How Green are you?

[Adrienne]

Just curious how many others have made the switch to 'greener' living? Right now I do my part by using cloth diapers on Chloe, (bonus of Huge money savings!), breastfeeding, again, huge money savings as well!, using green products in my home for cleaning, washing clothes, etc, using reusable bags when shopping, using organic body care products, growing my own vegetables, composting, and freecycling. (Anyone who doesn't know about freecycle.org should really check it out!).

So what are you guys doing to make your lives a little greener?

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Show off... I want to have a compost too!

Hmm, we use green household products, use reusable grocery bags, buy trash bags made from recycled products, buy organic, maybe there are more....

 

[Dekka]

I try to be pretty green, we recycle everything we can. Paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, bottles etc. Buy local produce... The manure pile makes a great compost!

Organic does not always mean greener. Some of the things you can put on an organic crop are worse than the chemicals that go on the non organic ones (for you and the planet)

 

[Adrienne]

What kind of green products do you guys use? I have been using 7th Generation because I don't like the clorox company. I can't afford to buy much organic food unfortunately but I try to budget for organic meats.

 

[Puckstop31]

I hunt. I fish. I support the NRA.

 

[xpaeanx]

I hunt. I fish. I support the NRA.

do you have a younger brother? :rofl1:


I use perm shopping bag, I try to buy local produce(home grown when I can, but I don't have any place for a garden myself), I used to get my eggs from my aunts chickens(until she ate them... LOL), I wear my clothes a few times before I wash them(old habit from germany), I try to carpool as much as possible, I would say I use natural products... but I love my bleach so... yeah. But I DO use 7th generation stuff. I like to buy stuff that came from "recycled materials," I'm also big on thrift stores, craigslist, freecycle. I don't always have the money for organic... so I try to keep that to the meats I have to buy(chicken and wild caught fish)...

 

[GlassOnion]

Not very. I ride my bike instead of drive my car but only because I live so close to campus that it's kind of pointless to drive.

I fish, but not allowed to eat what I catch (catch and release).

I don't use organic foods (wouldn't want to either).

I do keep the house warm (or try to) in the summer to save on electricity but that's mainly because I like it hot.


So not very.

 

[Bunny82]

We use cloth diapers, wipes, napkins, and grocery (shopping)bags.

When feeling inspired I make a lot of my own household cleaning products and personal body care products. If I can't find the time or I am just being lazy I buy from organic companies.

We grow our own veggies and have a few fruit trees. We compost.

We buy organic foods.

I do a lot of cooking from scratch that way I know exactly what we are eating. I am especially picky about this with Hunter. We are also still breastfeeding.

We recycle.

I know there is more but I can't think right now.

 

[zoe08]

We have always recycled cans, but now we recycle plastic, glass, and paper, too.

When I run out of the cleaning products I have, I will start buying the green ones. Or make my own.

I wear at least my pants/shorts a few times before washing them.

We use a reel mower, so it doesn't use gasoline.

I often ride with my sister to go shopping or to the bank since we use the same bank, so that we don't use twice as much gas.

I got some material and am going to try to make some reusable shopping bags. Once I get them made, I will start using them.

We are hoping to set up same rain barrels at least by next spring. But depends on if we can afford to get them. We also would like to set up a compost bin.

I try to keep all small appliance unplugged when not in use.

I don't turn on the lights in the house until I need them.

I try to keep the thermostat set so that it doesn't run too much.

We have started switching all light bulbs we can to the energy saving ones.

We are also planning to buy some new windows hopefully in the next year or 2 since the ones we have are not very energy efficient.

If I am going to buy something at the store and there is one that is made from recycled material. I will buy that one if it isn't too much more expensive.

If we had a country home we would have our own garden, and probably a small wind turbine, but unfortunately right now we live in the city and we don't have those options right now.

Unfortunately DH is not so much worried about it and I have to get on to him for leaving lights on and for leaving the water running while he is brushing his teeth. Though he wants the rain barrels and compost bin and would love to have a turbine.

 

[96 GTS]

I recycle, don't use shopping bags if I don't need to, turn off lights, etc. etc. etc.

