How "GREEN" are you?

I was wondering what are you guys doing to save the world.

Are you saving electricity? water? recycling?

What habits have you changed in order to save our planet from destruction.

As for me, not much.

We have changed almost every light bulb for the fluorescent ones which they are well known for saving energy.

Also I'm trying to keep lights to a minimum, only the ones we really need.

It is hard to use less water, but at least now I turn it off while brushing my teeth until I need it, I used to have it running the whole time.

One thing I don't do is unplugging the electronics, I've seen the ads saying that standby and plugged in stuff still consumes a lot of electricity, but I can't set my mind to having to plug and unplug every damn thing in the house.

Recycling is law here in CA I guess, so we do it. I didn't use to do it in VA.

So, why don't we all share what we do to save on energy or water or recycle, etc.

In other words, how "GREEN" are you??

Well we recycle more than we use to. Before it was just beer and soda cans, but now my wife has gotten us to recycle more plastics, cardboard, etc. I also turn the water off when I brush my teeth.

In the Spring & Summer I keep a bucket in our shower to collect the extra water that rains down during showers and use it to water the plants , flowers, etc. outside. Why let it drain away when you can collect it.

green hypocrite

i don't even recycle, i don't think my county even knows what that is

i have a darrell green jersey, does that count?

Not enough. I used to be better. I bought my car because of the gas mileage 40 mpg. I try to walk if it's close or metro when it's in the city. I recycle. I have changed out all the lightbulbs too and I turn off lights when I leave a room. I think that's about it. Damn! Now, I'm feeling liberal guilt again.

I recycle as much of my garbage as I can. We've shrink wrapped our windows on the house to keep it warmer and use less natural gas to heat the house. We've switched out light bulbs to longer lasting ones.

I don't do any of this because I believe global warming is going to wipe us out.

I do this because I would prefer if there were more trees and less landfills.

I do this because I'm trying to keep out of pocket expenses to a minimum.

I recycle, I use a washable water bottle at work. My g/f and I have been unplugging appliances before going to bed and we always keep lights off in rooms we aren't using unless we're having a party or something.

Now I need to get my damn catalytic converter replaced on my vehicle and I'll be really green lol.

I bike and walk to work pretty much all of the time. If weather isn't too great I'll take the bus usually. Drive if it's too far out or very inconvenient/no other option. I try to reduce my use of plastics and other materials that aren't easily biodegradable through certain product packaging (glass bottle over plastic for that liquor ), carrying my own shopping bags, etc. I've replaced my lightbulbs with CFL's and whatnot, etc

There are other things here and there but yeah, I'm not full out hippy or anything

I was wondering what are you guys doing to save the world.

Are you saving electricity? water? recycling?

What habits have you changed in order to save our planet from destruction.

As for me, not much.

We have changed almost every light bulb for the fluorescent ones which they are well known for saving energy.

Also I'm trying to keep lights to a minimum, only the ones we really need.

It is hard to use less water, but at least now I turn it off while brushing my teeth until I need it, I used to have it running the whole time.

One thing I don't do is unplugging the electronics, I've seen the ads saying that standby and plugged in stuff still consumes a lot of electricity, but I can't set my mind to having to plug and unplug every damn thing in the house.

Recycling is law here in CA I guess, so we do it. I didn't use to do it in VA.

So, why don't we all share what we do to save on energy or water or recycle, etc.

In other words, how "GREEN" are you??

They make surge protector/power strips that will kill power to devices so that might be better than plug/unplug.. or wiring the outlet to a switch might help (any electricians here?)

I really should turn my computers off while at work, asleep, etc.. just want to keep my torrent ratios high

What habits have you changed in order to save our planet from destruction.

I legitimately laughed out loud.

In other words, how "GREEN" are you??

I was green before green was cool. We called it "frugal" or just "cheap".

I recycle (though I saw a show that explained that it wastes more energy than it saves), keep the heat/AC on a timer, use florescent lighting and drive a fuel efficient car. I don't really consider myself "Green" though.

My father though... He waters his lawn with a rain barrel system, heats his house with a wood burning stove and avoids A/C.

I bought a car to drive around town and for highway road trips. I couldn't get rid of my truck though. I bought a programmable thermostat for my furnace. Geez, I can't think of anything else.

I do quite a bit. We definitely recycle. For at least 5 years, every light bulb in our house has been fluorescent. 16 seer heat pump was installed 10 years ago when I built the addition. added as much insulation and weather stripping possible, timer on the water heater (debatable if that saves). I'm doing research on gas dryers, as I'm having a tankless gas water heater installed soon. We bring the cloth bags to stores with us. I ride a 500cc motorcycle (with saddle bags) that gets 60 + - mpg every chance I get.

