208 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Ran across this article-why we should go green, and the efforts of so many to go so. Yay.
http://www.takepart....tp-ptnr-scribol

[Shortpoet-GTD]

A few tips can be found here on keeping your home warm and cozy in the wintertime; stopping heat leaks,
updating windows, rethinking the heating source.

[conor]

There are lots of ideas for going green in your home. Like some easy usable below:

Plant an herb garden
Stop using disposable bags
Turn off lights when you leave the room.
Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
Turn off your computer completely at night.

Thanks

[Besoeker]

conor, on 07 February 2014 - 12:30 AM, said:

There are lots of ideas for going green in your home. Like some easy usable below:

Plant an herb garden
Stop using disposable bags
Turn off lights when you leave the room.
Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
Turn off your computer completely at night.

Thanks

The disposable bags is an interesting one.
We order our groceries on line.
The are delivered to our door. That's a green thing to do. The truck does around twenty to thirty drops a day so that saves 20 car trips to the grocery store. The groceries are in plastic bags, colour coded for larder, fridge, freezer etc.
The bags get recycled. The driver takes back the empty bags from the previous drop.

And I keep about half a dozen re-usable bags in the car for the few times we do have to shop in store.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Besoeker, on 07 February 2014 - 04:21 AM, said:

The disposable bags is an interesting one.
We order our groceries on line.
The are delivered to our door. That's a green thing to do. The truck does around twenty to thirty drops a day so that saves 20 car trips to the grocery store. The groceries are in plastic bags, colour coded for larder, fridge, freezer etc.
The bags get recycled. The driver takes back the empty bags from the previous drop.

Hello America? Are you listening? There is a better way!
Thanks Besoeker.

[conor]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 07 February 2014 - 05:19 AM, said:

Hello America? Are you listening? There is a better way!
Thanks Besoeker.

Yes, that is a good one option and i do like it

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Changing ones attitude towards green seems to be the biggest obstacle. We would think that money
savings would be enough to change people's habits but it's not.

The Guardian links to a recent survey state that half-
50% Wow-
of people believed it was more economical to leave their heating on
all day
rather than turn it on and off as required.
In the same survey, more than 60% of people said they'd be more energy efficient if someone
told them how.
(Our collective "dumbing-down" but that's another thread)

Even with the explosion of social media and information being transmitted at light speed's, the how-to's
about energy savings are not reaching enough consumers.

How do we change that?
How do we get the information out there for more people?
Getting people to use less coal, oil and other fossil fuels is not just about saving money.

The article talks about "comfort, conveniences and aesthetics"- is that better messaging?

"Getting households to adopt genuine energy-saving behaviors may require a shift in messaging,
away from the traditional focus on bills."

PDF survey- the unawareness is mind boggling.
(One example- 45% of the people surveyed still believe that appliances do not draw power once they're
shut off)
http://www.ipsos-mor...opline-2014.pdf

[eds]

People that read this website,
. . . have an interest in what is GREEN.
That's the first step.

The next step is to join in,  
. . . get involved in the forum.
. . . ask questions, voice opinions(Talk the Talk)

Then take action, "Caring & Sharing" what they are doing(Walk the Walk)

Example: I have a lot of snow in front of my house right now and
. . . have been trying out some new ways of handling it.
. . . The first thing I did was buy a 36" wide "Push" shovel,
. . . . . . that is as easy to use as pushing a baby carriage,
. . . because, instead of letting the snow build up in front of a "straight across" blade,
. . . . . . it's "Angled" blade, acts as a "Side Plow," pushing the snow off to the side.

There are a number of other companies with a similar Idea,
. . . but a friend of mine, who is very handy, made one for me.

Now, when we get heavy wet snow, I use a "Sleigh or Scoop shovel"

I've got to believe, that there are some people reading this,
. . . that have been doing things, they would like to share.

[eds]

Example: How NOT to clear snow off the roof.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Funny, but how is that an idea for going green?

[eds]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 17 February 2014 - 05:46 AM, said:

Funny, but how is that an idea for going green?

It's all funny, till someone gets hurt.

