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bags that I purchased for 99 cents. Profits benefit the Elizabeth Haub Foundation, a pioneer in environmental law in Europe. As I walk through the store, I try to buy as many unprocessed foods as possible. Let processing means healthier food, and less environmental impact. I consider the packaging and always ask myself if it is compostable or recyclable and I opt out of the plastic produce bags and bring my own net bags for that department.

At home, I gather all the items to go into the refrigerator on the counter next to it, and open it one time to load the food. It is a small change, but so easy. I used to be the person who would just open the fridge and the pantry and just load as I unpacked the bags. Often the fridge would stay open for 5 minutes or more. Think about each little action you can change. This one is so small and non-descript, but the less your fridge has to work, the lower your carbon footprint for the day!

Some other small changes in my housewife day that you can adoptI use the same water to blanch vegetables as I do to cook pasta. I always use lids when heating pots on the stove. I use baking soda as a scouring cleaner instead of a phosphate-based cleanser. I only do full loads of laundry in cold water, and full loads of dishes in the dishwasher. I use the recycled paper napkins to wipe each plate off after eating, and then load the dishwasher without running ANY water at the sink. I take great pride in cleaning the kitchen after dinner with virtually NO water. I let the dishwasher, which is much more efficient, do all the work it was designed to do. I turn off the shower when I am shaving. I have a low-flow showerhead. We installed a timer on our hot water heater so it is only heating water from the hours of 4 pm until 10 pm. We prepare dinner, clean up dinner, run the dishwasher and take baths and showers all between the hours of 4 and 9 pm. Then the hot water heater heats the water for the final hour of the night and the water remains hot the entire next day. Rarely do I run out. So I am running my energy-hogging hot water heater for only 6 hours a day instead of 24. I promise you THAT is a very nice thing when the electric bill comes. We purchased the unit at Home Depot for about $40 and another $10 or so in wire. My husband is proficient at do-it-yourself work, but an electrical contractor would do it for under $200. This would easily pay for itself in under a year.

In the garden, I use a rain barrel to collect water for my vegetables. I grow biodynamic seeds. We don't use fertilizer or grub killer or weed killer or any chemical to keep our lawn pristine. We use drought-tolerant plants and try to always plant natives if given the choice. We plant for wildlifeberries for the birds, which eat the bugs. Nectar-rich flowers for the butterflies and hummingbirds. The display and delight they provide my children is much more valuable that any video game and so much more educational. We compost our grass clippings, and only mow when the grass is more than 4 inches long. The best news is my husband is even getting into the challenge. What used to be a contest to see whose lawn was greenest, has become a contest to see whose life is greenest. It is a refreshing change.

The first step we all can take is becoming aware. Educate yourself. Join a community farm. Opt for wind energy on your electric bill. Shut off the faucet while you later up. All our small efforts will add up and more importantly, we will be teaching our children stewardship of Mother Earth. There is a popular saying We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, rather borrow it from our children'. Thoughtful actions will lead to change.

Learn more about this author, Lauren Vickerman.
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