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I'm always interested in folks' environmental practices. What have you started doing recently that's new? What new things are you planning on doing in the future? (Say, within the next year.)
A new thing I've started to do is when driving. I don't drive much, and I don't usually speed (usually the 5-10 MPH above-the-norm is as much as I do). But with the all the coverage that gas prices and fuel shortages have been getting lately, a new factoid that I've heard is that above 60 MPH, fuel efficiency drops off. So now when I'm driving on the highway and it's posted at 65 MPH, I'm staying at 65 MPH and trying not to care what other drivers think of me for driving that slow. ("I'm thwarting their evil plans," I say to myself, quoting Chris Bridges.)
Something new to do this next year... probably invest in a solar battery charger (for AA batteries for my Walkman). (But, I've been saying that for years -- I keep putting it off until I've met someone else who has one and can give me info about their experience.)
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I'm currently doing a pretty good job recycling stuff. Paper, cardboard, tin, aluminum, plastic (1&2), and glass are all pretty easy to recycle. I can also take boxes of old electronics stuff to Surplus Exchange, here in Kansas City.
Lowering my electricity or gas consumption would help, but they're more difficult. My commute is 30 miles/day. That can't be biked. Next job I get, I'll move closer to work. Electricity, I could lower my consumption of, but darnit, I like my computers. Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Boon
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Since it cost us $20 in gas every time we mowed the lawn this summer, we've decided to put that money into a good fence and get some livestock this spring. That way, the animals can mow the lawn.
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I use at least two or three pieces of paper when I am writing something or brainstorming when I could have used only one piece of paper. Oh, and I pass gas which contributes to methane in the atmosphere.
Posts: 178 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Recycling Increasing the insulation on my flat to cut heating costs (40% decrease ... YEAH) Ride bike to work and across London.
In Holland and the UK there are bikes you can get that have small engines and you have to pedal as well. This means that 30 - 50 mile cycles to work become v possible ... just a thought.
Boon ! That is so creative. How v cool.
In the UK (gas prices also v high) a number of people have taken to buying biomass fuel cells and refining their own diesel. Upfront cost of capital but about an 80% saving on cost of fuel. You just put all your biomass waste (lawn clippings / food / other) in the cell and out comes diesel! others have switched to electric cars ... only good for short journeys. Less dramatic but still effective are car share programs.
Posts: 571 | Registered: May 2001
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I no longer drive: I bike most of the time and take public transit otherwise. Or I ride in friends' cars, but that doesn't happen that often. (When I did drive I always did 55mph, regardless of the speed limit. ) I recycle and compost. And I rarely eat meat unless I'm eating out.
firebird, do you have a link about these biomass fuel cells? I didn't think that was possible on such a small scale.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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We bought a house close to work so I can walk. Since Bob works from home, we put gas in the car maybe once a month unless we go on a trip. We moved this summer, before the price of gas went up, and we're really glad we did.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Actually, 55MPH is the fuel efficiency standard. It's due mostly to gear ratios, I believe, so it may differ depending on your transmission. I've been driving similar to you, but I get lots of feedback in the display of my car (a civic hybrid), that it almosts guilts you into better mileage. A lesser-known side benefit of hybrids is also lower emissions, which is nice.
We recycle paper, metal, and plastic, we own only one car (my wife commutes via a subway and then a CNG bus, or if she needs to go far, she'll get a ZipCar), we walk to the shopping plaza whenever possible, and use the subway to get all over town (sometimes we'll walk rather than take the subway for a one- or two-stop journey).
I once went 6 months without a car (it was parked up at my Dad's house). It was pretty cool, I got to know subway, bus, and commuter rail schedules pretty well. I'd take the train to work if it weren't so far away.
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There is a perception in Europe that the US is not environement friendly. But it seems from what you say above that many of you are.
So either, I have fallen into the trap of believing what the papers say ... or those of you here do not represent a 'normal' cross section of the US population.
So ... are you each more or less 'green' than your friends?
Posts: 571 | Registered: May 2001
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I keep my cruise control set around 65-67 on the interstate. The speed limit is 70. This is for two reasons - gas mileage, and the freedom that comes from knowing that if you pass a cop it's not big deal.
