going green

[Ishy]

The last time I was at the farmer's market they had oranges from New Zealand. I stood there thinking about how much energy it took to get those oranges around the world and just shook my head. I'd much rather just see produce that's in-season and will taste good. As consumers we need to stop expecting to buy every kind of fruit/veggie year-round.

That is why I made a point of the travel thing. I never used to think that much about it... but then I was at a cooking show (Flavors of America) and the host responded to a question from one of the sponsers 'Why do you chose Hatfield farms for your pork products?' - I think the sponser was looking for a plug about highest quality or something, but the host responded they were the local supplier, and how you should try to get your produce and meat as local as possible - not just for freshness, but for the good of the earth. AVerage food travels over 15000 miles before it hits your store. This is insane waste. There is a great dairy site too... buying your milk & cheese green, I dont know the website offhand, made me change brands though. My head starts to spin, but I have started to change -- slowly, first with brands of meat, then with brand of milk and cheese and yogurt... It may be easier to find a farmer and just move in with him or marry one!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

So proud of my fellow Green Dissers! Props to Muushka! - a fellow DVC VWL groupie (gotta love Our Beloved Wilderness Lodge).

I think everything I do has been covered- CFLs, cold water laundry,buy vinegar by the gallon, use local, reuse, recycle, etc. I drive a Honda Civic that gets great mileage (I fill up every 2 weeks) and compost massively.

I do buy Seventh Generation trashbags and toilet paper; use Shaklee cleaning products and I still consider Bare Escentuals a green option on makeup!

 

[DVC Sadie]

I forgot to post previously about growing our own vegetables in the summer and then freezing them to last at least part of the winter. We, too, buy locally at our farmers market and have frozen enough corn and okra to last us until the spring. This year I am trying to grow vegetables in a green house and hope to yield at least a few tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and herbs.

 

[KristinU]

Ditto on a lot of the other things posted already. A few random thoughts I didn't see posted yet, or have additions to:

- Install a "navy" showerhead and flip it off while you're lathering/shampooing/shaving.

- Stop idling in your car. I believe I read that you should turn the ignition off if you are going to be stopped for 30 seconds or more.

- On the carpooling thing: get rewarded for it! Check out www.nuride.com, it even applies to spouses and my family has been able to do a lot of free outings because of it.

- Similar vein to buying local - buy things that are less processed. Think about the fuel/power/transportation involved in the production of your food. Here's an essay that forever changed the way I think about food purchases: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/Secret_Life_of_A_Potato.pdf

- try to implement one car-free day per week, or even per month, in your family. It is amazing how much fun you can have around home with your family when you're not out "consumering".

 

[minnie1928]

I also do most of the things already mentioned. I also have a hybrid Camry (can I tell you I LOVE getting +/- 43mpg!). Our local municipality recently expanded their recycling program to include paperboard (think cereal boxes) and it's really reduced the amount of trash I put out each week. Our family of 4 puts out as much trash (not including recycling) as the single guy across the street!

I sometimes run my dishwasher on the light wash mode. It turns out that I get the same crappy results with the light wash mode as I do the normal wash mode. I wish the dishwasher would die so I would have an excuse to purchase a new one.

I also started utilizing e-statements and e-payments whenever they are offered. Not only am I saving paper and transportation costs, it saves me postage, storage space and the time to file all those bills! I'm also starting to remove my name from mailing lists as catalogs arrive. Not only does this help the environment, it helps my wallet (if I don't see it, I don't think about buying it).

I've decided to take many of the ideas mentioned one step further...over the weekend I was at work for about an hour or two. The president of the company was also at work. So, I walked down to his office and said that I'd like to work on a new project. I asked him if it would be ok for me to do my version of an "energy audit" on all of our buildings. He loved the idea! So, soon the "green-ness" will be spreading at work and maybe I'll even convince some employees to take these ideas home!

