eco-friendly

[true vintage]

I was asked this-And now I'm asking you! I'm curious?
Which eco-friendly changes have you made in your life?

 

[Audrey Horne]

* We changed all our light bulbs to energy efficient ones
* We recycle more items (not just bottles and cans)
* We just bought portable bottles and a water filtration container and stopped buying plastic water bottles. This is a big deal because we only drink water, do we were going through a lot of bottles before
* My husband rides a Vespa scooter to work, and I carpool to school.

I know I could be doing better but every little bit helps right?

This question might be better suited to the Observation Bar though.

 

[The Shirt]

Well of course I switched out my light bulbs. I refrained from putting up xmas lights. I switched my power bill to pay the $3 extra for wind power. I bike to work once a week (in the warmer months that is- I unfortunately am not that hardcore). I switched out 2 appliances for energy efficient models. I plan on purchasing a hybrid next time around or potentially getting a scooter for warmer months as my everyday vehicle. Recycle as well.

And best of all I wet set pin curl - eliminating much of my hairdryer/curling iron usage! That was a big one.

 

[Edward]

I try to remember to think about buying local where possible when it comes to groceries and the likes. I also recycle a lot (though I'd like to do more) of my home waste through the council-run recycling scheme. Living in central London, I'm fortunate enough not to need a car, which saves a lot both in terms of cost and my carbon footprint.

One thing I would really like to improve on is the carbon cause by my flying, which I do a fair bit of. With work I make a few trips a year, then there are holidays, plus the several trips back to the old country a year. Sometimes it isn't practical to take the train - to get to my parents from London, it would take about 20 hours travelling on trains and boats - just not worth it for anything less than a fortnight (and I wonder given the duration and number of forms of transport would it really make that much difference from one one hour flight?). I hope that when I next go to Sctoland I will take the rain - not much slower than flying really (counting getting to and from airports at either end, checking in, waiting around...), and more pleasant probably (plus no baggage limitation other than what I can physically carry!). Just a shame it's often so much more expensive I can't afford it and have to fly. Eh well....

It does occur to me that in some way all those on the FL who are lucky enough to make great vintage finds, by extending the life of those clothes are making the best use of resources already spent, and not causing use of more to produce new goods. Those of us who can't always find vintage but buy new in a vintage style can't make the same claim, though on the other hand we still have the mindset of getting most use out of our clothes before they wear out, as opposed to the idea of "disposable" fashion....

 

[Twitch]

We have recycling in our area so it's easy to put stuff in another trash container. I recycle used motor oil at the auto parts store and old paint or electronic waste when they have those weekend drive locations. Other than that, forget about it! I threw most of those horridly dim, drab and ugly flourescent bulbs away. I realized that they were so bad that could cause a person depression. When I changed back to incandescent it was like a cheerfull new world in my house returned. Besides I don't know where the toxic crap in those has to go. Yet another waste place?

We only drive about 3,000 miles a years so aren't contributing to many emmissions of any sort.

As far a all the rest goes I don't much give a hoot.[huh] I have no intention of living a paranoia concerning waste, pollution or the latest cause celeb. If I want to be cool or warm given the season I will regardless of the cost.

I love all the excesses of the Golden Era anyhow!lol

 

[Dinerman]

I save energy by reusing vintage clothes.

 

[scotrace]

One very good thing that's easy to do: stop buying bottled water.

The United States is the only developed nation that sells water in bottles when there is a perfectly safe and plentiful supply of water at hand. Bottled water is singularly evil - transporting it via truck wastes enormous amounts of fossil fuel. The stuff is so heavy they can't even load a truck fully with it so there are ridiculous numbers pf trucks burning fuel driving around with a half load of WATER. Then there are the plastic bottles, most of which go into the landfill no matter how recyclable they are. And it's just overly Ugly American, in my opinion, to be chugging water from Fiji at great cost when the actual people of Fiji don't have access to safe water!

