When I opened my mailbox and saw that the utility bill was there I was nervous to open it see what our usage was. I would have been displeased to find we used more electricity in July compared to June when my roommate and I were not being green. But I had nothing to worry about! In June we used about 700 kWh. In July we only used 590 kWh. Turning off lights, turning up the temperature setting for the air conditioner, and using power strips to prevent "ghost power" really helped lower out electricity consumption. I don't know what a bare minimum of usage would be, but I don't necessarily think that is as important. I wanted to show that by taking a few small steps it is possible to see results even after one month. One quick note about comparing utility usage throughout the year. I compared June and July. However, it is probably more accurate to compare months from one year to the next. For example, to really see how much I reduced my power consumption I would need to compare July 2009 with July 2008. Since, I didn't live in my apartment at that time I am not able to do that. But it is something to keep in mind. Thanks to Ed Begley, Jr. for this great tip from his book, Living Like Ed (2008).

Now my thoughts on water consumption are a little more general right now because I don't have specific information on how much we used in June or July. But I do know that we did a few things to hopefully make a difference. We tried to take "navy showers." I have mentioned these before. I like taking them because they conserve water, but sometimes it can be difficult to convince myself it is a good thing to do in the early morning when I wake up. I don't know about anyone else, but a nice hot shower goes a long way in starting my day. In spite of that, I was able to bring myself to save water, electricity in heating water, and time by not taking long showers. In the kitchen we were careful to only run our dishwasher when it was full. Washing partial loads is a waste of water. If there was some dish or pot that I really needed, I would quickly wash it in the sink. The same thing goes for the laundry room - don't do partial loads! I also washed everything in cold water. I didn't have any shrinking or color problems with my clothes. Another idea is to use eco-friendly laundry soap. We bought a big bottle of soap from Seventh Generation. If I remember correctly it was about $15 for at least a gallon jug (there might have been more in it). This has lasted us well over a month and we are still using it. The soap is biodegradable and not harmful to the environment.

Finally, veganism. Some people might think I am crazy, but I have thoroughly enjoyed being vegan. I haven't been craving meat or cheese or eggs too much. I have been trying to figure out how I felt about my diet, and I think I have it. As long as I can find something to eat that really makes a meal I am perfectly fine with veganism. I have had to plan my meals more and cook for myself more. Not only do I get to make things exactly as I want, I also saved money from not eating out as much. When I did go out to eat, I would have to really focus on what I could have on a menu. For this reason, vegetarian fajitas at a Mexican restaurant with no cheese or sour cream became a favorite option. As for all of my friends and family, everyone was accommodating and helped me stick to it. The encouragement was very appreciated. One day when I was browsing different vegan products at Whole Foods in Little Rock, I found a line of cookies from the Alternative Baking Company, Inc. They had some great flavors like Phenomenal Pumpkin Spice and, of course, a great chocolate chip cookie. But what caught my attention almost more than the delicious cookie was a short sentence on the wrapper. In response to the question "Why Vegan?", is the following sentence: "No single food choice has a farther-reaching and more profoundly positive impact on our health, the environment, and all of life on Earth than choosing vegan." I couldn't have said it better myself! I am still vegan and I plan on keeping it up for a little while longer. The next challenge in this is going to be when school starts. I will be on campus more and cannot eat in the cafeteria. I am trying to find a good eco-friendly light-weight lunch container so I can carry my lunch to campus with me. I don't want to waste plastic and paper bags on my lunch. I will let you know what I find.

I had a blast keeping this blog this summer and doing my little experiment. I hope some people start being a little more green, or find the encouragement to keep being green. I plan on keeping this blog going throughout the rest of my honors thesis project. I have some great plans for this year, and I am excited to share them with everyone. Keep reading!