How can i go green ?

Question

can someone tell me just a few things i can do to go green. whether it be around the house or outside. i think going green is a great idea, just need some suggestions =)

Answer 1

don't drink bottled water

turn your a/c or heat down a few degrees

carpool when you can or don't take unnecessary car trips.

Answer 2

if u want 2 go green here r some ideas-- u can plant plants, recycle wat ever u can, and u can also convence people 2 go green 2!! :) good luck!!:)  :D

Answer 3

Build your own Windmill or a Solar Panel as every day you could be saving significantly besides that you are creating nonpolluting energy for your home giving earth a break.

Answer 4

I'm glad to hear you wanna go green because there is a trash dump the size of the United states  starting by California all the way to China and it was plastic bottles filled with fish all sizes anyway you can get these sprays like Green Works and recycle and don't throw recycle able in the trash can please don't throw things in the ocean sea turtles and other sea animals a dieing  

Answer 5

what green do you mean dye your skin color green ???

Answer 6

the actual best way is to plant a tree did you know if you plant 4 trees that will eliminate your co2 emissions from your  car. so plant trees everything else is trivial and i mean they're are just useless acts to make u feel good.

But i guess buying local and reusing is somewhat helpful. But just go plant some trees and you allowed to do as much as like during the year and you are way better for the environemnt then your friends

Answer 7

I have a HUUUUGE list available at www agua-luna com it's like 33 pages long and would just spam this whole answer. But here's a few cut from the list below. if you'd like the entire list feel free to visit www agua-luna com or email me through the site directly and I’ll send you a copy.

Also Agua-Luna com now offers Carbon Offsetting Credits, since our Team of Volunteers is already accomplishing several carbon eliminating projects, we’re now converting the carbon offsets to you. Visit www agua-luna com for a FREE carbon calculator to calculate your carbon footprint for free and more info on carbon credits.

You could also Volunteer with us, planting a tree or working on a Sustainable Renewable Energy Building Project in Mexico with us. Again see www agua-luna com for more info.

I also do some free consulting, there's more info on the site about that too. Here’s some more ways to help the environment…

Recycle paper, cardboard, newsprint and magazines.

Recycle aluminum cans.

Recycle all batteries.

Recycle and reuse. Roughly 50% of the average person's trash can be recycled. Don't forget that hazardous waste like batteries, your printer's ink cartridges, and cell phones can be recycled too! Find out how and where to recycle in your area. Always buy recycled paper. Just 1 ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees.

Just because your community doesn't pick up all recyclables on the curb, it doesn't mean there are not viable alternatives nearby. Check with dry cleaners, supermarkets, manufacturers, your local public works department and civic organizations to find out where recycled goods can be dropped off, at a location near you.

Did you know that just in 1995 alone, recycled toner cartridges kept over 21,000 tons of trash out of landfills? Believe it or not, now you can recycle your printer's toner cartridges! Every year, Americans throw out enough printer cartridges to stretch from Los Angeles to New York City and back again. Toner cartridges can be recycled, having just as good a performance as an unrecycled cartridge. To recycle your toner cartridges, find a local business that does printer cartridge recycling, or contact the manufacturer of your current toner cartridge and ask about a cartridge recycling program.

Not only should you recycle, but buy products that are recycled. By purchasing these products, you are helping to conserve natural resources, and to protect the environment.

Wash clothes in cold water.

Hot water is unnecessary for most clothes. When needed, use warm water.

Fill your toilet tank.

Put a plastic bottle or two, filled with water and rocks, in your tank to reduce the amount of water used in each flush.

Clean your filters.

Clean the filters of your air-conditioners once a month to improve energy efficiency. While you’re at it, change your car’s filters as recommended in your manual.

Get a low-flow shower head.

Stop at the hardware store on your way home, and get a low-flow shower head. Takes a few minutes to install, and it’ll save gallons of water a day.

Lower your thermostats.

If you use heating, get by with less heat and wear warmer clothes. If you use air-conditioning, get by with less cooling and wear cooler clothes.

If it’s a nice sunny day, hanging clothes only takes a few minutes, and you’re using solar power instead of electricity to do the job. It also makes your clothes last longer.

Turn down your water heater.

Most people have their water heater’s thermostat turned up too high, wasting energy. Turn it down to 130 degrees, saving energy but still hot enough to kill bacteria.

Use CFC light bulbs.

