What a good idea!

Composting, perhaps? Not sure of your living situation.You could get an envirocycle (http://www.125west.com/Envirocycle_Composter.html)

I plan to ask for one for my birthday.

Kudos on your commendable and easy to keep resolution style.

How about adjusting the thermostat a couple degrees cooler in winter and a couple warmer in the summer (better yet, open the windows if you are in a mild climate)?

oh good one. you could get a programmable thermostat and set it to cool down at the times no one is home.

Hullo, this is Jessica, also known as sciencegeek. And I really am lazy. I've found over the years that if I have lofty goals, they'd better be easy to achieve or I'm going to stop implementing them in a couple of weeks. So far I've been lucky to find fairly easy things to do - shopping totes, Brita filter, and CFLs.

I'm asking this question both for myself as well as for anyone else who wants a quick fix way to do something good.

Thoughts I've had: eat vegetarian a couple of days a week, set up electronics to be on surge protectors that I can turn off while I'm not using them (this may be difficult due to exciting wiring in my apartment - there are only two usable three prong sockets in the entire place), promising to bike to work at least three days a week during the non-winter months, and no more using the elevator at work for less than five floors.

The thermostat and composter ideas are great examples of this sort of thing but I live in a big apartment building where the heat is "controlled" centrally and I have neither a balcony nor a yard.

Install a low-flow shower head.

Along with showerheads, kitchen and bathroom sinks can be easily modified to reduce water usage. Particularly in terms of resolutions you can spread around to other "envirosloths," turning of the "heated dry" segment and lowering the maximum water temp on your dishwasher can make a big difference and only require you to actually do something once (besides every time you have to wait a few minutes longer or open the door of the dishwater while the dishes are drying). Being more conscious of what clothes can and should be washed on cold or warm instead of hot, or switching to handwashing instead of the delicates cycle, can also be a fairly easy if more ongoing green change. Switching to green and biodegradable products like cleaning supplies (or skipping them altogether in favor of natural solutions using things like lemon, vinegar, and baking soda) can also be an easy one to convince others to do now that they are coming down in price, especially if your friends have children or pets and would be happy to avoid unnecessary chemicals in the house.

For the surge protector idea, you could invest in a smart strip. They have 10 outlets that automatically shut off some of your electronics when you haven't used them for a period of time.

My latest favorite is using cloth napkins with meals. We have greatly cut back on using paper napkins and our meals seem a little fancier now - even if it is just a PB&J. We are also trying to use cloths to clean up spills & messes more often so we hardly ever use paper towels.

A big winner if you are lazy is to set your hot water heater to a lower temperature. It is recommended to set it to 120 degrees as that is the hottest you should ever need it. I had my father set ours (it only took a few minutes) and the water is still hot enough for my boyfriend who likes long, hot showers. Just set it and forget it!

That's easy, Go Vegan!

You live in an apartment so a lot of the suggestions won't work. This one should: resolve to pick up at least one piece of garbage outside every day. Even if you are lazy, one piece should be no big deal, right?

also, check this out: http://green.cbc.ca/

A Canadian TV host is trying to get people to commit 1 Million acts of green - you'll find lots of ideas on simple things everyone can do, and you can sign up and contribute to the initiative if you like.

@GO-Vegan

So I have this issue with being vegan. I refuse to subscribe to any diet that prohibits chocolate chip cookies. And before you start talking about delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies, I'd like to point out that they aren't. No, I have tried lots of kinds. They're not chocolate chip cookies.

Yes, I'm a horrible selfish person.

One of the points I was trying to make with this question was that if you can come up with easy ways to do something good more people are more likely to actually do them.

Let's say you talk to 100 people and tell them about the joys and virtues of being vegan. Maybe one will actually become vegan. More realistically, one will try out being vegan and then subside into being vegetarian. One out of a thousand will become vegan.

