There seems to be a lot of buzz lately about simple things you can do to “go green”: things like changing your light bulbs to CFLs or unplugging your appliances. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against these things per se, it’s just that I consider these to be small changes worth implementing after big changes. When people seek personal finance advice most websites, books, blogs, etc. generally suggest that you get your basic finances in order, before you start worrying about major investing. Most people aren’t going to advise you to learn more about REITs, or decide if index mutual funds or ETFs are your best bet, if they realize that you are carrying $10,000 in credit card debt.

Well, personally I feel the same way about environmental conservation. Why worry about whether or not your computer and microwave are completely shut-down at night, if your four TVs are constantly running through out the day. And if you’re commuting 50 miles a day in a car that gets 20 mph, does it really matter what kind of light bulbs you use? Maybe it does; I mean it will make a difference to the overall picture and it might give you some small savings. But I think that sometimes we delude ourselves into thinking that we’re getting ahead when really we’re just falling behind at a slower rate. It doesn’t work in personal finance, and I don’t think that it will work in environmental conservation. Small changes can be good first steps as bigger changes, like downsizing your living quarters or moving to a more fuel efficient vehicle, can take time. However, if you’re serious about decreasing your environmental footprint, perhaps there are bigger inroads that you can make: perhaps your have more TVs in your house than people, or you drive around town for every little thing. Just like debt reduction and personal financial management don’t happen over night, neither does environmental conservation. I know that we can’t always do everything, and frankly it probably wouldn’t be worth it to most of us even if we could. I just think that it’s good to keep a bit of perspective.