Then there's Twitch's excellent point about CF lights. They are manufactured with mercury and with many more un-recyclable parts than a standard bulb. is the trade-off worth it?

Probably the best thing any of us can do is make an effort to cut back on driving when possible. Go afoot, or get a bicycle if you are able. Recycle what you can (and check to make sure your municipality is not, as many are, simply gathering the recyclables as a warm fuzzy and taking them straight to the landfill anyway). Buy local produce in season (less transport = less fuel burned), etc.

In my area there is an old gentleman of the WWII generation who gets my respect by default. Yet, he often writes to the local newspaper his complaints about a lack of "concern for our environment." The same guy drives the biggest Buick made, has his lawn treated with chemicals and mowed twice a week, hires someone to use a gas trimmer and snow/leaf blower on his property, etc. Scolding others while not walking the walk is a pet peeve.

 

[Paisley]

I've xeriscaped my whole yard. No, it's not covered with rocks, but with plants that don't need as much water as a traditional lawn. The buffalo grass lawn in the back yard needs mowed only once a year.

I live in a small house.

I take the bus to work.

I usually buy things that will last instead of cheaper things that will have to be replaced in a few years.

I have a programmable thermostat.

I admit, though, that I did these things to save money or have greater comfort.

 

[Tango Yankee]

One very good thing that's easy to do: stop buying bottled water.

I have bottled water delivered in 5-gallon bottles. I use a ceramic dispenser for it. The reason? I tried just about every filter available and could not find one that made our local water palatable for me. Can't stand the taste.

The United States is the only developed nation that sells water in bottles when there is a perfectly safe and plentiful supply of water at hand.

I dunno about that. I first learned about bottled water during a deployment to Germany in the mid-'80s. Bottled water is available all across the continent and the UK.

Probably the best thing any of us can do is make an effort to cut back on driving when possible. Go afoot, or get a bicycle if you are able.

Got that one covered--you don't drive much when you're out of work!

Seriously, this is good advice but pretty much limited to non-rural areas. The one word I use to describe living in a rural area is "inconvienient." The nearest convienience store is at least 5 miles away, the nearest grocery store (a Wal-Mart) about 15 miles. The one thing I can do is try to combine as many trips as possible, such as hitting the store when on my way home from a doctor's appointment, that sort of thing.

Recycle what you can (and check to make sure your municipality is not, as many are, simply gathering the recyclables as a warm fuzzy and taking them straight to the landfill anyway).

This I do, but again look to combine taking the recycling to the collection point with other trips as the collection point is about 15 miles away as well.

As for the other, in the early '90s the German town I lived in across from the Frankfurt-Main airport got rather draconian about enforcing recycling. You had to have a separate can for "table scraps" type of garbage, any other recycling stuff found in your cans could result in a fine, etc. It was very embarrassing for the local politicians when it was discovered that the low-bid contractor was hauling the recycling to Poland for disposal in landfills or burning!

Buy local produce in season (less transport = less fuel burned), etc.

Tastes better, too! :eusa_clap

I'm looking for work in Columbus as there's not much around here. If found, I can expect to drive up to two hours each way to get to work. Not my idea of a good time, nor do I relish the idea of burning that much fuel. Might try to find a carpool. With so many actually commuting from here to there I'd love to see a light rail or something like it running next to US 23 to use. Of course, then you have the issue of needing a good public transport system once you got to the city!

I do what I can, but where I live it's somewhat limited.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[gluegungeisha]

One very good thing that's easy to do: stop buying bottled water.

The United States is the only developed nation that sells water in bottles when there is a perfectly safe and plentiful supply of water at hand. Bottled water is singularly evil - transporting it via truck wastes enormous amounts of fossil fuel. The stuff is so heavy they can't even load a truck fully with it so there are ridiculous numbers pf trucks burning fuel driving around with a half load of WATER. Then there are the plastic bottles, most of which go into the landfill no matter how recyclable they are. And it's just overly Ugly American, in my opinion, to be chugging water from Fiji at great cost when the actual people of Fiji don't have access to safe water!

