This article is written in response to TIME’s essay (Dec. 1, 2007) “It’s Inconvenient Being Green” by Lisa Cullen. In this article, the author complains of being stressed over decisions such as whether to use toilet paper or to save a tree.

Apparently Kermit is not the only one having difficulty being green. According to a recent TIME essay, the latest ailment-du-jour is "eco-anxiety", the angst laden perception that one's 'eco-footprint' is Sasquatch size. The good news is that, for the eco-anxiety sufferers among us, a simple prescription offers lasting relief. So release your death grip on the Charmin UltraSoft, take a slow relaxing breath, and consider:

A great green awakening is leading our world to a transformational change which, while unsettling at first, ultimately benefits us all. Energy-efficiency, water conservation, nontoxic cleaning and green home improvements are suddenly commonplace topics of discussion at home and the workplace. But while we may embrace this change in theory, the actions we need to take to reduce our eco-footprint are at the root of this new anxiety.

There is a pervasive misconception that 'green living' requires personal sacrifice. But this does not have to be the case. With an eye on the big picture, we can reduce our eco-footprint through prioritizing and simplifying. In fact, we can make choices which not only reduce our personal footprint, but save money, time and energy as well.

There is a pervasive misconception that 'green living' requires personal sacrifice.

This past year, for example, my wife and I made fuel-saving a priority. Instead of our usual weekly trips to the mega mall, a 30 minute drive, we now only go once a month at most. By waiting until we had at least three purchases to get from the mall, and by combining trips, our mileage has been significantly reduced. By walking to the nearby video store and shops, all within a half-mile of our home, the fuel savings build while we benefit from the exercise. Our car's odometer shows a 25% reduction in miles driven over the previous year, which is notable considering it has required zero effort on our part.

On the other hand, we do not stress over the amount of toilet paper we use. You'll find generous rolls of 2-ply at our home. The relative inconvenience of eschewing the Charmin is not matched by the resulting savings in wood fiber. And herein lies the remedy for eco-anxiety; we can 'baby step' our way to a smaller footprint by distinguishing between the simple actions that make a big difference and the 'inconvenient' steps that are less consequential. Once the easy steps have been mastered, you can choose to take on additional challenges.

Once the easy steps have been mastered, you can choose to take on additional challenges.

While many think our car driving habits are the primary culprit, the largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation. The average home actually contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products. Switching to energy-efficient lighting is as easy as screwing in a CFL or LED light bulb. If you find the light quality is not up to your standard, get a brighter bulb. Turn off the lights in empty rooms, switch the TV off if no one's watching. These are simple actions that make a difference, without your having to run out and buy Energy Star appliances or solar panels. Gain without pain.

If you find that tossing the food leftovers into a Hefty bag is easier than figuring out how to use the composter, relax, you're trying too hard. There is really nothing to figure out - just throw the scraps into the composter. It may not be as ideal as strategically 'layering' compost materials, but it will compost nonetheless. You'll also appreciate the free fertilizer that saves you one more trip to the garden center come spring. Easy.

Worried about excessive water use? The biggest culprit is your toilet, which accounts for 28% of household water use. You can trim this significantly by displacing a few liters of your tank with a plastic pop bottle partially weighted with sand. Now each flush is using less water. Simple, free, easy. Your eco-footprint is shrinking.

... we can cherry-pick our way to a smaller footprint without shocking our need for convenience.

The old arguments, "But maybe global warming isn’t real", "Science will find the solutions", "Our leaders will lead us through this", "What difference can my small actions make?" have failed to sooth our anxiety or reduce our eco-footprint. These convenient rationalizations, comfortable as old slippers, have an inconvenient way of tripping us up. They fail to produce results. Alternatively, with a few scraps of information available in just about every lifestyle magazine and website out there, we can cherry-pick our way to a smaller footprint without shocking our need for convenience.

Rather than thinking of caring for the environment as one more item to add to our endless checklist of things to do, look for the ways it can be just the opposite. Saving three trips a month to the mall has restored my precious Saturday afternoons, reducing the size of our lawn through landscaping and xeriscaping has reduced my lawncare chores (and lawnmower emissions), and walking to the store I pass a delightful thicket rich in birdsong which always lifts my mood.

Each green action becomes a comforting personal statement of appreciation of life and our
place in creation.

And as our eco-anxiety wanes, a subtle yet profound replacement emerges. Each step we take to reduce our eco-footprint, no matter how small, contributes to a personal transformation which shows respect and reverence for our universe, offering us inner calm and peace of mind and spirit. Each green action becomes a comforting personal statement of appreciation of life and our place in creation.

Greg Seaman is the Founder and Editor of Eartheasy.

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