Don't believe the hype?

With all the recent hype about "going green," buying organic, buying local, things that cause cancer, things that don't cause cancer, products good for your health, the skin, body, and hair, ways to stay youthful and boost your sexual health and everything else that you can think of that has been all over the media nowadays, I'm going to attempt to break these things down for those who feel like they can't quite keep up. So look out for the next series of post that will address the "hype."


GOING GREEN

Going green basically refers to any task or consumer choice that allows you to help out the environment. Lately many high profile people and celebrities have helped the term become popular like Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore . Many scholars of this age are banging their heads together to think of ways to preserve, restore and improve our natural environment and the biggest effort of them all is figuring out ways to conserve or reduce the use of natural gas.

So what's all the hype about? This isn't new...what makes saving the environment so popular now?

Well if you notice over the past few years, several events have happened that should make us very concerned such as a growing number of forest fires, rising seas which have caused huge catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and Rita, the melting of massive glaciers, the disappearance of 125 lakes in the Arctic and the alarming decline of bees, yes bees! Those little insects that pollinate plants and the food that we need to live.

How can you be more green

• Recycle, even if you don't live in an area or city that recycles--try to find a local recycling plant.


• Other ways to recycle: reuse your grocery bags or either buy canvas bags. Recycle your old clothes--cut those old jeans into a skirt, make that old tee into a halter.


• If you don't live too far from work, walk or ride a bike.


• Use public transportation.


• Try to buy locally grown produce--go to your local farmer's market and make sure you read the labels that specify where the produce was grown.


• Turn off your lights more often, throw out that air conditioner and turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth.


• Take showers not baths.


• Eat leftovers.


• Stop using plastic--although glass mason jars are heavy they're also great storage containers.

• Talk to your local elected officials about making your city greener--advocate!