Making Choices

I am encouraged to read about people making changes in their daily habits to benefit the earth. In my house we are trying to do more, too. For a year or so I have been using canvas bags to shop (and not just for groceries). I am limiting driving (reducing and planning errands, and having “no drive” days). My goal is to reduce my driving and gas consumption by a half. One joy of driving less has been bicycling Matt to preschool. We are the only ones who do this (although, surprisingly, we don't live the closest). It takes no time at all and is great fun for both of us (especially on warm sunny days!). We’ve been recyclers since we lived in Chicagoland but I want to do more to reduce initial consumption and was happy to find CatalogChoice.org. The service is free and allows individuals the opportunity to control mailings. The web interface is well-designed (of course I would notice, right?) and it's simple to sign up and get started. The service is sponsored by the Ecology Center and endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and others. While I might initially miss a handful of catalogs, I am hoping more retailers will take notice and offer online versions of their catalogs as well as reduce mailings.