Lighter Footstep’s Top 10 Posts from the First 2 Years
By Chris Baskind in News
It’s been a quick two years. This month, Lighter Footstep celebrates its second birthday. Here are the ten articles you’ve read the most, and a glimpse at where we’re headed.
Our first two years at Lighter Footstep have flown right past. It has been an amazing time. When we first launched back in 2007, there were only a handful of green websites. Now there are thousands. The environmental movement had largely run out of steam. Today, energy issues, climate change, and sustainability are back at the front of public policy.
So as we blow out the candles on our birthday cake, we thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of our popular and commented articles. We’d also like to say thank you for being there, and renew our mission statement that Living Cheap Is the New Green. Despite economic hard times, we’ll get by — greener and healthier than ever.
Our Top 10 Articles, 2007-2009
Five Things that Are Worse than Global Warming: Written as a companion for 2007′s Live Earth concerts, this article remains our most widely read (and controversial) piece. Viewed some quarter million times in its first thirty days of publication, the article presents five environmental issues in need of immediate solution. It became the basis of a feature on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and landed Lighter Footstep on the BBC and a number of radio call-in programs.
Five Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water: Bottled water is healthy water — or so marketers would have us believe. Just look at the labels or the bottled water ads: deep, pristine pools of spring water; majestic alpine peaks; healthy, active people gulping down icy bottled water between biking in the park and a trip to the yoga studio. What the marketing doesn’t show is the 1.5 million tons of plastic waste produced by bottled water each year — or the fact that most bottled water originates from municipal water systems.
Ten First Steps Toward Lighter Living: Getting started down the path toward a lighter lifestyle can be pretty overwhelming. The best place to start is usually with the low-hanging fruit. This article rounds up ten immediately actionable ways to make a difference. From choosing energy efficient lighting to seeking out locally grown food, greener living really happens one step at a time.
How to Live With CFLs: By now, pretty much everyone is familiar with the squiggly bulbs available at most department stores. Sure, CFLs are considerably more efficient than incandescent bulbs. But just because they generally screw into a standard fixture doesn’t mean they work the same way, or are suitable for every use. Here’s how to start saving money and energy by choosing the right CFL for the right job.
Five Ways to Dispose of Old CFLs: CFLs are a good deal. Shoppers have gotten used to seeing their curly shape on store shelves, and adoption rates have really taken off. About 100 million were sold in the United States last year. But there’s a catch: CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is toxic and tough to get out of the environment. CFL bulbs don’t belong in your regular trash when they finally burn out. So what to do with them?
Living Cheap Is the New Green: Haute green couture. Eco mansions. Green gadgetry. Is this really what it means to be green? If so, the green movement isn’t going to survive economic hard times. But here’s the good news: going green should actually save you money. As a recession looms, green is finally shaking hands with frugality. Here are five areas to consider when you want to be kind to the environment and your family’s monthly budget.
Dump Diacetyl by Making Your Own Microwave Popcorn: We’ll start with the good news. Since this article was written, popcorn companies have dropped or are in the process of eliminating the use of diacetyl in their products. Diacetyl was an artificial ingredient used to give some brands of microwave popcorn a buttery smell. Unfortunately, it may also have been linked with lung damage. Our article earned us some rather heated attention from the popcorn industry and an article in Business Week, but diacetyl is gone. And it’s not missed.
The Simple Secret to Making a Greener World: Technology will help. Policy will help. There may be new discoveries and unforeseeable developments which mitigate our transition to a lighter, more resource-efficient society. But the deceptively simple solution to a greener world is this: We must reduce our consumption. The era of single-occupant, six thousand pound vehicles is over. So is the expectation of limitless fresh water, productive farmland, and the energy to bring food and goods to market if we continue to apply yesterday’s solutions to contemporary problems.
Ten Elegant, Inexpensive Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas: Written for the Christmas season in 2008, this article on simple, handmade gift ideas struck a chord as the world economy began to sputter. While it was intended for the Yuletide season, many of these easy projects can be adapted for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or anytime a a thoughtful handmade gift is appropriate. Our personal favorite? Cookies in a jar. We can almost smell them baking now.
Which Is Greener: Toilet Paper Or A Bidet?: This article began as a pitch by a PR firm representing a bidet company. Their claim: bidets are better for the environment than using toilet paper. As it turns out, the issues involved are actually quite complex. We had fun writing this, but it brings up an important point. Sometimes green choices aren’t black and white. Nor are they always easy. It pays to do your homework and think things through — even if it’s just about the potty.
Comments remain open for all ten articles. Feel free to add your thoughts!
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