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GreenLaces: Lace Up for a Greener Planet

“Imagine if everyone changed one thing. That is the power of GreenLaces,” writes Karen Spilger, Vice Principal of Dancer High School, at greenlaces.org.

GreenLaces is a program founded by Natalie Spilger, former Stanford soccer star, to get athletes thinking about their impact on the planet, and hopefully changing habits. It raises money by selling green shoelaces made from recycled plastic for $5.

Athletes are encouraged to make a promise to change at least one habit that’s detrimental to the planet. A look at a few of the hundreds of pledges on the Web site:

• I, Deejae Johnson, pledge to bring my own cup to the coffee shop when I purchase my tee.

• I, Chris Nguyan, promise to switch to online billing.

• I, Ricky Davis, pledge to turn off the water when brushing my teeth.

The list of pledges goes on and on, and the inspiring thing about them is how easy they are to copy. There aren’t pledges to put solar panels on the roof, or install energy-efficient heating systems. The pledges are easy-to-implement, nearly sacrifice-free ideas. They may not save the planet, but it’s a start.

Go to http://www.greenlaces.org to learn more.