I’d like to applaud you if you’re making 2011 New Year’s Resolutions to live a greener life, I really would.
But how many “resolutions” have you made over the years? And – be honest, now – how many have you actually kept?
The truth is,resolutions are as easy to abandon as they are to embrace. Yes, they’re noble. They may even be inspiring. But do they usually work?
No. They’re just too vague, too lofty; they leave too much wiggle room. And if there’s anything the planet doesn’t need more of, it’s wiggle room!
That’s why, rather than make resolutions this year, I hope you’ll consider setting a specific goal. Something not just to aim for, but to surpass. A benchmark. A way you can prove to yourself that you’re actually DOING something. Making a difference.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’d like that goal to be about how you spend your money. In fact, I’d like to encourage you to set a specific goal of shifting at least $1,000 of your normal household budget to the greenest products and services available: no-VOC paints, BPA-free bottles, energy-efficient cars or mass transit, organic food. You get the idea. The “green” version of what you buy anyway.
Why does it matter?
When we pay for goods, manufacturers pay attention to us. They have to. Consumer dollars are their lifeblood. So rather than fall prey to companies and the millions of dollars they spend to tell us what to buy, we can use our own dollars to tell them what to make – and how to make it. The more money you shift to to greener options, the more you direct manufacturers to reduce pollution, save energy and water, use less packaging, limit toxic substances, curb climate change, and protect natural areas.
Plus, our economic system is based on supply and demand. If you want the supply of greener goods to increase, your demand for them has to increase as well.
But there’s perhaps an even more important reason to shift your spending. The way you spend your money is your first line of defense. It’s the fastest, easiest way to guard both your pocketbook and your health. Not nearly enough laws and regulations are in place to protect us from the 80,000 or more chemicals circulating in our environment. The U.S. Congress still hasn’t been able to regulate the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change, even though 2010 may turn out to be the warmest year on record. Most food is still grown by big conglomerates that liberally douse their fields in pesticides and herbicides.
We can reduce our exposure to toxins significantly by buying the safest products available. We can save money by opting for more fuel efficient appliances and modes of transportation and reduce our carbon impact at the same time. We can keep our communities strong and thriving by buying food grown, not just organically, but locally.
So set a goal. You won’t be alone. Already, 6,000 people have started to make the shift, as part of the Big Green Purse One in a Million Campaign. If we get to a million (that’s OUR goal!), we can have a noticeable ONE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT in the marketplace.
Want to get started?
You can make the biggest difference by picking one commodity and shifting all $1,000 to it. Some of the most important options (and ones that should be readily available in your neighborhood as well as on-line) include:
____ Organic, locally grown food (Why? Reduce your exposure to pesticides.)
____ Energy-efficient appliances (Why? Help stop global warming.)
____ Phthalate-free cosmetics (Why? Protect your health.)
____ Fuel-efficient car or a really great bicycle (Why? Save energy, save money, reduce air pollution.)
____ Fair trade, shade grown coffee (Why? Protect rainforests and songbirds.)
____ Non-toxic cleansers (Why? Reduce indoor air pollution and limit your exposure to toxic chemicals.)
Alternatively, you can spread your spending among the variety of products and services that you need to manage your household, choosing as often as possible those that offer the greatest environmental benefits. You’ll probably find that you’ll end up shifting far more than the initial $1,000 you aim for. In fact, that’s the idea. You set a goal. It becomes a habit. And the more money you shift, the bigger impact you’ll have. Talk about getting the biggest bang for your buck!
Note: I’m not encouraging you to buy more stuff you don’t need just because it’s “green.” And there’s no question that we need to continue to pass and enforce strong laws to protect our health and the environment. But it would be irresponsible not to use the most powerful tool available to us individually – our purse or our pocketbook — to make the world a better place.
So, set your goal. First, join the Big Green Purse One in a Million Campaign. Read how people like you have reached their goals. Then use this free balance sheet to get started yourself. When you reach your goal, let me know so I can brag about you.
And remember: It’s not how much you spend, it’s how you spend it.
Happy New Year!
12 thoughts on “How about a Goal instead of a Resolution – Like Shifting $1,000 to Greener Products and Services”
The World’s Friendliest Paint.
I am following you on twitter because you are concerned with our world.
Here at ECOS we not only sell 100% non toxic products (if you ate them they would not harm you)but we also recycle our wash down water and use only recycled or recyclable packing.
ECOS Paints has been manufacturing and selling Top Quality, Healthy, Environmentally safe paints, varnishes and finishes in England for more than twenty years – since 1988.
We have the only complete range of water-based, 100% VOC-free, solvent-free, odorless and completely non-toxic finishes in the world.
Until this year, our products were solely manufactured in England but, due to the increase in demand from the USA and Canada, we have now opened a manufacturing and distribution facility in the USA.
Shipping throughout the American continent from our new headquarters in South Carolina, we have removed the exorbitant costs associated with trans-Atlantic freight making us cost competitive, even against traditional products!
