Green Gal

Education should have been my first tip--it is by far the most important thing to combating global warming, shrinking your carbon footprint, and learning to appreciate and respect the Earth. First, educate yourself. Search Google, get e-newsletters from valuable organizations like Sierra Club , National Geographic , and the Center for Biological Diversity . Read books with information about what is going wrong with the way humans treat the planet, like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Pick up a book that will show you the beauty and fragility of our planet, or watch something like Planet Earth , which shows the diversity of our planet and gives you a picture of how the many living things on Earth can easily be destroyed with the warming of the Earth and the destruction of the ozone layer. If you have never gone camping, spent an afternoon outside in a field, gone on a hike, or climbed a tree, chances are you don't understand the value of

Showers can be luxurious and relaxing and, every once in a while, are fine as long indulgences of water-waste. But you don't need that water running the entire time you're showering every time you shower. Turn on the water, get yourself wet enough to soap up, and shut off the water while you shampoo your hair. Turn it on to rinse, and you're done. Think about how much water you're saving! Once you get used to the "navy shower," taking long, luxuriating showers is a nice treat. --- I am only one, but I am still one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. --Edward Everett Hale

All over the internet you can find tips to "green" your lifestyle. They're all useful, but some just aren't feasible for teens and children; many of the things in our lives and homes we don't control and many times parents don't want to change, can't afford to, or just don't care. I consider myself pretty environmentally friendly. I have the right mindset for making a change in my own life to leave less of an global impact. Education is key, and I want this to be a place where I can both share my own tips and help to remind myself of the things I need to keep in mind each day. It will be my own personal green tips guide for teens and children (and adults who want some simple things to do to make a change). Start minimizing your impact! Green Gal Tip #1 Hold the Straw Starbucks, diners, nice restaurants, McDonalds, and other places that serve drinks are to blame for an unnecessary waste of plastic: the straw. Straws are fun to blow bubbles with, and com

Green Gal is a writer, mama, organic gardener, educator & consultant with a mission to support initiatives connecting people to place, nature, community, and self. Cultivating change through storytelling since 2009.