For something to watch, try "Living with Ed" on HGTV. It's really entertaining and enlightening. The other week he showed a couple installing something on their A/C unit to cut their bills by 30% (I think?). I looked the item up online and it's only about $85 and you can install it yourself in about 5 minutes. I think I'll be giving that a shot next summer. They show some really interesting things on there...plus it's kind of funny since Ed's wife isn't nearly as green as Ed.

What's amazed me is the amount of money I've saved in the past year by going green. My electric bill is down 40%! I've spent $900 less on gas this year compared to last. My grocery bill has been dropping (fewer paper towels, no expensive cleaning solutions, less fabric softener (I Love those blue dryer balls!), etc.). Even if you don't believe in global warming, who doesn't love this kind of green

 

[starwood]

One I've just taken for granted but haven't seen mentioned here is a programmable thermostat. This time of year it drops to low 40's upper 30's at night but warms up to 60's during the day. I have mine set at 63 at night and during the day but goes up to 67 around 6 am and 3 pm. This way it's comfortable getting dressed in the morning and right before bed.

 

[spalady]

I do lots of these things so I must be headed in the right direction.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

if you switch to CFL bulbs put them in rooms where the light stays ON for a while, not in on/off places like closets

Is it better to use the old cheap lightbulbs in closets? I have replace all my bulbs, including closets with the new bulbs- should I switch back?

 

[roadtripper]

Great ideas everyone!
Online banking and billing-- cuts down on the paper in the mail. All financial statements, etc come digital now.
Also-- use freecycle.org. That thing you are ready to chuck in the landfill may be just what someone else needs!
In addition to buying local, grow your own veggies! I started small this year, but there's nothing like a tomato right off the vine.
Buy a rain barrel to collect water runoff, and use that to water the garden.

 

[dvcgirl]

The last time I was at the farmer's market they had oranges from New Zealand. I stood there thinking about how much energy it took to get those oranges around the world and just shook my head. I'd much rather just see produce that's in-season and will taste good. As consumers we need to stop expecting to buy every kind of fruit/veggie year-round.

This is a good point kfeuer. I think we're likely to see much more local produce in the coming years due to the increasing price of oil. Oil prices will certainly continue to fluctuate somewhat, but there is no doubt that ultimately they are headed one way.....up, way up. And so buying things grown locally will help to support our local markets.

We've gotten so used to having produce from all over the world year round, and I think that this luxury will become cost-prohibitive in the future.

As for us, we're replacing light bulbs as the exsisting ones go out.

Changing our air filters monthly.

We drink tap water.

I re-use plastic bags from the store for dog doody and to line garbage cans.

We keep our AC at 78 and our heat at 68.

When our current SUVs are goners we will no longer drive a gas guzzler. The next car will be hybrid or get a minimum of 40 mpg.

DH works from home decreasing our transportation costs.

We intentionally moved to a town with a real downtown (walkable from our home), also within walking distance to mass transit (train station).

We recycle.

 

[tl_swift]

Our wash machine recently broke down for the third time, so we bought a new energy star front loader.

Also, just last week we traded in our Expedition for a mini-van. It's not a hybrid vehicle, but it will use a lot less gas.

Ours broke down too. So we bought a new set. The front load washing machine and dryer. Our PG&E bill went down just about $100!!!!

 

[Muushka]

We drink tap water.

All right dvcgirl!! That is one of the best tips I have read on these boards (sorry if someone else mentioned it). I am too cheap to drink bottled water (and my tap tastes fine) so it is not an issue for us. But to all who cry about the global warming with a bottle of water in their hand, oy!

 

[grlpwrd]

This is a good point kfeuer. I think we're likely to see much more local produce in the coming years due to the increasing price of oil. Oil prices will certainly continue to fluctuate somewhat, but there is no doubt that ultimately they are headed one way.....up, way up. And so buying things grown locally will help to support our local markets.

We've gotten so used to having produce from all over the world year round, and I think that this luxury will become cost-prohibitive in the future.

As for us, we're replacing light bulbs as the exsisting ones go out.