Now you can buy our top quality paints and varnishes, including designer finishes and our range of special-application technical products, without compromising on any of the factors that are important to you and your clients.
To find out more about our unique range of products, please take a look at our new US-specific website: http://www.ecospaints.net
For further information, please email me here or, for more general information, at: enquiries@ecospaints.net
We may also be contacted at:
ECOS Paints
PO Box 489
Fairforest
SC 29336 or by telephone on: +1 864 595 3840
Thank you for taking the time to find out how we can work together, for the respect and well-being of your clients, and the health of our environment.
Sincerely
Christina Emptage
Vice President
ECOS Paints
ECOS The World’s Friendliest Paint
I love what you are doing here, and I blogged about it on my site. (I directly quoted a part from you I found particularly inspiring, please let me know if that is a problem). Here is the link, if you’d like to view it. http://greenertoday.blog.ca/2011/01/05/wear-your-big-green-purse-10307390/
Thanks for giving me somewhere to start from.
I love the reminder that you gave everyone—that it doesn’t matter how much you spend, but that it’s how you spend it.
Since I quit my career to stay home with my daughter 8 years ago, money is certainly tight. However, I will say this, once I made the commitment (especially toward organics), we find a way to make it work. Knowing what I have learned about safety and our food supply, I cannot backtrack to the days where we allowed our money to support conventional agriculture.
Thanks so much for your commitment to make a difference.
Grace,
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I hope you’ll join our One in a Million campaign. Let us know more about the kinds of changes you’ve made in your life and why they mattered. You can find the sign-up form at http://www.biggreenpurse.com. Happy New Year.
We use the terms “green” and “sustainable” to refer to products, services, and practices whose manufacturing, purchase and use allows for economic development while still conserving, for future generations. The components of our economy and quality of life that require natural resources and depend on nature’s services.Thanks for sharing your ideas.
I agree with you on making a change; I had the same goal for tha last few years. At first i didn’t know what they meant by organic foods because i thought everything is supposed to be organic; then I found out it was pesticides and chemicals that they used and the seeds themselves were different than conventional ones. I remember how hard it was to find organically grown produce couple of years ago in supermarkets. But now because of the demand, there is more and more products everywhere and it is getting cheaper by the day. I have been using non-toxic, organic chemicals for household cleaning because it is not bad for me or the environment that we live in. I am glad that these products are cheaper than they used to be.I agree that by using fair trade products, buying organic foods and cleaners we help others and the world we live in.
For sure I’m joining the One in a Million campaign. I have found some cute reusable cotton gift wrap and party / gift bags at affordable prices at http://www.re-uz.co.uk. Since then no more wrapping papers for me!!
A great way to start the year is to shift into greener products and services. One example of green products that can help benefit homes and vehicles is window tint. Hopefully this will be the year where everybody will take part on energy efficiency and going green. It’s very inspiring to know that more and more people are adopting green living. Another great green restoration for every home is with the use of window tints. While most window films are for reducing solar heat gain in the summer, low-e films both block summer heat and improve winter heat retention. Reputable site such as http://www.TintBuyer.com informs consumers about the relevant facts on window tints such as type of tints, quotations and will help you locate the best professional tinter near your area. Window tints are cost-effective, energy-efficient and definitely eco-friendly.
Some of us just keep them at home while other throw them in the trash which is not eco-friendly at home. Information stored in our old hard drives can also pose a threat to our privacy and this is why turning them over to facilities that handle disposing old electronic gadgets is encouraged.
A wide array of eco-friendly products that we can choose from, depending on our needs and preferences. The important thing is that we also make an effort, as simple as it may seem like that of shredding our used paper to be used for other pursposes at home or at the work, is evidence enough of our awareness that our planet needs our help.
It is not environmentally-friendly to just store your old electronic devices such as computers or cell phones. Before handing over your old computers, do not forget to completely delete your personal files for the protection of your information. If you cannot sell them, you may donate or drop them off to facilities that handle
e-waste. In this way, you no longer have to keep them in the basement or garage storage.
I also read a piece related to electronic gadgets that others might find informative at:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/05/cg-holidays-2007-recommendation-reproduct-greeting-cards/
‘Green’ products should be encouraged so that we no longer have to abuse what is left of our natural resources like that of trees just to manufacture more paper products which are just wasted. With the right closet or cabinet space, we can put our things in order and an eyesore can be prevented.
http://www.closetsnbeyond.com
Keeping things in order is not that difficult, especially if you have enough space to move around and put things in their proper places.
It does not matter if your living or working space is not that huge or if you have too many things that you need and you do not have room for them. Going ‘green’ is pretty popular these days, and I do hope that it remains this way for many years to come so that our future generations will come to appreciate the beauty and usefulness of our natural resources.
http://www.hamiltonbusinessinteriors.com
One way to prevent the problem with clutter is to have the right storage solutions as well as furniture appropriate to your living or working space. In this way, you will be able to maximize the whole area and it will look attractive and functional.
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