Five Green Trends This Week

From hitching more rides to finally reusing all of those plastic Coca-Cola bottles, more Americans are proving that the environment is on their minds. At a time when global warming is a hotbed political issue, an increasing number of people see the need to do their part to reduce their ecological footprints in support of the planet. Here are five green trends this week that show exactly how more Americans are combating climate change.

1. Gas Guzzling Is a Huge No-No. With gas prices continuing to rise, many people – even those who could care less about being “green” – are looking for less gas-guzzling options. Sales of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle actually have gone up during the first two months of this year — and trend that shows that the current economic realities of the United States are driving more Americans to think a little greener.

2. “Slugging” Is Cool. Yet another current green trend this week strongly relates to today’s soaring gas prices – the trend of people who are engaging in blind carpooling, also called “slugging.” In this act, people usually catch rides with strangers to save on high gas prices during rush hour, and the drivers gain the benefit of being able to use carpool lanes (and possibly even earn a little gas money in the process). These lanes are popular because they allow drivers to avoid stop-and-go traffic, but drivers must have a minimum of three people in their vehicles to use these special lanes. The trend of slugging definitely is green in that it translates to fewer cars on the road and thus reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

3. Spring into Action. With spring already in the air, more people are returning to the garden this week, but along with that, a rising number of people are become environmentally conscious with regard to the use of pesticides. This trend is in line with March 18-24, which is National Poison Prevention Week. People are increasingly being encouraged by news media to become greener by choosing more pest-resistant plants and by keeping garden soil healthy. Pesticides negatively affect creatures such as frogs and birds and also contaminate drinking water.

4. Homes Are Becoming Greener by the Day. With spring promotions actively pushing homeowners to become more environmentally friendly – such as March’s Fix-a-Leak Week (March 12-18) – many homeowners are revisiting their sinks and toilets to see if they can boost their water-efficiency. This trend includes tightening pipe connections, checking for leaks in toilets and replacing fixtures with models such as WaterSense-labeled ones, as these devices use 20 percent less water than their counterparts. Recent National Association of Home Builders trend research shows that water-saving devices are becoming more commonplace and should become an even greater standard by 2015.

5. It’s About Time Those Plastics Got Reused. The recycling of plastics, in particular, is on the rise in the United States. A new trend report from the American Chemistry Council reveals that a 72 percent year-on-year boost in the recycling of rigid plastics is prevalent in America. The number of plastic bags being recycled also is increasing as more consumers strive to reduce their ecological footprints in a simple, inexpensive manner.