Not sure if you’ve noticed, but the subtitle to this blog is “Confessions of a Reformed Consumer.” Well it doesn’t get much more reformed than this: just a few years ago I was longing for shoes, handbags, and lots of good STUFF for my birthday. Why a perfect birthday usually included a stop at Saks Fifth Avenue to buy something totally frivolous for myself. A Composter??? Growing up, I used to confuse the words “Compost” and “Compote” – I knew one was a fruity jam and the other was a stinky mess. In fact, I was so careful not to use the wrong word because if I said “compost” it would be like saying “toilet” or “sewer” (not that I didn’t already have a huge potty mouth back then, but I didn’t want to use this term in the wrong context). My main association with the word “compost” was with the disgusting pile of food garbage my mom would keep in the kitchen and periodically throw out in her vegetable garden as “fertilizer”. Yuck.

Boy have I changed my tune. It’s not that I don’t still find the concept of keeping food scraps around until they decompose repulsive, it’s that I find the act of creating unnecessary landfill waste even more repulsive. Plus, food scraps in landfills quickly decompose into Methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than Carbon Dioxide. While some waste facilities capture Methane to convert it back into energy, most do not. According to Zero Waste, Inc. “For every 1 ton of food scraps separated from the trash before it gets to the landfill, the equivalent of 6 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) is prevented from being released into the atmosphere.”

Yes, I live in New York City, and I really have no need for fresh soil or fertilizer, and I have absolutely no place to dispense of compost output, but I will find a way. A few months back, I read a review on composters in the Wall Street Journal – of all places. It gave the Nature Mill Indoor Composter a very good rating, especially for an urban environment. (Full disclosure: EcoPlum gets a small referral fee for any sales that result from clicking on the link I just provided). I got very excited about the prospect of being able to know I was doing the right thing with regard to food waste, and still keep my urban kitchen looking chic and smelling great. But the price tag was a bit prohibitive. So, what better time to ask my husband to splurge on this apparatus – MY 46th BIRTHDAY (which is next Wednesday, June 2nd – in case you wanted to know)!

So, Honey, all I want for my birthday is a composter. I promise it won’t bring bugs and smells to our apartment, and I will know that I am doing one more thing to reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Don’t get me wrong, I will probably still treat myself to a facial or some other pampering activity, but the days of shopping just to shop are over. Who thought I’d ever get there??

Buy Now from Gaiam.com

Every day I walk into Starbucks and get my Decaf Grande Americano in a personal cup. And every day Wendy asks me – would you like receipt? Not to pick on Wendy, she’s the best, but why would I want a receipt for my $2.67 coffee? No thanks, no receipt, I say. Most of the time the receipt gets printed anyway, gets ripped off and tossed away right in front of me. That’s silly.

When it comes to preventing waste, the whole paper receipt thing hasn’t caught too many people’s attention. Receipts just seem so small and harmless compared to, say, the plastic shopping bags you stick them in. And if I had to pick one battle to fight, the shopping bag wins. But the environmental cost of receipts should not be ignored. According to Alletronic, an electronic receipt software provider, 9,600,000 trees are cut down each year just to produce paper receipts. And to make matters worse, thermal paper receipts can’t be recycled because of the chemicals used in making them.

There are many things about my obsessive compulsive personality that have interfered with my quest to lower my environmental impact. From being reluctant to remove Clorox wipes from my cleaning routine to having trouble accepting the whole “if it’s yellow let it mellow” concept, I’ve had to call upon many years of therapy to change some of my more “neat and tidy” habits. So the thought of NOT getting a receipt for an ATM withdrawal was a concept that also took a while for me to warm up to. I was so anal, not only did I always used to get the receipt, but I would take it home and reconcile it against my bank statement. Call me a nerd, but it was my way of life before I became conscious of reducing the amount of waste I produced. So the first time I answered “NO” to the ATM’s “Would you like a printed receipt?” query, I have to admit I was a little nervous. What if the bank deducted the wrong amount and I did not have a receipt prove it, what then? Slowly I got over this irrational concern – realizing that in reality, if the bank’s records were incorrect, my one paper ATM withdrawal receipt wasn’t really going to help prove much. Scary thought.

But, OK, for those situations where a receipt does prove to be useful, such as a product return or disputed credit card charge, is the actual paper receipt at the point of sale really necessary? With all our iPhones and Blackberries and the like, couldn’t an electronic receipt fill the exact same purpose with a lot less waste? This recent post by software advisor Don Fornes makes a pretty compelling case for ditching the paper receipt. Please take a minute to take his poll about paper receipts. And please do make that coffee extra hot, but hold sugar and the thermal paper.

