How are you guys "green" on a daily basis?
Submitted by mjones on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 10:48
Sometimes, it can sound like a lot of work to "be green." How are you guys green on a regular basis? Any easy-home tips that you'd like to share?
I try to bike places instead of drive, turn of lights and AC when it's not needed, recycle of course, reuse grocerybags for other stuff around the house. Check out my website it has info on basic everyday green things you can do it's http://www.teamk4a.tk and the page you're looking for is 'make a difference'.
i walk as much as i can, i turn off lights, AC, and all electrical appliances, i put windows down in the car rather than use AC, and i bring old shopping bags to the grocery store to reuse them
I think the major thing about being "Green" that's easy and not much trouble, is opening up the house as much as possible rather than using the AC or heating, people can deal with the temperture not being completely perfect to their liking, and it will save a lot of energy overall.
I use dry erase markers to leave notes on the kids mirrors instead of paper notes. You can be colorful, creative and green. I also use old tee shirts for green shopping bags instead of plastic.They are cute, washable and the kids love still seeing their favorite tees in use.
I use "green" bags for shopping that I bought at Trader Joe's, I wear layers when it's cold, and I share a car.
We leave Going Green tips on our website www.imachanger.org. We have also set up a scholarship fund in which we asked one our recycling centers to give the customer the option of donating the proceeds from their aluminum cans to our cause.
I share showers. :D
Haha. I'm just fooling.
Use less water, for sure.
And I bike and walk. Good exercise, and good for the environment.
I choose to wear many sweaters or a thick robe so we won't have to turn the heat in our house up high. I also do simple things that everybdy is supposed to do everyday like turning out electronics that aren't in use and turning off lights, the simple stuff.
I have used my conforter for warmth. I wear heavy jackets. I have also been planning on planting trees in the spring.
hey guys! sorry this is gonna be a long comment but I think it's worthwhile to understand that small tips are great and really helpful but to really make a difference you need to think beyond just your our actions and to the actions of your community!
read this if you're interested!
It has never been more clear: we need a smarter plan for energy. Oil is limited, and yet our government still is slow to acknowledge the power of the different systems of energy (such as wind, solar, or hydrogen). With the end of oil so imminent and an environment begging to be helped, our society needs to take initiative and solve this issue. But how?
Often times we are given those 5 easy tips we can save energy. Typically they recommend recycling, carpooling, taking shorter showers, changing to efficient light bulbs, or growing a garden. Though all of these ideas have good reasons to do so, we can’t just throw away our pop bottles or switch out our light bulbs anymore. We need to reach higher. These methods are individual ways we can support a cleaner lifestyle but we have to do more. We can all do more.
Here’s a new list of five goals you should reach for. One: spread the word. Blogs, forums, green websites all help but talk with your family and friends too. Share the word with people who would be less likely to get the green message. Change thoughts and you’ll start influencing people more than you think. Two: Be enthusiastic about changes in policies. Our government is just that—ours. But only as long as we use it to its fully intended purpose of serving our needs. Help the green cause by voting and insisting sustainable energy to be a priority in congress. Three: Keep doing the small daily tasks. Although this step alone is now not enough, it still is important to be personally held accountable for your lifestyle. In order for you to cause others to change, you have to change yourself. Four: Invest. This step is hard and requires the means to do so, but this really is the area that needs the most attention. We have developed incredible technology to utilize the power of sun, wind, hydrogen, etc. but these systems are being installed far too slowly. Oil companies dominate the energy market, and sustainable systems are being ignored. With investment, not only could profit quickly be made when demand starts catching on to supply, America could reach an even higher level of sustainable living than our European counterparts. Five: Insist. These bold steps only work if we all risk together. It’s easy to just recycle, fill up at the pump, ignore our own government, be part-time advocates, but it’s too late for this to be our society’s behavior. Take the leap and think big. It’s what we need.
well i turn off lights not that im not using & if you use hair dryers or stuff like that unplug it of your not using it ( that goes with anything thats plugged in) and if your community doesnt recycle try to get everyone to recycle. umm never throw away bottles or paper you need to recycle it!
