What you’re doing to Go Green!

Conservation and responsible outdoorsmanship is a huge part of being a Scout. Here are some of the things that Boyslife.org readers have told us they are doing or plan to do to GO GREEN!

Congratulations to Tate for winning a special-edition Boys’ Life T-shirt. His Go Green entry was chosen in a random drawing.

Sell my video games I don’t play anymore to GameStop or consignment sale.
— Gunnar

Recycle cans, plastic bottles.
— Brian

I am going to turn off the TV when no one is watching it and turn off the computer too and pick up trash when I see any outside.
— Tayvaun

I am recycling bottles that have a number 1 or 2. Also, I am reusing plastic bags for grocery shopping.
— Anthony

Shutting off lights, recycling, using less chemicals, planting, conserving electricity, using less gas.
— Shawn

I have put a recycling box in my school classes and I have been reusing papers for origami and spelling tests. I’m also walking to school and to other town places and to friends houses. That’s my plan on how to go green!
— Sebastian

I don’t use canvas bags, but instead whenever I get paper or plastic bags, I always re-use them around the house, later, when I’m done with the bags, I recycle them.
— Bobby

I plan to ride the bus so I can save gas for other people.
— Devin

Turning computer off with a power strip so it doesn’t waste power when we go away from home on trips.
— Dakota

Giving away low-energy-use light bulbs for Christmas to family members.
— Canyon

We reuse our plastic shopping bags.
— Caleb

We’re getting an aerator for our sink faucet and a low flow or dual flush toilet for our bathroom.
— Seth

I am going to recycle.
— Tate

We bring home recyclable items (cups, bottles etc.) from restaurants & put them in our recycling bin!
— Ryan

I walk home from school, turn off electricity when not needed, keep lights off during daylight, keep all the water turned off. I also turn the furnace up to a set degree by my mom, shovel by hand, walk to my bank, house, etc. any time possible.
— Scott

Make a compost bin and put scraps of food in it.
— Asher

Some of the “green” actions in my life are: When I shop, I bring my own reusable bag. I use a cloth towel to dry my hands instead of paper towels. I recycle everything that can be recycled.
— Alice

We have switched our light bulbs to energy efficient ones.  I also turn off all lights and electronics when not in use.
— David

I am planning to go green by turning off lights when I’m not using them, recycle, save water, etc.
— Brandon

Making a birdhouse.
— Karl

I talked my dad into replacing all of the lightbulbs in our house with the LED bulbs as the old ones burned out.
— Aaron

I am turning off lights that are not in use, using both the front and back of a sheet of paper in school, and recycling to go green.
— Barak

Our new Cubmaster got us involved in recycling cans. Since my mother is the old Cubmaster, she got us involved in a stream clean up. At home, we have a compost pile, we put the yard clippings in it. After we are done with any table scraps (no meat), we add them. It is really fun to see what will grow from the seeds you have dumped, and we put leaves in it instead of the landfill. We use the compost on our mother’s garden in the spring. We also take a few of the worms and go fishing. We recycle our everyday products as well: our glass, papers and empty plastic bottles, etc. We turn off the water when we are brushing our teeth and turn out the lights when we leave a room. We even recycle the clothing we can no longer use. We have a yard sale, give them to a local family in need or pass them on to Goodwill. We also pack most of our lunches for school. If we remove a tree, we plant one somewhere else. We have planted trees at Sinoquipe.
— Tom/Mike

When I sell popcorn next year in 2009, I’m going to walk instead of ride in the car.
— Norman

Teaching our young scouts good recycling habits as well as understanding our responsibilities to protect our planet. We have recycled metals, glass and paper. We have gone on clean-up projects. We have planted new trees and flowers.
— Diana

I am recycling and unplugging my DS charger and turn off the computer when I’m done to save energy.
— Erik

I’ll use fluorescent bulbs, ride my bike to school, use solar panels.
— Andrew

Using cloth bags, shorter showers, drive hybrid car and as my science project, I made a solar generator.
— Jacob

Our pack is doing almost all our crafts with recycled materials.
— Yang

I am going to do all the things I learn in the magazine.
— Dylan

I walk (in the winter) or bike to school every day, unless I have some reports (like to bring a suitcase, or it’s raining or snowing hard).
— Jacques

