Granola Thoughts...

So lately I've been doing some research about "going green". My household already does the obvious ones, recycling and cloth diapers and such, but I've been compiling ways to go farther. Replacing all of our current energy hogging bulbs with CFLs, insulating our water heater and pipes, weather proofing the doors and windows, learning how to compost - things that are relatively easy but make such an impact in the long run.

It's ironic how buying earth friendly products, much like buying healthier food at the market, is more expensive than the usual alternatives. However, long term costs far outweigh the initial investment, much like cloth diapers. Our family spent almost one hundred dollars every month on disposable diapers. Our upfront cloth cost was right at five hundred, which means in five months we'd already made up the difference. Between the two kids, we still have at least a year and a half of diapers, which means we will have saved, at a minimum, $1800 dollars. Quite the difference! Most green products put money back in your pocket in the same way; the new light bulbs are about eight bucks apiece. That seems exorbitant next to the box of four that costs two, but when you realize that each bulb cuts down on energy consumption (saving you money on your electric bill) and lasts for 10 years (a big savings considering those cheap ones last only a year or so, and that's if you're lucky), then the savings really do pan out.

I am adding a new label into my posts, "Going green", which will document my family's change into a greener way of living and the products and ways in which we accomplish it. Every generation brings us closer to utterly destroying this planet, and too many have the mind set that it's not their problem. It's small steps that save so much, I read a fact this morning that said if just one household simply recycled their newspapers, we'd save 250,000,000 trees annually. Baby steps toward a giant step for this planet!