How can we save money and improve the environment at the same time?

Question

I'm looking for ideas for anything that will improve my carbon footprint, while saving money at the same time. I have done the obvious, like buying energy efficient appliances, using energy efficient light bulbs, using rechargeable batteries, insulating the house etc. I am looking for something new and original. Any ideas?

Answer 1

hang your clothes to dry.

Answer 2

Print on both sides of the paper.

Use energy-saving lightbulbs.

Use your own carrier bags.

Recycle LDPE (symbol 4 bags) with your carrier bags.

Recycle tetrapaks in the correct bin.

Answer 3

Well, here's some of the things I've done. Some might be useful, some not. But they've all saved energy (and money):

>in winter, we now mostly rely on space heaters (and spent a bit extra to make sure we had the kind with auto-cutoffs if they tip over).  Also,,close the vents to any rooms you use very little.

>A trick with the hot water heaater if ou have one that uses a holding tank (vs the new heat -on-demand models)--turn tehe temp down and run the water for baths, etc. more slowly. This allows the water time to reheat without keeping a tank of water superhot 24/7

>In summer: ceiling fans, floor fans, table fans, everywhere a fan!.  My thermostat is set at 82 F.  I'm actually running the AC only 3-5 hours a day (and it is hot here in Atlanta!).

Some things I don't do (I live in an apartment and cant) that most people don't think of:  

>Find a way to shade the southern side of your house.  windo awnings will work, although a stand of trees or bushes is even better this has the effect of a 20 droop in emperature (i.e. do this right and you mostly don't need AC!

>use an electric lawnmower incited of a gas-powered model.  It's cheaper even with the occasional sliced up extension cord (everybody does this!). And far more energy efficient (about 3-1).

Hmmm. . .--something just pooped into my head!  Kids love those go-carts, etc. And they all have gas engines. Why not build an electric model? Just a thought. . . I 'm going to ask my engineering pals over at GaTech about this one.

Answer 4

In the kitchen, use wooden spoons, rotary whisk and other non electrical equipment.

After the house, if you have a lawn, use an old fashioned push/pull mower.  

Grow your own veg and fruit to save on having it transported to you, and growing stuff helps the environment.

Give up the motorised transport, (suppose that's too obvious) and walk or cycle - you'd be surprised how much shopping you can carry in panniers, providing you have a sturdy enough bike.

Answer 5

Here is a list of things me and my friends and family do to stay "GREEN"

-Buy energy-efficient lightbulbs(you can get them at most hardware stores)

-Walk more places(places that are close to home)

-Bike to places(places farther away from home)

-Recycle(DUH)

-Make sure lights are turned off when you leave a room

-When you go on vacation or leave home for the weekend, be sure to unplug as many things as possible(such as alarm clocks, computers, lamps, any kind of charger, etc.)

-Buy reusable grocery bags and take them with you to the store(sometimes you even get a discount when you use them)

-Buy organic and locally-grown foods(sold at most stores like Safeway, Fred Meyer, New Seasns, etc.)

-Cut down on eating meat(you don't have to be a veg-head to do this. Just eat about one meat product at most each day)

-Wear sweaters indoors when it's cold instead of using a heater.

-Plant more trees and plants around your home and community.

-Volunteer to participate in helping older people make their homes more energy-efficient(help them install light bulbs, and stuff like that)

-Compost! You can compost things like veggie and fruit pieces and cores, cofee grounds, egg shells, etc.

-Use bar soap and bar shampoo if you can.

-Line dry clothing. Putting stuff in the dryer actually wears the clothing out, so air-drying is better when the weather permits.

-Don't spray hairsprays and chemicals unless nessecary.

-Use natural cleaners if you can!

Hope this helps! -KaeDBug

Answer 6

use what is recyclable

do not waste energy

Answer 7

Think about reducing the power needed for your base load - usualy water heating or for hot areas - cooling.

A simple radiator , boxed and insulated will be ideal for solar water heating - bringing your water temperature up at least half way - therefore saving half your water heating bills.

Join a veg-box scheme, and sign up to car-sharing.

This should reduce your number of shopping trips, and make better use of fuel when you do. Offer a date when you do a weekly shop to neighbours.  - Can you alternate who buys the groceries between you?

If you use AC in the summer, This works by a similar method to a fridge, with a fan blowing the cold air in - all the time.

Long ago, Evaporative coolers were used.  Basically, a simple waterfall over a stack of open clay pipes, with a fan ducting the cooler air indoors will do the same trick. Those clay wine coolers use the same.

Collect as much rainwater as you can, add a pump, and use it for car washing and outdoor watering. This was a standard feature in Georgian times  - using a cistern by the back door. A good idea that needs to be brought back. A neighbourhood system should be mandatory for new build estates I think.

Answer 8

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.

Answer 9

Now you appear to be asking this as a single consumer, but many of our tasks will be societal.

Individually we can plant a tree, or a few thousand trees. But if those trees do not get enough water, it is a pointless exercise. We can individually water the trees, but if nobody is saving runoff and flood waters to even allow for irrigation of forest lands, we quickly  strike a dead end.

The big problem in our carbon footprint is that our terrestial plants are failing to absorb and sequester the available CO2. Even if we stop emitting CO2 we still have years of emissions to pull back out of the atmosphere. Our terrestrial plants are failing to absorb because they need water. And basically we need water fed to trees to sequester that CO2.



