What are You Doing to Improve the Environment? (recyclable, furnace, fertilizer)

[mels]

I drive a very fuel efficient car. I use reusable grocery bags. I recycle. I conserve electricity and heating fuel at home. I don't believe you need 1,500SF of home per child in a house. I compost kitchen waste. I garden organically and don't use any chemicals on my lawn.

I am sure I could do more than I do, but you have to start somewhere.

[Ben Around]

We conciously moved to a house in the city so we can walk and use public transit. I bus to work, though my wife must drive because her employer moved her office to the burbs where there is minimal public transportation service. Luckily, it's an inner-ring burb so it's only an 8 mile one way commute. We also religiously recycle. I'm in the process of turning about 40 percent of the lawn to shrubs, flowers, mulch, etc. and will get rid of my old Lawn Boy and buy a push mower. I'm replacing our huge old elm that died with other shade trees to minimize our need for air conditioning.

[j33]

I don't own a car and live in a small apartment (but these are more economic choices rather than choices based on the environment, however they do help). Also, I am replacing my light bulbs slowly but surely with more energy efficient ones and now that the weather is better, I'm riding my bicycle to work more (I usually take public transportation).

[Lorann]

Although I don't drive much, I do have a hybrid car. Also as a family, we reduce, reuse, recycle (just like Jack Johnson says). We compost our kitchen waste, have a garden (we grow what we can here in the desert), buy local produce, have energy star appliances, conserve water and electricity, enjoy "natural" activities (hiking, camping, biking). We plan errands and schedule to reduce driving, we live in a small home. We are teaching our daughter to be a responsible citizen of this planet by caring for our environment.

[recycled]

Most days I bicycle ride to work instead of car commuting. Shortest distance is 6 miles each way, but I usually ride further for a better workout. I don't use a car much except for occasional trips out of the area on weekends. Usually walk to most nearby stores. All light bulbs in apartment are fluorescent. I live in a 1+1 apartment, climate here is so mild that heat or AC is rarely used during the year. Most food that I buy is fresh instead of frozen or packaged, means less packaging to throw away. I don't use a clothes dryer, just hang things on a rack, clothes line or hangers to let them dry, usually dry within a day and during summer just an hour or two. Simple life can be pretty comfortable without much extra effort.

[NYMTman]

I live in New York.

That means that I don't own or drive a car, have to heat a single-family home in the winter, etc. NYC is the most enviro-friendly city in the country.

[bunnywabbit!]

Household products are not only a huge pollutant and a waste of money, they also cause illness and cancer! Avoid any product with more than 3 ingredients.

[mpope409]

To improve the environment, I'm walking when it is not necessary to drive (hint hint) and I'm not driving silly places at silly times like driving to the store when I would have midnight cravings for a particular flavor of ice cream. I recycle, never litter, and I turn off the power on anything I'm not using.

[druth8x]

I will be trading in my standard compact car for a Prius when they finally give up. I need a car as a paper carrier but while driving I do as much as possible to be as fuel efficent as possible. Even use blankets to keep warm while waiting for papers. I only go to a couple stores (Costco mainly and Raley's/Smiths in between or when it is cheaper including gas for a few items) I also limit how often I go. I rarely buy clothes or anything else.

I use the plastic bags from Raley's/Smiths for my smaller trash cans.

I create food more and more.

I recycle as much as the state allows.

I wash always in cold...always large loads. I wear my clothes longer esp if I am only at home and or didnt really sweat get them dirty.

I vacumn less often and only the main areas more common.

I only use simple cleaners, no fertilizers...only keep my lawn green enough to walk barefoot in and dont mow it that often.

I travel to my destination by car, not plane. I camp more often than stay in a hotel.

Often there is only one light on in the house...all are the better efficent kind...no place for the home depot free one we got on earth day.

Try our best to figure out which combo of vehicles available to us and what each driver needs to figure out which combo will be most efficent enviromently...everyday we do this.

Rather than throw toys/clothes/games/books etc away we donate them/pass them on.

We stck with our furniture along time..even if we really want it to fall apart as its no longer what it once was. So, we use slipcpvers table cloths home made cushions etc.

We wash our own dishes. We shower less often...and less amount of water used per time.

We are careful to not liter on purpose or by accident and even pickup trash that we see.

We walk to Lowe's and our local pharmacy.

We do not go all over town or go during traffic hours. We love Target and a few other stores/eateris on one side of town but its 6 miles one way so we do not go that way often and when we do we tend to combine going to Target with going to the other places once we have something we want to buy there or even eat.

When we go out to eat we think close to our house (none are walking distance) and if we all dont agree we think of an area where 2 places will allow us to agree.

[SpeedyAZ]

I drive my Porsche instead of my Yukon on weekends...