Seriously, I've never gotten a ticket and don't want to start now. I'd rather drive a few mph below the limit, save gas, and keep my insurance rates low, thank you very much.
I will definitely be in the market for a hybrid as soon as one comes out that will haul me and all my brood around.
Compared to most people I'm not all that "green". I do what I do not out of altruistic motives but selfish ones. I try to keep the use of my air conditioner and heater to a minimum not to save energy and help the planet but to keep my energy costs down. I think I'm pretty energy conscious, I try to keep my car well maintained so it runs well, I change the filters regularly, etc but that's all to get good mileage for my own sake.
It's all about ME, do you hear? ME! Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:There is a perception in Europe that the US is not environement friendly. But it seems from what you say above that many of you are.
I think there is the idea in general in North America that there is so much space no one needs to start panicking, whereas Europe and especially England is so tiny and full of people that the pressure of human impact on the landscape is unmistakeable and unavoidable. Therefore, people are much more aware of what could happen and is happening when people don't care so much.
Also, the shorter distances between everything, the overcrowded worse roads and the better public transport systems in England (I can't speak for the rest of Europe) give much more incentive and make it much easier to get around without so much reliance on a car.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I buy green toilet paper. Not the color green, obviously, but it's supposed to be environmentally friendly. I like it, because it's not glued to the tube.
I've recommended Crichton's State of Fear to everyone I can in an attempt to get people to focus on environmental issues that are real, rather than fantasy.
We separate out recycling and use the blue bags, despite rumors that the garbage folk just mix it all together anyway.
Um... in an effort to reduce landfills, I'm a major league packrat. <grin> I don't know if that counts.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Belle - economic incentives are definately powerful! Rising oil prices have their benefits!
European 'greenness' is somewhat a 'moral' thing but also in mainland Europe stongly incentive based either through additional taxes on fuel or subsidies of 'green' choices. So we have been motivated in the same way. The only difference is that the incentives were brought in earlier ....
For Europeans, the disturbing sights in the US are the gigantic cars used within the cities! I'd love to import a smart car (they are shorter than an Audi is wide) and overtake one of those huge beasts that we see on the US freeways in the movies. The comedy appeals.
Another sad sight for us are the mass of Christmas light. I'm not trying to be a humbug but after a while the 'waste' just upsets me.
Posts: 571 | Registered: May 2001
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I use an electric lawn mower instead of gas powered. I try to cut down on driving when I don't have to, but commuting to school and work is unavoidable.
Wind energy is coming to a head in most places in the US. It's actually economically viable to use wind energy now, it can finally compete with fossil fuel energy production, especially with the new 1MW turbines being built by GE. Most people are over the ironic complaints of environmentalists that wind turbines kill birds, the problem now is that they are eyesores.
There's a plan to build hundreds of the things in western michigan, but no one wants them there. They lower home values, ruin tourist attractions, are apparently loud as all hell, and in general piss off the people. On the other hand, land owners in the area make sometimes as much as a thousand dollars a year off energy companies just for the nuisance, and other land owners actually lease out the land to the energy companies for an additional profit. And there's stories like that all over the country.
I think Americans get a bum deal from Europeans. There are a sad number of SUVs on the roads here, but SUV sales are declining, much to the dismay of US automakers. Hybrid sales and small sedan sales are up. Considering how many sports cars and Land Rovers Europe sells to America every year, I'm a little surprised to hear any of them complain about the US not caring about fuel efficiency. It's a little hypocritical to sell us something and then chastise us for using it.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I'm lucky to live in/near Boston, a venerable enough city in its own right that, similar to many European cities, built out a fair amount of public transit ~100 years or so ago, and slowly extended it, before the rise of the automobile. Also, I lean Green anyway.
I use cloth diapers (always have) cloth menstrual products (handmade from the old diapers),and handkerchiefs. I recycle, compost and sheet mulch. I buy organic, and I buy in bulk/make my own as much as possible to reduce packaging. I save the wax bags from cereal and use them when others would use baggies. And if someone gives me something in a baggie I wash and re-use it. I garden organically. I re-some greywater ( ie, I use my dishwater to water the garden). I hang my laundry when weather allows. I use the recycled TP. I buy almost all our clothes, furniture and books second hand to avoid using more resources. Oh, and plant based detergents.