This past Saturday, I spent the day with actor Matthew Modine and 1,000 other parents, educators, students, vendors, facilities managers and community leaders at the Green Schools Alliance Resource Fair here in NYC. OK, I didn’t really “spend” time with Matthew Modine. Actually, I didn’t even talk to him and I arrived a little late for his presentation, but the point is that he and I and 1,000 other folks decided to spend a precious spring Saturday indoors, away from our families, because we all believe that school should be a place for our kids to learn about environmental stewardship in a safe, non-toxic facility.

The event was a mix of presentations, break-out workshops, and a resource fair with almost 100 exhibitors showcasing everything from “litter free lunch” materials to climate education to various schools’ green accomplishments.  What’s amazing is that many of these school greening efforts were spearheaded by parent volunteers who selflessly devoted hours and hours to working on committees, meeting with the school administration as well as the NYC Board of Education, decoding the maze of city bureaucracy, dealing with unions and associations, all so that our kids learn to be responsible citizens of planet earth while not getting exposed to toxic chemicals and wasteful practices at such an early age.

The speakers were all inspirational – I was so excited to hear Jamie Cloud of The Cloud Institute speak about the importance of teaching systems thinking, and to hear about Matthew Modine’s Bicycle for a Day program.  Steve Ritz’s stories of converting Bronx teens from craving “Crack to Cucumbers” through his urban farming program at school literally brought tears to my eyes.  After attending so many depressing presentations over the last few months in the wake of Copenhagen, it was heart warming to hear so much optimism and hope for our future.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that PS 166, where my daughter goes and my son went to elementary school, was presented with an award for winning the Green Cup Challenge for New York- a contest in which schools competed regionally to reduce their energy use over a month.  This was again due to the efforts of some unbelievably dedicated parents and a cooperative school administration.

What struck me the most about this event, in addition to the shear number of participants, was the interesting break down in the background of the participants.  While a large number of them were true greenies who have been fighting for the environment for decades, an equally large number were reformed MIGGs like me, only relatively recently clued in to the dangers that wasteful practices, processed food and toxic products have on the health of our children, ourselves and our planet.  This is an excellent thing to see, all of us working together towards the same goal, all of us getting our butts out of bed, missing brunch, baseball and soccer games in the park, and forgoing other Saturday happenings to secure a better future for our children and their children as well.

Wow, I had really worked myself into a tizzy by the end of 2009.  I was feeling disappointed about the outcome of Copenhagen, and, well, worried about the future of our planet.  Closer to home, I started to really take offense at all the waste associated with the holiday season.  Add to that the dismal  economy, and the fact that the sun started to set before my youngest child got out of her afterschool classes, well I was feeling pretty bummed.   Luckily for my family, and for you (were you getting sick of my rants?) I snapped out of it.  Not sure if it was the week I spent skiing in Vermont feeling closer to nature than is ever possible here in NYC, or the passing of the shortest day of the year mark, or the break from the school/work routine, but one thing is for sure – THIS IS A TIME FOR RENEWAL.

This is a time when we discard our failures and frustrations of the past year and start over.  So many of you have written to me about your attempts to live a more sustainable life and the obstacles you’ve encountered along the way.  You may have read about my attempt to participate in NO IMPACT WEEK only to throw up my hands and say – next time!  Well it’s OK – it’s time for a “do-over” – just like the line from one of my favorite movies, City Slickers, when Billy Crystal’s character tells Daniel Stern’s character that he gets to wipe his slate clean and start over.

So for all of you out there who want to renew your commitment to greening your life, GO FOR IT.  Let me help you, let all of us at EcoPlum help you.  Send us your questions, concerns, let us help you find resources, tell us what you would like to read about, to have us investigate for you, tell us what kinds of products you would like to access, think of us as your personal green trainers.  Let’s start by giving you a list of ways to start:

Here are 10 suggested Personal Sustainability Practices (PSPs) with some resources to get you started.  Make a pledge to take on one, or more, of these for 2010.  Or make up your own.

PSP #1: Stop buying plastic disposable water bottles.  Carry around your own reusable bottle in your backpack, briefcase, shoulder bag, or purse.

PSP #2: Stop using disposable plastic shopping bags.  Carry around at least one  Chicobag with you – these definitely fit easily into your pocketbook, briefcase, even pocket.

