# How "Green" Are You?



## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Since the Kindle itself is rather "green" - since you can hold an entire forest worth of books in it! - I was just wondering how many other green things folks may be doing. Here are some that our family does:

- changing incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescents

- recycling

- composting

- riding/walking short distances (to work, the store, etc.)

- buying organic products

- buying locally (such as farmers markets)

- using electricity produced from renewable/sustainable sources (like wind farms or hydro)


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## Dori (Oct 28, 2008)

I studied on line and in the stores about the compact florescent and then made a talk at our neighborhood association and presented a box of the CF L's as the door prize. I am gradually trading out all of my lightbulbs as we speak. I also recycle.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

-changing incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescents

check!

- recycling

check!

- composting

we did for awhile. Not so much now.

- riding/walking short distances (to work, the store, etc.)

my husband is better about this than me.

- buying organic products

not specifically.

- buying locally (such as farmers markets)

yes.

- using electricity produced from renewable/sustainable sources (like wind farms or hydro)

no...but if I had the option I would.

We also keep the thermostat very very low and pile on the blankets.

This summer's big project was to completely clean out the attic and build a whole new floor and insulate it, which should result in significant heat savings in the kitchen.

We have two cars (not SUVs) that get pretty good gas mileage, too.

L


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

recycle avidly
reuse/recycle plastic bags
Use cloth grocery bags
fluorescent lights
no paper or plastic plates/utensils
trying to go organic (hard when i am not the one buying food)
no longer print my notes.
decrease use of paper towels (only use it if the dog 'goes' in the house)
I email my essays to my teachers.
only use the SUV, if we have to.
one of the two house has solar panels.

We are trying to go more green, but...
Also in Vegas, if you don't use all the electricity that your panel make, you can sell that electricity to the power company.


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## Kirstin (Oct 29, 2008)

incandescent bulbs  (turn off lights when not in the room etc too)

Cloth grocery bags

Drive a hybrid car

cloth napkins

washable rags instead of papertowels  (but I do always have a roll or two in the house for emergencies where rags won't do)

recycle

I buy organic sometimes but not all the time


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## tc (Oct 29, 2008)

- changing incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescents

yep

- recycling

not available here, would if I could

- composting

no space, very small yard

- riding/walking short distances (to work, the store, etc.)

we combine trips, hubby stops by the store on his way home (if needed)

- buying organic products

some

- buying locally (such as farmers markets)

yep

- using electricity produced from renewable/sustainable sources (like wind farms or hydro)

sadly not available


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

cloth bags, cloth napkins, cloth grocery bags...yes, do all of that. Good reminder, Kirstin!

L


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## Wicked (Nov 2, 2008)

Cloth grocery bags, when I remember to bring them.

I drive a VW diesel....but I get great gas mileage!

Weather permitting, we ride our scooters to work. They get 65-70mpg!

Here's one. We live in the mountains and it gets pretty cold. We don't really use the furnace (natural gas) but we burn firewood all winter. Would that be considered _better _ or _worse _ than the natural gas since we're sending the smoke into the air?

I changed out the lightbulbs a couple of years ago.

We get all of our bills online and pay everything online.

I no long buy books! 

Watersaving toilets.

No dishwasher or loads of laundry unless they're full.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

I switched to draught beer in a cup so I don't have to throw the cans and bottles out the car window like I did before.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Oh. That’s why the recycled beer can pickings have been so slow of late.


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## Dori (Oct 28, 2008)

don't get much greener than that Tenix


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Mother Earth is tough. She can take it.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Right. And I don’t want anybody that outlives me to enjoy it. So there.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Teninx said:


> I switched to draught beer in a cup so I don't have to throw the cans and bottles out the car window like I did before.


I thought you were tossing them into Lake Winnepesaukee... 

L


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

Teninx said:


> Mother Earth is tough. She can take it.


Well said


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Teninx said:


> I switched to draught beer in a cup so I don't have to throw the cans and bottles out the car window like I did before.


That's so heartwarming. Not many people would go that extra mile.