If your light bulb burns out, replace it with a Compact Flourescent bulb (those spiral-looking ones). They’re more expensive, but if you just replace them one at a time, it doesn’t cost much, and the energy savings is great. And as they last longer, over the long run, you’ll save money.

Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes.

Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines.

Install a low-flow shower head.

If you are not looking to change your car just yet there are a number of ways you can be more environmentally friendly and help you save money by conserving fuel.

Lighten your car to reduce weight by not carrying unnecessary items.

Cut your speed and stick to the speed limits

Drive smoothly avoiding heavy accelerating and braking.

When stationary for a long time, switch off the engine.

Closing windows will make the car more efficient by being more aerodynamic.  Remove roof bars when not is use also helps.

Make sure your tyres are properly inflated as under inflated tyres cause more resistance.

Where possible, walk, cycle or even use public transport.  

If possible lift share to reduce the number of cars on the road.

Try mass transit.

Millions of people use it, and it saves tons of fuel. If you don’t already, give it a try.

Unload your car.

Remove excess weight from your car (such as stuff that might be in the trunk) to reduce the amount of fuel you use.

Walk instead of drive.

You don’t have to do this all the time, but walking the short trip to a store, or to lunch from work, or some other short trip like that, can reduce the amount of fuel you use over the long term, and you shed some fat at the same time. Or at least burn off that morning donut.

Buy a smaller car.

You won’t be able to do this today, probably, but the next time you’re in the market for an automobile, get a smaller and energy-efficient car rather than a big, lumbering one. It’s one of the best things you can do to reduce your fuel consumption.

Inflate your tires.

Many people don’t realize that their tires are under-inflated. Check the recommended pressure for your tires, and fill them up to that pressure. It only takes a few minutes, but it will save you on fuel consumption (a little) and more importantly, make your tires last longer and reduce the rubber that’s worn off your tires.

Get creative with gift-giving. The gift of time, services, or environmentally positive gifts may be more appreciated than disposable goods that are not to the taste or needs of the recipient.

Look into those lifestyle changes you’ve been putting off

Work from home more. Many organisations, when prodded a little, will accept flexible work arrangements where there is no impact to the work that needs to get done.

Use your oven less.

The oven not only uses a lot of energy, it heats up your kitchen, requiring more cooling. Instead, use toaster ovens, crockpots, microwaves, and electric grills when you can. And when you do use your oven, open it less - you lose 25% of the heat every time you open the oven door.

Mend your stuff.

Try not to throw stuff away and buy new stuff if the old stuff can be fixed. Torn clothing? Takes a few minutes to sew up.

Install a water filter.

If you buy a lot of bottled water, use your tap instead. Some places need a filter to make tap water taste drinkable, but they don’t cost much and they can save money, water, and plastic bottles over time.

Unplug appliances.

If you don’t use an appliance several times a day, it’s better to unplug it, as they often use energy even when turned off

Use rechargeable batteries.

Instead of throwing your batteries away all the time, reuse rechargeable batteries. Costs a little more, but cheaper in the long run.

When you’re looking to buy appliances, be sure to research the most energy-efficient ones. They may cost a little more, but they’ll more than make up for that in the long run with lower energy bills.

Buy a smaller home.

The next time you’re home-shopping, instead of buying the McMansion, look for a smaller home that’s big enough to meet your needs comfortably. Reducing the amount of stuff you own is a good way to need less house. It’s cheaper, and requires less energy to heat and cool. And easier to clean at the same time.

Look for energy efficiency.

Use acryllic paint.

Compost.

It’s not hard to set one up (look it up online), and you can save a lot of waste from the landfill and help your garden at the same time

Water grass early in the morning.

Reduces the amount of water you need to keep your grass looking fabulous.

Plant shade trees near your house.

It’ll take awhile before they can make a difference, but shade trees greatly reduce the need to cool a home.

Coat your roof.

This’ll take up an afternoon, but you only have to do it once every few years. And it’ll save you a lot of money and energy in heating and cooling over the long-term, more than making up for the cost of paint.

Avoid fast food.

Instead, eat at home or at a sit-down restaurant. Fast food restaurants are one of the worst polluters of the environment, both in the massive amounts of beef they must raise, in the wasted packaging, and in the energy they use in so many ways. And they’re tremendously unhealthy.

Buy a manual reel mower or electric mower.

