“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

— Native American Proverb

I used to think that I was doing my part for the Green movement. I’d recycle my old newspapers, cardboard, and plastic. Heck, I’d even pick up a stray can in the parking lot at the grocery store or pick up trash that wasn’t mine on the beach. But then I met Hay House’s Green Man Chris Prelitz. That was about seven months ago. After talking to him and reading the early manuscript for his book, Green Made Easy, my perception of the world was drastically altered.

I began to see all the plastic, waste, and hazardous products around me—the shampoo bottles and tissue boxes I didn’t recycle, the cleaning products that were harming the air I breathe, the hundreds of plastic grocery bags I left on top of my refrigerator, the amount of paper I used to print e-mails, and the throwaway cups and forks I used in excess at work because I was too lazy to wash my own mug and silverware. 

Even the food I ate left a large footprint of carbon behind me. I found out that with the energy it takes to produce a single hamburger, I could drive a small car 20 miles and save about 1,500 gallons of water. And that’s without the cheese!

And that economy pack of dinner napkins I get at the Dollar Store for such a bargain? I learned that if everyone in the U.S. would buy one package of 100 percent recycled napkins instead of the non-recycled ones, we could save one million trees. One million trees! No wonder the last time I hugged a tree, it brushed me off.

We recently invited Chris to come to Carlsbad and give us some tips on how we can add more “green” to our office environment. During a tour of our building, Chris was happy to see that all of our desks are illuminated by energy-saving lights. He made several suggestions on our overhead lighting and how we can utilize more natural sunlight to our Earth’s advantage.

When he entered our kitchen, Chris immediately turned down the settings on our freezers. (Rule of thumb: If you can’t easily scoop out your ice cream, your setting is too high!) He also said that our coffee maker with multiple burners wasted much energy when it was kept on throughout the day. (Note: We now have a new machine with removable thermal carafes!)

Chris also suggested that we be conscious of our paper usage—refrain from printing e-mails and memos and use two sides of the paper when printing. He even said that the next time we gas up our cars, resist the urge to take a receipt. Every little bit helps!

If you’re skeptical about going green, read Green Made Easy and learn the amazing truth. I was convinced when I learned that Chris receives a credit from the utility company every month instead of bill!

But aside from saving money, Chris taught me something else that will always remind me to cherish this wonderful planet. We were having lunch and he asked me to imagine what would happen if we could shrink the Earth to a size where it would fit in the middle of the restaurant, where we could see how beautiful, fragile, magnificent, and precious it was.

As I looked at the center of the room envisioning this image, Chris then added, “If we could see the Earth in this way, we’d do anything in our power to protect it.”

Something I Didn’t Know…:

When asked “Paper or Plastic,” just say, “No thanks.” They’re both “eco-impactors.” Paper bags are made from trees, a renewable source. Plastic bags (made from fossil fuel) create less pollution, but many end up in the ocean where unsuspecting marine creatures ingest them.

Best Line I Read Last Night:

“Each of us is adding a spice or flavor to the cosmic soup of this next age with every thought and action we take.”

— Chris Prelitz