I've been using compact flourescents for years. They first came out as a single circle, so I've been using that type and now the compact ones for probably 25 years.

Cloth grocery bags and if I forget to bring them to the store, I recycle the plastic ones.

My a/c is set at 78 and heat at 72. Sweaters and blankets work just fine. And considering I get cold if the temp drops below 70, sometimes hats and gloves.

Definitely recycle, but I'm not a fanatic about it. I don't recycle peanut butter jars because it wastes too much soap and water to clean them.

I refuse to go organic. They just use that as an excuse to jack up the prices.

I've been very careful about how much gas I use since 1974. I try not to make unnecessary trips and combine where I can. Anyone who went through the two hour gas lines in '74 with no guarantee of getting gas, restrictions on how much we could buy, and watched prices double, probably got into that same habit.

So my green score is probably 6/10.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> I thought you were tossing them into Lake Winnepesaukee...
> 
> L


Let me tell you about this one night in Alton Bay....


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

gertiekindle said:


> I refuse to go organic. They just use that as an excuse to jack up the prices.


Well, more and more organic stuff (at least around where I am) is coming down to be competitive with "regular" prices. But even if it wasn't, after doing research on the crap that goes into so much of the food we eat, making the switch was easy. Between the chemicals we ingest and the stuff we breathe in (or absorb on contact) from our homes, cars, and office buildings, no wonder so many people have so many different sorts of health problems. D'oh!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Wicked said:


> I drive a VW diesel....but I get great gas mileage!


Diesel is actually extremely fuel efficient, and VW has been working on a new engine that'll be emissions compliant in all 50 states. I've thought about buying one and making biodiesel, but I'm still holding out for an electric car! LOL! Actually, if work were only about 5-8 miles closer, I'd ride my bike. <sigh>



> Here's one. We live in the mountains and it gets pretty cold. We don't really use the furnace (natural gas) but we burn firewood all winter. Would that be considered _better _ or _worse _ than the natural gas since we're sending the smoke into the air?


Well, you'd probably be better off - both in terms of efficiency and emissions - with a pellet stove or one of those outdoor wood-fired heating units (some of which also provide hot water). There are ads for them in Mother Earth magazine, but don't have one handy at the moment. Unfortunately, just burning wood in a fireplace isn't really all that good, much as I hate to say it (I, too, love fireplaces!): a great deal of the heat goes up the flue, the combustion is very inefficient (so a lot of the potential heat from your wood is lost), and wood smoke is technically pretty bad in terms of particulate pollution. :-(



> Watersaving toilets.


Ah! Forgot that one. We still need to install dual-flush toilets. But in our next (and final!) house, we'll probably have composting toilets. I know, everybody's thinking, "Ewww!" LOL!

Oh, and yes, several folks have mentioned cloth napkins and rags: that's a big one, actually!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

> My a/c is set at 78 and heat at 72. Sweaters and blankets work just fine. And considering I get cold if the temp drops below 70, sometimes hats and gloves.


We don't have a/c and the heat is at 60. When it gets really, really cold we_ might_ go to 64. Never higher. Seriously.

Layers of clothes are good.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Teninx said:


> Let me tell you about this one night in Alton Bay....


I knew I knew you....


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

recycle, recycle, recycle
changing out lights (recently built new home and have lots of recessed lighting, changing out one room at a time)
we have plans to add solar panel or 2 this next year and a water collection tank for watering the yard
bought a Kindle... no more paper books!


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

- changed out light bulbs

- recycling

- combine as many errands in possible to one trip

- buying locally (such as farmers markets)

- thermostat is set at 65

- cloth grocery bags

- kindle


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

Teninx said:


> I switched to draught beer in a cup so I don't have to throw the cans and bottles out the car window like I did before.










TENINX-Geeze, you made me spit my coffee out!

We have changed over all the bulbs years ago.

