I don't like making resolutions, but these are things I've started doing/interested in doing long before the New Year was upon us.

my one green thing: stop shopping at mega-stores.

in order to accomplish this: i will need to figure out what i NEED vs. what i WANT when i go shopping. i will need to decide on a better way of preparing my meals. and best of all, i will finally be able to have a real reason (one that's green) to stop buying useless material objects that serve no purpose, i.e. iPods and candy from checkout lanes.

some of the benefits: i will be able to support small shop owners that offer a more unique variety of foods for my Vegan lifestyle. i will be able to shop at various ethnic markets. i'll finally have a reason to try that homemade tofu at the asian market down the road!

let's see how easy this is. and when i find out, i'll be able to post a great, "why didn't i do this sooner!?" blog entry.

cheers,

Rounder

The one green thing I hope to follow though with this year is plant an urban garden in my front yard. Also, I would like to use bamboo flooring through out my home.

i am already pretty green, although i could probably use the bus less and skateboard to my destination...

Leah,

I will try to find out the answer to the first unless someone else beats me to it. As for the second, try out community organizations through your City Hall. Even schools sometimes have events where they gather to clean up shorelines of plastic and garbage. I joined my son a few times through his schools to do shoreline cleanups. As for mine, I did try last year to bounce the idea of a CSA in my community. However, there is much political red tape that would have to be cut though I am not giving up entirely. I have even staked out five potential sites for the farm and hope to bring it up to my Mayor this coming year as people in the community I have talked to about this had positive responses about it. I am also going to try to put together an event calling for labelling of foods with GMOs.

Just to add: I did read that 1.5 million tons of plastic are used just to make water bottles yearly. That should give some idea as to how much we throw away yearly besides the water we are exploiting for profit.

Ok~ so my 1 green thing on my new year's resolution list is to remove the plastic/garbage that I am personally responsible for that is in the ocean. True confession is that this was what I set out to do last year~ but only got as far as getting my diving certification. :)

Next steps include:
+Finding out how much garbage each American is responsible for adding to the ocean
+Discover organizations who are doing clean up efforts and train divers
+Identify locations that are most in need of clean up
+Go do it, and document it!

If anyone can help out with the top two, I would be most appreciative!

Rid the world of fossil fuel, nitrogen and pesticide intensive, GMO monoculture agriculture in order to heal our soil, our water, sequester carbon, conserve forests, and bring real food access to the hungry in our world. Hey, you said dream big. ;-).