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Natural Awakenings National

Good Idea: Eco-Checklist Tracks Personal Progress

Keeping daily to-do lists is standard practice for many life projects. Now, the environmentally conscious can periodically monitor their personal eco-progress via ChasingGreen.org/green-actions. The website helps people to become greener by suggesting many activities and ideas to consider and then check off when they have been accomplished, all while exchanging ideas with an interactive community.

Eight categories—energy, health, heating and cooling, recycle and reuse, travel, water, miscellaneous and one-time actions—together contain more than 150 distinct actionable steps. Users can register or log-in using Facebook and save the latest additions to their progress report, then return at any time to monitor the successful greening of their lifestyle.

For example, while many homeowners may have already insulated their dwelling, the energy section points out possible areas for improvement, including water pipes, roof, walls, window treatments, doors, ductwork, water heater and basement. Some tips in the miscellaneous section are timely for upcoming holidays, such as giving an eco-friendly gift, substituting an experience for a tangible gift and sending e-cards instead of traditional paper greetings.

The travel section reminds the ecoand budget-conscious to check their cars’ tire pressure often, as underinflated tires put more rubber on the road, which demands more energy to drive and hurts gas mileage. When planning trips, a rail option is deemed better for the environment than driving or flying.

Operators of the site, based in Walla Walla, Washington, state: “By offering small steps towards going green, we hope to give people a starting point and a source of inspiration. We are advocates of the proverbial, ‘Well, I can do that!’ moment.” Relevant articles on various topics offer additional eco-tips, enhanced by user comments and reviews.

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