Get motivated

Welcome to the new year! Much has changed since 2010. There are new ways to be green, new ways to be kind to the earth, and new ways to improve air quality. 2011 is full of exciting opportunities to improve yourself and our planet. Each month we’ll introduce you to fresh sustainable behaviors, habits and products, as well as get you reacquainted with a few already familiar to you. We hope you’ll join us this year – with a little hard work, we can accomplish our mission to clean the air we breathe.

In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, there are many personal perks to making the green transition.

So, here’s the question: What motivates you?

Money | Descendants | Business | Career | Health | Reputation | Conscience

Money? By making adjustments to things you already do regularly, you can easily save hundreds of dollars a year.

Let’s take a quick look at five effortless things that will add up to an extra $585 - $935 in your pocket in one year.

1. Replace your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the Energy Star – save about $70 in one year
   
   
2. Wash your laundry in cold water – save about $40 per year
   
   
3. Get a programmable thermostat – save about $180 per year
   
   
4. Switch to a water-saving shower head – save around $145 per year
   
   
5. Replace your window screens with storm windows during the winter months, and caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows that leak air – save $150-500 per year

Depending on how much you do and how much you’re willing to initially invest, there are endless ways that you can save even more. Here’s something to really encourage you – you can receive nice tax credits for upgrading to energy efficient appliances, products and/or renewable energy systems such as solar water heating and solar electric systems.

Descendants?

It’s hard to say exactly what kind of effects air pollution and climate change will have on future generations, but we know that some challenges may lie ahead if we don’t immediately begin working to reduce our carbon footprints.  

Some things that our descendents may endure if we neglect to modify our behavior:

• Falling crop yields
• Decreases in water supply and availability
• Threatening sea level rises
• Rising intensity of storms, forest fires, droughts, flooding and heat waves
• Increased risk of dangerous feedbacks and abrupt, large-scale shifts in climate change

Foresight is a priceless commodity and, luckily, we have it. These troubles do not have to await our children and grandchildren. Our descendants will have a bright, clean future as long as we are proactive and take action now. We can prepare the future generation even more by teaching them sustainable living habits today.

Check out www.airnorthtexas.org/kids.asp for some fun air quality education activities. Knowledge is a powerful tool; the more our children know, the better their futures will be.

1. By adopting sustainable business practices, you gain a competitive edge. Clients and potential employees will appreciate the fact that you are making a concerted effort to keep up with the times and reduce your carbon footprint. They will recognize that your care and attention toward the environment will be mirrored in the way you treat them. You can expect top clients and employees to seek you out over your competitors.
   
   
2. Just as modifying your habits at home can save money, modifying your habits at work can save money. Do little things to make your business more energy-efficient such as installing light timers and motion sensors. On a larger scale, consider remodeling your building with environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient materials. While they may cost more up front, you will save money in the long run. Oh, and did you know that green building standards may escalate property values?
   
   
3. New opportunities for partnerships with fellow environmentally-conscious businesses and organizations will open up. Your business will gain more publicity and you can swap sustainable ideas for success with your new partners.

If you’re interested in finding out how your business can implement efforts to improve the air quality in North Texas, look no further than the North Texas Clean Air Coalition.

They’re the only nonprofit organization in the region dedicated solely to encouraging voluntary efforts to improve air quality in North Texas through educating, engaging and recognizing the business community, and they’d love to hear from you.

Your career?

You can expand your career possibilities by being green savvy. Environmental careers are on the rise, and these types of jobs are here to stay. Not the scientific type? That’s okay, many of us aren’t. All sorts of skills and talents are needed to keep green industries running. Keep an eye out for industries that provide products or services related to these categories:

• Renewable energy
• Energy efficiency
• Clean transportation and fuels
• Agriculture and natural resource conservation
• Pollution prevention or environmental cleanup

Secondly, involvement in environmental and sustainable organizations is a great way to network, and volunteering always looks sharp on a resume. Not only will the generosity of your time grant you great personal satisfaction, it has the potential to put you on a fulfilling career path.

Your health?

Green living is good for your body. Consuming organic foods helps you and the environment. Here’s how and why:

1. Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications, and must remain separate from conventional products.
   
   
2. You won’t find any synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers in organic foods, because farmers can’t use them if they want their products to be labeled organic.

Organic livestock may not be given antibiotics, growth hormones, or any animal by-products. Organic farming practices reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy.

5. Organic farming is safer for birds and small animals, since chemical pesticides can be dangerous for them.

Get some exercise by riding your bike or walking instead of driving to visit your friend who lives a few streets over or to pick up some milk. You’ll physically feel better, plus you’ll be contributing to improved air quality and cleaner breathing.

Your reputation?

Gas-guzzling vehicles and environmentally irresponsible lifestyles are not viewed as glamorously as they were a decade ago. Living an environmentally responsible life gives you a good name by showing that you are aware, proactive and up-to-date. Clean-air transportation options like the new DART Green Line are gaining popularity in North Texas. Begin taking advantage of such innovative opportunities; North Texans will see you as a leader, will look up to you, and will begin to follow the example you set.

Your conscience?

It’s hard to ignore the facts. The way we are accustomed to living our lives is not good. Not good for us, not good for our loved ones, not good for our planet. Maybe you feel a hint of regret for leaving the grocery store with a bundle of wasteful plastic bags. Maybe you feel unexpectedly guilty for driving solo in a 15 year-old, eight-passenger SUV for 10 hours per week. If nothing else, doing your part to make our world sustainable will give you a sense of pride – you’ll feel great about yourself and your contribution to the world.

Have you discovered your motivation? Making a positive difference is an exciting thing to be a part of, and the fact that green living allows you to directly experience benefits from your actions is an added bonus.

So, if before you asked, “Why?” every time someone suggested that you adopt sustainable habits, we hope that now you wonder, “Why not?”

Just do one green thing today—it will lead to many more.

• Sign up to receive monthly e-mails with more green tips
• Learn about other ways to go green, breathe clean

Learn More

<<< Last month: Looking Back at a Year of Change >>>
A recap of tips learned in the past year and benefits of adopting clean air actions—the cost savings, environmental benefits and most of all, the personal sense of achievement knowing that your decisions have made a positive impact.

Next month: How we live at home. >>>
Learn about energy-efficient materials, green gardening and little tricks that yield big savings.