Bring my own cloth bags to store (whole foods bags and I shop at raleys) Ha

Buy organic...try to grow all my own veggies

Recycle everything (in california we have to anyway)

Compost...have a little compost bin shaped like a house in the backyard

Keep the house cold in Winter (love to bundle up in down blankets)...like it gets that cold in California

Make all foods from scratch, almost never buy prepackaged foods, only canned if I do

Keep the water heater turned lower

Wash full loads and Line-Dry my laundry...love the way it smells

Run all errands in one trip

And I do all this so me and hubby can feel good about going out 4-Wheeling, Hoovercrafting, and Shooting


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Hm...reading thru this thread and thinking on my responses I realize that I am a left-coast hypocrite

- changing incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescents
As the old ones are retired (we shop at Costco; it'll be awhile)
- recycling
Yes the city replaced our one garbage bin for three
- composting
 just started (sales at Lowe's)
- riding/walking short distances (to work, the store, etc.)
um, no--this is LA, but we jog1
- buying organic products
Yes, for years! gotta eat healthy
- buying locally (such as farmers markets)
Does the local section at Whole Foods count?
- using electricity produced from renewable/sustainable sources (like wind farms or hydro)
something to think about--my husband and I are lactose intolerant


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

"A left-coast hypocrite"?? Haven't heard that one before! LOL!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

sailor said:


> Keep the water heater turned lower


Forgot about this one. I just had a timer installed on my hot water heater. It's only on a couple of hours a day and I have plenty of hot water to last me all day.

I only use the rinse and hold function on my dishwasher. It has two cycles so one will wash and the other rinse. Cleans the dishes just fine.

I also have water savers on my showerheads. Get wet, turn it off, then turn back on to rinse.

In this house, my hot water heater is very close to my shower, so I hardly have to run the water to get hot water. In my last house, it was quite far away, and I had to run the water for a long time to get hot water. My solution for that was keeping buckets in the shower and let them fill up while waiting for the hot water. Then I used that water to water my plants.

How many times did I just use the word "water?"


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

YES - changing incandescent bulbs out for compact fluorescents

YES - recycling

YES (Includes worm bin for food waste) - composting

YES (when  practical) - riding/walking short distances (to work, the store, etc.)

SOMETIMES - buying organic products

SOMETIMES - buying locally (such as farmers markets)

YES (Washington state is big on Hydro) - using electricity produced from renewable/sustainable sources (like wind farms or hydro)

Also,

YES - Bring you're own bags to store to avoid the plastic ones.  Everyone should be doing this.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

"YES - Bring you're own bags to store to avoid the plastic ones.  Everyone should be doing this."

I hope you would exclude me from your blanket statement. You see, ou have NO IDEA of what I should or should not be doing, only what you think I should be doing.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I, personally, love my canvas shopping bags, and take them wherever I go. They're much larger and sturdier than plastic (or paper) bags.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Teninx said:


> "YES - Bring you're own bags to store to avoid the plastic ones. Everyone should be doing this."
> 
> I hope you would exclude me from your blanket statement. You see, ou have NO IDEA of what I should or should not be doing, only what you think I should be doing.


^ Hey, be nice to our newer members! I think he meant no harm.

- the "almost-always-nice" Harv.


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

That was nice, Harvey. I mean no harm either...


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Okay! Thanks Teninx.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Lucky I didn't mention the Seattle Plastic Bag Tax.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

Geemont said:


> Lucky I didn't mention the Seattle Plastic Bag Tax.


OK, I'll fess up here. Even though I bring my recycle bags to the store, I still have them put the meats and dairy items in plastic so I can use the plastic bags to scoop out the clumping kitty litter for the week. My Bad!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

sailor said:


> OK, I'll fess up here. Even though I bring my recycle bags to the store, I still have them put the meats and dairy items in plastic so I can use the plastic bags to scoop out the clumping kitty litter for the week. My Bad!


I used to use plastic bags to pick up after the dogs, but we put a Doggie Dooley in the backyard. It's essentially a box you dig into the ground, has a lid that is level with the ground. Once a week you drop in a teaspoon of stuff that dissolves everything and pour in some water. Very awesome.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I used to use plastic bags to pick up after the dogs, but we put a Doggie Dooley in the backyard. It's essentially a box you dig into the ground, has a lid that is level with the ground. Once a week you drop in a teaspoon of stuff that dissolves everything and pour in some water. Very awesome.


