happynewyearfireworks1Happy New Year from Gussy Green! 

While we reflect on this past year and commit to our Green New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve collected some great ideas for you and your own eco habits for 2009.

Our favorite is a “green pledge” from iVillage:

Green Resolutions

Easy, eco-changes for the New Year

1. Give second lives a chance -  I will only buy paper towels, tissue, toilet paper and office paper made from post-consumer recycled content.

2. Go veggie on Wednesdays – For the 52 Wednesdays (or whatever day of the week you choose) in 2009, I will forgo meat and stick to veggie options (saving me money and saving the planet large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from the raising of livestock)

3. Learn to love local – Each month I resolve to learn what foods are in season and look for them at my local farmers market.

4. Recycle recyclables – I will finally learn what is and isn’t recyclable in my town and put <em>everything</em> that can be recycled into a recycling bin—always! (This includes the times I’m on the street and am tempted to throw my newspaper into the corner garbage.)

5. Boycott water bottles for a month- Instead, I will carry my reusable bottle with me at all times, knowing that short-term actions soon become habits.

6. Fill the car up (with bags) – I will put a big stack of reuseable bags in the car for grocery shopping and replenish them weekly.

7. Add variety to my mobility – Once a week I’ll take an alternative form of transportation (i.e. carpool if I drive, use the subway if I take cabs, walk or bike if I take the subway)

8. Get informed and get involved – I’ll find out what environmental issues are being debated in my community and write a letter to my council person to give my opinion.

9. Lead by example – Whether it’s doing a little or doing a lot, the best way to affect change is to let others see me doing it.

Easy.  Here are a couple more lists with good ideas:

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2007/12/27/green-new-years-resolutions-2008/

this one’s funny:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/new-years-resolutions-47121520

Our resolutions?  In addition to making more Gussy Green one-of-a-kinders from reused, repurposed and recycled materials, we’re committing to more personal eco-commitments like:

-only buying eco and animal friendly makeup
-replacing all paper towels with cloth
-making my veggie diet more organic

Have some Green New Year’s Resolutions of your own?  Or want to hear some more ideas?  Check out and take part in our Facebook discussion:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6654&post=24407&uid=23372227422#/topic.php?uid=23372227422&topic=6654

to you, 2009, green wonders and wanders,

Gussy