How 'green' are you?

I try to live in a responsible, environmentally friendly way because environmental sustainability matters to me. Global warming scared me when I first learned about it as a kid, and I grew up fearing a future when winters would arrive without any snow. Irrational as it might be, that fear has stayed with me all these years.

Like I said, I try. I don't buy into a lot of greenwashing, though we have replaced most of the lightbulbs in our house with CFLs and our cars are low-emission vehicles. I commute to work every day by bicycle and drive as little as possible. Over the years I've considered letting go of one of our cars, and if that were solely my decision it might already be gone. During the spring and summer months we buy a slight majority of foodstuffs from local and/or sustainable growers and farmers, but we could do more (neither of us is vegetarian or vegan). We recycle everything we can and compost occasionally (could do more of this, too).

Hot showers and paper towels are my vices. I'd also be happier with myself if we never shopped at Wal Mart. But sometimes we do.

 

I try to be green, but it can be hard sometimes.

I don't eat animals. I don't always buy local, though I try to.
I take public transit, walk or bike instead of driving.
I recycle as much as possible, but I have no composting program in my building.
I only use CFLs at home, and try to use them sparingly.
I don't buy harsh chemical cleaning products. I stick with vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and borax.
I still buy more stuff than I ought to, and use my dishwasher twice a week. I'm nowhere as good as I ought to be, but I try.
I never buy bottled water, instead I drink tap water from a stainless steel bottle I've had since I was eighteen.

I don't want to make anyone's life worse, so I try to be green.

 

No... not if you want to, like, live on this earth or anything.
--- merged: Aug 31, 2011 4:14 AM ---

I knew you guys would get all defensive.

No, I don't always get organic, or locally grown (which often loses environmental benefits in its small scale of production versus what it gains because of reduced transport costs). I don't do nothing because I can't do everything.

 

How can vegans say they are green when you keep eating all the damn trees?

 

I hesitate to say I'm "green," mainly because I was (mostly) raised to be environmentally friendly. Green seems like a fad term, if not a fad itself.

I do what I can. Apparently, I'm kind of a hippie

Edit: Oh, according to Baraka's link, I'm producing less than half of what the rest of the US does in emissions, but about twice the rest of the world.

 

I'm only semi-consciously green, feeling guilt for not taking better actions, comforting myself with "they didn't teach us recycling yet, when I was in school".

Recycling the common garbage is in pretty good order here though, but I still remember the times from my childhood, living with grandparents, who experienced the WWII. They had to be economical in everything, even clothes were reused to make rag rugs. The holes in socks were repaired!

We need two cars to get to jobs, both sons have their mopeds. The fuel costs less than what they would have to pay for a bus ticket to get to school... they are too lazy to ride a bike, 6 km would not be too much to ask though. Since the nearest grocery is that far too, I tend to buy too much, just in case, so I wouldn't have to go every day, but all food is not getting eaten.

 

After doing the test Baraka Guru posted, it turns out that our home is greener than I thought...

Estimated Emissions for our 2 Person Household: 12
US Average for a 2 Person Household: 53
World Average for a 2 Person Household: 11

Always room for improvement, but not bad!

 

This wasn't about me getting defensive, if you read the entire post you would find that I also asked if you found it difficult to find the ingredients to eat "green". I was trying to pick your brain because I have a couple friends who are vegan for environmental reasons, and it seems that they burn a lot of fuel just finding the "green" ingredients for their meals.

 

I don't limit myself to local or organic. Some veggies are well worth buying organic... like leafy greens, and others not so much (as the pesticides either aren't used or don't affect the healthiness of the food). But $7 a pound for red peppers is too much for me so I stick to the regular (for example).

There are just so many food choices out there. A common misconception from non-vegans it that it is "hard" or limiting. Imagine two ship captains. One sails only on the Pacific, while one sails on both the Atlantic and Pacific:

Captain Every Ocean: "It must be hard to limit yourself to the Pacific Ocean!"
Captain Pacific: "..."

In my experience, "omnivores" almost always eat less variety than vegans. Although my primary objective in eating vegan is not the environment (it is to take part in and spread a sentiment of compassion), that just goes with the territory, so going above and beyond with sourcing local and organic is a hurdle I haven't jumped yet.

 

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but all of our efforts and struggles amount to a hill of beans.

This is just the far distant problems we face. (we probably won't be here to worry about any of it, so I'll start now)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risks_to_civilization,_humans_and_planet_Earth

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I thought I was "green" until I read some of your posts.
All I do is recycle tin and aluminum cans and try to be conscientious in what I buy.
I don't separate my plastics from my paper or bottles, though.



/goes and rocks in a corner

 

That's all fine and dandy. I'm up for it, truly, but what about that bit about the Andromeda galaxy colliding with the Milky Way? Or the one where we have an eventual heat death of the universe?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_death_of_the_universe

Scary ideas to contemplate.

Anyway, I think I'll quit scaring myself now by listening to some R.E.M.

/It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine...

 

I'm some what "green" but not as green as I'd like to be. Does anyone here have a "check off list" (?) - so I can see where I stand. If so: Huge THANKS!!! I use CFL lightbulbs, and recycle everything that goes to the curb. Plus, I reuse water bottles forever! I DO unplug almost every thing here - although it drives my hub to distraction! What else can I add to my green "activities"???

 

I recycle everything I can and drive a hybrid sedan.
I'm not "green".
Recycling glass, paper, cans and plastic just makes sense to me.
I'm on the road all day, the hybrid cuts down on the number of fill ups per week.

 

Where is "HERE"?
--- merged: Sep 2, 2011 10:39 PM ---
I think if I had kids I would be a WHOLE LOT greener. But I do separate recycled stuff. And reuse many items, esp. plastic bottles. Glad I didn't have kids because all those Pampers and other plastic diapers in the Landfills makes me crindge!!!

 

I live in a very urban city and do not own a car. I use either public transportation or my own 2 feet to get around. My building just this last week FINALLY got recycling bins.

Lighting wise, I have 3 heavy duty LED bulbs that I use, and the rest are CFL.

Because the building is old, I have no control over the radiant heat or the kitchen appliances. These are definitely 2 places that efficiency could be improved.

There are double pane storm windows so that helps on the insulation front.

My vice is my traveling. what I made up for in day to day living, I blew by taking multiple trips a year.