Resolutions 2008

Well, let’s see how I did on my green New Year’s Resolutions that I made back in January.

1. Switch to reuseable bags
I think I did really well on this one! We’ve been remembering our green bags for grocery shopping nearly all the time over the last half of the year. And I use the Envirosax bag that Chris gave me very regularly. I liked mine so much I gave some to my friends for Christmas this year!

The Envirosax has been a real conversation-starter, too – I lost count of the number of sales assistants and other shoppers who commented positively on it. People always want to know how they can get one too. Maybe I should ask Envirosax for a commission, I think I’ve sent a lot of sales their way this year!

2. Reduce household water use by 25%
This one didn’t end up happening, really. We had plans for installing a dual-flush toilet, a waterwise showerhead and aerators on our taps, but ended up making other improvements to the house instead. Our water use wasn’t wasteful to begin with, so changing our habits didn’t have much of an impact. It’s a shame, but we’re going to try again next year.

3. Writing to politicians and businesses about green issues
I kept copies of all the emails I sent, and made a note of the letters I wrote. I did fantastically well for this one – over 2 dozen emails, and 3 letters. Some got better results than others. GetUp campaigns I took part in did well, mostly because they’re part of a larger action. And I think the letter-writing to ANZ and politicians about the Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania did well, for the same reason. My most disappointing effort was the letter I wrote to my federal MP, because I only got back a form letter, which showed that he thinks recycling his rubbish (a service provided for free by the council!) is all he has to do to save the planet. Not unexpected, but sad all the same. Perhaps I’ll try to have a chat with him in person next year.

So I give myself a score of 66%. Not bad, but with room for improvement! How did you go on your resolutions? Have you made green improvements in your life this year? Every little bit counts – large changes are just small changes all piled up together, after all.