Changing our air filters monthly.

We drink tap water.

I re-use plastic bags from the store for dog doody and to line garbage cans.

We keep our AC at 78 and our heat at 68.

When our current SUVs are goners we will no longer drive a gas guzzler. The next car will be hybrid or get a minimum of 40 mpg.

DH works from home decreasing our transportation costs.

We intentionally moved to a town with a real downtown (walkable from our home), also within walking distance to mass transit (train station).

We recycle.

Hey, dvcgirl, where have you been?!?!?! The Budget Board hasn't been the same without you.

 

[dvcgirl]

Hey, dvcgirl, where have you been?!?!?! The Budget Board hasn't been the same without you.

lol...we moved from Florida back to our native NJ in the summer so we were busy with getting settled. I'm being a very good girl so far too . I see Beth is posting the board rules a lot so I figured I'd better behave myself.

 

[dvcgirl]

All right dvcgirl!! That is one of the best tips I have read on these boards (sorry if someone else mentioned it). I am too cheap to drink bottled water (and my tap tastes fine) so it is not an issue for us. But to all who cry about the global warming with a bottle of water in their hand, oy!

Yeah, but I'm still driving that SUV of mine....hanging my head in shame. It's just that I'm such a frugal person at heart that I have a tough time selling a perfectly good vehicle that I can keep for another 5 years or more.

The problem is that right now with gas prices where they are it just doesn't make financial sense *yet* for me to run out and get that Prius.

I do think that this will be changing.....that ultimately we're going to be paying a whole lot more for our gas in this country. I've been following the world oil dilemma for years now, and while many expected that the current
state of events several years ago, it appears to be unfolding right now before our eyes.

Basically, I think America is about to be forced in many ways to go "Green" whether they like it or not. They'll have to do so simply out of economic necessity.

 

[princesspwrhr]

Is it better to use the old cheap lightbulbs in closets? I have replace all my bulbs, including closets with the new bulbs- should I switch back?

The new bulbs take longer to get to full strength, typically only just getting there by the time you're ready to close a closet door. There was a big write up on the CFL bulbs in one of the recent Consumer Reports, and it made total sense - I'm just not that articulate this am. Basically all the on off of short term use wears them out quicker and thereby dimishes the 'savings' since you'll replace it quicker.

 

[hsmamato2]

Use biokleen general cleaner, just mix 2 oz. with water in a (reusable)spray bottle,and use for all purpose cleaning- all natural ,cheap,and uses little resources-
baking soda for scrubbing jobs-also deoderizing-
I keep straight white vinegar in a spray bottle for disinfecting/deoderizing(good housekeeping did tests a while back,it kills germs as well as bleach spray)
made cloth napkins out of some unused fabric I had, just use,wash and reuse- dh still loves paper towels, but we're cutting way down-
all bulbs are compact flourescent,saves money,use less of them-
we burn woodstove for heat,which cuts down on oil burner usage-
wash clothes in cold water al the time, just add a cup of vinegar,things are clean!
don't buy single serve water bottles,buy gallon size instead,and use as needed in car trips-or refill our own water bottles at home to carry-
*disclaimer* we drink tap/brita filter at home, I buy a gallon size jug to keep fresh in the car,as someone is always thirsty when we go somewhere..... this way I can just keep it there for a few weeks at a time......
when we camp- we each person has a set of dinnerware and cups,so we wash and reuse,don't buy disposables-

 

[Tinkermommy]

I have recently switched over to the crystal type deodorant. It has no aluminium and it costs between $5 to 7 dollars. DH and I have been sharing one for about 4 months and it looks hardly used. I would think it would take a couple of years to use it all.

So it works fine, it is saving $$, no heavy metals, and eliminating lots of packaging waste.

One caveat is that it is only deoderant - not an anti-perspirant - so you may still sweat, but you will absolutely have no odor. My DH would sometimes be "fragrant" later in the evening with regular deodorant , but not with the crystal type.