Going Green, Anyone?

That chair is far too comfortable for my own good. A green chair, green pants, green socks, green stripes on my shirt, even a green lampshade and green coasters! How much more green can I get?

I've spent the majority of my working years in jobs which kept me outside, even a few years of school which often had me outside. I've worked in everything from basic landscape maintenance, ornamental horticulture, retail nursery, pest control and large tree care to lakes, forests and uncontrolled natural areas. Because of this I've developed a respect for the environment, an understanding of how it can be affected and knowledge of what can happen when it's abused in ways from which it can't fully recover. I've seen the effects of change and abuse with my own eyes.

Lately it seems that everything you see or hear about the environment is bad. Toxic air and drinking water, poisoned oceans, contamination from nuclear waste dump sites, global warming altering the planet's weather patterns, animal species endangered or going extinct, the list goes on. I can't even remember the last time I saw or read anything positive about the state of our planet and it's diminishing ability to continue supporting life.

If all of that sounds familiar it's because it was in my previous blog entry but it fit better here so I moved it. I'm like that. Anyway, I'm curious if anyone out there is doing anything to reduce their own environmental impact. For my part, I use the most energy efficient settings on all of my home appliances. I've switched most all of my regular light bulbs over to more energy efficient compact fluorescents. Outdoor lighting and the pool filter are on timers. I recycle as much as I can and compost what I can to reduce landfill waste. I've made up my mind to buy an old fashioned reel type mower (no engine), and yes I'll actually use it. I've even cut down on water usage, watering the garden only when necessary and trying to plant more drought tolerant plants.

So who out there is attempting to be more green, and who just plain doesn't care? Inquiring minds want to know.