Everyone these days seems to have their own definition of what green living actually means to them.  While I can’t speak for anyone else, to me, green living comes down to the practical everyday things that you can do for a greener life.  That means stuff like not just shorter showers and baths, but less dish washing (yeah!), less car washing, hair washing, and anything else that consumes a lot of water.  The amount of water we typically use to do these simple things on a monthly basis is not necessary at least half the time!  While this may be an exaggeration and by no means an official statistic, my point is, Americans (in particular) tend to OVERUSE water.  That is just one area alone where we could stand to change our habits to accommodate a “green living way of life.   So what green living means to me is making a conscious effort to change the wasteful ways that I normally do things, on a daily basis.

One way that society is found guilty of not just waste, but of creating destructive products that can’t be destroyed is in the use of plastic grocery bags. Plastic bags (as well as paper bags) that are used everyday in grocery stores and other commercial businesses have become a big problem. There is currently lots of discussion about the plastic and paper bags environmental issues. My blog: It Pays To Live Green considers the subject and mentions what some states have chosen as a solution.  My own personal solution was to create a green inspired reusable tote bag with a “go green” theme on it. The bag is great for lite shopping or even for books. The themed reusable tote bag really helps me remember to keep the green spirit alive. A view of the tote bag and a full description can be found at the bottom of this hub. The artwork on the reusable tote bag is actually a photograph I took when I recently attended a “green” related exhibit.

Wendy Abrams, a Chicago mother of four is responsible for the “Cool Globes” that have been exhibited in a number of different states. They are truly a visual work of art, as you can see from the following photos (which I’m afraid don’t do the exhibit enough justice!). This green living display can really help us see what creative ideals people have about living a greener life. One of the primary supporters of The “Cool Globes” project is The Toyota Corporation. Here are some photos of this fantastic collection of art.

NOTE: Please be patient if your browser is a little slow loading the images. I kept them at a decent size so you could really get a good ideal of the hard work put into this collection of art.

As the above photos show, people are doing some serious thinking about what things we can do to heal our earth.  From young to old, and all walks of life, people are creating imaginative ways to be a part of this global effort to make the earth a better place to live.  The above images truly depicts art with a conscious.  These are the type of projects that keep us ever  focused on the task at hand - to live a greener life!

These were just a few of the various globes that I saw in the collection.  This last one really spoke to me, as I mention in my blog It Pays To Live Green.

The above photo was the inspiration for the REUSABLE TOTE BAG that you see to the right. Here is a description of this product. You can use this link to:

Purchase Tote Now

Product Description:

This 100% cotton canvas tote bags have plenty of room to carry everything you need when you are on the go.

They include a bottom gusset and extra long handles for easy carrying.

• 10 oz heavyweight natural canvas fabric
• Full side and bottom gusset
• 22" reinforced self-fabric handles
• Machine washable

Measures 15" x 18" x 6"

While Oakland California residents are awaiting the results of a pending lawsuit, the final outcome may actually affect other states as well. It seems that the Oakland city Council passed a law last year, outlawing single-use plastic carrier bags in food and grocery retail stores. The ban only applies to those stores that generate over $1 million a year in sales. Although the law managed to pass last year, a recent ruling issued an injunction on the ban after a trade association (The Coalition to Support Plastic Bag Recycling) brought suit against the city of Oakland.

Since the ban is on the single-use plastic bags and not the single-use paper bags customers are logically expected to transition to using paper bags for their purchases. The Coalition that supports the plastic bags being recycled, instead of banned, argues that singe-use paper bags are actually more damaging. They don’t believe that the creation of more single-use paper bags is the solution to the problem. This group insists that banning the use of single-use plastic bags while creating more of the paper bags will “…dramatically increase energy use, double greenhouse gas emissions and increase waste.”

Although I personally agree or see the logic about the paper bags, apparently the Alameda County superior court judge that made the ruling (Roesch) felt differently. His ruling was that, “…substantial evidence in the record supports at least a fair argument that single-use paper bags are more damaging than single-use plastic bags.”

(Wow! Could paper bags possibly be more damaging for real? Go figure! I thought if paper bags couldn’t be recycled, at the very least, they were biodegradable!

Either way that the case turns out, obviously could end up setting a precedent for the way the rest of the nation handles the big plastic/paper bag dilemma. In the meantime and in between time, consumers can definitely take matters into their own hands and purchase reusable cloth bags that are practical, convenient and environmental friendly. Many have already started purchasing multipurpose tote bags that can be used and reused for groceries and other items. There are even reusable bags made from organic materials for those who really want to do their part for a greener lifestyle

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