I love the sweet green earth—love it more than Boulderites love bike shorts—but why is it that when people start talking about saving the earth, most of us can’t be bothered? Why is it that electric buses and free-trade soy lattes go hand in hand, and why does the mention of both cause most of the US population to roll its eyes? What, exactly, is wrong with giving a shit about the planet?

When it comes down to it, reducing human impact on the planet can do nothing but good things for us. Unfortunately, when a well-meaning eco-activist starts spouting phrases like, “offsetting your carbon footprint,” and “living sustainably,” many of us adopt the attitude of a snot-nosed 7-year-old, spit-wad straw aimed at the nearest buzz-kill environmentalist.

And that’s exactly it. That’s why environmentalists are annoying—because we as a species, and especially we as members of American culture, do not like being told what to do. And we especially don’t like be told what do to by self-righteous people who wave their sanctimonious fingers in our faces, as some environmentalists tend to do. It immediately triggers our oh-so-mature It’s my planet and I’ll ruin it if I want to reaction. That, and we’re all just inherently lazy.

But I’d like to think that if we’re smart enough to figure that out about ourselves, we can also be enlightened enough to change it. So let’s find a balance, shall we people? We live in Boulder and if you can get past the sermonizing and refrain from eye rolling for a second, there are actually a few ways you can work towards helping the planet without sacrificing your dignity in front of your friends, especially those who still take their coffee with real milk.

        Alternative Fuel / Public Transportation

Take the bus! Getting around in Boulder was never easier—bus lines follow almost every major road in town, and the City of Boulder has recently incorporated “Focusing on Alternative Fuel Vehicles” as part of its “Transportation Master Plan.” The goal is to increase the number of alternative fuel vehicles by 2025 in the private (citizens of Boulder), public (bus), and city fleets, according to the city’s website. And if you’re driving a diesel vehicle, try stopping at one of Boulder’s biodiesel stations—the Bartkus Oil Company at 3501 Pearl St. or Boulder Gas at 2995 28th St. 

        Don’t Look a Gift-Horse In the Mouth—Freecycle

The Freecycle Network offers a better way to recycle by gifting reusable items to nonprofits or other charitable organizations with no strings attached—no funds are exchanged. “It's all about reusing and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer…Membership is free,” according to the website. Colorado hosts ten Freecycle groups, one of which is in Boulder, two are in Denver, one in Highland’s Ranch and one in Aurora, to name a few. Check out www.freecycle.org for more information.

        Farewell to Plastic Bags

By now you’re probably aware of Whole Foods Markets’ initiative to eliminate single use plastic bags used at check out stations by Earth Day, April 22, 2008. This means all shoppers will either have to purchase reusable bags at the store or bring bags from home. And Boulder's store has already saved more bags than most stores across the nation, tallying up more than 11,500 plastic bags so far. So hop on the bandwagon—every bag shoppers reuse has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags, according to the Whole Foods website.

         Bike to Work Day

National Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 20th. If you hop on your 10-speed that day, you won’t be alone, and therefore, you won’t get made fun of (too badly, anyway). And you’ll help make a difference.

On the last BTWD, accoring to the City of Boulder, over 5,100 cyclists in Boulder rode roughly 40,000 miles, which is the equivalent to:

        Good Ol’ Fashioned Recycling

It’s been around forever, and we harp on it a lot, true, but that’s because it really does make a difference! Over a half million trees are saved each year by recycling paper in Boulder County, according to Eco-Cycle, Boulder’s well-known recycling organization. So the next time you go to throw that piece of  scrap paper in the trash, stop yourself! God forbid you walk an extra couple feet to put it in the recycling bin instead. And don’t tell me your office doesn’t have a recycling bin. C’mon, who are you kidding? This is Boulder. And if it really doesn’t, go to www.ecocycle.org to find out how to get one.

        Waste Not, Want Not—Beyond Recycling

On May 2nd, 2006, Boulder adopted a resolution declaring Boulder a “Zero Waste” community. Eco-Cycle estimates 156,773 tons of waste is generated in the city of Boulder each year by residents, businesses  and institutions and approximately 70 percent of this amount is sent for landfill disposal. “So though the city of Boulder has reached an overall recycling rate of more than 30 percent, the city still believes more can be done, especially in “closing the loop” by purchasing products made with recycled content,” says Eco-Cycle. Go to www.ecocycle.org to find out how you can make your home, business or school a “Zero Waste Zone.”

        Buy Local

Now I’m really going to test your patience here by asking you to utilize two eco tips in one sitting—but  don’t worry, you’ll have fun while you do it. Go to the Boulder Farmers Market! Buying from local growers supports Boulder’s economy and cuts down on transportation-related pollution. At the same time, you’ll get to see a real Zero Waste Zone in action, since the Farmers Market just happens to be one. Check it out on Saturdays from 8a.m. to 2 p.m. starting April 5th and Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. starting May 7th, located next to Central Park on 13th Street between Canyon and Arapahoe.

        Looking For More?

Check out the Boulder Green Map for listings of eco-friendly businesses, activities, neighborhoods and initiatives in Boulder. 

So, that wasn’t so hard, was it? The way I see it, we can all sit around arguing about which environmentalist is more hypocritical because she wears shoes with plastic soles, or which frat boy is worse for driving a Dodge Durango, OR we can all very easily just start doing something. And I know which option the green, blue, brown and pink earth would appreciate more. If that makes me the dork with a spit wad on her face, so be it.