Wow, it's been a busy week! Last time I posted I promised to write more about Ed Begley Jr.'s keynote speech at the better Buildings Better Business Conference last week.The biggest point he made was that living sustainably doesn't have to mean living beyond your means. Quite the contrary - it's all about living responsibly, isn't it? (After all, the reason our world is so messed up to begin with is that we as a society have been living beyond our planet's means. We've behaved like a bunch of teenagers going nuts with their parents' credit cards - only it's our kids who are going to have to pay the bill, with interest.)
Going sustainable doesn't mean you have to spring right away for tens of thousands of dollars worth of solar electric equipment, or start buying high-priced organic clothing. Those actions don't hurt, and we can certainly aspire to them. But there are plenty of other actions we can take that are simple, easy to do, and will actually save us money. It's all about fiscal responsibility. "Save money on the little things," says Ed, "and you can afford the bigger things later on."
Ed calls them the "low-hanging fruit" - the cheap and easy stuff we can afford. "There's a wide array of things you can do that are really super inexpensive, " he says. Here are a few of his suggestions:
- Weather stripping your windows
- Installing an energy-efficient thermostat
- Bike riding when weather and fitness permit
- Using public transportation when available
- Home gardening and composting
"Do it cheap. Do these things today and you will save money. I guaranteee it!"
It's the same kind of stuff I try to write about every week here on Living Green. (So stay tuned for a steady trickle of ideas!)
Find out more about Ed Begley, Jr. at http://www.edbegley.com/.
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