I worry about the shape that the world is in and there isn’t much I can do about it, but there are some things I can do that may make a small difference, and maybe by writing this article a slightly bigger difference.
When I was a child my parents were very careful not to waste and I continue to do that. An idea that was not mine, but is a good one, is to bring a container when you go out to eat which you can use to bring home your extra food. Think of how many foam containers that would save our landfills and also how many containers the restaurant would not have to give out. Another very good one is public transportation. My son drives his car to a lot very close to the Windsor Locks railroad station and takes the bus into Hartford. It saves him money on gas, parking fees, and wear and tear on his car. The fare is not high, the schedules are convenient, and they have many stops where they drop people off. I was attending a funeral in Hartford once for a neighbor and my son was able to take the bus from his workplace to the synagogue to attend the service. I think they also pick up in Enfield.
Now those are the best ones but I have others that cause a little eye rolling from friends and family. One is putting on your seatbelt and doing any other adjustments you need to do before starting the car. Cars used to need to be warmed up in cold weather but that is no longer the case. Of course I think we have become a nation of wimps who can no longer be cold or a little bit too warm for a couple of minutes. With one person doing this it obviously is not saving a lot of gas, but look around a parking lot and think of all the parking lots and think of the gas that would be saved and the pollution that would not be going into the atmosphere. I also only use my central air conditioner when it is especially hot and humid or I have company who is complaining, and that has happened.
That’s about it except my own little quirk of parking in the first place I see instead of getting as close as I can when I go to Highland Park (which I do a lot). It saves that very tiny bit of gas but is a little bit of extra exercise for me or usually I suppose if someone carries out my groceries for me, a little bit extra for them.