Teaching kids to be green...leading by example

Raising environmentally-conscious kids isn't as difficult these days as it used to be. After all, it's cool to be green...despite the "I poo in blue" ultra-cool kid rockin' his disposable diaper. While you may spend a considerable amount of time teaching your little ones about recycling, not littering, etc., there is one thing you probably do, without thinking about it, that is sending your kids the wrong message.

What is it? Well, it has four wheels, two or more doors, a radio, CD player and possibly a DVD player or two.

You're not going to ask us to give up our cars now, are you?
Relax. Of course I'm not going to ask you to do that. But I am going to ask you to reconsider how many times you pile the kids in the car and drive them here, there and everywhere. Are all those trips necessary?

Let's start with school. Do you drive your kids to school? Why? Perhaps you drop them off on your way to work. Okay. Perhaps you only do it on rainy or snowy mornings. Okay. Perhaps you do it because they whine about having to ride the bus. Not okay. If there is a bus transporting children from your neighborhood to the school, consider saying no to the personal chauffeur service your kids are accustomed to. Why can't they ride the bus?

If you care about the environment and are trying to teach your kids to do the same, tomorrow morning's a good time to send them off to the bus stop! And you can tell them I told you to do it...I don't mind if their anger is directed at Green Grandma. I can take it.

How about when school is within walking distance? I understand concerns about letting your kids walk considering child abduction, dangerous intersections, etc. So consider walking with them, if that's a possibility for you.

At the very least, start a carpool. It just seems ridiculous to have 200 or 400 or 600 parents driving their kids to the same school every day. It's wasteful and definitely not eco-friendly.

So the next time you start to talk to your kids about saving the earth, consider ways you can save gas. It's all about the little things. And they all add up now, don't they?

Keeping it green,

Hana

Photo courtesy of Peter Griffin

Let's bring back the horse and buggy!

It's that time of year for me -- my annual car inspection is due. I hate, hate, hate when this date rolls around, as I feel completely vulnerable to potentially crooked car mechanics. I know there are a lot of honest ones out there, but I rarely seem to find them.

The problem with car inspections (mandatory in Pennsylvania) is you never know how much it's going to cost you to be able to legally put your car back on the road. At this point, I know I need a new exhaust system. Ouch. I know I don't need tires, but I'm just not sure about the brakes.

Since I'm already thinking about cars, I thought I'd share some green car tips with you. Did you know that if you simply slow down you can save money? Motoring it 10 mph above 60 costs you about 50 cents more per gallon. So rather than griping about the rising gas prices (which are worth griping about, in my opinion) just ease your foot off the gas petal when you're on the highway.

But what about when you're just scooting about town? Fast starts and gunning your engine can eat up your gas rather quickly. While we're all about saving ourselves money, think about saving someone else some money (and gas) by letting your left-turning fellow drivers go in front of you at a light. That way they don't have to gun their engines in order to escape being hit by oncoming traffic. I never thought about this one before, so thanks to Verdure Magazine, Pittsburgh's green publication, for the tip.

Another way to reduce your gasoline consumption is by keeping your tires pumped up -- improper inflation ultimately costs you at the gas pump.

Finally, my last tip for today involves your car's air filter. A clean one helps your car run more efficiently....which reminds me to remind my hubby to check it for me when he gets home from work.

Have an awesome week, my friends.

Keeping it green,

Hana

Photo courtesy of Peter Griffin