The world's simplest, best, most effective environmental living tip

I was talking to a friend who said that the problem for the general public with environmental living is that it is so complicated. How do you know what stores to go to? How do you know what products are okay for the environment? How do cut through the green spin machine that is roaring through the market place?

I'm sure that's true of some of you who are dropping by the blog. You'd like to do something but don't know how to get started.

The thing is, you don't have to know much beyond common sense. Consider this: it's great to do the market research on, say, a really fuel efficient water heater, but the first thing to do is just use less hot water and turn the thermostat down. If you are having to mix cold water with your hot when you take a shower or bath, your thermostat is way too high. It's silly to make water so hot that you have to then cool it down to use it.

Here is another in-action example of the environmental living tip I am about to give you. Suppose you have a few friends that work in the same area and live in the same area. Instead of each of you driving your cars, why not car pool? This saves resources and money.

These are two instances of my 100% guaranteed-to-be-ecological, absolutely no green spin added, utterly free, won't cost you a thing, simple green living tip. With this tip, you don't have to know what store to buy in, you don't have to understand which chemicals are okay for the environment and which are not, and you don't need to know where to sign up for renewable electricity (though educating yourself in these areas is a good thing too).

Not only that, but I promise that, if you apply this tip in one or all areas of your life, then you will have less trash, less plastic crap, more quality, more room and more money (because you will be more discerning and spend less of it). Also, this tip will make you think fondly of your grandparents because they probably always told you this in the first place (before you realized how wise they were).

And finally, applied comprehensively, this tip will help you reduce your trash, reduce your air pollution, reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce your toxic load on the water supply. Even better, it will work in residences, places of business, and in government.

In fact, you know how physicists are looking for the unifying theory that explains everything? Well, what I am about to offer you is the unifying theory of environmental living. All that is required is to actually apply the tip and move beyond just talking about it.

Now for the drum roll, please! Here it comes, the world's simplest environmental living tip...

Don't waste.