Save the Environment (AND some money!)

Environmental issues have increasingly been at the forefront of political, economic, personal and corporate discussions.  However, if you're like me, it's hard to find affordable, realistic ways to be more environmentally sustainable.  I want to buy sustainable fashion, convert to more efficient appliances and participate in sustainable agriculture by growing my own foods, but as a college student I have to be careful with my money, I typically don't own the building I live in, and apartments and dorm rooms don't exactly lend themselves to growing vine-ripe tomatoes.

However, I recently read this book that I really appreciated. It's called New Day Revolution and was a quick read that had a lot of simple tips I plan to use (and no, no one's paying me to say good things about it :-). I just really enjoyed it and found it helpful--plus it's only $5). Here are some of my favorites:

• Shorten your shower by 60 seconds each day to save 5 gallons of water a day and more than 1,825 gallons a year (on top of $11 in utility bills)
• Ensuring that your tires are fully inflated saves on precious fuel
• Roll down your windows when driving in traffic and turn off the air conditioning to save fuel; on the highway do the opposite--having your windows open on the highway reduces gas mileage up to 10 percent
• Take your roof rack off when you're not using it (the rack adds drag and hurts your fuel efficiency)
• Go inside instead of going through the drive thru: this will reduce CO2 emissions. Also, pulling forward in a parking space so you don't have to back out saves gas.
• Buy organic, fair trade coffee: this ensure that growers are being paid a fair wage and organic coffee is more sustainably produced and better for the environment than other types
• Use your own mug instead of a disposable paper cup and you'll save a tree all by yourself
• Eat a cold meal. Doing so will "save about $1 and keep two pounds of coal in the ground." Turning one meal that you would normally eat meat at into a meatless meal will also save energy.
• Unplug your charger when it's not in use to save $30 a year in electricity costs. (The "average household uses 450 pounds of coal a year just to keep DVD players and computers plugged in").
• Switch your five most used light fixtures to energy saving incandescent bulbs
• Don't flush your medicine: It's bad for the environment. On the other hand, throwing old medications away can be dangerous as well. Instead, take your out-of-date bottles to a local pharmacy for disposal.
• Recycle batteries (which can burst open) and used printer cartridges--or, refill the printer cartridges to save money!

Hope these helped and you heard something new! If you have tips of your own please post a comment below--I'm always looking for good ideas.

For ways Optimum tries to take care of the environment, click here or copy and paste this URL into your web browser: http://www.optimumcompanies.com/ProEnvironmentPolicy.html

Optimum Companies Corporate Caring

Companies foster community pride by supporting those in the community who advance our quality of life. Optimum Companies are proud to support several organizations. One of these is Kids 'n Kamp.

Kids 'n Kamp was founded in 1982 and is dedicated to children who have cancer and their families. In the early years, Kids 'n Kamp provided only a small group of cancer kids with a weekend camp, but has now grown to a full-service non-profit organization providing over 300 Ohio Childhood Cancer families (patients, siblings and parents) the opportunity to participate in much needed programs and services. All programs are free for kids ranging in age from infants to young adults who are either receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments now or have finished treatments and are in remission. Kids 'n Kamp also maintains a close and active relationship with families who have lost children to cancer and continues to offer them all programs and services.

This summer, several Optimum employees and their family members helped with unloading supplies and assisting in craft projects for a weekend camp. This organization is special to our CEO, John Martin, who is a cancer survivor. Having been afflicted as a teenager with a brain tumor he knows first-hand how important these services are to a family stricken with cancer.

Kids 'n Kamp has fund raising events such as a Mystery Night and Auction in the fall and the Quilt Auction at the 'Shoe'. If you would like more information on Kids 'n Kamp, please call 614-262-2220 or visit www.kidsnkamp.org.

Over the next several months, we will be spotlighting other organizations which are a part of Optimum Companies' Corporate Caring.