It’s so easy to look at what has happened in the Gulf of Mexico and blame BP for the oil spill. That’s not saying that BP was not at fault because truly they are. It’s simply saying that we have drilled in very deep water for a long time without a large incident like this and have been really lucky considering the amount of drilling that has taken place as well as the risks and shortcuts that have come to fruition.

Those who have lived on the Gulf Coast for a long time have seen evidence of oils spillage over the years. There has been oil that has been recovered on the beaches and out in the ocean just never in the amount that we see right now and of course never devastated the wildlife and fisheries like this spill has and will. But we should have known something like this would eventually happen. Even though the oil companies have a lax plan for these occasions they knew it was possible because they had a plan. But it was always worth it so they could deliver oil to the American public as cheaply as possible. It just turns out that we will be paying for this cheap oil for a long time and the bill will be higher than we ever thought.

There are a lot of people who think that being green is difficult or time consuming. But I have news for them. Despite what Kermit the Frog may say, it is easy being green. Not only is being green easier, it is more practical as well.

There are plenty of things that people do that is an inconvenience for them and it is also bad for the environment. Buying plastic silverware and dishes is just one example. It costs you much more money to continue to buy more and more plastic dishes and silverware. And those dishes and such that you have used go straight to the landfill to pollute the earth.

There are plenty of other examples, such as using too much water when bathing or running the faucet too much when you are washing your hands or letting the hose just run water while washing your car. These things will increase your water bill. Also, leaving the lights on in rooms that no one is in can increase your electricity bill as well as burn coal that will harm the environment. Making note of these things is both good for you and good for the planet.

I’m an interior design student, and just finished up with my second course in lighting. During that time, we learned a little bit about this somewhat new technology. First of all, LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. What a diode is, I still don’t know, but what I do know is that these lights use less energy than even the currently popular CFLs. I even noticed on a recent trip to Costco, that they are using traditional shaped bulbs and filling them with these diodes so we can use this new energy-saving technology right in our own homes. Many of us have probably already used them during the holidays in our lighting decoration.

What is great about this technology is that they use less energy, are very compact so they can be used in more creative ways, and last about an average of 15 to 20 years. So if you bought a new house and changed the bulbs when you moved in, you’d likely never have to worry about them again – which is even better for those high and hard to reach without an extension ladder fixtures! There are a few considerations though. LEDs currently only come in two color temperatures – so make sure you know what you’re getting. You don’t want your warm beautiful living room to be lit like a hospital surgical room. Also, if you consider using LED under cabinet lighting, be mindful of the reflection of the diodes on your countertop. That’s not something you’re going to want to see.

Every once in a while you hear something that is so profound, so thought worthy that you have to give it it’s due. I have just returned from dinner with friends and one of them, who is very conservative and can give you good, valid, well thought out arguments for why not to get caught up in the environmental conversation, said he was going green. Well I almost coughed up my organic baby spinach salad! Of course, we all waited to hear his reasoning, or at least his concession that the environment is in fact being overrun by chemicals, etc. when he said; “If people like me go green, maybe we can then just all shut up about it.”

So here’s my thought; we need a new ad campaign that says something like this; “If you’re tired of hearing about going green then just do it; it will go away faster and you won’t ever have to hear about it or deal with it again”. You may laugh or scoff at the notion but I believe there are a lot of people who just want to get on with it already! If we all get together and just get it done and make it happen, we will also either prove or disprove the environmental impacts of the way we live our life. If you’re one of the people who would like the conversation to stop, then go ahead and go green!

If you are considering new floors this year for your home, take a few minutes and look into bamboo or cork flooring.  The prices are very reasonable and both are made from extremely sustainable materials and are just as easy to install as any other hardwood flooring surface.  You will find multiple selections to choose from as well as how beautiful these floors truly are.

Using products that are made from a sustainable resource gives you the comfort in knowing you are helping the plant in two ways; by not destroying much needed trees and making a sustainable product more cost effective to everyone who needs floors.  As more and more people us a product and the demand grows the price normally goes down.  The greatest thing about the bamboo and cork floors is how they look and the ease of which they can be cared for.

It seems these days that everyone is attempting to “cash in” on everything green.  It’s amazing at how many things really aren’t that green as well as how many things that are really green go unnoticed.  Just because an item says its green doesn’t mean it’s so.

You really have to do some research to make sure what you are doing are the best possible things to reduce energy costs at home and greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.  Some of the things we know work are changing your light bulbs to the new florescent types; keeping your filters cleaned and unplugging phone chargers, laptop chargers and anything else you are not using as it is still pulling energy if left plugged in.

It’s those other things that we all don’t know about that throw us.  It is good to get some information and benefits from both community organizations and/or the green community, both of which will need to depend on each other for mutual success.  We must be diligent and dedicated to cutting carbon emissions to secure our long history and continue our story.