Right now I plant new trees. I take some from places where they won’t be able to grow (like next to fences) and to places where they can. I also plant new ones from seed. I have planted or re-planted over 10 trees and plan to continue going green.
— Joe

I use a reusable water bottle and use CFL bulbs in my bed room. I also recycle aluminum cans.
— Drew

I am recycling more now and encouraging my entire family to do so. I am making sure lights are turned out when we are not using them, and my family is doing a lot more walking. I am picking up trash around my neighborhood. I am helping to keep my neighbor’s yard clean too. I ask my sister to unplug her hairdryer and curling iron when she is not using them too.
— Forrest

For the past few months, my family has been striving to reduce our carbon footprint for the betterment of our environment and livestyles. The efforts we have been making include buying organic produce and products, recycling plastics, glass, aluminum and newspapers. We have also designated a bin in our backyard as our compost bin. We use reusable water bottles and containers. Whenever our electronic devices are not in use, we are sure to turn them completely off as opposed to putting them on a screensaver or putting them to sleep. I am looking forward to doing more of such things in the future.
— Nicholas

We recycle everything that is possible at home.  We also have my aunt setting items aside so we can recycle those too.
— Chase

I will pick up all the trash people leave on the ground or in the water.
— Mr. Scouter

I have been recycling, composting and have been buying things at thrift stores.
— Nicholas

I am reusing all plastic bags, water bottles, and other reusable materials, for shopping, lunch, etc. Also, I use the recycling bin for stuff I can’t reuse, but can recycle.
— Achinthya

I made my mom buy the CFL light bulbs already. I recycle all the cans and glass at home. I go and turn off all of the power strips that are on the TV and the computer, and make sure that everything is unplugged in the house that are not needed.  I have put up signs all over town so that everyone knows a little bit about “Going Go” every two weeks.  No one is allow to take a long hot shower anymore, then have to take a short warm shower instead.  My mom, thanks to me, is using canvas bags at the grocery store now instead of plastic.  And every fall we use the leaves that fall off the tree for composting so that in the spring we have some great compost.  I add to it everyday with scraps from the kitchen and stuff from the yard.
— Michael

I got my entire school to recycle paper, bottles, and a ton more.
— Jon

I already use reusable containers for lunch. I recycle newspapers and magazines. And I always unplug my chargers.
— Michael

Our Cub Scout pack cleans up along the banks of the Chattahoochee River each October when we take part in Help the Hooch, a community-wide organized cleanup effort.  More than 11,000 volunteers participate.  I am proud that our pack is doing our part to keep the river clean!
— Benjamin

I am composting our leaves instead of burning them. We chopped the leaves into small pieces and will add them to our compost pile. This will make less pollution and reuse a natural product.
— Cody

Helping my dad recycle the leaves, helping my mom make a compost bin and planting a tree.
— Brendan

I participate in pack clean-up projects.  I also take my lunch to school everyday in reusable containers.
— Tristen

Every week I go around my house and recycle the paper I find.  So far I recycled a recycling bin full of paper.
— Tyler

When I am outside and see a piece of trash, I keep it and when I get home throw it out.
— Kevin

We have a two-knob shower. When the water gets cold, I turn the cold down, not the hot up.
— Rob

I will pick up trash. I have gone to Starfall.com and played Earth Day to pick up virtual trash (paper, cans, and plastic).
— Zachary

I am turning off most of the lights in my and my friends and families houses!
— BJ

I recycle old pop bottles to make bird feeders, use my old to small clothes to make grocery bags, and live in a no-emissions home with a no-emissions car.
— William

I will go green by picking up trash in my neighborhood, recycle paper, walk to school and not ride with my mom.
— Jordan

Together with the help of Comcast cable company and numerous Boy Scout troops and packs, we worked together to cleanup Washington Park Zoo and surrounding areas of Lake Michigan. It was great that we all came together to make a difference to help out environment.
— Dennis

I have twin sisters who are 5 years old and in K-5. They are in Girl Scouts. Together we are doing something for our environment. We are saving newspapers to be recycled. We have been saving newspapers for about three months now. We take a month’s worth of papers at a time to be recycled. It is amazing how much paper is used in a month’s time to make the newspapers and advertisements that are in Sunday’s papers. That is a lot of waste if the papers are not recycled.
— Casey