I don't drive a terribly environmentally friendly car though, lol.

 

[mrose_s]

I don't drive, I have a bike.

I don't use appliances unless I have to (the idea of using hte clothes dryer on a sunny day makes me feel icky, I don't know why)
We use reusable bags when we remember, but we do need to have some at home for dog poo bags etc. We buy our bin bags though.

We're building a vegie garden, but we have to do some fencing first so its not accessible to the dogs if we want it to last. We do have a nice herb garden though.We will also have our own chickens, bu again, we need an enclosure.
And the same with compost, we first have to fence the dogs out of it unless we want Harry to be very dirty and very full.

Mum always used cloth diapers and we clean the majority of stuff with bocard and/or vinegar.

I always buy australian made wherever possible, its important.

Things we don't do.
We have a petrol guzzling car, mum just adores it.
I don't wash with full loads of washing. I have to wash my work pants aftre every shift so that sa big water waster.
We don't have a water tank, but I'd badly like to get one put in.
We don't use the good lighbulbs yet. We'll changed them over eventually but we have 2 lights that the electricity to them is a bit off and they seem to blow after only a week or 2. Would rather that not be a $7 lightbulb to replace every week.
We don't recycle enough.

 

[noludoru]

I'm a radioactive shade of green today, actually. I think it might have something to do with the planet my mother is from.

 

[Adrienne]

Oh yeah, I forgot, I hang on the line all clothes as well, weather permitting!

 

[Dizzy]

I'm more of a pinky colour.

 

[Dekka]

so for those of you buying organic... what is it you are hoping to get out of it?

(I know of farmers in this area that grow 'organic crops' and can't imagine wanting to buy it, let alone pay more. Natural does not mean healthier or better for the enviro. Did you know that some of the 'natural' things you can spray your crops with are nasty known carcinogens that are relatively untested)

 

[scob89]

I have a small scale solar power system setup in my workshop that lights it and runs power tools. It is a very small system and you can run power tools for very long, but with 4 CF bulbs I can work all night if I want too.

 

[Adrienne]

so for those of you buying organic... what is it you are hoping to get out of it?

(I know of farmers in this area that grow 'organic crops' and can't imagine wanting to buy it, let alone pay more. Natural does not mean healthier or better for the enviro. Did you know that some of the 'natural' things you can spray your crops with are nasty known carcinogens that are relatively untested)

Mostly it would be to support local growers/small business. Meats, since they hold toxins in I think are better when they aren't pumped full of hormones. I do believe that some organic is not better all around. I eat my own veggies which I know how they are grown and the only pesticide around them is beer for the snails to drown in!

 

[Puckstop31]

Why buy organic when you can harvest it yourself?

2 deer this season... Feed my family, protien wise, all winter (at least) long.

Figure I spend $30 on licenses, $40 on ammo, $40 on travel. Harvest 250 lbs of meat... $2.28 a pound for meat?

Just sayin.... AND it is more organic than anything you can get at "Whole Foods."

 

[Dekka]

Very true Puck!!!

Many organic products are not local. Here in the grocery stores they tell you if the food is local (on little signs. Local meaning just that local-not just same province)

Hormones in meat are one thing... but some of the other stuff... AND you can get meat that is hormone free that is not organic too. (lol or you can go hunt down your meals)

 

[Saje]

I support local as much as possible. Try not to use the car too much. I really want to get a bike again with a seat for Fiona. I used to ride everywhere! And that is so good for you! I`m a bit nervous about having FIona on it though...

I`m still breastfeeding but going green is my last reason! Just a bonus lol. I`d love to cloth diaper but we use a laundry mat and I just can`t afford it.

Next year I want to start a balcony garden.

I use low energy lights in the house. Turn lights off...

I think my biggest green thing is buying used. I`d much rather buy from craigslist or some of my swap and shop groups. The money stays local and supports families. It`s much cheaper for me and is quite often `like new`I can almost always find what I want on one of my groups. Just got a new double mattress and boxspring for $25. It even still smells new! lol

ETA Oh I`m also a vegetarian but I totally prefer Pucks approach if people are going to eat meat.