Now the mountain home, that I've been building for several years now (out of pocket, no mortgage ) is extremely green. The walls are built with a insulated concrete wall system, saved truckloads of wood, www.polysteel.com and perform at about R90 and are clad with a 3" stone veneer that's medium to dark in color and acts as a heat sink for passive solar. The roof is all copper and it's dark color also attracts heat. Roof insulation is R49 plus 3" of polyurethane foam which adds another R24 for a total of R73. The upper 2 floors have radiant heat with 7 zones. Backup heat is provided by heat pumps with an 18 seer airhandlers and awaiting "all climate" multi-stage condensors that have been in development for a number of years. http://performancegeothermal.com/all_climate_heat_pump.html. Back of the house faces west southwest and has large windows that also gather passive solar and eliminate the needs for light most of the day. At 4500' el. air conditioning is not necessary, the mean high temp during the summer is 73 degrees.

The retirement plan is to live in FL in the winter, using very little if any heat, and in the mountains during the summer, where we won't need AC.

The cost in energy savings will almost pay for the additional home. A few weeks of rental will make it a positive cash flow experience .

Using the new bulbs is NOT saving the world.

The new bulbs? STOP! "mercury" NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198

Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the trash, but in most states the practice is legal. Experts agree that it's not easy for most people to recycle these bulbs. Even cities that have curbside recycling won't take the bulbs. So people have to take them to a hazardous-waste collection day or a special facility.

I'm guessing .0002% of the people do this so millions of these things are hitting the dumps.

Even the GE 20years of these say they can't cut out mercury altogether.

Using the new bulbs is NOT saving the world.

The new bulbs? STOP! "mercury" NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198

I'm guessing .0002% of the people do this so millions of these things are hitting the dumps.

Even the GE 20years of these say they can't cut out mercury altogether.

didn't the op ask "how green are you?"

They make surge protector/power strips that will kill power to devices so that might be better than plug/unplug.. or wiring the outlet to a switch might help (any electricians here?)

I really should turn my computers off while at work, asleep, etc.. just want to keep my torrent ratios high

Yeah, we have some of those, but still, having to go through the house every night before going to bed turning everything off, and then do it again turning them on in the morning. Plus, having to re-set the clocks in the kitchen (microwave, coffeemaker), I just don't feel like putting up with that, I'm that lazy.

I legitimately laughed out loud.

green hypocrite

i don't even recycle, i don't think my county even knows what that is

That would make you ignorant, not hypocrite.

My girlfriend is 100% active green. I'm green hypocrite.

My biggest thing lately is taking reusable bags to the grocery store. I can't stand when my roommate comes home with 8 plastic bags and shoves them all in the trashcan right after she empties them. She saves them sometimes to clean her cat's litter box, but I'm not sure why she can't use reusable bags (or even at least reuse the plastic ones) at the store. Just seems so wasteful. Also when I'm at CVS or somwhere similar and I'm getting like a toothbrush or some soap, why does the cashier look at me like I'm retarded when I say I don't need a bag???

I recycle whatever I can at home. Since I live in the city I rarely drive my care, I pretty much metro and walk everywhere unless I'm going out of town.

Our thermostat used to be stuck at 10 degrees below frigid, but I HATE when it's cold inside the house so it sits around 68 now which is usually comfortable.

We unplug the micrwave and stuff like that when we're gone for a day or more.

I dunno, generally I just try to consume less stuff. This is better for the environment and my wallet

I received an award from BizNow for my Green Heroics!

i go paperless as much as possible but not to save the environment just because i lose things.

Not very...I guess some of our lights have those new bulbs. I use newspaper bags to pick up dog crap, so I guess they're being reused.

Of course, I also drive an SUV and leave all my appliances plugged in. I shut off lights but it's because I'm concerned about my power bill, not about "going green." Frankly, I hate the term, it sounds like a buzz word that will disappear eventually, like "hanging chad."

Also I don't recycle, we don't have a bin.

I recycle and use energy saver bulbs. I also drive a big old American V-8 (always have, always will). I'll be damned if I'm going to freeze inside my own house in the winter time just to be green or to save 3% on my bill.

I was green before green was cool. We called it "frugal" or just "cheap".

Yes, for some reason lots of the things called 'green', isn't.

didn't the op ask "how green are you?"

I think talking about the pros and cons of "green" choices is relevant to a discussion on your net "green-ness".

ie does the energy savings from flourescents outweigh (on the green scale) the mercury pollution they produce? ( and by "produce" I mean both the bulbs that end up in landfills and whatever pullution is produced in the raw material to finished product chain)