Lazy Green Living

So maybe you’re one of those people who think that turning a green leaf requires too much effort? Don’t have time to make grand life changes because of your busy schedule? Well guess what, that’s no longer a legitimate excuse (not that it ever was). But good news for all excuse-makers! It just so happens that being lazy can also mean being eco-friendly. Here’s a few tips on how to be a lazy environmentalist.

1. Procrastinate: Save your laundry until the last minute. Don’t run the washing machine until you have a full load. And hey, it’s not the end of the world if you wear pants more than a couple times between washes. Think about it, you’re saving energy and water, and you’re saving time, so you can take more naps. Eco-friendly naps.

2. Don’t cook: Eat raw instead. A diet rich in raw fruit and veg is not only great for you, it is very eco-friendly. Raw diets have picked up quite a following over recent years. They are thought to help prevent health problems, strengthen the immune system, stabilize your BMI, clear your skin, and even increase your energy, which is important for us lazy folk. According to www.rawfoodlife.com, organic, raw food is as much as 200-300% more nutritionally dense than a traditional cooked diet. Of course you’re not going to want to eat raw meat. But that just gives you the chance to eat less anyway. For that matter, I’m going to just come out and say it, eat less meat. I’m not saying turn completely vegetarian or vegan, though if you decide to, great! But that does take a bit of planning and thinking, and lazy people don’t really like that. I’m just saying, maybe take a day or two off from meat every week. Make it a meatless Monday. It’ll save you money, keep you healthier, and do good for the planet. Check out www.rawfoodlife.com, www.rawtimes.com, www.rawlivingfoods.com, and www.fresh-network.com for further reading, statistics and recipes for raw food diets.

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3. Take public transportation: Can’t be bothered with the stress and hassle of traffic, parking, getting gas, etc? For goodness sakes, take the bus. They even have handy bus-catching apps for your smart phone these days to make it really easy. Or if it’s an option, choose to live closer to your place of work. This cuts your commute, the associated hassle and stress, and the environmental impact, completely out of the equation.

4. Use the Freecycle Network: Can’t find the time or energy to post and sell your old bike, kayak, or treadmill on craigslist, or god forbid, take it to the dump? Here’s your solution. The Freecycle Network is a worldwide grassroots non-profit network of people and communities dedicated to the gifting movement, giving good, usable stuff to people who need it. It’s about reuse, reducing waste, and giving. Check out www.freecycle.org to find your local Freecycle community. It’s like recycling, only better.

5. Go paperless: Pay your bills online. Don’t bother printing anything out unless you absolutely have to. Take notes or phone messages on your computer rather than writing it down. For that matter, read the newspaper or your favorite magazines online. Most news organizations already have their current articles, and then some, online. While this does use energy, it reduces a significant amount of paper, the production of which uses energy, water, natural resources, and produces a ton of waste that we can each easily avoid.

6. Work from home: Skip out on the commute and the insanity of the office. Relax at home with the genius that is telecommuting. You’re not only saving yourself and the planet the stress of your commute, you don’t even have to change out of your pjs.