Short Cuts to Green!
If You Tried Going Green and Failed

If you tried to go Green but couldn't, your Mountain Mom is here to show you easier ways to go Green. The idea is to adjust your lifestyle in small ways, and I have Short Cuts to Green that make a Big difference. Pick and Choose what to do...or NOT do. You can argue with me at Mountain Mom's Green Blog!

Choose Your Green Short Cuts: MOM'S GREEN LIST: Pick from these Green projects to get your Green Going. MOM'S GREEN QUICK LIST: The easiest Green List on the Internet, suitable for posting on the fridge. IF YOU JUST CAN'T GO GREEN: There's always a way. Here are your backup Green Short Cuts. WHAT'S NOT GREEN: A Head's Up on what to avoid. GREEN SHOPPING: Green Retailers that will help you or your friends find useful Green Goods. WATER SAVING SHORT CUTS: My collection of the most beneficial water savings. MOUNTAIN MOM'S GREEN BLOG: Share your successes and failures on the path to Greener pastures.

Air Conditioning: Get a programmable thermostat, close the curtains on the sunny side, try a "swamp cooler", sign up for power company "cycling".

Aluminum Cans: The aluminum industry gets huge savings when you recycle aluminum cans. It helps use less electricity and reduces the need for new power plants.

Appliances: Make sure your refrigerator isn't set too cold. Replacing even a 5-year old refrigerator helps, and kill the old fridge in the garage, check Energy Star ratings.

Bathroom: When you have a choice, use the bathroom with better flushing and better light more than others.

Be a "Green Advocate" Encourage your friends and family to go green,hand them a copy of this list or give them Green Gifts.

Beef: Eating less reduces the destruction of the rain forest.

Cars: Be realistic about what you really need, and which of your cars you drive. Older small cars have a smaller carbon footprint. Small improvements in mpg make a big difference in lower mpg vehicles.

Ceiling Fans: Cools you more than you think but don't forget to turn up the air conditioner accordingly.

Clothing: Make second hand stores your first choice for clothing, both for buying from and giving to.

Coffee: Switch to a "thermal" carafe, use a permanent filter, and dump the used grounds in the garden.

Compact Florescent Lights (CFL): Good for getting more light from lower-rated fixtures, they cost more but your local utility often supports a lower price at your hardware store.

Composting: It's a perfect way to keep your organic stuff from going to the landfill. The soil it provides helps you use fewer oil-based chemicals.

Dish Towel: Use one instead of paper towels.

Driving: Driving lightly saves gas, but so does driving slower overall. The faster you go over 45 mph, the worse your fuel economy. Consider Walking.

Dumpster Diving: Be the ultimate pro-active recycler.

Electricity: New big screen TV's use a lot more power and create heat. Go for a slightly smaller size and turn it off when you're not watching. It's not a good idea to use a big TV for "noise."

Fax Machine: Get rid of the fax machine and the paper, ink, phone line and electricity and that go with it. Get an Internet-based fax service like eFax or MyFax.com. You get a real fax number and you only print the faxes you need.

Garage Door: Close the garage door and keep from exposing less-insulated walls.

Grocery Bags: If you don't want to re-use them, save them and return them to the store once in a while.

Hot Water: Replace all shower heads with low-flow devices, avoid using the hot water knob when you just want plain water, add a hot-water tank timer, don't wash dishes before you put them in the dish washer, but if you must, use cold water!

Indoor Plants: Be really green and add a plant that "eats" indoor pollutants. Place plants near a sink and give them water you normally toss down the drain.

Inflate Your Tires: I have improved mileage as much as 10%.

Junk Mail: Sign up for your bills to be delivered by email or "eBill." Contact the Direct Marketing Association to get off both junk mail and email lists. "Opt-Out" to stop getting credit card and similar "pre-screened" offers, at (888)-567-8688.

Printing: print on the back of your computer print-outs, or look for your printer's "duplex" or 2-page feature. Do you really need to print every chart and every email?

Refurbished Products: Most items have as good a warranty as new.

Solar Heat: Opening the curtains on all the south windows on a sunny day. Make sure the sun doesn't shine on your refrigerator or your air conditioner condenser. Save on solar installations when there are government incentives, sometimes from your local utility.

Thermostat: Install a programmable thermostat and set it to 1 or 2 degrees lower (or higher). Then allow the family to turn it up (or down) using the thermostat's "temporary" function.

Trees (and bushes): Use them to shade the house, trees with leaves on the south, those with needles on the north. Use a shrub to shade the air conditioner compressor.

Walking: If you can't walk to the store, at least walk between stores. Extremely short trips are real car-killers and big polluters.

Water: Fix the leaks including in your sprinklers, replace a part of your lawn with something that only needs watering occasionally, try to only wash dishes in the dishwasher.

Wind Power. Pay that small additional charge per kilowatt to your local utility specifically for wind power and you get rid of Green guilt by just writing a check.