If you talked to those same 100 people and suggested that they choose one day a week to eat vegetarian and explained the joys and the virtues of this, I suspect that you might be able to get fifteen people to go for it. These fifteen people would probably make a greater difference than your one vegan in terms of the ecological benefits of not eating animal derived products. In fact, those fifteen people might mention how easy it is to their friends and the number might increase.

Last night I ended up making a vegetarian dinner for myself and my boyfriend (I think it might have even been vegan come to think of it) which we're eating today for lunch as leftovers. He's not a big fan of veggie things, but I can persuade him to do this one night a week and one lunch the next day.

I hope I'm not coming across as being mean about this because that is not my intention. I am just realistic about my commitment level. And I think my commitment level is probably higher than that of the majority of the population. I'm interested in small, easy steps for people who don't think of themselves as green, or environmentally conscious, or liberal, or as some of my less politically correct friends might say, "stinky hippies." Think of suggestions that your parents, or grandparents, or aunt would be willing to implement.

This is such a great thread. I totally get the easy eco thing. It would be great to go full-out green, but not all of us have the time, money, or, frankly, the energy!

Here are my suggestions:
- If you pay for your own power, getting power strips that can be turned off isn't just green, it saves $. We estimate we save a minimum of $10 a month, and also noticed that our place was significantly cooler in the summer without our electronics silently powered on. Getting three prong strips will maximize your options for plugging in, too.
- Put a brick in your toilet's tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush (only a good option if you have a more modern system and can give up the extra pressure.)
- Pick the eco option when you're shopping for clothes. Tons of companies like Gap, Levi, H&M, and Walmart are now offering organic cotton clothing, often at similar prices to non-organic options.

If I think of more, I'll come back and post. I'm sure there a ton of easy little things we've started doing that have become so much second nature that I no longer remember them. But then, those are the perfect eco interventions, right?

Stop using paper towels. We haven't bought a roll in more than a year, and I don't miss them even a bit.

Do your laundry at off-peak hours, and only use hot water when you really, really need to.

Keep a large bowl near the kitchen sink. Put it under the faucet while you're waiting for the water to heat up. Water something (or use this time to fill up the Brita).

Use vinegar to clean just about everything.

Stop using dryer sheets or detergent with color boosters.

Re-use humus containers.

Make your own yogurt.

If you go out to eat, take your own reusable containers for leftovers. Much better than icky styrofoam!

The Green Guide - "One Green Year: What You Can Do Today"

The link to the Canadian television program site that ange lune posted is great.

They have a good list of easy things to do many of which I can see doing. I think after work today I'll go home and clean my refrigerator coils. I have never done this before. I'm sort of scared to find out what scary stuff lives behind the fridge.

chartreusechic - and everyone else... The brick in the toilet tank is not a good thing - the brick can decompose and plug up your plumbing. You can do something similar with a plastic milk or juice jug filled with water and put that in your tank instead.

I agree about the surge protectors, but they're not always appropriate for the middle of the living room. In the UK, they have these switches built into the sockets that let you turn the whole thing off, so there's no need for a bulky power strip. They're cheap and easy to use. Has anyone seen them in the US?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Sockets Control-Units/13A-Slimline-Switched-Socket-2-Gang/invt/711327

Here's an effortless little water saver: when you turn on the water for a shower, catch a gallon's worth in a recycled jug while you're waiting for the water to warm up. I use the reserved water to rinse out the tub and sink and to water my plants.

