TBT -- On this 6th Blogiversary, I am reposting my very first post.

Throwback Thursday -- and we're throwing it way back to August 20, 2009. My very first post! Not much has changed since then, other than the fact that I'm more of a tree hugger than I was then! And we've added three more cloth-diapered grandbabies to the mix!

A tree hugger I'm not

A while back, my cousin suggested I start blogging on environmental issues and call my site, Green Grandma. It took a few months of contemplating my purpose in this.

First of all, don't let the name fool you...I'm by no means a liberal tree-hugger. Politically, I lean more toward a moderate to conservative point of view. However, I get quite frustrated with the whole concept of one party over the other caring about the environment. I, for one, do care. As a matter of fact, I seem to care much more than many of the people I know who lean a different way.

That said, let me expound on why I'm starting this blog and why my cousin, Kelly, suggested the name "Green Grandma" for me.

In October of 2008, my precious first grandbaby was born to my youngest daughter. The lovely little Lady Laura has motivated me to be even more environmentally conscious than I'd been in the past. After all, this is the world we're leaving behind for her. I have to care.

Fortunately, my concern for the environment has spilled over to my daughters as well. As a result, Laura wears only cloth diapers. We will never add a disposable diaper to a landfill because it goes against everything in us.

Ewww. Many of you are cringing right now. Why? Because a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/babysitter might get their hands a little dirty? Oh please. Rinsing out a cloth diaper in the toilet is not all that difficult. Messy? Sometimes. But doable. And well worth it. Every time I hang diapers on the line to dry, I remind myself that I am investing in Laura's future. Maybe I don't have much money to put aside for her. But I can invest in this planet she'll inherit.

There are a lot of naysayers when it comes to using cloth diapers. People will protest and even try to use environmental excuses.

"Washing diapers uses too much water."

Well, I hate to burst that bubble, but in actuality, it takes far more water to manufacture disposables than it does to wash cloth diapers throughout the two years or so a child wears them. Plus, according to the law, it is illegal to put human waste in the landfills. Guess what that means, folks? That means disposables should technically be washed out before being thrown away! You may as well just use cloth...especially if you consider yourself a law-abiding citizen.

Let me say that I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. She could take the easy way out. Despite her desire to be a fulltime SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), her need for benefits makes that impossible for her right now. So every morning she's up early nursing and caring for her baby and getting herself ready for work. Some mornings she drives Laura to my home so I can watch her and other mornings she hands over her parenting duties to her husband. Work is stressful and the days are long. Jess spends lunch hours standing in the Ladies' Room pumping bottles. Evenings are spent doing normal mommy things, plus washing, drying and folding diapers. It would be much more convenient to pop open some formula and slap on some disposable diapers. But who ever said life as a parent was supposed to be convenient? Like I said, I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. In today's world of celebrities, bigger-than-life politicians and super heroes, she is my hero.

Yeah, you can call me Green Grandma....it's a title I'm honored to wear.

Keeping it green,

Hana

A tree hugger? Well, maybe

Image by George Hodan

What is it with all these tree huggers? They make anyone who cares about the environment look like a radical whacko, don't you think?

I admit it; when I launched the blog 4.5 years ago, I was offended when someone would roll their eyes and refer to me as a tree hugger. I wanted to scream, "I am not a tree hugger! I just want people to start caring for the environment by using their common sense."

Let me tell you a secret -- common sense to one person can mean something totally different to another. As can the term "tree hugger." That being said, let me give you a few good reasons for all of us to seek that title:

• Trees are the "lungs of the earth." Without them, we no longer have enough oxygen to survive.
• Trees improve the quality of the air by lowering air temperatures (through transpiration).
• Trees remove pollution particles as they cling to leaves.
• Trees reduce energy demands and emissions from power plants.
• Trees remove gaseous pollutants.

Since they've now found a way to measure the amount of air pollution affected by trees, it has been estimated that in Minneapolis, 384 tons of air pollutants are removed by 979,000 trees each year. The planting of one million trees in Sacramento saved the city approximately $10 million in annual energy costs.

Weighing in other factors, like reduced health care costs, a software program called i-Tree Eco can crunch the numbers for communities across the nation. In Treasure Valley, Idaho, for example, they discovered that the trees annually reduced ozone by 275 tons, which is calculated to be about $750,000. This is equivalent to the emissions from 684,000 cars or 66,000 homes.

The contributions and benefits of just one single tree can be determined through the i-Tree suite. For some, the bottom line is saving money. Every tree planted can help achieve that goal.

With the advent of spring upon us, why not consider heeding the advice of J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day? His advice? 

Plant trees! 

And then, go ahead . . . hug one or two. It'll feel good.