your personal environmental efforts (not political!)

[ryberg]

This has come up in piecemeal fashion here and there on the debate-y threads re the environment, but I thought it might be nice just to ask people to compile here what they might be doing on whatever scale to be green(er), without all the debate over the problem (since in the end nobody seems to be arguing that we should ignore the environment or intentionally do environmentally unfriendly things, of course).

I thought about it because I just learned that in Colorado, you can buy 100 kWh chunks of wind energy on your bill for less than a $1 adjustment in your price, meaning that the typical CO household (which uses 625 kWh/mo) can go to 100% wind energy for about 6 bucks a month. Seems cheap to me, so I've just signed up for that online. So if our household turns out to be typical, then according to EPA Power Profiler statistics, we will have just done the equivalent of keeping over 15,000 lbs of CO2 out of the air, or of not driving 15,000 miles, or of planting over 2 acres of trees (I know, I know -- cue Scott and his much more impressive figures!). It even helps Colorado, as they say 100% of the energy is generated from 2 CO wind farms (Ponnequin, near the Wyoming border, and Peetz Table, in the NE part of the state).

Windsource is good for Colorado’s economy. Installing and maintaining wind turbines creates jobs. In addition, landowners receive ongoing lease payments while they continue to use the land for other purposes such as farming. And, wind turbines create tax revenue for counties. Windsource also helps insulate customers from volatile electricity prices due to fossil fuel price increases.

We're lucky to have this chance -- dunno if it's widespread or not -- and to have the funds to pay for it without any noticeable difference to our lifestyles, of course. Ditto curbside recycling on both counts, which we've been doing since getting here.

Anyway, how about some positive green stories from peeps, without the debate?

Steve

[dartay]

Come on a little debate? No? OK then. I appluade your effort in this, I'd certainly do it for a marginal fee like that if it was available here.

[sctx]

well, besides the thousands of trees planted every year, and the erosion control projects, and general public education efforts involved in my job position, I'd say the biggest impact we have in the area of environmental conservation is our choice not to have children......that's huge........ we do some recycling, but not full tilt as many city folk do........and we do have a pretty nice one acre landscaped yard that requires no irrigation due to appropriate native plant and turf choices, I did install an irrigation system but that is only used 3 or 4 times a year to water in pre-emergent/fertilizers....... we don't do much driving on a personal level since Terri works closeby to the house and we're pretty much homebodies on the weekends

but how does the $1 extra for wind generated electricity work???.... there can't be direct lines, it must be a donation to build more wind plants since most states are around 2%-4% wind power contributed to the overall power grid

[Sol]

Little driving as possible.
Xeriscaped yard.
Recycle.

[Jacko]

Well, I am sure y'all have heard me before on this subject...at our place we call it Living Green..its always a work in progress...getting ready to sign up for $20K worth of thermal solar hot water assist at the Woodward House (where housekeeping is at)...beauty of that? Only $8K cost to me after state and federal tax credits...payback in 4 years.... Then, we will spend another $15K-$25K in occupancy sensor technology that knows when a guest leaves a room and then sets back the energy usage until they return..not all the way off (discomfort), but a setback that saves a ton of money...and energy...

Then, there is NC Greenpower..which is what I think Steve is talking about..pretty cool stuff...you pay to have the power company invest more in sustainable greenpower like wind, solar and geothermal. I can even sell windpower back to the power company with a reverse running meter for my own solar or windpower....

Lots and lots of opportunities for a business like mine...personally?...its high MPG vehicles, walking and bicycling, living where I work, CFL (compact flourescent lighting) and LED (light emitting diodes) lighting , low flow faucets and shower heads, recycling, set back thermostats, high SEER rated appliances, heavy insulation, dual-pane thermal windows, composting, buying local and growing even more local vegetables, organic produce, etc. etc.

Oh yeah..and we plant a ton of trees each year...not as many as Scott though

[horizon200]

Well we recycle, re-use water bottles but, Sorry Cheryl, I draw the line at one square of toilet paper!

