Being Green?

[Qwackie]

I honestly don't care about going green. Actually, where I live, from now on you have to buy a bunch of energy saving stuff before you sell a house, and all the windows/solar panels/etc that you'd need to buy would end up being more than the house's worth.

[FuneralWreath]

my parents really want to get solar panels on our roof but that's ridiculously expensive But we do have a rain barrel and I try not to use the car too often. My friends and I are also really into car pooling

[kiffren]

Also, another funny tidbit is that when many chain stores decided to sell those cloth bags, they ordered new plastic bags that advertised on the side of them that people could purchase cloth bags to be more environmentally friendly. Instead of using up all of the old bags first, they just threw them into the trash. Lol.

 

There's a lot of things people do they think is 'green' when it really hurts the environment or doesn't do anything at all. Being environmentally friendly is a profitable industry, and you are bound to get scammed. Do your research into the products you buy.

Why would they do that? Wouldn't it be less profit to throw away the plastic bags?

 

And yes, research is good. : D

[Syaoransbear]

Why would they do that? Wouldn't it be less profit to throw away the plastic bags?

 

And yes, research is good. : D

So they can advertise on the plastic bags at the same time they start selling the cloth bags. The stores themselves don't make choices like that, it's the instructions they are given by people that are higher up. When I worked at petsmart when items were discontinued but wouldn't sell we were instructed to destroy them. Not donate them, not throw them out, not recycle, not give them away for free, just destroy. Even huge bags of dog food that had a little rip in them were written off and thrown into the garbage. Stores are so wasteful.

[kiffren]

So they can advertise on the plastic bags at the same time they start selling the cloth bags. The stores themselves don't make choices like that, it's the instructions they are given by people that are higher up. When I worked at petsmart when items were discontinued but wouldn't sell we were instructed to destroy them. Not donate them, not throw them out, not recycle, not give them away for free, just destroy. Even huge bags of dog food that had a little rip in them were written off and thrown into the garbage. Stores are so wasteful.

That's stupid.

Donating the dog food to a local non profit animal shelter wouldn't be that hard.

I really dislike how wasteful big corporations can be.

[Syaoransbear]

That's stupid.

Donating the dog food to a local non profit animal shelter wouldn't be that hard.

I really dislike how wasteful big corporations can be.

We've actually donated the dog/cat food bags a few times to the spca, but they aren't fun dealing with. It's on the opposite side of the city from petsmart, and they always want someone who works at petsmart to take the food to the spca and drop it off for them even though we were always understaffed. They didn't want to come and get it themselves. It was stupid, the spca was open only until 5pm and petsmart was open until 9pm, they could have at least came and picked up the food after work.

[kiffren]

We've actually donated the dog/cat food bags a few times to the spca, but they aren't fun dealing with. It's on the opposite side of the city from petsmart, and they always want someone who works at petsmart to take the food to the spca and drop it off for them even though we were always understaffed. They didn't want to come and get it themselves. It was stupid, the spca was open only until 5pm and petsmart was open until 9pm, they could have at least came and picked up the food after work.

There's a really nice animal shelter/hospital near us. From my dealings with them I would suspect that they would go pick up donations.

[Tetsaiga]

<--- Is a tree hugger

 

We aren't too "green". We recycle cans, and I recycle paper at school whenever possible. I'm big on the "save the trees" thing, cuz I love trees .

[7Deadly$ins]

Yeah I do the same thing, I shut the water off too when I take showers. But my mom litterally times me, its just insane. I can't even watch tv, im lucky im aloud to use the computer. even my poor turtle gets his heat lamp turned off too early, we turn it on at 7 am and she will turn it off at 4 pm. I feel bad

That's kind of irresponsible.

[Kai]

Rather true, sadly. But at least it makes us feel better.

Anaesthetic is dangerous.

[RheaZen]

Anaesthetic is dangerous.

Life is short, live deluded, die easy?

[Kaynight]

I just wanted to raise an issue I've encountered a few times and was wondering if anyone else felt the same way. Does anyone else find "over-greenies" shoving being green in your face to be really annoying? Today at uni we were discusing measures to help the enviroment by reducing GHG's and I mentioned that I recycle and that but I also mentioned that I don't turn off the TV at the powerpoint everytime I've finished watching the TV and WOW these 2 real greenies came down on me so hard over it and were all in my face about how by not doing that I'm being so bad to the enviroment. Can't people like this appreciate the things people do instead of getting angry at someone because they're not doing enough? They should be glad people like me are doing something instead of doing nothing.

 

(If anyones interested this was the ad we were discussing when this topic came up, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eg_SEAnE-M)

[dragon_mando]

Some "green" things make sense, some don't. A lot of it is just common sense.

 

1. Turn off the lights/water/computer/etc when not using them. Duh. Lower utility bills, more money to spend on stuff I actually want. Seems smart enough to me, so I do it.

 

2. If you're less than a mile from your destination, walk. Another duh, for me. It's better for you and saved your vehicle (if you have one, I though, don't) some wear and tear. I've been known to walk or ride my bicycle six miles into town every week or so.

 

3. If you have other energy options, use them. My parents have been considering a wind turbine, because we get a good bit of wind here, though not much sun (so solar panels are out). More what we try to do is conserve the energy we do have. Like honeycombed blinds to keep in the cool/heat and we open the windows at night all summer to cool the house instead of AC.