PSP #3: Recycle at home and at work.  Check out our “What do do with your stuff” page for where and how to recycle different types of materials.

PSP #4: Stop using disposable coffee cups.  Carry around your own reusable coffee mug.  Ask for a ceramic “for here” cup if you plan to hang around the coffee shop to enjoy your coffee.

PSP #5: Stop buying wrapping paper – use colorful newspaper, children’s art projects, reusable gift bags or cloth for your gifts.

PSP #6: Stop using disposable wrap and bags for your kids’ lunches.  Instead purchase reusable bags and lunch materials.

PSP #7: Eat less meat.  Reducing the amount of meat you eat can have a significant impact on the environment – methane from cows is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

PSP #8: Take public transportation whenever you are in a city.  Check this out for a guide of public transportation options in your city.

PSP #9: Ask yourself  “do I really need it?” when you are about to buy a new appliance.  If you do need it, make sure it is Energy Star rated.

PSP #10:  Stop using paper plates and utensils.  If absolutely necessary, buy ones made of recycled and biodegradable material.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful.  We are here to help you every step of the way.  Please share your PSP pledges with us.  And stay tuned for ways to measure your progress.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Hoping you find a good balance of  peace, happiness, contribution to society and personal fulfillment in 2010.

In honor of America Recycles Day, I am attempting to pull together a huge list of “What to do with your stuff.” There are many good resources for different types of recycling and freecycling out there, but I often find that I need to go to several different websites depending on the type of stuff I need to dispose of. So I decided to make a list of all the different ways to get rid of the things you no longer need while making sure those things get reused, recycled, or disposed of in a proper manner. I hope you will add to this list so it will be a wonderful resource for all.

Here we go, let’s start with the obvious, stuff that is collected by “curbside recycling” in your municipality:

Plastic Bottles, Glass Bottles, Aluminum Cans, Paper (Newspaper, Magazines, Printer Paper, Cereal Boxes, Cardboard, etc), Aluminum Containers, and some other plastic containers and aluminum and steel items. Earth911.com has a great tool to lookup what can be recycled in your neck of the woods.

But what about all those take out containers, all the plastic yogurt, cream cheese, butter, whipped cream “tubs” that, at least here in NYC, can’t be recycled through curbside recycling? I was SO EXCITED the other day when I discovered a collection box at Whole Foods for these types of containers through a company, Preserve, that makes products out of recycled yogurt containers and other #5 plastic. Yay! Check out where to find a drop off location for “Gimme 5″ near you!

Next, lightbulbs. Don’t want to throw them in the trash, especially those Compact Florescent ones (CFLS) that contain mercury. Where can I get rid of those? Well, Home Depot has a takeback program for CFLs, look for the big orange boxes in their stores. CFLS are considered “Special Waste” along with Car Batteries, Fluorescent Tubes, Mercury Thermostats, NiCad Batteries, Paint, Rechargeable Batteries, Transmission Fluid, Used Motor Oil, Used Oil Filters, and Used Tires. Again, check Earth911.com for your local Special Waste collection. Here’s the info for NYC Special Waste collection. As for regular old incandescent light bulbs, I have not been able to find any recycling resources. I did find one blog from 2007 that gave some ideas to reuse them for decorations, but that’s it.

Toys, oh those horrible plastic Toys. What to do with them? Well, of course there’s the local church or synagogue, thrift shop, etc. But I’ve been finding more and more that thrift shops no longer want toys. They just throw them away. Many of the holiday toy drives actually request NEW toys. There have to be kids out there that would gladly play with the Bionicle Castle my son outgrew or the puzzles my daughter got bored with! I was very happy to have found Second Chance Toys, an organization that collects and redistributes used toys to children in need. While it doesn’t serve the whole country yet, it looks like a promising organization.

Don’t throw out those shoes or soiled clothes! There are a few organizations out there that collect used shoes: Nike collects old sneakers and makes running tracks, basketball and tennis courts with the ground up parts! Shoe4Africa collects used shoes and sends them to Africa. Cool! What about clothes? We all know that lightly used clothing can be donated to your local thrift shop – but what about the stained clothing with holes in it – how can I avoid sending that to a landfill? Another awesome discovery (although only serving NYC for now) is wearablecollections.com. They will actually take any kind of clothing, shoes, linens, towels, hats and handbags – even if they are ripped or stained or whatever, and recycle them. How cool is that? I am so happy to no longer have to throw away my daughter’s ripped leggings – she always rips them at the knee and I never could give them away – until now!

