Going Green

Happy Earth Day everyone! It's lovely that more and more people are becoming environmentally aware (myself included). Everywhere you turn these days there is a cry "to go green" and in one radio ad it proudly proclaimed that "green is the new pink!" How cute is that?

Here are just some of the small steps I've taken to contribute to the preservation of Mother Earth:

• I pack my own lunch to take with me to the office. This not only means I cut back on the use of styrofoam and disposable take-out food packaging, but I save money and it's good for my diet too!
• I don't buy bottled mineral water anymore (I used to stock up on bottled water to take with me wherever I go). Instead, I now fill up my handy little 600ml Outerspace Felton bottle whenever I leave the house.
  
• I love air conditioning (living in a tropical country you kind of depend on it and yeah, I'm spoiled) but I'm slowly weaning myself of it. I now set my bed room's air conditioner to switch off automatically after 2 hours while I'm asleep and I always switch off my car's air conditioner when it's a breezy day and whenever I hit the highway.
• I keep a Reisenthel MiniMaxi Shopper in my handbag so that I don't have accept plastic bags from the shops whenever I make a purchase. Check out their whole line of chic MiniMaxi products here. I love it so much that I'm now seriously contemplating getting this, this and this.
• I support brands and labels that use recyclable packaging, organic ingredients, organic cloth, is fair trade certified and made locally (this cuts down gas emission from transportation) where possible.
  

Some links for you if you'd like more info on International Earth Day and how you can go green:

• Earth Day Network
• International Earth Day
• Guide Me Green (UK)
• Guide Me Green (US)
• Tree Hugger
• Wilderness Project
• TIME's article on "How To Win the War Against Global Warming"
• Fair Trade Certified