For many people, our home is our sanctuary. As our shelter from the storm, nothing is more personal than when we feel our homes under siege. With dozens of recent examples on how toxic items are entering our homes, how can we remain calm, make informed decisions, and keep our homes and lives free of chemicals?
First and foremost, unless something is known to contain toxic levels of chemicals, please don’t throw it out prematurely. To paraphrase Thomas Friedman in Hot, Flat, and Crowded, we cannot simply consume our way out of this problem. Bloating the landfill with our non-organic cotton only to run out and purchase new, organic cotton is not the answer. Finish using and reusing the item in question, and when it is no longer functional, replace it with a more environmentally-friendly alternative.
Second, pre-meditate your purchases. Take a moment to research that Christmas present made out of plastic. See if there are more natural alternatives available, especially alternatives produced and sold locally. Impulsive buying behaviors, while faster, typically are an ineffective vote with our consumer dollars. Yes, it takes more time, and we are all very busy these days. But consider the example of health. Staying healthy isn’t easy. It requires lots of time, money, even sweat to exercise, which keeps your body looking and feeling great. Despite plenty of infomercials and gadgets telling us there are five-minute alternatives, we all intrinsically know that exercise, by its very nature, is not easy. However, we know our health is worth any outlay. Investing in a healthy home is similar. It can’t always be effortless, and instead of a quick fix, it is more of a process.
Which brings me to the biggest buzz surrounding healthy homes and lifestyles: the lists of “10 Easy Ways to Go Green” or “20 Quick Tips to Save the Planet”. OK, so I put a brick in my toilet, I get some canvas shopping bags, and replace my light bulbs with LED. Did I just save the planet? Hardly. Unfortunately, these lists only scratch the surface of healthy homes, and we need to be prepared for much greater commitments and changes beyond these easy wins. The problems facing our world are enormous, and I would be disingenuous if I told you there is a ‘10 Easy Ways’ out of this.
To be fair, I hope these lists are effective at pulling people in, and engaging them on environmental issues in a non-threatening way. I hope the experience is so positive they choose to learn more, and get hooked on the subject. Luckily, when people decide to take that next step, and make major purchasing decisions with the environment in mind, they are going to reap the benefits ten fold.
For example, more earth-friendly flooring will not only look beautiful, but will bring fewer chemicals into your home, support better business and environmental practices, and increase the value of your home. Same rings true of alternative energy systems for powering, heating and cooling your home. These are serious investments, but also protect against the uncertainty of future oil and energy prices.
Fortunately, to help ease the difficulty of making these huge purchasing decisions, we have great online communities, like right here on Microsoft Hohm. I wholeheartedly believe in the strength of networks, and although the road ahead is complicated, I think we can do it. Reach out to others. Ask questions. Garner support. It’s never been so easy to find a collaborative network. With powerful tools like these, maybe there are 10 Easy Ways, after all.
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Mary Solecki is an MBA candidate at Presidio Graduate School, focusing on Sustainable Management. With a sales and marketing background, Mary is now spending most of her time learning about alternative energies. She currently resides in San Francisco, where she can ride her bike and visit the Sierra Nevada mountains often.
Presidio MediaLab is the work of a collection of students of Presidio Graduate School, it does not necessarily represent the opinions of the School or its students.