OK – the last thing I will add here (for now) is how to get rid of EWASTE – computers, televisions, cell phones, etc. – it is a big problem and warrants an entire blog post, but for now here are my recommendations: the EPA’s Plug-In to eCycling program lists Retailers, Manufacturers, and Cell Phone Service Providers with responsible take-back programs. There are a lot of companies out there that collect and “recycle” ewaste, but be very cautious! The US Government Accountability Office reported that exported U.S. e-waste was often disposed of unsafely in countries such as China and India. Make sure the vendor is certified by E-Stewards – a certification program run by the non-profit Basel Action Network.

So, that should cover most of the stuff you want to get rid of. If all else fails, you can always FREECYCLE it.

Please, please, please add your resources to the comments section, to make this the BIGGEST EVER “What to do with your stuff” page!

It’s Blog Action Day today and the topic is CLIMATE CHANGE.

How cool is that (no pun intended)? About 10,000 bloggers around the world are talking about the mess we’ve made of our planet and trying to encourage individuals and world leaders to do something about it. Awesome.

Climate Change. That’s what the EcoPlum Blog is about – every day – so you’ve already heard a lot about what I have to say about this topic. Like how it’s not easy being green, how consumerism is so ingrained in us as individuals, how we are so wasteful without thinking about the consequences, how we can make small changes that collectively make a big difference, and how we are ALL responsible for conserving our limited resources. One of the ways to do that it to just STOP SHOPPING. That may seem strange coming from the founder of a green SHOPPING site. So I’m thinking of changing our slogan from “Where it Pays to Buy Green” to “If you have already exhausted all other options to re-use what you already have and you absolutely have to buy something, then buy it here and buy it green.” Too long?

I just read a blog by Chris Baskind on More Minimal that just stated this so perfectly that I wanted to share it with the world, or at least my subscribers…oh just read it…

Stop Shopping the Planet to Death

Well said, Chris. I just want to add the following. Next time you are out shopping or preparing for a party or even doing a corporate event, ask yourself these questions:

1) Do I REALLY need this?
2) Is there something I can reuse that will perform the same function?
3) If I do buy it, how long will it last, is it reusable, recyclable?
4) What else can I do with this money???

It’s been quite an adjustment for me – I like things all shiny and new and neatly packaged. I still am tempted to buy things like nice neat memo pads at Staples when I have plenty of free memo pads I’ve accumulated from hotels and giveaways. But I resist. Those hotel memo pads don’t look as neat on my desk as the color coordinated pack from Post It, but it’s a small sacrifice to make to save our future.

Much has been written about the difference between organic, natural, and non-organic foods. What do these labels mean? Is there a difference between “organic” and “natural”? Why should I care if my food is not organic? Are certain non-organic foods more harmful than others? Is it really worth the extra price and effort to find organic food, or is it just a big marketing gimmick? And what about Organic vs Local?

Well many of our subscribers may already know this stuff cold, so I’m not writing this for you (but I sure do appreciate that you are reading this!) I’m writing this for the “Organic Newbie.” Once again, I totally admit to only recently understanding why buying organic is so much better for me, my family and the planet (remember – I am a reformed MIGG). So here are 4 quick facts/resources that you will hopefully find helpful:

1) There is a huge difference between Organic and Natural. “Organic” is a certification, administered by the USDA. Organic products must be made from at least 95% organic ingredients, and have remaining ingredients that are approved for use in organic products in order to carry “USDA Organic” seal. Organic foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Organic foods cannot be produced using toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. There are only minimal guidelines on the use of the word “Natural” and there is very little oversight and no certification associated with the use of this word in food packaging. So, Organic = passed high standards, Natural = not so much.

2) Still why should you care? Well even if you are not concerned about the environmental effects of the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers on our soil, groundwater, animals, and general ecosystem, you may care about the effect of these toxins on the human body. How bad can it be? Well one of the interns here at EcoPlum once said to me that he would rather eat SH*T than eat anything that wasn’t organic. OK, maybe that’s a little extreme. But the link between pesticides and increased rates of cancer in children has been proven in over 20 studies. Another study by the National Cancer Institute found that farmers have elevated rates of several types of cancer that are associated with chemical exposure, including pesticides.

