A road not yet taken (by me that is)

It's time for me to stop making excuses!!! Since moving to Colorado I been telling myself, Rachel you need to take an active role in trying to reduce your impact on the Environment. I often think ... you study Climate Change ... you need to set a better example!!!
Everyday (well almost everyday) I try to convince myself that I should ride my bike to work, but by the time I get up, shower and eat...I am already running at least an hour behind schedule so I decide "tomorrow I'll ride my bike to work" and I hop in my car and get on my way. The really sad part is...I only live 1.5 miles away from my department and people who live miles and miles away ride into work everyday (even when its way below freezing and snowing heavily). I've also been telling myself to buy a reusable travel mug so that I can take it with me to coffee shops and stop being wasteful by getting a paper cup almost every single day (yes, I have a coffee shop addiction!).
So finally, with a little encouragement from my friend Anna I decided to start this blog and try to motivate myself to finally make some changes in my life that will hopefully benefit the environment. I thought I could start with a list of things that I want to try and accomplish over the next few months (at least to start). I would like to:

1. Ride my bike to work more ... even when its below 40ºF.

2. Change all of the lights in my apartment to compact fluorescent bulbs.

3. Eat less meat ... especially beef (this is going to be hard!).

4. Buy local, buy local, buy local!

5. Ask myself, "Do I really need this???" before I buy something new. Right now I think "ooo pretty I want, I want."

6. Start to compost in my apartment.
7. Insulate our water heater
8. Buy a reusable travel mug and get a new thermos.
9. Write on the back sides of paper.
10. Recycle more and try to "close the loop" by buying products made from recycled goods.
11. Limit how many paper towels I use in the kitchen.
12. Stop letting the water run while I clean dishes.
13. Go dumpster diving with Christine to get furniture for my new apartment in August.
14. Make sure that I obsessively turn off lights when i leave rooms.
15. Stop using plastic bags.


I feel like this list could be much much longer, but I have a good jumping off point and that's a good start. If you have any ideas, please don't hesitate to pass them along!