Google's 2011 Summer Solstice logo
Now, following up on my post earlier today on the summer solstice, I’ve been thinking (and writing) a lot more about the matter and have come up with some ideas for how a green-oriented person (or, anyone, really) could enjoy the day.
Here’s what I’ve come up with:
1. Go Solar! Seriously, solar power is an excellent deal right now. You can save tons of money on your electric bills through numerous government incentives. While solar technology costs have been dropping for years and will continue dropping for years, those solar incentives could go away soon and the price of solar with those gone would be hard to compete with. Furthermore, there are great discounts for buying solar in a group, solar leasing options that allow you to start saving serious money immediately, and other innovative ways to go solar these days. (And the connection, of course: longest day of the year = more solar energy, sunshine 
.)
2. Smoothies! A completely separate idea is to make smoothies. (Hmm, maybe not completely separate, since you need electricity to make smoothies, and what’s cheaper than electricity from solar power?) Anyway, why smoothies? Because there are tons of fresh fruits (and veggies) available right now, smoothies are delicious, and they are really quick and simple to make. And, eating (or drinking) fruits and vegetables (instead of meat or dairy) is essentially the greenest thing you can do diet-wise (see: Go Vegetarian or Vegan for more on that).
3. Go Outside! Well, not much greener to do than go outside and enjoy nature. For one, unless you’re driving to do so, it’s a completely climate-friendly activity. For two, respect for nature is quite important for living a green-friendly life, and spending time out in nature is one of the best ways to grow that respect.
Anyway, three good ideas, I think. Any more you would be up for sharing with us?
I'm the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular clean energy website in the world, and Planetsave, a leading green and science news site. I've been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and I've been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, bicycling, and wind energy for the past few years. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Think Progress, GE's ecomagination site, several sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. To connect on some of your favorite social networks, go to zacharyshahan.com or click on some of the links below.
