Apparently, ‘green’ must be the new ‘cheap’

http://www.limaohio.com/articles/save_33219___article.html/don_cheap.html

David Trinko: Apparently, ‘green’ must be the new ‘cheap’

She left her bedroom light on again, along with the TV in there. It was time to talk about doing the right thing.

I brought our 7-year-old daughter back to her room and told her how important it was to turn things off when we're done with them. It's a valuable lesson she shouldn't ever forget, I said.

"Is it so we can save the planet, Daddy?" she asked.

I pondered for a second before responding, "It's so I can save a few bucks."

I'm cheap. Some people might prefer other terms, such as thrifty, frugal or fiscally responsible. But I don't mind admitting I'm just plain cheap.

My daughter's comments opened my eyes, though. I'm also green, that popular buzz-word for everything environmentally friendly.

It's not that I'm a tree-hugger or anything. The most contact I make with trees is bumping my head on branches when I mow the lawn. I'm not opposed to nature's beauty and scenic rivers or anything, either.

When I reuse a bag from the grocery store to bring my lunch to work, it's to save money, not cut back on my carbon footprint.

When I turn the water on and off when I'm brushing my teeth, it's to cut the water bill down.

When I recycle bottles and cans, it's because my town picks them up for free, so the trash doesn't count against my bag limit.

There's a simplistic beauty in it all: Doing right by the environment also does right by my wallet.

I've recycled newspapers for as long as I can remember. It's not motivated by fear that carbon dioxide will run rampant if we don't save a few trees. It's driven by knowing newsprint prices go down when there's more recycled paper available. It's a purely selfish act, really, knowing my wage is more secure when we don't spend as much on paper.

I'm able to satisfy both my cheapness and my laziness when I replace old-style light bulbs with energy efficient ones. For the price and their lifespan, I'd have to spend more on regular bulbs. Then there's the bonuses of saving money on my electric bills and spending less time on ladders.

We certainly don't have a money tree in the backyard - a fact I've made painfully aware to my daughters. If we did, it would help reduce smog and air pollution.

Until someone gives me some seeds for this type of tree, I'll continue my cheap ways. If it helps save the planet, it's a win-win. I'll happily save some green along the way.