Is There Really a Value to All Those Little Green Habits?

I used to be in two minds about those "little green habits" people keep nagging you about. You know, turning off the lights, using reusable bags, or not running the water while you brush your teeth.

It's not that I didn't think it was worthwhile to take these small steps, it just used to drive me crazy that the green movement was obsessed with talking about them. In a world where we desperately need to cut atmospheric carbon emissions to 350ppm, the amount of column inches in environmental magazines devoted to the reusable bag (as opposed to pressing for real change of climate policy) are a little out of place.

I'd still stand by that assertion, those "small steps" (or Mini-Greenings as I like to call them) are not enough anymore by themselves. But rather than seeing them as a distraction, I'm now seeing them as an opportunity. In fact, I've been developing more and more "small habits" myself - and beyond the actual savings of water or energy they generate, I use them as an opportunity to remind myself of the work that needs to be done. Each time I pee outside, take a navy shower, or coast my car to the stop sign near my house - I meditate on what else I could be doing, and what else we all should be doing.

So don't stop doing the small stuff - just keep pushing for the big stuff too! What are your mini-green habits, and how do they influence you to push for the bigger picture?

Need proof that it's possible to balance being green and still be a supportive partner and parent? See how Ed Begley, Jr. does it on Planet Green TV's Living with Ed.