It's not easy bein' green in Central Indiana

Okay, for the sake of the environment and global warming I'm trying to be a little more green, but it ain't easy. I'm not sure where I come down on the issue of global warming etc., but I do think it's my job to dress, till, and keep the earth, so I'm trying to do my small part. It might be easier elsewhere, but in Central Indiana it's hard.

On TV they give you all those great suggestions about buying more green building materials and more efficient appliances, but let's face it, the majority of us are not building houses, remodeling constantly, or replacing appliances every few days. I'll keep those things in mind when the issues come up in my home, but I think the suggestions need to be more immediately practical.

I have bought the new light bulbs, and they're okay. Okay, unless you have to actually see them in a light fixture, and then they are just dumb looking. That's just my two cents worth. I'm dreading the day when my chandelier bulbs all need replacing with the new bulbs. I think the new bulbs for those are just horrible. Maybe I should stockpile a lifetime supply of those skinny old bulbs. I'm not too thrilled with the disposal methods of the new bulbs either. Even if I dispose of them correctly, I can't see that everyone will.

I also purchased and use those reusable shopping bags. I do like them. They hold a lot more than the wimpy plastic bags and they stand up and don't let the tomatoes roam free in the trunk. Plus, they are easier to fold up and put away in my opinion.

I have two problems with the "green" bags. Sometimes I forget to take the bags into the store. I get very annoyed with myself, because usually by the time I remember, I have a cart half-full of items. I am getting better at remembering to take them out of the trunk though. The biggest drawback to the bags is that where I live I seem to be the only one using them. I never see another person in the store carrying or using their own bags. It makes me feel weird, plus it takes longer at the checkout counter because the checker has to put your bags on the staging area and shove the regular bags out of the way. I feel like the people behind me are rolling their eyes at me behind my back. I will persevere, and maybe the idea will catch on as time goes on.

The other two areas that I think are ripe for the green process for the regular person are bottled water and disposable diapers. I rarely buy bottled water, unless I'm on a road trip or something. It just doesn't seem like a good use of my money. I think bottled water became a status symbol for a while. "Hey, look at me, I'm so flush with cash that I can buy my water in a plastic bottle, and then pitch it in the garbage." I use a filtered pitcher and a reusable water bottle. It tastes just as good and according to reports that I've read, tap water is a lot more regulated for quality than bottled water.

I probably shouldn't speculate on disposable diapers since my kids are long since out of that stage. I did use them when they were little, at least part of the time. Can you just imagine the mountains of disposable diapers buried in our landfills. Yuck! I am an offender on this one even now. When my adorable little grandkids come, I use and toss the little diapers with the best of them. If the diaper is especially odoriferous I even enclose it in it's own plastic bag before tossing it in a garbage can lined with another plastic bag. Centuries from now archaeologists will probably wonder at the way we have preserved "poo poo" in our century.

Not to discount driving less, etc., here are my practical suggestions: use the new light bulbs, nix the bottled water, forget the disposable diapers, and put yourself out there and use your reusable shopping bags for all the world to see.