Going Green' has now become a common phrase..........our comfort zone and putting up with a little inconvenience.

Going green

'Going Green' has now become a common phrase among people nowadays. 'Going Green means to be committed to protecting the natural resources in our environment. As awareness of man's impact on the environment is increasing, people are becoming more and more willing to practice cleaner lifestyles. Every action of ours has an impact on the environment. From the cars we dive, the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the purchases we make, they not only affect the environment, but they also show our attitude towards it. Going green does not necessarily have to involve high costs. It just requires us to make fundamental changes to our lifestyles. Realizing that every action and every decision we make is either going to help or harm the environment, my family decided to give environmental conservation a try. We knew that it was going to cause a little inconvenience but we knew it would save money in the long run. For a start, we decided to conserve electricity and water to reduce our utility bills. We have stopped leaving electrical devices like ceiling fans and lights on all the time. we also made sure we turned off the computers after we had finished our work. Mum even stopped us from opening the refrigerator too often as she claimed it would use up more energy. We left all our windows open so that the house would be ventilated and cool. When the weather became too hot and we had to turn on the air-conditioner, we made sure that it was on only for a couple of hours to keep the room cool. Mum used to wash clothes every day but she started doing the laundry only when there was a full load. She also recycled water whenever possible. The water used for washing clothes and vegetables was re-used for washing bathroom floors and the drains. Rainwater was harvested for aquarium use and of watering plants. Moreover, we made sure that we did not le the tap run while brushing our teeth or washing our hands. Dad, on his part, decided to carpool with a friend instead of driving to his work place as it was too far away. We rode our bicycles to run errands. Sometimes, when the weather was fine, we chose to walk. It gave us time to view and enjoy our surroundings. At the same time, it helped us save on petrol and parking costs while improving our cardiovascular health and keeping our bodies trim and fit. Reducing waste was more difficult than we anticipated. Whenever we went shopping, we brought along our own reusable bag so that we used less plastic bags. We also used food waste to make our own compost. The use of food waste as fertilizers eliminated the need to buy synthetic fertilizers. The manufacture of our own fertilizers ultimately led us to plant our own vegetables and greens. Every available plot of land was used to grow plants and soon our home was transformed into a garden home. The greatest reward for our green endeavors was not the significant savings we achieved in our utility bills. Neither was it the praise we received. It was when our environmentally and purse-friendly ways rubbed off on our neighbors and friends. they started carrying their own shopping bags and even started switching to reusable drinking bottles and food containers. they, too, like us have realized that we need not start off big. We need not take big steps like installing a solar power system at home or switching to a hybrid car. All we need to take are small steps and ensure that our lifestyles do not harm to the environment. With the collective efforts of every human being living on the planet, it would be easy to make the world a better place to live in. Environmentalists are constantly reminding us of the need to curb global warming and conserve our environment. While many of us realize the importance of this, we are just not practicing an eco-friendly lifestyle. Climate changes and other environmental problems are threats that can be combated if every one takes action. it is just a mater of moving out of our comfort zone and putting up with a little inconvenience.

Summary: The writer and her family decided to do their bit for the environment. They started by conserving electricity and water. They stopped leaving electrical devices on all the time. They turned on the air-conditioner only when necessary for a few hours to cool the room. Windows were left open o cool and ventilate the house. The writer's mother washed clothes only when there was a full load. The water used for washing clothes and vegetables was re-sued and rainwater was used for aquariums and for watering plants. the writer's father decided to carpool. They also recycled waste and made heir own compost by using food waste. They saw significant savings int heir utility bills. Their neighbors and friends have also followed their lead in going green.