I'm Not Leonardo DiCaprio

I have a confession to make.

My credentials for writing an environmental blog are embarassingly slight. I don't have an Oscar for my award-winning documentary about the plight of the Earth. I don't drive a Prius. Solar panels aren't a part of my home decor. All of my weekly garbage doesn't fit into a car's glove box like Ed Begley, jr. (who's my hero, by the way) once thrillingly demonstrated. I do, however, have a mother who's a recycling fiend from way back. She's also quite thrifty. True story... Mom once drove 700 miles from Boston to Michigan with a trunkful of soda cans, thinking she could get the $.10 refund instead of the $.05. Of course she couldn't, and so she drove all those cans back to Massachusetts. The first time I saw that episode on "Seinfeld" where Kramer does pretty much the same exact thing, I almost blew Pepsi out of my nose from laughing so hard.

But, I digress.

The fact is that like most people, I was very happy living life as a conspicuous consumer. I knew about recycling, but sometimes throwing stuff out was way more convenient that sorting my paper from my plastic. But then in 2005, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina and became Green almost by accident. In fact, it happened so organically and naturally, it took me awhile to figure out what had happened.

Not having a car, I was riding my bike everywhere and learning the bus routes. I started carrying a canvas bag to the grocery store because the plastic ones would practically cut off all circulation in my fingers on the walk home. Following in my dad's footsteps, I practiced cooling my apartment the natural way in the summer by creating cross ventilation, leaving windows opens at night and closing the blinds during the day to block out the sun. It's a point of pride with me that last year, I survived a typically hot, humid Lowcountry summer without turning on my air conditioning apart from the week I had guests staying with me.

In between shopping at the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings, gradually replacing my lightbulbs with CFLs and switching to organic products, I was startled to realize that somehow, I was living a more or less Green lifestyle without even trying. And the thing is, I was kind of digging it. It felt good doing my part for the environment and, what's more, I sort of started wanting to do more.

So, that's what this blog is about. Finding practical, easy ways to be Green that won't break the bank. You don't have to be Leonardo DiCaprio to make a difference. But if you are, how 'bout giving me a call :)