Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Green Noise: How being Green is missing the mark

Willravel · 06-21-2008, 08:22 PM

Here's what I do:
All of my appliances and most of my electronics are energy star and all of my light bulbs are those goofy, dim florescent type. Both bathrooms have a half-flush toilet. I've got insulated walls and a vented attic. My windows are all double pane. I've tuned my car to improve it's efficiency (it's now up to 31 mpg highway from 28). I take the light rail to work most of the time. I always do my best to recycle, reduce, and reuse.

What I'm working on:
I need to start landscaping more with California natives, and I need to start using them to shade the walls of my house that see the most sun. My water-heater is gas, but I'm pretty sure I could improve on that. I need to start doing a bit more background research on the food and goods I buy to see if their manufacturing is efficient.

All of this does have a reason and, if done on a large scale, can have a positive effect. I've reduced my water, electric, and natural gas bills. I also save on petroleum gas quite a bit.

Outside of my personal life, I also try to be involved in local politics. I was a part of getting several local creeks clean. I also helped to make several local parks more water efficient by improving their sprinkler systems.

Cynth, it doesn't take gallons of water to clean a glass by hand unless you just keep the water on... and you wash slowly. Using a glass is more efficient than using a paper cup, even if the cup is made from recycled materials and recycled after use. I personally wash my dishes by hand, but there are very efficient dishwashers out there. Natural gas is probably better for heating unless you utilize a lot of solar power. Don't buy a hybrid car in the US. They're not efficient. Buy used, and buy as small as is reasonable for your situation, that is if you want to use a car. All of this information can be demonstrated by simply looking at statistics and basic math.

06-21-2008, 08:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Here's what I do: All of my appliances and most of my electronics are energy star and all of my light bulbs are those goofy, dim florescent type. Both bathrooms have a half-flush toilet. I've got insulated walls and a vented attic. My windows are all double pane. I've tuned my car to improve it's efficiency (it's now up to 31 mpg highway from 28). I take the light rail to work most of the time. I always do my best to recycle, reduce, and reuse. What I'm working on: I need to start landscaping more with California natives, and I need to start using them to shade the walls of my house that see the most sun. My water-heater is gas, but I'm pretty sure I could improve on that. I need to start doing a bit more background research on the food and goods I buy to see if their manufacturing is efficient. All of this does have a reason and, if done on a large scale, can have a positive effect. I've reduced my water, electric, and natural gas bills. I also save on petroleum gas quite a bit. Outside of my personal life, I also try to be involved in local politics. I was a part of getting several local creeks clean. I also helped to make several local parks more water efficient by improving their sprinkler systems. Cynth, it doesn't take gallons of water to clean a glass by hand unless you just keep the water on... and you wash slowly. Using a glass is more efficient than using a paper cup, even if the cup is made from recycled materials and recycled after use. I personally wash my dishes by hand, but there are very efficient dishwashers out there. Natural gas is probably better for heating unless you utilize a lot of solar power. Don't buy a hybrid car in the US. They're not efficient. Buy used, and buy as small as is reasonable for your situation, that is if you want to use a car. All of this information can be demonstrated by simply looking at statistics and basic math.