Most kids are already being educated probably better than their parents were concerning going green. My oldest told me about a gauge you could put in your shower that would let you know your time was up and you had used enough water. However the using water thing perplexes me. Isn’t water a renewable resource? If so, why does it matter how much you use? I’m sure there’s an answer, I just don’t know it? Regardless, we’ve always used the rule of not running water while we brush our teeth.

I do know that most water isn’t safe enough to drink. I RARELY use faucet water these days. I usually don’t go the bottled water route because it’s a little on the expensive for me and obviously plastic bottles aren’t good for mother nature. Most people are going for their water in some type of reusable bottle or thermos. Most companies, like mine keep a water cooler so you can freely fill up in the office.

I know all about the light bulbs, however until they actually throw the 99 cent bulbs away, I still can’t bare the sticker shock of the global friendly ones. I know, I know…they are supposed to reflect a lower electric bill. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll eventually dip into the wallet.

One thing that has been on my list to order is the reusable grocery bags. These bags seem to have been used in places in the North for quite some time. In the South things are slower to catch on. You can find them in alot of stores now or websites like reusablebags.com. For those who are into marketing, you can also buy customized bags which could be a great way to advertise your business or website.

There are tons of “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle” commercials on Noggin and other kid friendly networks. We finally got a recycling bin after it was on my “to do list” forever. It is free because I’m within the city limits. I know others outside the city limits that don’t have the option of picking up one at their local library, therefore don’t recycle. I’ve also heard comments about the recycling companies being just as environmentally unfriendly, but I haven’t let it deter me from using one. I know of some places where people are fined if they don’t recycle properly.

I remember when I was in elementary, we planted trees for earth day. Not too long ago, I purchased 10 trees for $10 as a gift. They send out a card that says so many trees were planted in the recipients name. I don’t have the specific site, but here’s a similar one . This could be a cool gift that a child could give with their saved dinero.

I made my son sit through “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore and even though it was late and he snoozed a bit, I think it helped to create some awareness. It definitely should be something age appropriate kids see in their science class. Kids can come up with ideas that are eco-friendly that are often better than adults because they aren’t as used to the old ways of doing things. It’s their future that is at stake and they are the ones that are unfortunately going to be the ones to have to clean up the mess that ignorance has left and learn how to prevent the same future mishaps.