Green New Year’s Resolutions For 2013

green new year's resolutions 2013

Well here we are then, 2013 is fully a week old and I’m still to make any New Year’s resolutions but I have been finding it a bit of a struggle. If I look back at my post from this time last year I see that I’ve made progress but not nearly as much as I wanted and I’m not sure how worthwhile it is to make a long list of things when I know I won’t get all of them done; my attitude is changing and I think I’m more inclined to just go with the flow.

However, in the spirit of setting myself at least a few goals for the year ahead, here are my “resolutions” which are going to be loosely defined and free from pressure.

1. Bring The Green Steve Shop To The Masses

2012 was a year where I spent a lot of time and effort getting the Green Steve Shop developed and working properly and 2013 will be another year in which the shop is my main focus.

During the soft launch in November/December, I had a number of people sign up and start to use it but I want to get literally thousands of people on board and actively using the system and cumulatively offsetting thousands of tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

I think my initial hurdle is going to be explaining the Shop in a simple way so that people can better understand what it is and why they should use it.

I also want to make it easier to use. I want to create a toolbar that users can install on their internet browser which alerts them every time they visit a store which is listed in the Shop. This means they do not have to visit Green Steve every time they want to offset their carbon footprint.

Finally I hope to get some press coverage for the Shop which is the only way I can see of getting it in front of enough eyeballs.

2. Connect With The Green Community

This was actually one of my resolutions from last year that I only managed to follow through on in dribs and drabs but building genuine relationships with other environmentally focused groups and individuals can really amplify the impact we each have.

I want to invite more green and ethical bloggers to guest post on Green Steve and hopefully I can contribute to their blogs in turn and make the most of each other’s audiences.

I am determined to actively contribute to my local community (all across London really) and have identified GO London and The Conservation Volunteers as two organisations through which I can achieve this. This will help me “get back to nature” as cheesy as that sounds because where I live currently is very much a concrete jungle.

3. Blog About The Practicalities Of Green Living

During 2012 I think I let my focus drift a little bit too far to the educational and away from the practical and while I do enjoy enlightening people, I think more action will be taken and more greenhouse gas emissions saved if I write more often on green living tips and advice, eco product reviews and other actionable things.

I’m a numbers person at heart and I enjoy taking seemingly small areas of concern and extrapolating them to the whole population so you might see more random, but interesting posts such as my recent investigation into recycled toilet paper or my now famous take on the environmental impact of hot drinks.

Since I aim to be a more environmentally conscious consumer these days, you might well find me reviewing products that help me save energy and/or reduce my environmental impact in other ways (such as my post on Radflek radiator panels).

4. Buy Hemp & Bamboo

If I need new clothes, I’m going to try my hardest to buy hemp or bamboo items as these are generally kinder to the planet than cotton or man made fabrics. The same goes for items such as towels or bed linen but I’ll only ever buy things when I genuinely need them and not just to try new materials out.

In general I’m going to try and not buy many new clothes because I have a fairly full wardrobe as it is so there isn’t really too much need; maybe the odd pair of jeans as my current ones wear and new shoes when I start getting holes in the ones I own now.

5. Start Video Blogging

I want my readers to get to know me a little better and I think speaking on camera will help get my personality and my ideas across in a way that is hopefully a bit more inspiring (as much as I enjoy the written word, it’s hard to get my enthusiasm across sometimes).

Keep an eye out for my first video post, it might well combine a product review too…

So that’s it really, I hope that I can stick to these 5 things throughout the year and I’ll keep you up to date on how I goes.

Steve (156 Posts)

I am chief writer and editor on Green Steve. Blogging since 2011, I like to delve into a wide number of topics to help people reduce their carbon footprint. You should follow me on Twitter here. And add me to your Google+ circles here.

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