3) So, what if you can’t find certain organic fruits and veggies – is it OK to buy some non-organic foods? The Environmental Working Group has a great resource called the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. It lists the “dirty dozen” – fruits and veggies that contain the most pesticides, and the “clean fifteen” – fruits and veggies which are fairly pesticide free and OK to buy non-organic. It even comes with a handy cut-out wallet card for reference while shopping. I have stopped buying non-organic peaches/nectarines, apples, bell peppers, celery and strawberries. Who knew?

4) Local vs. Organic? We have a couple of good articles here at EcoPlum on this topic, so I won’t rehash it except to say that they are two completely different things. Buying “local” has to do with reducing the carbon footprint associated with transporting the food from point A to point B. Organic is about what goes into the food and what chemicals are released into the environment while producing the food. Both are important. But it’s like saying do I want a man who is smart OR handsome? Um, I’ll take both if that’s an option!

So that’s my dummy’s guide to organic. Let me know if you found this useful!

Thanks for all your input on experiences with going green. I selected the following Top 10 from your submissions:

#10 Rob Dorfman of San Francisco: Trying to take the bus to the airport only to find out that the bus does not accept luggage! I’m not kidding! See the “luggage restriction” on the samTrans schedule. MY SUGGESTION: I got nothing.

#9 LuAnn Glowacz of Austin, Texas: Trying to resist the temptation to “poison the house and yard” and cover my 3 year old with full strength DEET and “fabulously toxic anti-itch creams” after a summer of terrible bug bites. MY SUGGESTION: Try natural bug-repelling oils such as lemon eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil and lavender oil.

#8 Jennifer Taggart, www.thesmartmama.com: Trying to make my own dishwashing detergent only to end up with baked on spots on every dish - spots that were glued on like superglue and wouldn’t come off despite the most valiant of efforts with everything from scouring pads to Goo Gone. She had to re-purpose those dishes for art projects. MY SUGGESTION: I’m assuming you’ve tried this, but I have had pretty good results with Seventh Generation Dishwashing Powder.

#7 Mary Talalay of Baltimore, MD: Buying a manual lawn mower only to have my husband insist on following with “the exceptionally loud and emission-spewing blower.” Now she mows when her husband isn’t home and rakes and sweeps to keep that blower out of action. MY SUGGESTION: Throw out the blower and tell your husband to get a greener toy!

#6 Gloria Smith of Middletown, NY: Buying a bunch of reusable totes only to forget them every time I go shopping. This is a very common frustration. MY SUGGESTION: I’ve got two: first, keep all your canvas totes in one tote hanging on the front door or sitting in your car. Make it part of your routine after unpacking the groceries to fold up the bags and put them back on the front door or in your car. Second, get a couple of ultra compact foldable shopping bags, like the ChicoBag, and keep them in your pocketbook, gym bag, purse or man-bag. I always have three in my pocketbook, always fold them up and put them back after unpacking and can’t remember the last time I used a plastic bag.

#5 Judi Perkins, www.findtheperfectjob.com: Collecting bottles and cans at a funeral reception for recycling afterwards when “someone says to me ‘OH! You want the nickels!’ I’m like, ‘Uh, no, actually I just want to make sure they get recycled.‘ As if! At a funeral reception? Even if I was that hard up for cash, I hope I’d have better sense!” MY SUGGESTION: Keep up the good work Judi!

#4 Jan Jaso, thegreenthree.com: (Stay with me – this one’s a little complicated). Reusing ripped pantyhose by cutting off the leg with the rip on it and wearing two one-legged pairs and not realizing they were both control-top pantyhose and almost cutting off all normal breathing. MY SUGGESTION: As you note in your blog – go bare legged!!

#3 Jason Raddenback with www.chimneyballoon.us: Being told by the city to conserve water while the city’s answer to a report of a broken water fountain in a city park is “we turn that fountain on around memorial day and let it run until labor day.” MY SUGGESTION: What city is that, Jason? Maybe we can get a bunch of people to tell them how silly that is.

#2 Stefanie Seacord of Newfields, NH: Joining a farm coop only to drive 20 miles in an SUV 3 times and come home empty handed because the farmer had back problems and didn’t show up for work that day. MY SUGGESTION: Try to find a closer farming cooperative (and try calling to make sure the farmer is in before heading out)

And the number one frustrating experience with trying to go green:

#1 Amy Shanler of Sudbury, MA: Having all my reusable totes in the carriage of my cart at the supermarket and having them STOLEN from the cart while I turned my head. MY SUGGESTION: Don’t know what to say, Amy, that’s just wrong. I guess we can find some comfort in the fact that the thief is going green too!

