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).
Quote:
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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.
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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