The color green is associated with the colors of the natural environment, therefore “going green” is the movement of being as environmentally friendly as possible.
At this point in time, the planet is experiencing a climate change as a direct result of human activities. This is referred to as global warming. When we burn coal and oil to create energy in electricity plants, drive our car to work, or even burn natural gas to heat our homes, we release toxic gases into the atmosphere. These gases go through a process commonly referred to as “the greenhouse affect” where heat from the sun is trapped between the earth’s surface and these gases. With the immense quantity of gases being released, this process is expedited and thus the earth is heated more quickly than is naturally intended, leading to problems like flooding and drought. Other issues facing our planet involve pollution of clean water sources, excess waste in landfills, air pollution, etc.
The idea behind this movement of “going green” is to minimize the impact you have on the environment. A lot of these changes are occurring because of things the common individual cannot control, however, every person working to decrease their impact on the environment makes a difference.
One of the most widely practiced forms of “going green” is recycling. Nearly every plastic container can be recycled, as well as aluminum cans, cardboard, and glass bottles. In regards to using less energy, many people have purchased CFL’s (compact fluorescent light bulbs) which can use up to 90% less electricity than a standard lightbulb, installed energy star appliances (use substantially less energy), and refrain from using electricity at unneeded times. Water pollution and overuse are also very pertinent issues. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests showers should take no longer than five minutes, lawns should be watered in the morning or at night (to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation), and sinks should be turned off while brushing one’s teeth.
These are just a few examples of things that can be done to help the environment. Other ideas of how to become more environmentally friendly and “live a greener life” can be found online at: http://simplemom.net/tips-to-go-green-at-home/