You can do things like heat your home and your domestic hot water with solar, generate your own electricity with solar, get yourself an electric car that you power with your solar electricity. That means you reduce emissions, but it does not get your previous emissions out of the atmosphere.

You can join in a corporate effort to harvest fuels (plant matter) from the many ocean dead zones.

This material is now decomposing in the ocean, and killing all animal life in the area. We can harvest it to power our electric generation in lieu of coal. Yes, the CO2 now being released in the ocean will be released in the air, a not great move. But what happens is we remove the coal from the  equation. The ocean plants are absorbing that CO2 from the air, so when they are burned the net effect is no increase in CO2, and we reduce CO2 from coal.

Do not be alarmed that the ocean animals will not have enough to eat. They are dying because there is just too much vegetation sinking into the water.

Individually we can not carry this out. So how do you go about forming a company to do it?

Answer 10

turning off lights,turning off the water while you brush your teeth,recycling cans...kinda obvious though

Answer 11

1) Stop burning Fossile Fuels in fact Immediatly

2) All Energy will be made from Water

3) Foodproduction Everywhere in the World will be Organic

4) We overproduce Organic Food so all Food will be Free

5) A Global Ban on Weapons (starting with WMA)

6) 3 months Holiday each year

7) We use Solar powered pumps to pump Seawater into the desserts. There we let it sink and evaporate. This raises the Groundwater levels and initiates the broken Water Cicle.

8) We regrow the Forest

9) We regrow the Desserts

10) We teach everyone to be self sustainable

11) We make everyhing out of Hemp

12) We eliminate money

Answer 12

Here's something that hasn't been discussed yet, (I think!) - if you have a lady in your life, get her to swap to a 'moon-cup' or washable sanitary wear instead of using disposible towels - I did, it has saved me ££££'s and is a lot better for the environment and for me.  Another good thing I've recently found is crystal deoderant e.g. pitrok - lasts for ages and has very minimal packaging, costs around £5 and is available in health shops or on-line.  I've also been using laundry eco-balls instead of detergent and fabric conditioner since Feb, the results are brilliant, ironing is easier because there is no build up on the fabric and for an initial outlay of £30 I can honestly say that I haven't bought any detergent or fabric conditioner since Feb and I used to have to buy shed-loads of the stuff, the washcycle is quicker because you do not need to rinse, so that in itself is beneficial to the environment. It is reckoned that these balls should last for about 18 months when you can refill at a cost of £20

Answer 13

shorter showers

washing machine - use cold water

turn appliances off by the plug

Answer 14

if going on a short journey try walking or cycling rather than using the car. This will help save petrol.

Answer 15

invest in some reusable shopping bags.  target has small ones that fold/zip into the size of an envelope, and superfresh/A&P (grocery stores) carry heavy duty ones.  Some stores give a small rebate $.05/bag for every reusable bag you use on your bill.

Answer 16

Recycle (hardly original, though). Think locally - and stop using aeroplanes.

Answer 17

Stop using gas and/or electricity to heat your home and burn peat instead

Answer 18

Have you looked into a Radiant Barrier in you attic?

Make sure your house has adequate Venting, especially if you do a radiant barrier, but even if you don't.

Use Solar Screens on your windows to reflect heat while still being able to see out.

Answer 19

We can do alot I am currently working on a few inventions that will help save the enviroment I'm working to stop the O'Hara airport expansion My design for the new airport is so simple it scary we use 300 gallons of fuel in thrust revesal just to land and another 200 gall. to take off so imagine landing on an incline guess what it works it will slow a plane to 1 mph and taking of on a decline will help save 1 million gall. a year where there are 1000 flights well we know for a fact that for every gallon of fuel consumed puts out 2 gallons of pollution well this scares me so I went to work for the national center for atmospheric research and have been coming up with ideas to save the planet and find Im meet with alot of resistance we as a society are not always ready for change well we dont have much time left to make some drastic changes to help save the planet before it dose it itself and that means a big enviromental shift which could end our existince you could look at some other things like ARECO.org look up EPA study Minniapolis cancer study and you will find that cancer is 400% more likely within 30 mile radius and 70% of America lives in this radius. See I try to do my part I live off the grid my whole house is solar I use a geo thermic design of my own and it work Im always inventing things to save the planet my wind generator with solar collector is getting patend and I recycle my house is made ofr unrecycleable matterial but if only some of us are doing this and the rest are still living in the 80's where we dont concern ourselves with the depletion of our recources we are fighting a losing battle I am all the time trying to show people there is a way to save money and live green and some people act like they are interested at the same time they get into their Hummer and drive 20 miles to go buy an organic apple at 7 dollars a pound and drive back they just contributed to the air their pollution which you and I have to breathe there is no such thing as organic any more we have used all the water 7 times and the air just as much I know that the pollution caused by an aircraft is circimnavigating the globe once a week and the benzenes and other great cancer causing pollutants are being put into that organic apple we eat. Google the name Jim Starry and see a man who has the solutions to save the planet and we as a race can do this in 10 years so thank you for your awareness and spread the word about what you are doing and you will see we can make a change to help our children and maybe we will make it.

Answer 20

Please visit this website:

http://www.the-alternative.org.uk

and tell your friends about "it."

Answer 21

Go find a tree sapling growing where you know it will be killed or die, take it home and plant it.

A lady I know is 84. She did this and has a small wood at the end of her garden now:)