I am trying to eliminate products that are mostly water. Canned beans, stock, green beans, corn, etc and have switched to either using dried beans or frozen products. I am still looking for good cleaning products that come concentrated that I could dilute when I bring them home but so far no luck. The fuel used to transport the cans of mostly water and emissions emitted are the main reasons I would prefer to switch.

as a mildly lazy person myself, i'm finding a lot of these suggestions exhausting and repellent just to read, let alone attempt. i had the same thought this new year's: wanting to be more green, but without so intimidating a goal that i set myself up for failure.

after spending a new year's eve getaway in burlington, vt, the idea came to me: shop locally, and on a regular basis. i'm in nyc/brooklyn and have access to many farmers' markets that i tend to troll casually rather than really use. i buy groceries in small batches, so i generally shop a few times a week. so my goal is this: buy produce from farmers' markets at least once a week. meats, grains, and dairy at least a few times a month. eventually, as my appreciation (and, i hope, income) increase, i'll shop these markets more frequently and make my little impact on the environment (and support local farmers)!

since i lack a dispensable income, i want to shop for fresher, seasonal ingredients at least part of the time, if not always or for every ingredient. my first serious farmers' market trip is tomorrow.

being a nerd, i'm kind of excited about it.

@redheadeb Diva cups are fabulous. No more incessant buying of pads, no more packing pads for vacations, or camping.... So much less waste. I Love mine!

Ok, here is my easy eco option that hasn't been mentioned yet. Get an electric kettle. Uses way less energy since you are heating the water directly (instead of a burner, the pot and the your water) Also when using the kettle just put in the amount of water you want heated. No need to fill it full.

Foaming soap dispensers. You dilute normal liquid soap and put it in the dispenser... uses way less soap than normal. and who doesn't love the foamy soap? Reuse the dispenser.

I find I use waaay less shampoo after switching to a pump dispenser. No more haphazard shampoo usage. Same dose every time :)

Buy in bulk when you can to cut down on packaging.

Hope these are helpful.

I'm going to revamp my 90 square foot garden and build three wind turbines. :-)

Eat Local products as much as possible. This helps the planet and your local economy. The food usually tastes better too.
If you are a carnivore (like me) and you like eating meat, look for local, humanely raised meat. Animals raised for meat, on smaller, responsible farms, add to the environment, instead of creating toxic waste like industrial 'farms'. Look for phrases like pasture raised, grass fed, grass finished. The meat from cows raised on grass has the added benefits of being leaner and higher in omega-3's.
Also, try to waste less food, buy less and eat everything in your fridge.

My resolution this year is to plan our evening meals every week before I do my weekly grocery shopping. It eliminates anxiety (coming home from work not knowing what to make), helps me use up what ingredients I bought on a whim (3 pie pumpkins? Why not!) so they won't go to waste, and guards us from ordering take-out. Also makes for less random trips to the grocery store. Waste reduction and healthier food. Sounds pretty green to me!

Hey Jessica:
If your lack of three-pronged outlets are preventing you from using surge protectors that you can turn off multiple electronics at once with, I'd suggest buying a outlet converter. It's a small doodad that you can find at an electronics or maybe a hardware store for less than a dollar. It basically has two prongs on one side that you insert into the outlet and has three holes on the other side that you can then plug your surge protector into. Was great when I lived in an old place that hadn't been introduced to the three-pronged outlet!

Elminate paper napkins and/or paper towels. I did this last year and even my husband, who was resistant at first, thought it was super easy.

For towels, I ordered a box of flour sack towels off ebay and put them in a kitchen drawer. They aren't very bulky and the fact that they are all the same means that they are easy to store. They don't even create a noticable increase in my laundry load.

For napkins, Ikea has plain white cloth napkins that are super cheap to buy in bulk. I also pick up cloth napkins in thrifts stores all the time.

Another thing to do is to eat at least one meat-free dinner a week. Small start, but every bit helps.

Few repeats, but the things we've found really easy out of all our green changes:

Low-flow showerhead: change it once, and it's done.
Ditto flow-restrictors for taps elsewhere.

Food shopping at markets rather than supermarkets, preferably farmers' markets (caveat: I live in Melbourne, within easy distance of three fantastic markets, all open 4-5days a week, with a monthly farmers' market nearby, and three more per month - all on different Saturdays - in reasonably close/easy to get to places). I find that buying from the market means our grocery bill has plummeted, whilst the quality and variety available has skyrocketed. Also makes me shop more seasonably, which cuts down food miles etc etc, and cuts down on packaging.

