Are you Green? (Read 900 times)

What are some ways you "green" people help out the environment? I'm looking for some additional ideas.... I'll start. 1. I use biodegradable dog poop bags. and YES! i pick it up every time (total pet peeve of mine) 2. I will be attempting to build my own composter next weekend, hopefully the weather will co-operate. Evenhough this is a very simple project, it is a big deal for me b/c I'm not much of a lumber and powertool girl. I am quite excited to try it... 3. I did the usual swapping out of all the lightbulbs 4. I bought a big plastic drum (250 gal?) that will be hooked up to the gutter system off my shed to collect rain water which will be re-used to water the garden and those pesky dog pee spots on the lawn 5. I replaced my water heater and boiler with high efficiency units 6. I use filtered water in my trusty Nalgene (i know, i know, the BPA!) bottle to cut down on plastic water bottles 7. I am ITCHING for a green car, but i have to wait until my lease is up next year.... 8. I use re-usable grocery bags I bought from A&P for 99cents! I bought ten, but never use more than 5 even on a big shopping day. I HIGHLY recommend these - they come in many colors, are very durable, much bigger than most bags, and have two size straps on them so you can hang them over your shoulder and still carry more than normal. You can also use them as regualr tote bags, gym bags, work bags, basically anything. What a find! If i forget to bring them with me, I will grab a bunch of already used plastic bags out of the bin at shoprite. Thats all I can think of off the top of my head, but there might be more. I really want to put up a clothes line to decrease our dryer usage, but the DH thinks its too white-trashy - the nerve! Anyone else????

Use plastic trash bags from grocery shopping for the dog poop. Once in a while leave the "green" bags at home and pick up some plastic ones. Why are you paying for a bag that will just be trashed? I use my green bags too but when I am running low on trash bags I get the plastic from the store. Replace your big 13 gallon trash can with a small wastebasket sized can. Use the plastic bags from the store for your trash. Again, why pay for a bag you are going to trash? And since you'd want to take out a full trash bag each day, this size is perfect. Make your own cleaning products. Vinegar, water, bleach and Borax are amazing. Google "homemade cleaners" and you'll find all sorts of recipes. Cheap, non-toxic (for the most part) and easy to do. When it's time for a new water heater, go for a tankless ater heater. It doesn't sotre water that needs to be heated constantly. It heats the water on demand, as the water passes through. Think about this: How much water do you waste waiting for the hot water to kick in? Now you won't have to. We waste an ungodly amount of water, especially when it's cold outside. I wish they'd use tankless heaters here. Stop using paper towels! Use a rag and wash it when you are done cleaning. Don't bag your grass clippings. Let them stay in the grass. It's good for the grass (so "they" say; I am by no means a green thumb but it sure saves time on mowing day). Learn how to deal with a slightly cooler home in the winter (2 degrees is okay) and be a bit warmer in the summer. My temp is set at 78 in the summer and we don't even have to pay the bill! Ride your bike, if it's safe, for your smaller trips. Also a great way to cross train! Gosh, there's so much more but I am out of time!

We have chosen to live in an urban area that permits us to walk to most things that we need, and take public transit for commuting. Living where we do means we have a smaller house, which is also a huge environmental benefit. Swap all the lightbulbs you want, living small and dense is one of the greenest thing you can do. That said, we did swap lightbulbs, use reusable bags, have native plants landscaping, blah, blah, blah.

I saw that guy too! DH didn't believe me...

I am so...ENVIOUS.

Wasn't he more purple? I think that is the guy in california that has been turning (blue/purple) color for a few years. Happy Halloween Kids...wellcome to Blue Man Group...

No. I'm not green. But I once saw a guy that was blue on T.V.

Me too! I think his name was Papa...something. I forget...

living small and dense is one of the greenest thing you can do.

I think that would just drive me batty to live in a dense urban area. I'd rather go the other way and live on a large tract of land and produce for myself if I had too.

I think that would just drive me batty to live in a dense urban area. I'd rather go the other way and live on a large tract of land and produce for myself if I had too.

So, tell us, do you have huge tracts of land? did