Submit your 2017 Sustainable New Year Resolution!

Best Wishes for a Sustainable New Year!

AmyBy: Amy Sohner
Bluegrass Greensource
Executive Director

We have realized for a long time that many people make resolutions that they never can keep. I am guilty of that myself.  As an example, I finally renewed my passport, a resolution I made five years ago!

Almost since our inception, Bluegrass Greensource has encouraged Central Kentuckians to think about New Year’s Resolutions differently. Instead of thinking only about personal goals, i.e losing weight, sleeping more, renewing your passport etc., we encourage resolutions that will have, collectively, a big impact on our local environment.

Our resolutions this year are to:

  • Make my home more energy efficient

  • Conserve water at my home or office

  • Improve my recycling

  • Ride my bike more

  • Start or improve my compost practices

  • Get outside more

In addition to offering an alternative to the regular resolutions, Bluegrass Greensource understands that committing to something publically increases its chances of success. By submitting your environmental goals to Bluegrass Greensource, you will be much more likely to actually accomplish them.

Since our mission is to empower the citizens to create a sustainable environment, we also want to know what you are striving to do and learn. By participating in the resolution program, we are alerted to what the needs are in our community, and can target programming to meet those needs.

And finally, as an incentive to participate in the resolution program, we have a drawing to award a $100 gift card! In my opinion, the part of the incentive that makes this great is that the gift card is tailored to what you resolve to do in 2017.  If you choose to improve home composting, you can use your winnings to buy a home composting system. If you resolve to ride your bike more, you can use the money to buy a bike. We hope that the incentive will not only help you commit, but help break down any barriers that are preventing you from being successful.

Each year, we receive many resolutions, and I hope that we can empower you to make 2017 your greenest year yet!

Click here to share your 2017 resolution with us!

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Resolution Results

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With the beginning of the new year, Bluegrass Greensource asked you to tell us in which areas of your life you resolved to make sustainability improvements.

Your responses were wonderful and demonstrated your deep commitments to making the small changes that lead to big impacts in our local environment. Almost everyone who participated committed to making changes in more than one area of their lives. Of the four resolution categories, 27% of respondents said they wanted to get outside more; 22% resolved to make their homes more energy efficient; 20% resolved to conserve water at the home or office; and 20% committed to improve recycling and/or composting at their homes. Perhaps most exciting were the 11% of respondents who resolved to make improvements in areas other than those listed. While these responses varied, a good many involved a desire to grow more food, make more purchases from local vendors, educate friends and neighbors about sustainability issues, and more consciously reduce their own personal consumption.

As part of the campaign, Bluegrass Greensource entered all respondents into a drawing for a $200 gift that can be used to give a jump start to the winner’s resolution efforts. We’re happy to announce that the winner of our drawing was Julie Riggs of Lawrenceburg. Congratulations Julie!

In addition to your commitment, your responses give us a great idea of the types of resources that you want and that we can provide or develop to help you along the way. Thanks to everyone who participated and resolved to increasing your efforts to become more sustainable in 2016!

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