Going green ...

So many of you read my post earlier in the week on going green and helping out our environment. I have taken a few baby steps myself and feel good while doing them even though one is kinda gross and Aaron is refusing to do it!!!!

I have never even considered doing anything for the environment. I'm not sure why I have never taken the time to sit down and figure out what my family and I can do to help, but we never have. I think growing up I heard many people say things like, "We don't need to worry about the earth because Jesus is coming back soon". I bought into this for years and now I'm not buying it anymore. It is almost like saying that we don't need to eat healthy or exercise because Jesus might come back soon and we'll have a new body in heaven anyways. Doesn't make sense does it?

I am now thinking that I should do something to help. I want to teach my children to take care of our house, our community, our country and our world. What is wrong with that? What is wrong with instilling a sense of service in our kids? I am now vowing to try to do this more.

I will be honest this is not easy. It is a matter of changing your whole outlook on everything. It is about taking time to think about things that matter. Taking time to shop for items that are environmental friendly. It means doing things a little different to make a big difference.

My small steps this week have been to purchase a few cleaning products that are better for our environment. Here is what it says on the back of my new all-purpose cleaner - If every household in the US replaced just one bottle of 32 oz. patroeleum based all-purpose cleaner with our renewable resource based product, we could save 7,100 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 400 U.S. homes for a year! Then on the back of my new dishwashing soap it says if every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 25 oz.petroleum based dishwashiing liquid with our 25 oz. vegetable based product, we could save 81,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 4,600 U.S homes for a year!

Those statistics sound good to me! It makes me feel as though I am making a small difference. I will buy non-toxic and biodegradable products from now on. Yes, they may be a tad bit more expensive, but it is really not much and it is helping the earth.

My next BIG step was different diapers. YES I was moved by the fact that it takes up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to biodegrade in a landfill. Wow that is just one diaper. We use at least 4-6 a day just in our home. Aaron asked if it really made a difference for us to switch some of our diapers. YES that is the point ... we all have to do our part. This is hard for me, but so far in two days I've saved four diapers from going in the landfill. I don't use them at school or church, I wouldn't do that to Little Boy's teachers! So far the poopies have been VERY gross and honestly it made me want to quit them all ready! BUT we'll keep going. If you have kids in diapers please go visit this site. I'm not pushing you to do this, but at least check it out. No I haven't given up disposable diapers, but I will vow to cut back on the amount that I use and put into our landfills! Check out gdiapers