WHY GO GREEN?
By: Genevieve Ticlo

Image courtesy of sxc.hu

In case you haven’t heard, being green is the newest and latest trend. Celebrities are endorsing environmentally safe products, businesses are producing greener alternatives, restaurants are offering organic options, and the Prius has become a fashion statement. However, there’s more to this whole “going green” notion than just following the crowd. When you make the choice to go green, you are making a promise to become conscious of your actions and how they affect the world around you. Awareness is the first step towards a solution.

So, is it really worth all the trouble? I mean, what can a single girl do to help fix such an enormous problem?

Well, the smallest actions can make the biggest differences in a world where the environment is headed towards defeat. Simple things, like updating all the light fixtures in your house with energy-saving bulbs, buying reusable totes instead of using harmful plastic bags, or even turning the water off when you brush your teeth, can help to make your life cleaner, greener, and less wasteful.

Image courtesy of sxc.hu

By going green, you are paving the way to a better future, for yourself and for others. Did you know that thirty-six U.S. states are anticipating local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013? Or that a simple act like recycling has prevented 64 million tons of material from going into a landfill over the course of a single year? Embracing a greener lifestyle isn't just about helping to preserve rain forests and reducing your carbon footprint; it can also mean becoming more healthy, saving you money, and, ultimately, improving your overall quality of life. So ask yourself this: why wouldn't anyone want to go green?