Then there's Twitch's excellent point about CF lights. They are manufactured with mercury and with many more un-recyclable parts than a standard bulb. is the trade-off worth it?

Probably the best thing any of us can do is make an effort to cut back on driving when possible. Go afoot, or get a bicycle if you are able. Recycle what you can (and check to make sure your municipality is not, as many are, simply gathering the recyclables as a warm fuzzy and taking them straight to the landfill anyway). Buy local produce in season (less transport = less fuel burned), etc.

In my area there is an old gentleman of the WWII generation who gets my respect by default. Yet, he often writes to the local newspaper his complaints about a lack of "concern for our environment." The same guy drives the biggest Buick made, has his lawn treated with chemicals and mowed twice a week, hires someone to use a gas trimmer and snow/leaf blower on his property, etc. Scolding others while not walking the walk is a pet peeve.

Great ideas!

I only drink bottled water if I'm in a third world country -- and even then, I'm probably taking the same risks, since bottled water is pretty much always (untreated!) tap water. At home, I use a carbon water filter. I'm considering investing in an aluminum water bottle, since the more I hear about the dangers of plastic water bottles (from people who have been studying the stuff for years), the more I would like a solution. No more plastic!!

I think the best energy-saving lightbulb solution is to turn off the lights when you're not in the room! Simplicity.

As for me...

I bring reusable shopping bags when I get groceries, and reuse the paper and plastic bags I already have at least a few times each.

This year, I've decided not to use any disposable plastic bags when I pack my lunches. I'm using aluminum, wax paper, and even edible packaging when I pack my lunches in my reusable bento box!

My car is dead, so no driving for me. I use public transportation, my bicycle, my feet, and carpool when necessary. I'm hopefully moving to Olympia next year, and it is likely that I'll be using a scooter there.

Most of my wardrobe is secondhand, and a lot of that is vintage. The only things I buy firsthand are socks, undergarments and occasionally (but very rarely!) shoes. I have as many modern secondhand items as I do vintage.

I don't buy new furniture. There are certain brands that make very eco-friendly and attractive furniture, but it's sooo much cheaper (and more suitable to my taste!) to buy antiques.

All the money I save by getting things secondhand, I spend on food -- and it's absolutely worth it. I buy local produce whenever I can, and mostly organic. I don't support the meat industry at all with my vegetarian diet, so I don't have to worry about that. I can't wait until the farmer's market returns, because it has saved me a lot of money.

I stopped using cosmetics with petroleum derivatives...that includes cold creme! A lot of lip balms contain the stuff, too, as well as Vaseline. I found that shea butter products (make it fair trade!), as well as quality oils, make a great substitute. My rose bud salve has been replaced with Badger Balm.

 

[Miss Brill]

Grossest habit that saves a fortune: don't flush the toilet every time. My water bill is at least 1/2 what it used to be.

I only wash clothes in cold water.

I keep my water heater turned off at the electric box & only turn it on 15-20 minutes before I bathe or wash dishes, and then I turn it off again when I'm done. My light/water/sewer bill had been close to $200 every month, doing this makes it between $75-$130 every month (it is higher when I use heat or air).

I have a small refrigerator & I microwave most of my food, and rarely bake.

I keep my windows open/use fans until the heat is unbearable without the AC. Before I had dogs I could go until August without it, now I have to turn it on in late June.

I don't turn my heat on until it is so cold my dogs want to wear their sweaters in the house.

I stopped buying bottled water & started getting it from the bathroom tap. It tastes better than that from the kitchen tap.

Almost all of my clothes/accessories/decor are second-hand.


I do drive a gas-guzzler, an '89 Chevy truck, but I don't drive as much as I did. I can either afford gas, or shopping, not both, so I stay home & don't shop as much as I did.


I flip the switch on my PC and TV when I turn them off. Why pay to keep a green or red light powered?

 

[David Conwill]

As a vintage car guy, I say...

