Building Healthy Communities

Well, it’s the end of another December, another year.  I just recycled my 2009 desk calendar.  Honestly, I’m never quite sure what we are celebrating when one year ends and another arrives, but for 2010, I’m going to try to really take advantage of this new year as the proverbial fresh start.  I’d like to share with you a few things I am committing to do  - because they will be good for me economically, they’ll be good for the environment and they will make me feel better about myself.  By making my resolutions public, I hope to also do a better job of sticking to them.

First, I’m not going to replace that paper calendar.  I’ve like being able to glance down and see the months laid out year after year, but it really is a waste of paper, let along desk space.  Besides, I think it makes me seem old to like information on paper - only the computer will track my days from now on.

Along the same lines, no more unnecessary printing and copying.  I tend to print e-mails to have the paper as a reminder (that’s what the little flags in Outlook are for, I know!) and to print documents to revise them, and I feel guilty even as I do it.  I resolve to read and comment on documents on my computer, and to make meetings paperless as well.  Whew - I already feel better on that front.

I will remember to get the shopping bags out of the trunk of my car and actually take them into the store with me.  Why is this so hard?  On the top of the pad I use to make lists (I know, there’s that paper again, but I have to start with baby steps) I have written “REMEMBER BAGS.”  I plan to copy this as the first item of every list (now I just have to remember to take the list into the store).

I’ll reduce my phantom load.  Sounds spooky, doesn’t it?  This is the electricity used by TVs, DVD players, computers, chargers and appliances when they off, but still plugged in and drawing a small amount of electricity.  By most estimates, this standby power usage accounts for about 10% of the electricity used in a typical home.  So I’m going to unplug all my charges when they aren’t actually charging anything, and I’m going to put my electronics on a power strip and unplug it when I’m done using them.  I’ll let you know if I can see a change in my electricity bill.

To paraphrase President Carter, I’m going to wear a sweater.  I’m always cold in our house; my husband is always hot.  We are going to set the thermometer to a cooler temperature this winter.   I’ll tell him I’m doing it so he’ll be comfortable, but we’ll know the real reason!

Finally, I’m going to plant a tree.  A tree that will grow for many years and give shade and protection to our home.  This summer, I think I’ll relax under its branches and think of the money I’ve saved by sticking to my resolutions.  I hope to be congratulating myself on a job well done, but check back in the next months and I promise to tell you how I’m really doing.  Wish me luck and Happy New Year!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 8:33 am and is filed under Healthy, Affordable Housing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.