Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have been driving less, but only because of the high cost of gasoline. Other than that, I have no intention of eliminating gas powered anything. I run my lawn tractor when and as much as I please, and I will use whatever electricity I see fit.
This whole idea is largely because of a hoax that we (man) are the cause of so-called "global warming". When I was a teen, they were saying we were headed for a new ice age, and everyone was scared about that. So, now it's "global warming" Bull Sh_t.
One thing that is really making me start to think about the impact we're making is a warning the Southern 2/3 of the state of Minnesota received for this week. The entire area is under an air pollution warning. Having lived most of my life in Minnesota, the general impression is that we are a clean state and don't have the air pollution that plagues places like Los Angeles. However, this is really concerning. I would say the 4 million cars that run every day in the metro area is a major cause for the decreased air quality.
So whether or not you believe in global warming, the fact that it isn't safe for the elderly, children and people with asthma and other respiratory problems to be outside in 2/3 of a midwest state for a whole week in July should be concerning to everybody.
I look at global warming like I look at any other warning issued by the government or scientific community. I read through ALL sides of the issue, review the info for myself and then decide whether the postulations make sense to me based on everything I've researched about it. Personally, I believe that humans and our consumption of fuels and production of certain chemicals are impacting the climate... whether we "caused" the problem or just accelerated it remains to be seen. But the way I see it, if someone I loved was pregnant and there was a warning about even the slightest possibility of birth defects caused by something we were using or eating, then I'd try to eliminate it because it's better to be safe than sorry. That's just the way I think, I and I feel it's an appropriate analogy to what's happening on the Earth.
But, I'm certainly not going to tell someone else how to live as long as their lifestyle doesn't impact mine, and they don't whine about how much their chosen lifestyle is costing them or things are impinging upon their "entitlements". When it comes to larger issues and larger impacts (like drilling for oil offshore) I have my say, just like everyone else. It's not so much about "green" as it is about being logical and responsible. An example of the way I see things: if it's going to take 10 years and billions of dollars to build a mega-watt wind farm to capture an infinite energy source, and it's going to take 10 years and billions of dollars to build an oil platform to suck out the last dregs of a finite energy source, well the answer seems pretty simple to me... go with the infinite one.
I am very leary of any company touting how green they are. Like everything else in human society, a good idea can be corrupted by someone trying to profit from it. I do my research beforehand (like Ethanol and CFL bulbs) and then decide whether that company is divulging the whole truth about their product and processes. Sometimes it's really difficult to get that kind of information because industry is really good at not being transparent. When in doubt, my money stays in my pocket and I keep looking (or realize I don't need that thing anyway)!
I guess I prefer the term "responsible" than the term "green". Green has become a marketing slogan, but you can't get away from the reality of being responsible for your actions and choices. In many circumstances, the adage "You brought this s**t on yourself" is so very very true. I've lived the tenets Reduce, Reuse, Recycle for years -- and it's a very hard road to walk in our disposable society; but with just a little effort I've found that I can pretty much do everything I really want to do, pretty close the way that I'm used to doing it, just in a more responsible and less wasteful way (as evidenced by the fact that I'm on a computer and online right ).
If you look at just this forum, you will see various opinions and contentious arguments on what "green living" actually is... it fluctuates as much as people do in general. What I would consider an environmentally conscious decision, another person would consider ridiculous. Ethnocentrism also comes into play - as Americans we have a certain standard of living that we want/"need" which effects our view - let's face it, our standard of living is typically hard on the environment no matter what we do - our culture and society has made it this way.
So, with that, I base it on the idea that if what I buy (use and consume) is going to still be here in 100 years (more or less) OR if in the process of production/use effects the environment negatively (atmospheric pollutants, destroying habitat, etc.) then it is something that should be avoided/reduced/recycled etc. I'm not living in a grass hut w/ dirt floors and growing all my own food - but I'm certainly giving it my best shot for the situation I'm in. More importantly, I'm teaching my children to respect the Earth to the best of my ability. So - for what it's worth - that's my opinion on living green.
I think green is just a word that people use to indicate some level of concern for the planet we all live on. For many the vastness of the human impact is hard to comprehend. And the possibility that their actions can make a change is so remote that the costs of those changes just don't seem worth it.
When the effects of non-green behavior affects you, then you become more green. High energy prices tends to green up lots of people.
When you take a bag with you on your shopping trips your a little green.
When you walk to visit a friend in the neighborhood instead of driving your a little green.
When you recycle your a little green.
When you fix something instead of buying a new one your a little green.
When you use soap and neem oil to control insects in your garden your a little green
When you turn off lights your not using your a little green
When you house is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter your a little green
and a little green done by a lot of people goes a long way.
I have been driving less, but only because of the high cost of gasoline. Other than that, I have no intention of eliminating gas powered anything. I run my lawn tractor when and as much as I please, and I will use whatever electricity I see fit.
