Small Steps or Big Vision to Go Green? Both.

Whether you're looking at going green as a way to reduce your ecological footprint, or simply as a means to reduce costs, the question is always - where to begin?

Do you start with a transformational vision that draws everybody together and affects every aspect of your routine, or do you start small, with one simple change at a time?

Quoth Walmart's senior vice president of sustainability, Matt Kistler - Both.

Quoted by Rebecca Cole in the GreenBiz blog today, the word from Walmart is to "just do it." Companies should “do the small things, look for the big ones, but just get started,” says Kistler.

It may be a bitter pill to agree with Walmart, but as a Green Irene eco-consultant, I must admit - they're spot-on. Green practices at The Biggest Box have evolved from a small experimental step with light bulbs to an overall sustainability index that nudges product suppliers like HP into line with earth-friendly practices.

Whether you're a homeowner or a business owner, it's wonderful and important to have an all-encompassing green vision - but don't hold off until you have the time or resources or buy-in to pursue it. Instead, choose an immediate, measurable goal and plan the simple, affordable steps to achieve it now. For example:

• Cut your electricity consumption by 50% just by swapping your incandescent light bulbs for CFLs. Just changing 14 incandescent lightbulbs to CFLs can save you more than $100 per year in energy costs and nearly $1150 over the life of the bulbs, in addition to keeping more than six tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Just one CFL can yield $185 in lifetime savings.
• Reduce your heating fuel consumption by 30% or more per year just by getting your HVAC unit tuned and ductwork cleaned. Adding to your water heater insulation can reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45%, saving you around 4%–9% in your yearly water heating costs and keeping roughly 1000 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
• Save more than 40,000 gallons of water, $1150 in energy costs, and 1500 pounds of CO2 over the next five years by installing one spa-quality low-flow showerhead.
  

If you need a hand in identifying your most-needed changes, you can schedule a Green Home or Office Makeover. Your local Eco-consultant will walk through your property with you and help identify the simple, affordable changes that will make the greatest difference right now:

• cutting your electricity, heating/cooling and water bills
• cutting your medical costs by eliminating common indoor toxins
• getting the greatest value out of the things you buy by reducing, reusing and recycling
  

When you're ready to take the next step, your Eco-consultant will refer you to local eco-professionals who can support you in green property improvements or a full-scale green transformation.

You can also get a good handle on the hidden ways in which your property may be losing energy (for example, through cracks in your foundation or thinly-insulated walls), by scheduling a home energy audit through your power company or through LEED-certified consultants. Investing in a comprehensive audit can yield a long list of simple, often do-it-yourself changes that can save you thousands of dollars.

Whether you reach for support or do it yourself, though, don't wait. Even the smallest changes can yield big results. Imagine what you can achieve when you do more!