What? Blasphemy! How can you say that, Gia? Isn’t the whole point of EcoPlum to make it easy and convenient for people to go green? Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, when we were starting EcoPlum in 2007 and brainstorming over a slogan, “Where it’s Easy to be Green” was high in the running. We ended up going with “Where it Pays to Buy Green” and I’m glad we did. The truth is, some things about going green are easy and some are not.

There are many things that are no brainers: turn off the lights, recycle, don’t idle the car, turn the water off while brushing your teeth – easy. Other changes may require a little bit of effort – remember to take your reusable bags with you when you go shopping, take shorter showers, print on both sides of the paper, turn in your old cell phone for recycling.

Then there are things that are a downright pain in the rear end: trying to find organic strawberries when the regular strawberries are displayed so prominently and attractively in the front of the produce section, resisting the temptation to buy shiny fun new school supplies for my kids when I know last year’s pencil case is still perfectly usable, and my favorite, running around town trying to find a place that has a water fountain or tap water after I’ve forgotten to bring my daughter’s reusable water bottle out with us – those “disposable” plastic water bottles are looking really good right now!

Joel Makower, executive editor of Greenbiz.com says in his blog that mainstream consumers won’t change their habits until green is the easier, better, no-brainer choice. I hope that is not the case. Have we gotten that lazy and self-centered as a society? I mean, we don’t just throw our garbage on the street, we make the effort to walk to the corner and throw it in the trash can. We don’t run red lights or cut lines at the movie theater just because we are in a hurry. So why do we not think twice before taking home our groceries in those horrible disposable plastic bags?

We need to get to a place where it’s just not acceptable to generate waste at rate at which we do, even if it is a little inconvenient. Kermit was right after all, it’s not easy being green. I chuckled when I read this post in Marketing: Green that says “behaving responsibly can be a pain in the ass.” But he is so spot on! I’d really love it if you would share your stories with us about some frustrating (and possibly comic) experiences in your journey to go green!

My hope, in writing this blog, is that I will be able to reach all the MIGGs out there. What is a MIGG? It’s me, 5 years ago, it’s most of my friends, it’s a lot of the parents in my kids’ schools, it’s the guy next door, it’s your average everyday person to whom the environment is just not a priority. Let’s say MIGG stands for these sentiments:

M – My actions are just a drop in the bucket!
I – I’ve got bigger issues to deal with right now!
G – Global Warming? – Not in my Lifetime!
G – Greenwashing is everywhere – who can I trust?

At EcoPlum, we try to address these issues. Not surprisingly, many of our fans and followers are true greenies, and I am honored that they find our site interesting. But they already get it – they have been trying to help save the planet for years. Not I.

Don’t get me wrong, I always tried to recycle and I thought I cared about the environment. Maybe some of you remember the television commercial where the Native American sheds a tear over some careless litter (I’m showing my age, aren’t I)? Well that really touched me – as a child I just couldn’t understand why people would choose to litter or pollute. But as I grew older and lived my life – I got used to the conveniences around me. I bought water bottles without even thinking about the consequences, I used detergents full of phosphates, I ate vegetables ridden with pesticides and I took really long car rides alone in my SUV.

Here I am (with my mother in law) just last summer in Cape Cod before I kicked the disposable coffee cup habit.

About 15 years ago, while visiting a friend in Eugene, Oregon, I noticed a sign in their bathroom: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow….” You know the rest. How gross, I thought – why would I do that? Now, years later, I have read a lot about the dire state of our planet and educated myself about the true scarcity of our natural resources, and I see things in a very different way.

I now realize that every thing I consume and every bit of waste I produce will end up somewhere on our planet – in a landfill, in the ocean, on a beach, in the atmosphere. There is nowhere else for it to go. Seems simple, but again, I didn’t get it. I’m not sure exactly when my “aha” moment was – it could have been when I read a blog by Nigel Savage of Hazon – in which he commented on how incredibly irresponsible it was to buy a bottle of water, use it once, and then throw the bottle away only for it to sit in a landfill for 700 years before it began to decompose. It could have been when I watched “the Story of Stuff.” Or maybe it was just when my son came home from school feeling scared about the effects of global warming in his lifetime.

Now I won't be caught dead using a paper cup - check out Starbucks' "for here" cups.

My point is, I have evolved, and so can others. I don’t mean to sound all evangelical or self righteous. I just know more now than I did then, and have made a choice to change my lifestyle. It’s not easy being green (but that’s the subject of my next post) – but it’s my responsibility. I hope all the MIGGs out there will follow.