Help going green, can you help?

Question

i drive a truck, and thats all that i can afford because it was given to me. but i want to go green because im really worried about the future. what are something that i can do to make up for my driving a truck. i still live with my parents by the way, i want to know things we can all do so they dont think its a hassel.

Answer 1

I love the website www.treehugger.com

Answer 2

You can start saving your money to buy the "World's Cleanest Car."

"BBC News is reporting that a French company has developed a pollution-free car which runs on compressed air. India's Tata Motors has the car under production and it may be on sale in Europe and India by the end of the year.

The air car, also known as the Mini-CAT or City Cat, can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go 200 km on a 1.5 euro fill-up -- roughly 125 miles for $3. The top speed will be almost 70 mph and the cost of the vehicle as low as $7000.

The car features a fibreglass body and a revolutionary electrical system and is completely computer-controlled. It is powered by the expansion of compressed air, using no combustion at all, and the exhaust is entirely clean and cool enough for use in the internal air conditioning system. "

Answer 3

this link will help you save money AND the planet

http://www.gomestic.com/Personal-Finance...

Answer 4

You could start by changing out all the lightbulbs in your house to energy saving light bulbs like these...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...

Unplug your tv when you're not home. Even if it's off, its still using power.

Recycle your old electronics. They can be refurbished and not end up in landfills. (cell phones, radios, tvs, etc) Go to www.mygreenelectronics.org to find a location for your donations in your area.

Wash ONLY full loads of laundry (in the washer and dryer) and dishes (in the dishwasher) Doing half loads is very wastefull

And with your truck....maybe you could get some friends together and start carpooling to school or work. Having several people riding with you instead of you all driving seperate will save your planet and your $$$!

Good for you for trying to find ways to save this wonderful planet!!! :)

Answer 5

say no to gas guzzlin vehicles

CFL (compact fluorecent lightbulbs)

unplug all appliances not in use/ they still draw out energy

totes instead of paper/plastic

use less paper. tissue napkin tp

eat less meat

eat locally grown veg/fruit

reuse bottles

oh oh and take ur name off unwanted mail... all those annoying catalogs go to the stores website or call them to take ur name of the list

and paperless billing.. get ur bills via e-mail rather than paper bills and bank statements

don't run ur dryer for more than 60minutes most thingss dry in less than 40-50

don't run dish washer half full

in the winter lower thermostat and open the shades let the sun shine in to heat ur home/ and the opp in summer

winter wear sweaters inside

cook inside the oven rather than on the stove which wastes heat.

use laptop instead of PC less energy

get used to shutting lights.. and in the morning i used to shower with the light on even though i didnt need it cus its day time

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

glass can be recycled endlessly unlike plastic and aluminum. so if u must buy bottles buy glass ones

Answer 6

The most important thing is to get our government and all governments to improve conservation, gas mileage standards and come out with an electric car. We must have concentrating solar electric and solar air purifier. We have to do just a little to help earth out. Recycle, use CF lights, and look into volunteering.

Have fun

Answer 7

You already have good ideas listed but I think the key thing is to talk to your parents about the things they might be willing to do and offer to take on the responsibility for some of the changes so that they are more likely to agree.

One of the easiest things you can do is to look into recycling in your community and if it's available do it. A lot of grocery stores now sell their own totes you can use when shopping but if they are too expensive (some are, some aren't) find sturdy canvas tote bags to use - check thrift stores if there are some available. Changing your light bulbs can be a good decision but it's one you're going to want to get your parents involved in. However, you can cut back on your energy consumption by making sure you don't leave lights, tvs, etc. on when they aren't in use for long periods of time (if you're just getting up to grab a drink it's fine to leave things on). Also, a lot of people don't realize that all the chargers for our gadgets actually use energy when they are plugged in so unplug them when you're not using them. The same is true for any item with a clock, light, etc. so if you're not using it, especially if it's not used often it might be worth it to keep it unplugged. This might be something worth doing a little research online to see what the energy savings might be - your power company might be able to help you with that.

You can also take shorter showers and be sure not to leave the water running when you brush your teeth. I know some of the suggestions you're receiving might seem small but small adds up over time if you make a commitment to it.

As for your truck, that's a tough one. It is hard to switch vehicles for a lot of people so I always encourage my environmental science students to try to walk when they can  and to cut their driving as much as they can. Is there anyway you can carpool with someone, even if it's just one or two days a week? Can you do all of your errands in a logical way so that you're not driving across town for one thing and then back again the next day, that sort of thing? Is there public transit you could use at least some of the time?

Bigger changes your parents might be interested in are things like energy efficient windows, better insulation for their home, and energy efficient appliances. Some power companies might offer what is called an energy audit and they will come to your house and find areas where you make improvements to conserve energy. These can cost money up front but can save money in the long-term. These are, of course, bigger changes but they are things you can work toward if your parents are interested. If you do your research they might be willing to make changes.

Answer 8

Recycle...paper, aluminum, glass, cardboard, phonebooks.

Answer 9

There are many things you can do to help the environment. This website offers great information on living an eco-lifestyle:

http://www.greenstudentu.com/environment...

Hope this helps!