Kermit the Frog told the viewers of Sesame Street that “it’s not easy being green” – could he be the newest scapegoat for convincing Americans that is too hard to fight global warming?! Well, I could either call in the mob with blazing torches or write up a list to prove you wrong. That’s why I pulled together 10 brainless ways to go green and treat this Muppet-filled planet a little bit better… lazy-person style:

10 Small Ways To Go Green

1. Never pour clean water down the drain.

Whether you’re pouring out the remains of your tea kettle, water bottle, or vegetable-steaming pot, show a little love to your plants instead! I don’t care if it’s a house plant or the bush outside your house… they’ll like the H2O better than yo’ disposal.

2. Tea Kettles

Speaking of tea kettles, only boil as much water as you need. When I read this, I was surprised in that why-didn’t-I-think-of-that sort of way: boiling more water takes more time = more energy = more environmental impact!

3. Tea Kettles Again

Speaking of tea kettles, again, unplug the darn thing. Just unplug any electrical device that you’re not currently using – hair straightener, laptop power cord, electric toothbrush, toaster, and you can slay those energy vampires that really… suck. Together, these little things cost consumers $5.8 billion annually. Jeez.

4. Tea Kettles Again… last one

After you drink your morning tea… okay, I’ll stop with the kettles… walk out the door instead of the garage door. If your car is parked outside, this can save the approx 800 watts it takes. 800 watts may seem negligible in terms of the gajillion tons of carbon floating in our atmosphere, but hey – this is saving the world, lazily!

5. Shower in the dark.

Once, I realized I was turning on the lights in the bathroom in the morning. Why? Why? This can be extended to generally being more aware of when you can shut off the lights and enjoy the natural sunlight.

6. Shower to your favorite song.

Pick your favorite 5-minute, dorky song and make a deal to be in and out before time’s up. Easy!

7. Wash your clothes in cold water.

It “can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.” More importantly, your jeans won’t shrink.

8. Keep a pile of 1-sided scratch paper.

One of my tutors does this – when recycling, if the sheet has one clean side, put it on the pile. Use as scratch paper later. Voila! A second life.

9. Remove yourself from the mailing list!

As a high school senior, there are sooo many colleges sending me mail that I automatically toss into the recycling. Go online, take 2 seconds, and you will have eliminated an annoyance and a contribution to the (recycling) landfills.

10. Skip the meat just once a week.

Everyone knows that the meat industry is ahem, delicious, but harmful to the environment – if you can eat meat in just one less meal per week than you would normally, it’s a wonderful step. Check out Graham Hill’s kick-ass TED talk on being a weekday vegetarian.

Now that I have proved that silly frog wrong, tell me – what’s your most funny, simple way to be green? Sometimes, it’s not the actual impact the action makes that’s important, but just the fact that you’re mindful of the planet & inspiring others.

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This is a guest post by Youth Advisory Board member Daniela, senior at The Harker School in Northern California. Check out Daniela’s blog at http://danielalapidous.com.

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Check out some other tips by…: The White House // Treehugger (I ♥ it!) // National Geographic // The Daily Green // MSN // CampusSplash