If you’re looking for a new lawn mower, and you have a small yard, consider getting a manual one. They’re much advanced from the reel mowers of our grandparents’ generation, much quieter, cheaper, and they save on fuel and pollution. Electric mowers are also quieter and use much less energy.

Clean up.

Answer 8

by recycling, you will be helping alot, but here are other ideas:

adopt something (animal, stream, etc.)

avoid Fast Food

use bike instead of vehicle

collect cans

live by the three r's (reuse, recycle, refuse)

plant a tree

don't throw away batteries

recycle everything

turn off lights

Answer 9

Here are a bunch of helpful blog posts about going green:

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/Our_World_T...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifesty...

Answer 10

There are many things that you can do to go green, and some are very inexpensive too:

~Of course, recycle everything you can! (Ex: cans, bottles, plastics, paper, ect.)

~Buy energy saving light bulbs

~Buy things like clothes, paper, ect that are made from recycled materials

~Use reusable batteries or recycle dead batteries properly

~Use reusable shopping bags

~If you have plastic shopping bags, use them instead of just tossing them. They can be used to pick up dog poo, line small trash cans, ect.

~Try not to use paper napkins or paper towel as much as possible. Instead use cloth napkins that can be washed.

~Try to use fewer paper plates and more washable ones.

~Take shorter showers

~Turn off lights whenever possible

~Try to buy more organic foods and local foods (for example, at a farmer's market)

~Use regular silverware, not plastic

~Use eco friendly products in replace of regular dish washing liquids, house cleaners, ect. (Greenworks)

~Use cold water to wash clothes (Tide Cold water works great)

~On a nice day, turn off the air/heat and open some windows. You save of the cost, get a nice fresh breeze, and help the environment.

~Plant trees around your house to shade and save on using more air conditioning

~Buy one stainless steel, reusable, water bottle instead of using regular plastic ones and then getting rid of them. This one you can clean and use over and over again!

~Change the setting on your sprinklers to use less water

~Buy eco friendly fertilizers (I think they have them at Home Depot)

~If painting, they have eco friendly paint at Home Depot

~Buy or lease a hybrid if possible

~Walk or ride a bike wherever possible

~Carpool if possible

That is all I can think of, but you can also get some tips at www.gogreen.com Good luck :)

Answer 11

Going green is easy, there are so many great resources about the subject. My personal favorite is "The Green Book" which has parts of its book online as well at www.readthegreenbook.com.

As I have been striving to "Go Green" I realize it is like stepping back in time without getting rid of my modern conveniences. I'm doing many things I learned as a child, like line drying my clothes, sweeping instead of vacuuming, opening the windows in the morning to catch the cool breeze, only buying what I need instead of everything that looks cool, growing some of my own food, and canning what I can't eat now.

To me "going Green" is a frame of mind. Do what fits your lifestyle and do the easy things first, it is a process and like dieting if you go to radical to soon, you are more likely to go back to bad habits. I also believe there are good, better, best choices in most things. If you aren't ready to start a home garden, then try finding a farmers market, until you locate one look for produce grown as close to home as possible and go organic when available.

Many people think "going green" is expensive, I disagree. Some changes may take an initial investment, but they usually have a short payoff time. Things like weatherstiping and insulation cost, but the energy savings will add up quickly. You may need to purchase reusable bags, but most stores give you a 5 or 10 cent credit, so you are paid back within a few months.

My top tips are make your home more energy efficient, that also means using natural light, cooling and heating.

Reduce your packaging, if you eat more fresh food you will generally reduce packaging, it's the same thing they tell dieters, shop the perimiter, that is where all the meat, dairy and produce are located. Only buy what you will use, many Americans throw away a lot of unused food. Buy in bulk, that doesn't just mean large packages, but that area with the bins that you buy only what you plan on using.

Replace disposable items with durable items, if you eat outside often and use disposable paper or plastic plates, it is a wise investment to purchase a set of reusable plastic plates. Replace disposable razors, diapers and cleaning products like swiffer. Avoid bottled water, get a home filter like Pur or Brita.

Recycle, www.earth911.org will help you locate the nearest recycle center. I try to only purchase plastics that are #1 or #2, they are more easily recycled. I also buy recycled products when available, that includes paper towels, napkings, toilet paper, tissue, school/office supplies and clothing.

Detox your cleaning, vinegar and baking soda clean almost anything, they can even losen a hair clog. Seventh Generation and Method are a couple mainstream brands that are very earth friendly.

Just start small and build from there, don't get overwhelmed.