Cycling everywhere: for us, this isn't at all hard, as cycling is our preferred method of transport - it's quicker and cheaper than driving or taking public transport (PT is the back-up for longer in-city trips, hire cars for out-of-town weekends). It also keeps us fit, and it's unbelievably great to be pottering along out in the fresh air rather than sitting in a traffic jam. We estimate we're saving AUS$15k per year not owning a car (average sized, larger cars would be $25k ).

Changing light bulbs: again, done once, forget about it.

Switching to recycled toilet paper, green cleaning methods, etc - the 'work' is choosing which brand to switch to. Once you've picked it, you just keep buying it, easy.

Always setting the washing machine to cold, and using concentrated green products - bonus of saving $, and again, really easy habit to get into.
Slightly more effort is giving up your clothes dryer if you use one - it involves you hanging all your clothes up, but on the plus side, means less ironing, and more $ saved. And it's do-able in an apartment too - you just need a clothes horse, and the indoors of most places are warm enough to dry things in a day or so.

Then there's all the obvious stuff like not leaving the tap running whilst you're brushing your teeth, turning off lights when you're not in the room, and using up/freezing food rather than binning it.

Switch to microfiber towels for cleaning in the kitchen and around the house - they can be used dry for dusting and wet for efficient cleaning with pure water only - you really don't need soap or cleansers for the same effect. Plus, if you wash them along with your towels every now and then they are as good as new.

To get concentrated cleaners, buy from janitorial supply. Don Aslett's janitorial supply is the one I use. His glass cleaner works great without ammonia, his all-purpose doesn't leave a residue like dish soap does (dish soap--say, very diluted Palmolive--does clean most everything in a pinch), and his disinfectant has no bleach and no fumes. Good stuff. It comes in easy-to-use concentrate packets and you can buy several years' supply at once. (Doesn't take much storage space either.)

I also use Goo Gone, which is orange oil, for breaking up sticky tape residues and such. Lemon, salt, and baking soda are useful (pimped a lot on "How Clean Is Your House") but they are caustic--awesome on porcelain, which is a ceramic that is coated in glass, not so awesome on anything metal.

Beware of the claim that vinegar is a cleaner. It's not. It will help remove soap and other alkaline residues because it is an acid. Some things need to be cleaned, and some things need to be disinfected, and vinegar does neither.

Btw, what is detergent? It's a chemical that helps disperse the active ingredient, soap, all over the surfaces you immerse, to break up and life away grease. Soap is made from oil, but it is alkali, while oil is acid. When you clean with a lot of soap, it can leave a residue, so you can come back with an acid to clear off the residue. But with good janitorial products like those above you won't have to come back and rinse off your cleaner with acids... which is good, because they can ruin porous surfaces.

Another weird trick--I've found that tea (which contains a weak acid) is pretty good at getting blackened oil from your fingers off of non-porous surfaces. At work they have this nasty Formula 409 stuff which tears up my hands--yet it would not get the printer clean. I saved my tea bag--actually plopped it on some paper towels, and when the paper towels were soaked red/brown I used them to wipe off the printer. I was amazed at how much came off.

I used to use the cold tea from the bottom of my thermos to clean lime residue off my driver's side mirror when I was a bus driver. Again, this works because lime deposits are alkali and tea is a weak acid.

One last thing--if you care about the environment, DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT use phosphoric acid to remove limescale, etc. CLR is phosphoric acid. So is Coca-cola. Lemon juice salt is highly caustic and will do the same job without causing algal blooms in your waterways.

The 1% rule is a huge deal in permaculture. Find things that accumulate 1% (save 1% of water, give 1% nutrients). Lots of little things that are self sustaining are WAY better than one large input that can't be sustained.

Fantastic thread, lots of great ideas!