Growing Bolder recently interviewed Lori Cunniff, speaker at Green Cities Florida (happening today and tomorrow) and is Manager of the Orange County Environmental Protection Division in Orlando, Florida.

Question 1: Devil’s advocate question — why bother going green? I’m only one person … does it really make a difference whether I recycle my soda cans or bike to work instead of driving?

Of course 1 person can make a difference. Those landfills didn’t fill themselves, they are the accumulation of individuals. So yes, each one of us has a responsibility and can make an impact. Start small, you don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to get involved. Ride your bike, make your next car gas efficient or try an alternative fuel vehicle, try using mass transit such as a bus, install a solar water heater, make your home more energy efficient, change your incandescent bulbs to CFLs, hang your clothes on a clothes line instead of using the dryer, buy local food and goods, give up single use bags and bottled water and try reusable bags and refillable bottles instead, and recycle that soda can! The choices are endless and you just need to start with one.

Let’s look at a simple example, changing an incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent (CFL). This one action can use 75 to 80% less electricity yet emit the same light. The cost of CFLs are now very reasonable, making the switch easy and remember CFLs last 5 to 7 years. EPA states that a CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. Ok, so if each individual, say in 110 million homes in America, replaced one 60 watt bulb, the energy saved could power a city of 1.5 million people or almost all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island! So, a small action by an individual can make a difference because when several individuals do this, the effect is compounded. This one bulb changed, could save enough electricity to close two power plants, or better yet, not build two more. So, now if you have not already made the change to CFLs, go count how many bulbs you could replace in your home and imagine the impact you can have as one person and oh yeah, you’ll save money too.

Each individual taking action is the way we can make a difference.

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