...and convert it to ethanol, SVO, or electricity while you're at it.

The historic preservation movement is quite "green" as well: there's so much waste that goes into pulling down an old building and stuffing its remains into landfills and then replacing it with all new materials with their associated manufacturing pollution. It's far better to find a new use for an old building because its environmental impact, no matter how great at the time it was built, is often completely depreciated. Even if a building has to come down in the name of "progress" it's better to disassemble it and salvage the pieces than just knock it down, blow it up, or burn it.

The advantages of using vintage clothing and other personal property have already been mentioned.

-Dave

 

[true vintage]

We have recycling in our area so it's easy to put stuff in another trash container. I recycle used motor oil at the auto parts store and old paint or electronic waste when they have those weekend drive locations. Other than that, forget about it! I threw most of those horridly dim, drab and ugly flourescent bulbs away. I realized that they were so bad that could cause a person depression. When I changed back to incandescent it was like a cheerfull new world in my house returned. Besides I don't know where the toxic crap in those has to go. Yet another waste place?

We only drive about 3,000 miles a years so aren't contributing to many emmissions of any sort.

As far a all the rest goes I don't much give a hoot.[huh] I have no intention of living a paranoia concerning waste, pollution or the latest cause celeb. If I want to be cool or warm given the season I will regardless of the cost.

I love all the excesses of the Golden Era anyhow!lol

What do you use other than fluorescent bulbs? I have them in our office.

 

[Paisley]

I have bottled water delivered in 5-gallon bottles. I use a ceramic dispenser for it. The reason? I tried just about every filter available and could not find one that made our local water palatable for me. Can't stand the taste.

Have you tried refrigerating the water? My grandparents from southwestern Missouri had tap water that smelled and tasted like rotten eggs, but when it was cold, it tasted fine.

 

[Paisley]

I stopped using cosmetics with petroleum derivatives...that includes cold creme! A lot of lip balms contain the stuff, too, as well as Vaseline. I found that shea butter products (make it fair trade!), as well as quality oils, make a great substitute. My rose bud salve has been replaced with Badger Balm.

I like Badger Balm cuticle care, but their lip balm didn't do anything for my cracked and bleeding lips. Had to go back to Carmex today--they already feel better.

As far as the petroleum products go, I use a laundry detergent that doesn't contain them. I don't buy zip-loc bags, either. I get plastic containers and reuse them indefinitely.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I like Badger Balm cuticle care, but their lip balm didn't do anything for my cracked and bleeding lips. Had to go back to Carmex today--they already feel better.

If you like Carmex...have you tried the new Burts Bees Medicated with clove oil lip balm?

I find its almost carmex like.....but granted...i still do use Carmex....I am just a lip balm addict and have a million different kinds

 

[Paisley]

fftopic:

I haven't tried that, no. But I like their facial cleanser (the one with olive oil and orange). Way cheaper than DHC's olive oil cleanser.

 

[Miss Brill]

I couldn't live without petroleum jelly. It is my favorite lip balm ever. If I run out & have to use Carmex or lip gloss fow awhile my lips take days to get over being dry, even if they aren't chapped. It is also the most gentle under eye moisturizer.

ETA: PJ would be one of the "5 beauty things you'd want if stranded on an island," right there with sunblock, sunglasses, sunhat, and body wash.

 

[Undertow]

I won't detail the many "green" things I do for financial necessity's sake only, but I will throw these two interesting things out there for your viewing pleasure.

http://gizmodo.com/344750/tricycle-house-it-is-almost-a-good-idea

And as some of you may have already seen these nifty little houses:

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/home.htm

Total = 70sqft Smallest

Total = 700sqft Largest

These would be GREAT for camping if you're retired. And "green" too!

 

[Miss Brill]

I love little houses--but those 700 sqft jobs aren't much snaller than what I have already.

As for the price, well, some places you can buy a regular size house for under 40k.

I like the Katrina Cottage designs:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=2006_landing/Katrina_Cottage/KatrinaCottage.html