Guest Post: Local Shopping & Going Green In Your Community

Living in a hectic environment, full of endless errands, can create feelings of frustration and stress. We get so tightened up in our busy schedules that it seems there is no time to pay attention to our community, especially when living in busy cities. Our need to get things done renders convenience and time savings at the top of the list of things we value the most. And we look for products that are affordable, convenient and meet our standards even if we have to drive a significant distance to get them.

However, most of us don’t take into consideration the effects our car-centric lifestyles have on the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air in our homes has pollutant levels 2 to 5 times higher than the air outside, going up to 100 times higher depending on what products are used – causing health problems, such as skin irritation, headache, memory impairment and central nervous system disorders.

And this is not just at home. According to the Texas Traffic Institute, the average American worker spends 38 hours in traffic per year – and in the Los Angeles metro area, the traffic time goes up to an annual of 72 hours. The study also estimates that drivers wasted 2.9 billion gallons, or 10.9 billion liters, of fuel while sitting in traffic, taking a significant toll on the environment and on our health.