Why Should You Go Green?

A growing body of research shows how a living environment can have profound physical and mental health outcomes, especially for minority families and low-income communities (Environmental Health Perspectives (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/why/toc.html), May 2005 (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/why/toc.html)). Low-income people and minorities are more likely to live in worse environmental conditions and experience greater rates of disease, limited access to health care and other health disparities. Green development is a holistic approach that provides integrated solutions to housing, health and environmental challenges.

Run-down, Unhealthy Housing
Environmentally attributable childhood diseases, including asthma, lead poisoning and cancer, cost our nation nearly $55 billion annually. More than 2.5 million families live in substandard housing. More than 4 million children in the U.S. have asthma, and it is estimated that more than 40 percent of doctor-diagnosed asthma among U.S. children is due to residential exposures. Asthma prevalence is 40 to 50 percent higher among minority children living in urban areas. Additionally, more than 400,000 children have dangerously high blood lead levels.

Rising Transportation and Energy Costs
Families at the poverty level spend nearly 40 cents of every dollar they earn on transportation. And energy costs for poor families have increased much faster than their incomes in recent years. Low-income families will spend an average of $1,335 on energy this year—nearly 17 percent of their income—compared to 15 percent in 1997. Studies have shown that high energy bills force poor families to spend less for food and other essentials.

Sprawling, Unsustainable Development
The United States, home to only five percent of the world’s population, consumes 25 percent of the world’s energy and generates 25 percent of global warming pollution. In addition, sprawl drives good jobs farther from where many low-income people live and has been linked to increased traffic congestion, increased pollution and deteriorating health.

Living Or Existing??

Indeed there is a BIG difference!!!!!

Living: in active operation or use, alive, having life

Existing: to occur or be present

Are you in active operation HAVING life, or are you JUST present??

It is so easy to get stuck in our routine causing us to forget to live our life or we can even forget HOW to. The day to day becomes so automatic that you can do it without even thinking.
How many of us are just creatures of habits? Are you on Autopilot?

What happens to everything else, while the Autopilot is on? Have you put your goals and dreams on hold? Are you looking for the "right time"? Are you waiting until you have more money in your savings, waiting until you can pay off that car note, or those credit cards, or the mortgage? Are you waiting until the kids are off to college or until you can retire.

While you wait, and are in the rut of the mundane and routine what is happening to your health, your peace of mind, your quality of life? Are you able to spend quality time with the ones you love the most? Are you getting ahead in your finances? Are you aware of what you really have in your home that may cause sickness, disease, health hazards or have the potential to be fatal??? What happens to life RIGHT NOW??? Are you content with mediocrity?

There is no better time than the present to make small changes. The small changes you make today, can amount to big differences later.

It is time to STOP merely existing and time to START living a healthy, vibrant life. Let's get out of debt and secure our financial future without working ridiculous hours and making the next man rich and gain all the accolades while you remain unrecognized. Why should you be overlooked regarding that bonus or that raise? Let's become more conscious of our health and that of our loved ones. It is time to be proactive and do something about what we keep in our homes and what we are doing to OUR environment. What we do everyday affects us and everyone around us and it definitely affects the lives of the children we have coming up.
We want the best for them but are you willing to do what it takes, TODAY??

It is time to really live the American Dream, but we all have a position to play.
Are you ready to play your position?

Living or Existing....You do have a choice!!!