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by sctx

well, besides the thousands of trees planted every year, and the erosion control projects, and general public education efforts involved in my job position, I'd say the biggest impact we have in the area of environmental conservation is our choice not to have children......that's huge........ we do some recycling, but not full tilt as many city folk do........and we do have a pretty nice one acre landscaped yard that requires no irrigation due to appropriate native plant and turf choices, I did install an irrigation system but that is only used 3 or 4 times a year to water in pre-emergent/fertilizers....... we don't do much driving on a personal level since Terri works closeby to the house and we're pretty much homebodies on the weekends

but how does the $1 extra for wind generated electricity work???.... there can't be direct lines, it must be a donation to build more wind plants since most states are around 2%-4% wind power contributed to the overall power grid

NC Greenpower here

[TnJ]

been recycling plastics at grocery stores ( but now @ the house ) & paper over 20 years, mostly in those bins on school grounds.
I commute on a 68mpg moto 2 work as much as possible.
We catch water wasted during shower warm-ups in a couple of jugs I use to water some plants.
Good plan ya have there, Steve!
tj

[MMandm]

1) We recycle like crazy.
2) We have a trash compactor that vastly reduces our volume to landfill.
3) We never water our "lawn".
4) We use a number of CFLs.
5) Prius @ 50 mpg, 1997 Accord @ 30 mpg, we carpool when we can.
6) Probably the biggest thing...we teach our daughter about respecting the environment.

OTOH,

1) I travel for work on airplanes at least 10 times/year.
2) We travel by airplane for vacation probably 4x/year.

If they could just get those electric airplanes to work!!

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Well, I am sure y'all have heard me before on this subject...at our place we call it Living Green..

which mean Linda will snap your neck like a spring chicken if you toss that can or bottle in the wrong waste basket

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by sctx

which mean Linda will snap your neck like a spring chicken if you toss that can or bottle in the wrong waste basket

[sctx]

Originally Posted by Jacko

NC Greenpower here

so it is a donation for expanding the program....that's cool..........some of our landfills contribute to the power grid by pumping methane to turn turbines

[melliedee]

Recycle (a lot more since I've bought a home)
Buy organic (dairy, veggies, when I can)
No kids (can't really claim that's an "environmental" decision! )

On the bad side:
I drive to work when I could walk
travel on planes for work and vacation
probably use more electricity than I need...

[ryberg]

Info on the CO program is here if you want to look, but yes, I assume it's all mixed in and it means you're essentially subsidizing the program such that it pays for the given number of kWh from windpower, not that there's some special line or whatever. I'll let you know, though, if they show up in a few days to install a giant turbine on my roof.

I think you took Maggie's answer there on not having children. But that answer about teaching kids about the environment is a good one, too, and recycling is great on that count -- so clear and hands on.

I hadn't thought about working from home, but that also applies to me now, and definitely reduces the driving! On the other hand, when I do drive, it's a Mazda CX-9, not a wonderfully high-mileage choice.

Steve

[Rissask]

I'd say the biggest impact we have in the area of environmental conservation is our choice not to have children......that's huge

Ditto for us....it is huge, especially Westerners with our wasteful lifestyles...one example is on garbage day, all the families on our block put their big containers out (and they are overflowing) once a week, while ours is just half full every three weeks....big difference there. I read somewhere that Canadians produce more household waste than anywhere else in the world, I don't doubt it.

We don't have curbside recycling, we take it in to depots (bottles and cans and tins) and you get $$ for it. The depots here are called SARCAN and staffed by people with disablities (likely common everywhere?).
I just started recycling tin cans and glass containers last year....you don't get money for it, but it makes me feel virtuous. I hardly ever see anyone bringing them in when I am there though, most people just recycle cans and bottles.

We don't get the paper any more, we cancelled it last year. But we still get flyers and a local paper once a week, and dump that in recycling bins.

We bought a compost bin from town last year and we make compost for the garden and flower beds. This cuts down our household waste by a lot. Growing a garden helps too, and I get a lot of canning and veggies from mom still too.

water garden and flowers with my 2 rain barrels...very rarely have to water other than that.

I buy spices, etc. in bulk and use storage containers instead of buying lots of bottles and containers.


We use our A/C pretty sparingly and keep our heat low in winter.

Use muscle power to shovel snow, not a snowblower- healthier too. When our lawnmower dies we might get a mechanical one, my aunt has one and they love it- it's quiet!



and we shoot some of our own meat (venison) and eat locally caught (by us) fish, we don't eat saltwater fish, we are inland and it has to be transported.