Some times, you have to show people the WRONG way to do something,
. . . before they learn the RIGHT way to do it.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

I understand that sweetie, but this thread is about green; and idea's to get there. (I suppose we could
say that the featured shovel is greener than a fossil-fuel eating snow blower.)

[eds]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 17 February 2014 - 12:29 PM, said:

I understand that sweetie, but this thread is about green; and idea's to get there. (I suppose we could
say that the featured shovel is greener than a fossil-fuel eating snow blower.)

Yah!  I guess the problem is . . . that I'm older than the current definition of the word GREEN.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

eds, on 17 February 2014 - 02:06 PM, said:

Yah!  I guess the problem is . . . that I'm older than the current definition of the word GREEN.

Hey, I'm not far behind you-we're both a couple of "moldy oldies"
You're the best, and that's the best green.

[Besoeker]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 16 February 2014 - 05:15 AM, said:

Changing ones attitude towards green seems to be the biggest obstacle. We would think that money
savings would be enough to change people's habits but it's not.

I think that the initial capital cost may be a disincentive for many. Then, in UK and much of western Europe, many residents rent rather than own so modifying the property to make it more energy efficient isn't an option. In UK, a fair bit of housing stock is owned and local Municipal Councils and rented out.

"Council Estates" are high density and low social mobility. And sometimes a reputation for the low life's and high crime rates. They have neither the option to green their residences nor the means of installing solar or wind. And that's apart from the practical installation difficulties that are faced on a high rise apartment block.

So, for those at least, I can see that they face obstacles even if they had the best of intentions.

Shortpoet-GTD, on 16 February 2014 - 05:15 AM, said:

The Guardian links to a recent survey state that half-
50% Wow-
of people believed it was more economical to leave their heating on
all day
rather than turn it on and off as required.
In the same survey, more than 60% of people said they'd be more energy efficient if someone
told them how.
(Our collective "dumbing-down" but that's another thread)

Even with the explosion of social media and information being transmitted at light speed's, the how-to's
about energy savings are not reaching enough consumers.

I think the Guardian article illustrates the general ignorance people have about this issue.
I've mentioned before that forums like this are self-selecting. The members here have an interest in the topic. It isn't really going to get to anyone who isn't interest.

Shortpoet-GTD, on 16 February 2014 - 05:15 AM, said:

How do we change that?
How do we get the information out there for more people?
Getting people to use less coal, oil and other fossil fuels is not just about saving money.

Of course not. But maybe that blunt instrument is what it will take. That, or the lights not coming on when you flick that switch.

There was a post in another forum that mentioned possible rationing in UK within a couple of years. I and others in my profession have been warning of this for a few years now. Demand was going and capacity going down. The recession may have slowed that. The recovery, if it continues, means that a crossover point is inevitable. Sooner rather than later.

[conor]

Some water ideas to go green:

Use a water clean to purify it as an alternative of buying bottled water.  Bottle generates large amounts of container waste.

Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

Water is most necessary thing in daily life use above tips.

[OffTheGrid2014]

Sometimes the little things help, they might not seem like a lot and there's still a lot of problem but I believe things are turning around because they HAVE TO.  I got my last job to install a water cooler with and attached purifier and most of us brought in reusable bottles.  I only use water cleaning pitchers at home and spent a lot of time learning how to turn things off to save.  I've already looked into solar paneling, it's still a tad pricey for where I'm at (Brooklyn, New York) but it's a lot cheaper than it used to be.  I just discovered this site and am glad to learn about so many like minded people

[Shortpoet-GTD]

OffTheGrid2014, on 21 February 2014 - 10:22 PM, said:

I just discovered this site and am glad to learn about so many like minded people

Glad you found us, and welcome to the forums.

[conor]

Hi,

Have a look on these ideas i believe you would like some of them really: http://thegreenfamil...energy-scotland

[Shortpoet-GTD]

conor, on 28 February 2014 - 02:47 AM, said:

Hi,

Have a look on these ideas i believe you would like some of them really: http://thegreenfamil...energy-scotland

Thanks.