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Green living tips

By Staff | Apr 28, 2010

In supermarkets and coffee shops, on college campuses and in elementary to high schools, on the radio and television, even the buzz on the street these days seems to reverberate one clear message: Let’s go green.

To take that step — and there are some very simple steps — Graffiti called in an expert to shed some light on just how to go about being more earth-friendly.

Connie Townsend, office manager for The Center for Sustainability Studies of Davis & Elkins College, has been sharing monthly tips for going green with students and staff. Townsend said going green is important and there are simple things that can be done to accomplish just that.

"It is the right thing to do," Townsend said. "We have to start joining in with the rest of the world to conserve and take better care of our planet. Most of us are being affected by the economy, it (going green) saves money and resources."

Townsend and The Center for Sustainability Studies have compiled numerous tips to guide individuals down the green path. Most of these tips Townsend sends out in a monthly newsletter to the D&E community.

One of the newsletters suggests students borrow books instead of buying them or buying used books, reading books electronically and recycling books by donating them to libraries.

Townsend offers several tips for green cleaning. She suggests using vegetable-based cleaning products, using baking soda as an air fresher and scrubbing toilets, sinks and tubs avoiding cleansers with bleach, using sponges instead of paper towels and switching to products with natural ingredients.

In the bathroom, some green suggestions include: take shorter showers; turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and shaving; fix leaky faucets and showerheads; and avoid using the toilet as a garbage bin.

Townsend’s other tips to go green include using compact fluorescent bulbs which last longer and require less energy; turn off electrical devices when exiting a room; unplug appliances; buy inexpensive mugs and plates instead of disposable ones; buy a water filters and reusable containers instead of cases of bottled water; and do not use power strips to turn on computer and desk equipment all at once.