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KM's "Go Green" Guide

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killermonkey:
So, as you may know, I am a rather vocal person when it comes to methods to protect the environment. Vocal because I feel the need to oppose all the half-brained, half-researched methods to "protect" us from ourselves. The most notable of those is "Bio-Diesel" which will (and already is) going down as the biggest blunder in human history in terms of political, total emissions, and implementation stand point.

Anyway, so you want to "Go Green" (I HATE that term but it does sell)? Well I have been following some pretty basic guidelines since moving to Michigan for the past two years that I believe has made my footprint here as minimal as I would like it to be.


* Ride your bike for short distance travel!
* Use public transportation as much as possible
* Reuse your grocery bags until they fall apart
* Use a grocery bag for small trash bag (small trash can)
* Turn off your lights when not using them
* Replace all your bulbs with CFL's
* Try to limit the number of large garbage BAGS you put out every week. I only use 1 garbage bag for two people per week.
* Take recycling seriously, know what your town accepts and SORT properly. Unsorted and improper recycles can ruin machinery and taint a whole batch of recyclable material
* Lower your heating and cooling to just at your comfort level. Sweaters, blankets, and fans are cheaper and more effective at heating/cooling you.
EDIT (MORE):


* Refuse a bag at a store when you don't NEED it (single item, big item, etc.)
* Buy a couple reusable bags at Target/Walmart (only 99cents!)
This is a partial list, if I think of more things I'll put them up here. I hate to do stuff that impacts the way I live. Aside from riding my bike (which helped me lose 15 pounds in a year!) non of these common sense actions makes your change your life style.

Comments? More Suggestions?

Kratos:
I dont usually put shit in grocery bags anymore. I just grab everything and put it in the car or just put everything in the cart and throw it inside the trunk. Those plastic bags tear easily.

1.) Drive slowly and follow the speed limits, which will save you gas and other peoples lives.

2.) Don't floor the pedal, instead slowly depress it which will save you gas again, or your just wasting fuel.

3.) If your going on vacation, turn off your computer since your not going to be using UNLESS, you torrenting or going to use VNC on it.

4.) DO not throw away batteries that are no longer working. Instead, find a place that takes care of them and dispose them properly. Throwing them away makes you a ungreen person and toxic waste gets into water and makes people act retarded.

5.)Spread the word to others, and we all can help make the planet greener and cleaner.

Mangley:
Don't throw away food in the trash. Any food and organic waste is biodegradable and can be recycled/composted. You can buy biodegradable bags made from vegetable starch which you can use as a separate food bin. Find out if you have any local composting or food recycling facilities.

Don't use plastic bags at all, you should be able to get durable, reusable shopping bags from large supermarkets.

Rodney 1.666:

--- Quote from: killermonkey on April 06, 2010, 12:19:02 pm ---3. Reuse your grocery bags until they fall apart
4. Use a grocery bag for small trash bag (small trash can)
5. Turn off your lights when not using them
7. Try to limit the number of large garbage BAGS you put out every week. I only use 1 garbage bag for two people per week.
8. Take recycling seriously, know what your town accepts and SORT properly. Unsorted and improper recycles can ruin machinery and taint a whole batch of recyclable material
9. Lower your heating and cooling to just at your comfort level. Sweaters, blankets, and fans are cheaper and more effective at heating/cooling you.

--- End quote ---

Covered. (My house doesn't have AC anyway; #3 in the form of reusable bags now and then.)

We recycle paper, even though that doesn't do anything... It actually uses more energy to recycle the stuff than to just make new paper. I need to knock if off.
Cans and bottles, however, are very worth it and everyone should at least check that off their list if nothing else.

Wake[of]theBunT:
The energy of recycling paper is offset by the fact you save trees. Id rather have less fuel and slightly more expensie paper over time than even LESS trees over time.

Another big thing you can do is join the "clean up" days where communities collect garbage from beaches and anywhere. And do a tree planting program. Here in australia there is a single day where people plants thousands of trees.

Personal green goals are fine, but if you are serious about it cutting back isnt the same impact as GIVING back

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