This whole idea is largely because of a hoax that we (man) are the cause of so-called "global warming". When I was a teen, they were saying we were headed for a new ice age, and everyone was scared about that. So, now it's "global warming" Bull Sh_t.
Uh, there's more than climate change, let's see: air pollution. Do you know what we can all be "thankful for" as a result of the high amount of pollution since the industrial revolution and more importantly the growing use of cars? Cancer, among other illnesses. Ever occurr to you it's more than coincidence that cancer rates have soared in the 20th century, with ever increasing burning of fuels for cars and what not, along with the use of chemicals in agriculture never used in past centuries? Water pollution: our water is full of drugs and various chemicals from both cities and industrial type farming. In many heavy farming areas the groundwater is heavily polluted with chemicals from the industrial type farms. Whatever you put on the ground will find its way into your water. Depletion of resources: oil is as far as can be seen a non-renewable resource or at best a very slow one at replenishing itself in the earth. Eventually as more countries industrialize there won't be enough for demand. Study peak oil a bit. Other resources are renewable but the level of use must be below or at the rate of re-growth/replenishment (for example, trees: renewable, you can keep cutting indefinately from a forest, but only if you cut at or less than the rate of growth of new trees that replace the cut ones). If everyone on the earth lived as the typical American or European or Canadian, it would take several planets to support it. That should tell you something. It can't go on forever...
There's really no good excuse for being wasteful, but we are a "me me me first" society, that never seems to think/plan too far ahead.
I also do a lot of dumpster diving and scavenging for the things I need.
I think that's great, Tallrick . I stay out of the dumpsters myself, but I have a keen eye for curbside, I find some great stuff .
I don't worry about corporations "tricking" me into thinking their non-green products are green. I've spent the last 20+ years checking labels anyway. Does this product contain animal ingredients? Has it been tested on animals? What are the other ingredients? How many chemicals or preservatives are in it? I never bought into the "anti-bacterial" craze, that just sounded bad from the start.
I think the only real criteria for living green is to question everything. Don't just follow the herd, ask some questions, seek the truth, question authority.
An interesting thread and I could write reams on the subject. However, I do what I do to be "green" or "cost-effective" and, as someone else said, it's a personal thing in a sense. I DO have a problem with a couple of posters who maintain that the "green theme" is all hogwash and some sort of a conspiracy theory...
Dumpster diving - now THAT I can relate to.
We have a very transient society here in the US Virgin Islands. People move here seeking comfort in the "American Paradise" and, either not having done their research or else having done so but ignoring sage advice from those who live here, bring down trailer loads of household belongings. When island living doesn't work out for them, it's cost-prohibitive for most of them to ship back everything they brought with them.
There are always "leaving island" sales advertised. A lot of the stuff sells quickly if the price is right and a lot of it gets transported to the Humane Society's flea market and to other charitable outlets - but a whole lot ends up in the public dumpsters and I can tell you that it's amazing what people toss into those dumpsters. I've had many friends over many years who've gone "dumpster diving" and found veritable treasures. Usual finds are furnishings with nary a mark on them but I do remember one friend who found a beautiful oil painting beautifully framed and hauled it out, only to find upon researching it that it was by a most prestigious artist and had a market value of over $5K. Destined for the local dump it was!
nononsenseguy: obviously no point in anyone trying to sway your point of view in any respect where the subject at hand is concerned but have you actually done any real research? Seems to me that if you have a computer and internet access then the world is pretty much at your fingertips along with a plethora of available resources to enable you to come to an educated opinion other than that which you proffered. I also wonder how long ago were you a "teen?"
If I had unlimited funds:
I'd have a Tesla roadster (even though I'd much rather have a great mass transit system in my city)
solar panels on my house
tankless water heater
low flow toilets
low flow showerhead
a refigerator full organic AND locally grown food
BUT...I don't have unlimited funds. I'm only 18 and it's a struggle to try to get my mom and step-dad to try to do environmentally friendly things. My mom is pretty open but her big issue is cost, which I can understand. She's doing things little by little.
I try to use reusable bags when I go shopping, I try not to drive a lot (the public transportation in NLR/LR is...uhm...not all that great...to say the least), I try to conserve energy, I take 5 minute (or less showers), I use reusable feminine hygiene products (as opposed to disposables which stay in the landfill for hundreds of years), I recycle as much as I can, and....you get the point.
I agree with a previous poster who stated green is really a personal matter.
I know I'm not as green as I can be but I give kudos/props/credit to anyone who is trying to live a more sustainable/eco-friendlier life.
It's little steps that add up and those who want to take big steps are more than welcome to. The point is we only have one earth and we all need to do a little something to ease our impact on it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
).
. I stay out of the dumpsters myself, but I have a keen eye for curbside, I find some great stuff 