 

4. Recycling. Another duh item, at least for some things. I mean, you get money for taking in your soda cans in some places still, so it's like getting paid to take out your garbage.

 

5. Using leftovers instead of throwing them in the trash. There isn't much that can't be used in something else. For example, leftover pasta, some BBQ chicken, and a little green salad. Throw it all in a pot with some spices and you have soup. Saved you a few pennies right there, if you know your spice rack at all =D

[Bantzville]

I use grocery store bags as trash bags, so that's a habit I'm not stopping.

When we go shopping, we use our cloth bags especially for shopping groceries. and the plastic bags are used for the poop-scoop (having 3 dogs can be a bit messy)

Edited September 1, 2010 by Bantzville

[klinneah]

I use Wal-mart bags for trash bags, storage, you name it. We have a compost bin outside, and we grow our own cucumbers and tomatoes. I've got a watermelon plant, but it won't produce. The basil has flowered, so it's not 'good' anymore (you're supposed to harvest the leaves before the plant flowers).

 

But I leave my computer and my AC on all the time, but I will definitely stop doing that once it starts getting cold again.

[kiffren]

I use Wal-mart bags for trash bags, storage, you name it. We have a compost bin outside, and we grow our own cucumbers and tomatoes. I've got a watermelon plant, but it won't produce. The basil has flowered, so it's not 'good' anymore (you're supposed to harvest the leaves before the plant flowers).

 

But I leave my computer and my AC on all the time, but I will definitely stop doing that once it starts getting cold again.

We use our basil even after it flowers. It still has good flavor.

 

We grow our own lemons and we have chickens for eggs. I don't really know if that is green? We also recycle all our washer water, and don't use the dryer.

[RheaZen]

Is it true that using the dishwasher is more efficient than hand-washing?

[rubyshoes]

Is it true that using the dishwasher is more efficient than hand-washing?

That's what I've heard so I do run my dishwasher but on average only twice a week.

[kiffren]

I assume that it depends on the family and how many dishes they use.

[RheaZen]

More efficient with a larger family/more dishes, or less so? What's the general idea?

[kiffren]

More efficient with a larger family/more dishes, or less so? What's the general idea?

I would say more efficient. I'd have to spend some time researching before I could give you a good answer though.

[Stromboli]

My dad just sent me this video. I am officially afraid. <-- Note: This video involves small children exploding. Rather graphically.

I really think that some of these "over-greenies" are absolutely insane. o.O

Edited October 3, 2010 by Stromboli

[Bardess]

I live in Germany, which means that we recycle trash anyway. You have different kinds of trash (paper, plastic, biological, rest) that are collected at different times.

 

We don't have that many edible things in our garden (it's small anyway) but whatever edible grows there, we use.

 

The idea of throwing leftovers away seems incredible silly to me... we always eat them up in the following days. Once we all were absolitely stuffed at lunch, but there were still two tortellinis left... so we put them in the fridge.

 

We drive the car es little as possible, although nowadays we need it much more often. My father has quite a long way to work and used to take the train... but after he came late (for work AND for home) several times, he decided that the trains are unreliable. Which they are, every German will tell you tat.

We have had the same car for 16 years, and the only reason we decided to get a new one is that it starts falling apart.

 

I usually walk, because I don't mind walking long distances. If I don't walk, I use the bus.

 

At home we get most of our vegetables, meat and cheese from the market, if not, my mother usually takes care to take the "bio"-stuff.

 

Our house is a low-energy house, which means that it has very isolating walls. Only in summer we sometimes have the windows open all day, in winter we let in fresh air every now and then by turning down the heat, opening the window for ca. 5min, the closing the window again and turning up the heat. This way the air is exchanged (and cold!), but the walls are still warm, so if you turn up the heat the room gets all nice and warm really quickly.

 

So I guess my family is quite green.

 

 

But apart from that: Saying that there isn't any global warming is no reason not to be green. Oil and gas are bound to stop one day, and than we'll need to have something different.

So there's definitely a reason to use alternative energy, because sun and wind and water will always be there - and if they aren't, energy will be our least worry.

 

Plastic is also made from oil, so looking for biological alternatives and using it more sensibly is only - sensible.

 

In some areas water might be no trouble at all (at least most of the times, I seem to remember that even England had trouble with a drought once), but in some areas there's the risk of drought. If water is excessevly used, this will enforce a drought in risky circumstances.

 

The human population is growing and growing, and feeding all members has become a difficult task (it has always been, anyway). The possibilites of growing food on the world are limited. If you keep throwing food away, this will encrease the need for food in your country, even though it only ends up in the trash. THis is food that otherwise could be given to other areas where grwoing fod is almost impossible (I know, I know, here it get's difficult, since the food industry itself keeps throwing away food. But let's say that the development aid really helps and that the governments finally come to their senses - this would mean that the countries in question have more money, could make money with other things than food and simply buy it from other countries. But this only works if you're sensible with food yourself).

 

So I must admit that I have real difficulty to see why it should be our "right" to waste recourses. The recourses on the world are limited, thinking that they will always be there anyway is quite... childish. And stupid.

Edited October 3, 2010 by Bardess

[Obscure_Trash]

My dad just sent me this video. I am officially afraid.

I really think that some of these "over-greenies" are absolutely insane. o.O

You should probably attach a warning to that link.

 

That was way beyond disturbing. O_O

[Syaoransbear]

the best way to be green is to not have any children