10 Ways to be Green

1. Commit to Composting. Americans waste about 40% of our food, literally billions of pounds of food ending up in landfills, emitting billions of tons of methane pollution. Don’t waste food scraps; don’t send them to a landfill. Composting has never been easier, and you can start right at home. Our friends at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance have an entire web-guide to composting, but if you prefer to let someone else do all the work, just hire Compost Crew and they will be glad to help. 
2. Change the Commute. As we all get used to the new work-from-home world, telecommuting, and video conferencing, it’s a good time to rethink our commuting choices. At Bethesda Green, last year we began increasing tele-work options to reduce our pollution footprint. When you go back to work, can you drive less? Idling at traffic lights on the way to work wastes billions of gallons of gas a year and emits millions of tons of CO₂. What if we all drove one fewer day a week, cutting this pollution and waste by 20%?
3. Purchase with Pride. Now is the perfect time to support local businesses, make good food choices, and have food delivered right to your door. The Bethesda Green Innovation Lab is working with a number of companies that fit the bill. My family just finished four bags of M’Panadas, which were easy to heat and delicious; I have a Peace Bar from JaM Treats each morning with my coffee; and I get extra protein after my run (you know, gyms closed) from Berg Bars. Support Bethesda Green’s entrepreneurs and do right by your bodies! 
4. Green your House. You’re home all the time now. You aren’t wasting time on the twice-daily commute. Do an inventory of your home’s sustainability and make changes to save money and contribute to greening your living space. Eliminating air leaks will save energy on heating and cooling and changing to LED light bulbs can reduce electricity consumption and costs. Check with your energy provider to arrange a home energy audit – save money and the planet! 
5. Find your Green Thumb. Now is the time to work in your garden, enjoy your own personal green space, and do so responsibly. Take time to plan your garden with native plants that attract native wildlife. Learn from my much-admired friend, Nancy Lawson, The Humane Gardener. Or, if you don’t have a little land to till, support Grateful Gardeners, one of the Bethesda Green Innovation Lab companies. Order some organic flowers and brighten your living space… since you’re spending so much time there! 
6. Look Outside. Famed humanitarian Albert Schweitzer once said, “In the hopes of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.” It costs nothing and takes no effort to be a backyard birder and wildlife watcher. Take an hour with the family and look out the window. Count the species of birds you see. I’ve been birdwatching in Madagascar and Costa Rica and Vietnam. I’m just as happy – right now as I write this – watching cardinals play in my yard. 
7. Be the Change. Consumer choices – your choices – have an impact on the planet. Pledge to do one thing right now to change the way you live and, as a result, the impact you have on the planet. For me, when I turned 50, I pledged to buy no more new clothes. Period. Used, yes. My closet is full, and I have no need for additional consumption, supporting fast fashion that contributes to pollution. Every used clothing store has become a treasure hunt for me. Our friends at Rendered Inc. will do the hunting for you, curating clothes to send to you – and right now, they’ll also make you vital masks! 
8. Send an Email. How easy is that? But it makes a difference. Again, you’re home. You have more time on your hands. While you are making personal changes to your lifestyle and consumption, you can also encourage decision-makers at all levels of government to enact policy changes that make the planet safe. Send one a week? One a day? To your County Councilperson? To your State Delegate? To your United States Representative? To both of your United States Senators? To the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency? Don’t ever think your voice doesn’t matter! Contact any of these elected or appointed officials about any environmental issue of importance to you and you will make a difference.
9. Eat Mindfully. You don’t have to go vegan as I did in 1993. But any changes you make to your food choices can reduce land destruction and methane gas production. Meatless Mondays? A 30-day vegetarian challenge? Incorporating plant-based products into your overall diet? A small change in your eating habits can have a big change on the planet. Check out Montgomery County Food Council’s plant forward recipes or order Bread and Beauty to see how easy, healthy, and local good eating can be. 
10. Support Bethesda Green. We continue to do our best during this challenging time to support our Environmental Leaders and Innovation Lab entrepreneurs. Greenfest has been canceled and a number of our community-focused events necessarily postponed. So we need your support now more than ever. Would you commit, in honor of Earth Day, to donate to Bethesda Green so we can deliver for you and the community all year long? Every donation is vital. Thank you.

There’s so much to do. If we all do it together, we can protect the planet, ensure sustainable economic development, and deliver a healthy earth to future generations. Let us know how you decide to celebrate the earth. Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to show us how you are green.

Be Green Bethesda,

Adam Roberts