What Can a Bunch of Seniors Do to Save the Planet?
Just in: Two thirds of Americans believe we’ll have to make major lifestyle changes to save the planet.
I save the planet every day by refusing plastic bags in stores, and I never drive if I can walk. I have a good friend who refuses to use bottled water. And another who recently replaced all the light bulbs in her house with florescents. But there’s so much more we all could do!
So I logged onto Facebook and asked my fellow seniors: What small thing or things do you do every day to save the earth? They shared some great ideas:
Not only do I refuse to use plastic bags, but I guilt trip shopkeepers who offer me plastic bags. It’s not making me popular!
I recycle everything I can.
We compost.
I’m vegan. It’s by far the best thing any human being can do for the planet.
I take super-quick showers. I once read that Jennifer Aniston does this too. (Go Team Jennifer!)
My hubby and I shower together. (To save water! Honest.)
No paper towels! Ever.
I pay my bills, get my bank statements and pay my taxes online.
I’ve got the brownest lawn on the block because I just can’t justify watering grass every day.
I replaced the grass on my front lawn with rocks!
I turn off the light when leaving rooms and turn the thermostat off when I leave the house.
When it’s cold outside I keep the thermostat at 60 and dress in layers.
I pride myself on using up everything in the fridge. I detest throwing out food. I learned this from my mother, who lived through the Great Depression.
We drive an electric hybrid car.
I use a drying rack or clothes line instead of a dryer.
We never buy packaged food.
I refuse to buy anything that is overly packaged.
I buy things made from recycled materials if I can.
I shut off the water while I’m brushing my teeth.
When it comes to flushing? “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
I buy all my clothing (except underwear) from thrift shops. Not only is it good for the earth, but it supports the charities that run the stores
Inspired, I’ve decided to challenge myself to add as many of these strategies as I can to my own routine.
Here’s a challenge for you. Adopt at least one of these habits yourself. Then, if you’re doing something that isn’t on this list, share it with us in the comments section (scroll way down). Finally? Share this post on Facebook or Twitter. Or email it to a friend.
Can Senior Planet save the planet? Let’s find out!
Roz Warren is the author of “Our Bodies, Our Shelves: a Collection of Library Humor.”
Interested in personalized content? Sign up for free
Create an account and join our vibrant community to get reminders on classes and unlock a more personalized experience.
Comments
I have made my side yard and backyard into raised beds and grow most of my own vegetables in season. Living in the PNW, I can use row covers to extend the harvest through the winter. I buy mostly organic and shop the perimeter of the grocery store, avoiding the heavily plastic-packaged and processed items.
Good Work, keep it up, and so will I
I recycle everything by passing along books, magazine, household items and clothes to family members & friends. I encourage them to do the same. I remind all of my neighbors about recycling.
While individual actions are laudable and somewhat helpful, it’s important that seniors (1) educate themselves on the larger issues re climate change (e.g. the effects on the world’s poor, the low-lying areas of the world, the ocean, the animal species, etc.) and (2) be a visible presence among groups that are pushing governments to take major action on climate change (e.g. 350.org). Young people – who, unlike us, will have to live with this uncomfortable future we are bequeathing to them and their children and grandchildren – feel heartened when they see gray- and white-haired people showing up at their rallies, especially if those seniors have a grasp of the magnitude of the problem. Btw, while it’s important to read the books that paint the total doom-and-gloom scenarios (which, unfortunately, are not entirely unrealistic), we should also be reading books that suggest possible solutions. There IS hope. We just have to get our governments in gear NOW. (And not complain when they do things that make us less than happy – the future is likely to be more constricted than the spendthrift world we grew up in.)
I am impressed. I feel like I should do the same in Japan. I am 60 years old and thinking about the coming 10 years from now. I am self-employed and want to continue my profession on Internet Biz. I have several old note pc which are siting on my desk not used. I was thinking of throwing them away but I am thinking twice.
There may be people who want to use them but not enough money to buy PC. I have so many unused old staff which can be used for needies.
Goyat from Yokohama, Japan