What about the surounding fruit trees and veggie garden? I wouldn't want cat and dog pooo to leach into their root system. We have a tiny backyard here and I have it crammed with fruit trees and my veggie beds, the veggie garden area is only 50'x20'.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

sailor said:


> OK, I'll fess up here. Even though I bring my recycle bags to the store, I still have them put the meats and dairy items in plastic so I can use the plastic bags to scoop out the clumping kitty litter for the week. My Bad!


Most people will use plastic bags now and then. I do, but I still try to bring my own bags to the grocery store.

There is a great (or not so great really) description of a plastic waste vortex in the Pacific Ocean that will be there for thousands and thousands of years from this book:


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

*The World Without Us* was the first book I put on my Kindle....


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

> description of a plastic waste vortex in the Pacific Ocean


And each one is filled with all my kitty's clumping litter balls from here in California...


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2008)

How green am I? This is me on my way to work:










Trust me, it's not easy.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> How green am I? This is me on my way to work:










JIM: Good thing I wasn't drinking anything at the time!


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

Jim -

Sweet bike! LOL!

Yeah, pet poo is a problem. We have two Siberian cats that - I swear - put out pee like they've had a six-pack of beer every day. Been looking into trying vermiculture (composting with worms) as a possible way around that. We get flushable litter, but it takes about four or more flushes a day, and I hate doing that (wasting water, and my mom recently informed me that I'm also flushing any parasites into the downstream system, too). I was looking into the doggy doolie, but our backyard lets out into a wetlands area, so that's not really an option either. And I hate the thought of sending anything organic to the local trash heap if I can help it. D'oh!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

One of the things we do that hasn't been mentioned in combining errands when going out in the car.  We rarely go out and do just one thing.  My husband saves up errands and does them all at once, planning which errands go with which area we're going to be in.  Plus we do a week's worth of grocery shopping at a time.

Betsy


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Jim -
> 
> Sweet bike! LOL!
> 
> Yeah, pet poo is a problem. We have two Siberian cats that - I swear - put out pee like they've had a six-pack of beer every day. Been looking into trying vermiculture (composting with worms) as a possible way around that. We get flushable litter, but it takes about four or more flushes a day, and I hate doing that (wasting water, and my mom recently informed me that I'm also flushing any parasites into the downstream system, too). I was looking into the doggy doolie, but our backyard lets out into a wetlands area, so that's not really an option either. And I hate the thought of sending anything organic to the local trash heap if I can help it. D'oh!


We are almost at sea level here and we are surrounded by wetlands also, I didn't think about that. We have ground water for drinking here in our town, so I don't like the idea of the 'poo' being close to veggies and water here. I guess I could just throw the used litter into a garbage can without the bag if need be. It all goes to the landfill out in the boonies here.

You made me crack up laughing about the cats peeing like they drank a six-pack...I know that feeling, I have two large males <thank goodness they use the box> who pee up a storm. Then I have my little blind girl kitty who is so delicate about everything...like night and day with them. One of mine is Maine ****, the other two kitties were my mother's, I got them when she died 2 years ago and I took <stole> the poor little orphans from my mom's house before a nasty ex-sister could kill them off at the pound. They had no food or water and covered in fleas by the time we drove down to catnap them. The nasty ex-sister was in charge of the will, 'cause she lived by my mother, hates cats and it was a total nightmare. Yet I digress.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

kreelanwarrior said:


> Yeah, pet poo is a problem. We have two Siberian cats that - I swear - put out pee like they've had a six-pack of beer every day....


I've been thinking of going into alchemy -- only I'm going to turn cat poo into gold. If I ever perfect the formula I'll be stunningly rich.


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Bacardi Jim said:


> How green am I? This is me on my way to work:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*One of my favorite lines Jim )*


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## Guest (Nov 23, 2008)

Geemont said:


> I've been thinking of going into alchemy -- only I'm going to turn cat poo into gold. If I ever perfect the formula I'll be stunningly rich.


And stunningly pungent.


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