um... help!

I think you are doing a great thing by greening up your life. I am very happy with the little things I have done so far. I just wish I had more money to get a hybrid or total electric car and also go off the grid with solar or wind or the combo of both. I am making use of what I have and reducing usage. I think that is the main way you can start, is asking yourself "do I need this" and then if you decide that you do need it, then ask yourself was it manufactured in an environmental safe way and what will it turn into if I throw it away. Those are smart choices. People think that going green is expensive, but how can it be if you cut back on the non-necessities and save money by not buying things you don't really need. In fact, you can then divert that money to buying good quality green products and not only get things you need, but be happy that you are not contributing to the madness of global warming. Just my take.

Starting small is the way to go!

There is a lot of information on this website, pay attention to people's blogs and forum posts, they can be really helpful.

Recycling and turning off the lights/unplugging things is the simplest thing you can do, once you get that down, you can concentrate on other things

Hey! I'm from Louisiana too! and I'm still new to this whole green thing, but I've been finding a lot of interesting and easy ways to go green, and gotta say starting small is definitely smart. The first step in going green is green your home, but in a way that doesn't have a huge impact on your families budget! You can do simple things around the house, like turn switches off, install compact fluorescent light bulbs, recycle, compost your waste, or something as simple as keeping a bucket next to your shower to collect the cold water before the hot water kicks in (the water in the bucket can be used to flush a toilet, or water some plants, etc.), oh also if your charging a phone, ipod, or whatever on an adapter, when you're done make sure you unplug the adapter or charger as this wastes electricity and shows up on electric bill. so things like conserving energy doesn't always mean going out and buying energy efficient appliances(which is a good idea! but expensive), reusable shopping bags is also a great idea! and consider composting as it will have a serious decline in the amount of waste you produce! you can compost kitchen waste, shredded paper and documents (paper shredder) egg shells, egg cartons, yard waste! ton's of stuff! and if you do that and recycle, then you eliminate like at least 50% of your waste, or something like that, i don't know I'm not good with percentages or umm...numbers..., reuse stuff as much as you can, and before you throw something away, ask yourself if you can reuse it, or give it to someone else who can find a use for it. remember the 3 r's! REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! hope I helped some!

by David Gershon is a good place to start- it's available on this site. Begin with what interests you, or form a group right here on Greenopolis! the first things I'd look at are my energy use- can i turn off lights and electronics more often? Can I rep;lace one bulb a week with a compact fluorescent? Each bulb will save you about $150 over it's lifespan and a ton of energy and CO2. Are there things, like cans, glass, pop bottles that I can recycle? Are there tings I can give away for reuse rather than junk? Check out the Free 'N Exchange on Greenopolis- we need folks to begin listing stuff there. And keep asking this community for help. We'll respond! Each of us can make a difference. Together we make THE difference!

I think that another great way to go green is to carry your own shopping bags! Not only does it save on those ugly plastic bags, but some of the reusable bags are really awesome looking! Or, if you're not into that, you can always just use a cute tote or big purse.

My advice, start small. Turn off light switches, recycle what you can, reuse items (that can be reused). Gently work your way into this lifestyle 'cause it can be a shock to your system. Your family will find that easier too. Subtle reminders to your family to follow some of these simple rules will make it easier on them.