New Year’s Resolution

by Julie Edler, SDI Social Media Coordinator

Happy 2013! I must say, I’m ready for a new year and can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store. Though I don’t always have a resolution, I have one this year and plan to fulfill an old grade-school dream of mine – to be able to do the splits. It will take practice to get into a stretching routine, but I think with some hard work and dedication it will be done. However, in addition to this promise to myself, I've also made a promise to the earth –to use less. I don’t always appreciate the amount of resources I use in my everyday routine. By using less, I can practice living more sustainably and not just “talk the talk.” If you would like to join me in my adventure, make 2013 your “Year to Use Less” as well.

I started to think about how much unnecessary “stuff,” is purchased each year – a shirt, an extra dish, a new phone, DVDs, junk food wrapped in plastic and other items we've become accustomed to as “necessary” over the years. Now, I’m not a big spender by any means, but I still buy things here and there for a sporting event, family function, or whatever the case may be. “The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place,” says the EPA, “making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy: raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated and then transported to wherever it will be sold.” What the EPA is saying is that the best way to save our natural resources and money and protect the environment is to either re-use or don’t purchase at all.

According to the National Geographic Greendex (a tracking survey of consumer choice and the environment), with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the U.S. uses a third of the world's paper, a quarter of the oil, coal and aluminum, and 19 percent of the copper.

So, not only will I work toward being able to do the splits, but I will also buy less. Remember with every purchase that it took resources to make, build, and ship that product and it will most likely end up in a landfill (probably far too quickly). Here’s to using less in 2013 and being able to do the splits! Good luck with your resolutions and check out the links below for more information on the subject:

You can find the National Geographic Greendex report here: http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-content/file/GS_NGS_2012GreendexHighlights_10July-cb1341934186.pdf

EPA recycling and reducing info: http://www.epa.gov/recycle/reduce.html

Article about wasted food: http://www.nrdc.org/food/wasted-food.asp

Article from the Scientific American on US Consumption and the Environment: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=american-consumption-habits