Sometimes we feel like we're not doing enough to live green because we don't own a Prius, have solar panels on our roof, or grow our own veggies. But we really do try to do as many green things as we can. What are the simple green things you do that you can add to this list?
• Recycle
• Use a reusable bag when shopping
• Walk or use public transportation, and consolidate car trips, as much as possible
• Buy secondhand rather than automatically buying new
• Use rechargable batteries
• Use eco-friendly cleaners (read our posts here, here, here, and here)
• Use no- or low-VOC paints (see here, here, and here)
• Use Freecycle/donate rather than just throwing items away
• Buy locally
• Stop junk mail (see here, here, and here)
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Comments (12)
eat lower on the food chain! (includes more vegetarian/vegan, but also just less processed stuff shipped from a million miles away).
You mentioned, walking, public transit, and even hybrid cars, but you forgot bicycling! As an added bonus, it's healthy (so is walking), and more fun than all the other options you mentioned.
boomer, I was very curious about your Prius/Hummer-related statements, so I began looking for cites to confirm for myself.
Might your statements be linked to the CNW Marketing Research firm's report? The veracity of those claims is being quibbled in a few places:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/04/EDGI7Q63U01.DTL
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/24/questionable-report-claims-hummer-is-greener-than-prius/
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Green_Car_News/Prius_Versus_HUMMER_Exploding_the_Myth.S196.A12220.html
and so on.
I have a pretty open mind about the impact of either car -- I just want to see cites behind some of these statements, that's all.
Stop getting take-out drinks in throw-away containers. Use your own mug/glass/bottle
I'll add...
* buying compact fluorescent bulbs and, contrary to the concept that they cost a lot of money, PG&E-sponsored bulbs are available at many "dollar stores" for, yup, $1 each
* become a locavore (eating within a 100-mile radius of where you live, to help reduce transportation pollution, and eat more organic, to help reduce the volume of chemical use):
http://www.locavores.com/
and a San Francisco Chronicle article from April 18, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/25bqmg
* skip the dry cleaner, or switch to a greener dry cleaner, and buy clothing you can maintain at home whenever possible
* use soap nuts to do your laundry rather than chemical detergents
* capture your gray water for reuse in your landscape (dishwashing rinse, shower 'warm up', laundry rinse)
* unplug chargers and appliances when not in use (many continue to draw unneeded power simply because they're plugged in)
* light the area you're working in, in your home, but leave the rest of the lights and appliances off (and I recently got rid of my TV, which I realized I was just using mostly as 'background noise')
* if you can't install a low-flow toilet, and have the old style, add a water-filled 'float' (soda pop bottle works fine) to help take up some of the water tank space to reduce water consumption
It can be fun looking for ways to minimize your impact, it's like a big puzzle or scavenger hunt, get the kids involved and give rewards for creative ideas.
buy things with less packaging, or packaging that can be recycled. choose cans and glass bottles over plastic whenever possible, as they are less resource-intensive to recycle.
most of all, do what feels right and do what works for you. in my experience (as a 20 year vegetarian/vegan), the people who most boisterously say you are not doing enough (or not doing the "right" things) are the ones who are not actually doing anything at all.
I drive in the carpool lane as well, but pick up passengers from casual carpool. The added benefit is that you get an opportunity to meet the people who live in your community.
I wholeheartedly agree with aquarabbit's suggestions re: eating lower on the food chain and doing what you can and where you can.
Boomer you're selectively picking information and I wonder if it's a deliberate attempt to be alarmist, a broken bulb is one thing (as is a broken mercury thermometer), but the offsets between CF and power plants is huge making CF's a worthwhile use in the home. CF recycling is now widely available, and how often does one break a lightbulb or thermometer in one's home, not very often.
The inaccurate comments about Gore could have been left out entirely as they read like a partisan-TV news flash. I've read up on what he's doing so I know I have an accurate non-partisan view (and I'm truly Independent).
Suggestions, without being snarky, would be appreciated. Seriously let's make sure this remains a productive thread.
Nothing snarky about calling someone a fraud?
Use a timer in the shower if you usually take more than 4 or 5 minutes.
Make sure your home is properly insulated so that your heating/cooling isn't wasted.
If you've got a choice between two fairly equal products, choose the one with less packaging - you're only going to chuck the plastic wraps in the bin anyway.
It's got to be possible to think (and say) that someone is a fraud without being snarky, right, v in boston?
That said, I adore Al Gore and everything he stands for - always have. I'm grateful for everything he's working for. Of course one could criticize this or that relatively small thing, but his net effect seems hugely beneficial.
Eat locally grown foods as much as you can... You get fresh, tasty products and it is great for your local economy as well.