Live Green: Viewers' Tips

Start Outside

Going green should start with our landscapes.

By planting native plants we increase biodiversity, decrease the need for watering and mitigate global warming.

-Chad Parker

Plant Responsibly

Every year for the past decade, I grow spider plants in the front of my house in an area where I used to plants annuals.

Spider plants are drought tolerant requiring very little water or maintenance. In the fall, I take the baby spider offshoots into the house to prosper in my southern exposure bay window. Those are planted outside in the spring reducing my cost of annual flowers and conserving my summer water output.

Plant responsibly.

-Barb Cesal

Small, easy changes add up

I think living green is something easy, and convent that everyone can do, and it has such impact on the world.

I live green by turning off lights not in use, unplugging chargers, and plugs when not in use, turning off the TV when I'm not watching it, using the microwave more than the oven because it uses less energy, recycling, turning off the water when brushing my teeth, and using air conditioning only when necessary.

All these things have reduced my ComEd energy bill by 15 dollars. You're not only helping the environment, but you're also saving cash!

-Sara

Save water in your everyday...hang it out to dry

Did you know that just by showering with a bucket you can save over 5 gallons of water a day?

Did you know your dryer is the most inefficient appliance in your home?

We are 2 sisters who live in Chicago and living sustainably in simple ways that are not difficult. As mothers we are making every day choices that sustain our selves and our family and planet.

List of ideas

• Ride bike to work
• use Solar Motion detector Lights, Solar accent lights,
• pail in shower to catch water to flush toilet or water plants,
• rain barrels,
• use laundry water to water trees,
• grow fruit, can them,
• grow veggies can them.
• use no pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer from fossil fuel.
• Hot water pipe insulation,
• use florescent wherever possible
• Don't water lawn, use local plants .
• shred and compost bulk mail.
• Use newspapers for cat litter.
• use biodegradable soaps, cleaners and paper products that are from recycled paper.