Photo taken October 3, 2007

I saw this upturned cockroach one night on my way back from a stroll. (I couldn’t quite bring myself to flip it right-side up.)

Today is Blog Action Day, where bloggers join together to spread the word on saving the environment. With so much focus on green living, what have you done to reduce your footprint on the environment? Here are just a few things I’ve been practicing this year:

1. Use reusable shopping bags. I bring my own canvas or reusable nylon bags to the grocery store, or my shopping cart for larger or heavier items. And for times when I do get a plastic bag, I reuse it as many times as possible before it ends up in the trash, and usually that’s only because I’ve put food trash or cat litter in it.

2. Turn off the lights! We don’t need to keep all the lights on in the house, only the one in the room we’re in.

3. Buy used books. I take my used books in to my local used book store, and use the credit to buy other used books.

4. Recycle everything. Not just the obvious, like paper, glass and aluminum. Electronics, old cell phones, appliance, furniture, and more can be sent to a number of organizations, or sold on Craigslist or Ebay. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

5. No more water bottles. I put a filter on my kitchen faucet for filtered tap. I try not to buy bottled water or drinks, as it’s just another thing that has to be recycled. And I bring my own water bottle when I hit the gym or the hiking trail.

6. Eat local. I shop at my local Greenmarket every weekend that I can, and during the week (near my office) when I have the time. This way, I’m not supporting the environmental impact of importing food from far away. I also like supporting my local farmers and businesses, and isn’t it more delicious when it’s fresh and in season anyway?

Could I do more? Of course, and I’m getting there. But this is how I’ve started changing my habits. Sorry Kermit, it IS easy being green.