(I think that's all. I do drive a gasoline dependent vehicle and don't have any solar power).
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Maine is the home of Bowdoin College, where famed Civil War hero Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine was a professor and later president of the college.
Chamberlain has been credited by some (many, most, all) as having saved the Battle of Gettysburg in his action on Little Round Top, and perhaps even the entire war. He was later promoted to Brigadier General and was chosen by Grant to accept Lee's formal surrender at Appomatix.
It also has a few naval bases on the coast, a few scattered nice beaches. Tons of nice bed and breakfasts, beautiful weather in the fall and great skiing in the winter.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I recycle at home and am hoping to set up a three-bin composting deal this fall in the back yard. The hope is that by the spring I'll have something to use on a vegetable garden.
I've participated in river clean ups and was an organizer of a county-wide household hazardous waste clean up in the county I used to live in. I was also active in the Rails to Trails initiative in NW NC as well as local Sustainable Development efforts.
At work I started our company to using mis-prints from our print shop for scrap paper rather than providing note pads for our employees. It does look a little strange to have my grocery list written on the back of someone's wedding invitations, though.
On the bad side, I do have an SUV and I am a smoker. The SUV's gas mileage is about the middle of the pack, however, and we use it for long road trips (much better mileage on the highway) and the person with the shortest commute takes it to work.
Also, I don't just chuck my cigarette butts when I'm done with them. I just knock the ember off and put them in my pocket until I get home and can throw them away properly.
Posts: 2848 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:For Europeans, the disturbing sights in the US are the gigantic cars used within the cities! I'd love to import a smart car (they are shorter than an Audi is wide) and overtake one of those huge beasts that we see on the US freeways in the movies. The comedy appeals.
We have smart cars.
Again, I think this goes with the space available. Parking spaces here are massive. In England, you have car parks for correspondingly tiny parking spaces and little cars. Here, they buy up a ton of land and flatten it all for gigantic concrete lots with large spaces for the large cars.
quote:Another sad sight for us are the mass of Christmas light. I'm not trying to be a humbug but after a while the 'waste' just upsets me.
Our Christmas trees are a lot bigger, too. You should see them .
And I agree that a lot of people go a little over the top with their lights .
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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No, really. I think it's a huge positive eco impact to choose not to have children (not to be flamebait).
Posts: 1261 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Dude, Maine is the best vacation spot! It's wonderful in the summer, warm during the day, but gets cool at night. The water has no sharks or jelly fish, or anything like that, the waves are strong but not so big that a kid can't go out in them, and the sand is soft and fine. There are great jettys to climb on.
The Marginal Way in Ogunquit is a lovely hike along the ocean, rocks, roses, other flowers-and has fun rocks to climb, with a little beach at the end of the hike. You can go out on a sailboat for relatively cheap there also.
The food is delicious-and I live in Louisiana, so it's not like I'm lacking good food normally. There are woods to hike in and ponds and lakes perfectly safe to swim in. There's usually a bunch of great library sales in the summer, and some wonderful used book stores, as well as random curiosity stores-my favorites being the Lighthouse Store and the Candle Store.
AND there are MEESE! And Loons. and whales. And awesome clothing, and cheap but pretty sweaters. And lots of other great things that would take too long to list.
When I think of vacation spots, Maine is the first place to come to mind!
Posts: 3493 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I recycle. Alaska is the only state in the U.S. that doesn't have a curbside recycling program, so when I moved onto the military base here and found out that they do curbside, I nearly freaked. So now I recycle everything.
I worked for an environmental agency that tried to get people to support curbside recycling in the city, but no luck.
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Article about a new wind turbine design that's much better:
quote: CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Recent howling winds have been like sweet music to one local company, which says its new vertical wind turbine is substantially more efficient than traditional propeller designs.
Officials at Terra Moya Aqua Inc. unveiled their new turbine Friday, saying the design already had attracted interest from both domestic and foreign buyers.
"We have people nationally and internationally who want to buy this turbine now," said Ron Taylor, TMA's founder and chief executive officer.