I bring a BPA free water bottle to school every day to school instead of buying plastic water bottles at lunch.
I study by natural light whenever possible.
I open windows when it's hot and dress in layers when its cool, instead of adjusting the thermostat.
My family recycles, turn off any lights we arent using and when we brush our teeth, we save water for the fishies. lol
I use canvas shopping bags! (check out my project on banning plastic ones!) Also, all the light bubls in my house are CFL, as of last year(: we always recycle bottles, cans, and anything plastic since our town does not take paper. i am also growing my own veggie garden
tips:
-use canvas shopping bags!
-take shorter showers or shower with a buddy ;]
-turn off ur lights during the day time
-unplug anything that isnt being used
-put ur electronics like tvs, computers, and lamps on a power cord that way you can turn them all off at once then unplug the power cord (you dont want them still plugged in because it still uses electricity)
-grow a garden!
-plant a tree!
-stay active everyday, all year! its worth it
i'm green in alot of ways but i just wanted to state this crazy fact i read in a little book called Recycling by Tony Hare it says that every household/family throws away around 8 whole trees worth of paper every year!! that's alot! but w/ recycling you can reduce that in fact we cud make it 2 where it was no trees @ all if we really wanted 2. even just 4 a yr would be good i guess cuz that's 50% of what it usually would be. & the book was published in 1991 so it's probably very out of date it mite even be like 10 or 12 by now. :( thx =] :)
every morning i open my blinds especially in the winter. because it heats the room alot more. and instead of fans alot of times i just pull up the blinds and open the window & a breeze ends up blowing in. if im like charging sumthing i unplug the sumthing and the charger rite when it's done bc it's alot better 4 the battery. we only wash clothes/dishes when the machines r full. we wash r clothes in cold water. if im like shaving or brushing my teeth i turn off the water. i take super quik showers. i am probably the main green person in my house but evrything recyclable i can get my hands on is recycled. the recycling is also taken care of by me i put on the curb every Tues. morning. thx :)
o yeah and if we end up getting plastic bags from grocery store or Target i will reuse them as many times as poss. use them over and over and over as like a beach tote or lunch box or trash bag lolz like those Target even lists the ways u can on the side of the bag
i rite reminders w/ an expo marker that we used 2 use for a dry erase board we don't have anymore rather than wasting the paper
recycle paper and water bottles in my school....try to use less water when i brush my teeth... use sunlight as a source of light until its too dark to read without the light bulb... Also, keep a timer on the tv so it shuts down automatically if its not in use. I try not to take long showers and keep the printer turned off when not in use...
REDUCE!:
1) always turn off lites, and don't turn them on until needed
2) turn off faucet when brushing teeth
4) reduce your shower time
5) this maybe gross for some ppl or for ppl who dont have their own bathroom, but there is no need to flush the toilet every time you pee
6) when washing dishes, fill the sink with water and wash all the dishes with the same water, instead of running it endlessly! If this feels gross, get a pair of rubber gloves!
7) stop buying bottled water and buy water purifying system and a canteen!
8) walk and bike places instead of driving! its more fun and less stressful!
REUSE!!:
1) if you don't use canvas bags for grocery shopping, use plastic bags instead of trash bags (if you use canvas bags, make sure to wash them now and then, because they may contain a lot of bacteria! and choose plastic over paper bags because though paper may seem less harmful, it takes much more energy to recycle and produce than plastic!)
2) keep a stack of used paper. that way when you want to sketch something or write a small note, you dont have to search for papers and that way are more likely to reuse! there is no need to waste a new leaf of paper for every little thing!
3) never ever ever ever throw away boxes unless they are completely ruined, that way, when you need to send something to someone, you dont have to go out to buy one. any small cuts can be simply taped!
4) whenever you see an opportunity to reuse something, dont think twice!
RECYCLE!!!
this one is pretty obvious, right?
Instead of asking my mom to take me places in her car that are close, i walk or bike there. In my house, I try to keep my shower limited to five minutes. I also turn the water off while I brush my teeth.