Everyone is jumping on the green bandwagon these days. Yes it is a bit trendy right now, but don’t underestimate the power of the green movement. Yes I can spend a little extra to buy phosphate-free detergent and feel proud that I’m saving our aquatic ecosystems, that’s easy. But there are more impactful ways to make a difference that require some initial coordination and could shake-up your daily routine, but once you’ve got your routine down you’ll be well on your way to becoming an Eco-gay. Here are some simple ways to look great, feel good, and help the planet out while doing so.

Getting there:

• Yeah, it’s not exactly the most glamourous ride out there, but public transit a great way to get to work stress free. Put Kings of Leon on your iPod, pick up a newspaper, get on the train or bus and relax, you’re on your way. You might even find love, if you have the balls.  Hey, if Carrie Bradshaw can do it in heels, so can you.
• Walk – What better way to show off that new pair of True Religions than to slink along a busy street Top Model style. There’s also a chance you’ll bump into that cute guy that crosses Georgia St every morning at 7:55… Not only are you putting your fierce self out there, you’re already on your way to losing those last five pounds.
• Carpool – Ok, so sometimes you just need a vehicle, that’s fair. You want to go skiing in Whistler or to Bosa Foods in the burbs for some fresh authentic Italian food and walking or transit is just not an option. With a little planning and forethought you can save some major cash and a few tons of greenhouse gases. Ask around your social crew, your fellow coworkers, your neighbours and run your errands together. Have fun and make an outing of it; just make sure you actually like hanging out with the people you end up asking…
• If you don’t own a car but use one occasionally, you can check out companies like the Cooperative Auto Network and Zipcar that allow people to book cars at various locations around the city at their own convenience at discounted rates. This homo is a member and travels everywhere he needs to go with his choice of car for an average of $60 per month.

The Three R’s

Reduce: This one is quite a simple concept, but seems to get misunderstood in the context of our never-ending quest to accumulate more stuff than the Jones’. Well, it doesn’t matter how much the Jones’ have, but WHAT they have. Quality over quantity is a crucial lesson to learn early on. Instead of buying four shirts from your favourite multinational retailer that will likely fall apart after one or two seasons, invest in a nicely tailored, great quality shirt that you’ll look great in and will last you longer than all four combined. Better yet, buy from a local menswear boutique or designer for a one-of-a-kind peice and support some homegrown talent by buying clothing that didn’t have to travel 10,000 km to get to you.

Reuse: STOP! Yes, it’s true, those jeans make your body look weird and always have which is why you have only worn them once. I know I should’ve told you to take them back when you showed them to me the first time, but I was being supportive when you really wanted to pull off that ‘look’. Thank god you’ve come to your senses. Anyway, DON’T THROW THEM AWAY! There are plenty of people of various shapes and sizes that can pull that look off. To make a bit of that wasted money back, you can sell them to a local consignment store. Or even better, there are plenty of local charities and organizations that accept clothing donations like Covenant House that will gladly accept most undamaged peices of clothing and provide it to people and youth that need it most.

Recycle: All you need is another bin under your sink. Seriously, that’s how easy it is. When you go to throw away your opened envelopes, cardboard packaging and empties from last night, just put them in the bin next to the garbage. Then when they are full, take them out at the same time. It’s not more work if you’re doing the same amount of work that you would’ve done taking out your garbage (and hopefully you do that too). You’re making a huge difference by redirecting hundreds of pounds of waste from landfills per year. Once you have the system down, it’s so easy you’ll wonder why you never recycled before.

Whether we like it or not, green is the new black. Let’s embrace it. If we all do our part by making our lives a little greener, we can actually live happier, healthier lives and keep that diva Mother Earth happy. We do not want to piss her off; girl is FIERCE.

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