Company officials said traditional propeller-driven turbines are able to convert 25 percent to 40 percent of wind power into transmittable energy. But TMA's design is 43 percent to 45 percent efficient, creating up to 80 percent more power from the same wind.
That power is generated even though the blades are moving slower than on traditional propeller models, meaning the turbines are less noisy and less dangerous to birds, the company said. And since they stand no taller than 96 feet, the turbines can be used in industrial areas where taller propeller-driven models are not allowed.
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I will probably by a hybrid SUV (or minivan if someone will make one) as soon as I can afford it. I have always purchased the most fuel efficient vehicle that can fit my family and my budget. I have a very eco friendly washing machine and reduced water usage shower heads. I'm working on designing a directly solar powered (no electricity in the system) AC unit. We reuse a lot of stuff, we don't recycle so much. I still use cloth diapers, some, but with my time constraints the disposables are now getting the lion's share of the work. I compulsively turn off the lights in my home whenever and wherever they are not being used. When I was in Dallas I used wind energy (green mountain). I have considered biodiesel (it seems a good idea) and am also considering straw bale housing.
It amazes me that they took so long to develop hybrid SUVs and no one has put out a hybrid minivan. Minivan buyers are often buying because they are more economical than an suv and both classes of vehicle are better able to absorb the extra costs of the hybrid drive train... and both vehicles benefit significantly from the mileage upgrade. A subcompact that gets 40 mpg city isn't that special, most gas powered subcompacts get mid 30's... but an SUV that gets 33 mpg city -- now that's near 100% increase in fuel effciency with no loss of power-- THAT will get people's attention.
One more thought... if eco organizations would be a little more accepting of small measures like I have described, I think they'd be happier and we'd make more progress. Environmental impact is one area that can be hugely effected by everyone doing just a little bit.
Posts: 3846 | Registered: Apr 2004
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The problem is that the hybrid SUVs are being designed more for extra-oomph, not for fuel efficiency. They get some benefit, but not as much as they would if they designed it with fuel efficiency first.
when was the last time Lincoln put out a car that got 33 mpg city? when was the last time any SUV did that?
Never, but that's exactly what Lincoln is advertising right now... I can only imagine Toyota's Highlander and the new Lexus 400h, which are more aerodynamic, will do better...
See? accept compromise... it's a good thing!
Posts: 3846 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I compost. I hang laundry out to dry (dryers are not available here, but sun is in abundance.) We have no furnace and only use A/C at night and when I'm going through my hot flashes during the day. I don't work and Fahim works from home, but we take a trishaw (2 stroke engines) everywhere for transportation, so that kind of evens out.
There is no recycling program of any kind here for paper, plastic, glass, or the like. Oh, except for the people who come around the neighborhood (but not on our hill - it's too steep) buying old newspapers, but since we don't get it, it's moot.
And that's about it.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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We don't have recycling pickup, but we save our recycling and take it up to my mom's big ol' bin occasionally. (She pays enough for it, and she's only home a little bit so doesn't generate much waste of any sort in a week, we usually have more than half the bin free for our stuff.) And we're putting weatherstripping in our windows and putting on heavier clothes instead of lighting the heater (firstly to conserve gas, secondly to save money, thirdly for safety reasons-- both burns and the fact that we've been informed by the upstairs neighbor that she almost died when hers leaked carbon monoxide and the landlord didn't fix it properly, so we're going to get a guy to come out from the Gas Co. and test it before we ever turn it on.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I compost garden and vegetable waste, recycle glass, paper and cans. I cycle or walk to work and use the train for most longer distances. My small car is only used when there is no public transport. Most of my washing is dried on the line.
Posts: 169 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I Freecycle. Instead of tossing my old stuff, I give it away. Thanks to FC, I have a clutter-free apartment, and all that stuff isn't sitting in a landfill.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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We recycle. We compost. We also don't allow the use of any chemicals (pesticide/herbicide) anywhere on our farm. We keep our livestock chem-free. We burn trash products that can be burned instead of directing them to the landfill (although some might argue that burning is also bad -- but I think it is the least of the two evils.)
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