What are some ways to go green?

Question

I'm only 14 so i can only focus on my room, my bathroom, the playroom, and the kitchen ( i wash the dishes ).

i only know about

the spiral lightbulbs and the recycled toilet paper

Answer 1

Turn off your computer and don't use it. Got to bed at sunset and wake up at sunrise. This way you can save on electricity by being awake only when it is light outside. Spiral light bulbs use less electricity, but contain mercury and are poisonous if broken.

Bathing is overrated, just ask the French. If you can put off bathing until the weekend and share bath water with your entire family it will go along way in helping.

In the bath room, you do not have to flush every time you go. Ask the French. Forget the recycled toilet paper - recycling takes energy. Two words - "Drip dry".

Washing dishes is over rated as well - ask the French. Eat cleaner meals that cause less mess. Salads with no dressing. Cereal without milk. Sandwiches are hand held, who needs a plate? Soups can be heated and eaten right out of the can.

In my "Green Living" seminars we teach communal eating habits. Sharing food from the same pot with the same eating utensil. One pot, one fork. It works. Think of the water you could save? Washing only one pot and a fork after a dinner for four? Gallons a year.

If you have to use a dishwasher, let the dishes pile up until you have a full load. Put your dirty dish rags in there too, might as well wash them at the same time. I have clients that will heat food in glass containers in the dishwasher while their dishes are being washed. Very creative.

In the play room, recycle all of your plastic toys. Playing video games uses valuable electrons and drains the power grid. Turn off the TV and Xbox. Read a book on recycling.

I hope these ideas help.

Answer 2

Ask your parents for a recycling garbage bag - put all extra paper, cans, bottles, etc. in it and you can drop that off at a recycling place.  You could even put this in the normal area where everyone could put in recycle-able goods.  When you brush your teeth, turn off the water, or brush in the shower.  Use a hand towel instead of paper towels.  Walk or bike to a friends house instead of your parents taking you.

Answer 3

there are TONS of ways to go green. even though you're 14, you can talk to your parents or whoever you live with to go green. i'm only 15 and i've persuaded my mom to do some of these things:

1. recycle. call your garbage company and ask them for recycle bags

2. use canvas reusable bags instead of paper or plastic bags.

3. go vegetarian or vegan. growing a field of corn uses 10x less water (and food) than raising one cow.

4. eat organic foods. this limits the amount of pesticides that can be harmful to wildlife and the lakes and oceans.

5. buy local-made or local-grown products to limit the amount of shipping pollution

6. use washable plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. and when you need to wash them, put them in a dishwasher, it uses less water.

7. shorter showers

8. make a compost pile, especially if you have a garden or have flowers. put natural things in it like leftovers or vegetables that have gone bad

9. buy block cheese instead of shredded cheese. you get more for your money and it saves energy and has less packaging.

10. instead of asking for a ride somewhere, ride your bike or walk if it's that distance away

Answer 4

When washing the dishes, make sure you turn the running water off until you need it, you can save gallons a day this way.

Answer 5

Here are some interesting ways..just remember every little bit helps, just do your part :)

http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/g...

anything else you want to know about living green at

http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com

Answer 6

Go to Care2.com. They have a awesome reenliving section and other great things. Check it out...you will love it. I wish there where more kids like you in the world. Thank you for caring.

GreenKitty   xoxoxo

Answer 7

A great way to recycle is to make stuff out of things you would otherwise throw away.  If you get a bucket, for example, you can paint it and make it a planter with some dirt and flower seeds.  Not only do you save the bucket from the landfill, but you also add another plant to help air quality.  Spider plants make excellent hanging plants as well.

Try to think of other craft options, or use something like freecycle.org to give stuff away that you have grown out of or no longer want/need rather than throwing good stuff away.

Answer 8

go to these sites and get these books

treehugger.com

green.alltop.com

ecomall.com

ecochoices.com

naturalcollection.com

theorganicpages.com

newdream.org

coopamerica.com

ens-newswire.com

foe.org

environmentaldefense.org

epa.gov

awionline.org

catgen.com/ifat/en

fairtrade.net

charmoneshoes.com

branchhome.com

econsciousmarket.com

furnature.com

methodhome.com

modgreenpod.com

mrsmeyers.com

milkpaint.com

gcollection.com

paporganics.com

vivattera.com

theorganicmattressstore.com

farmaesthetics.com

jason-naturals.com

juicebeauty.com

pageaorganics.com

abundantearth.com

greenearthcleaning.com

chelsea-girl.com

prana.com

bepresent.com

coolnotcruel.com

mociun.com

johnpatrickorganic.com

indigenousdesigns.com

albabotanica.com

gaiam.com

satarainc.com

hankettes.com

greenhome.com

earth911.com

intentblog.com

recycline.com

lavera.com

aveda.com

natracare.com

organicessentials.com

drhauschka.com

johnmasters.com

aubrey-organics.com

hugonatural.com

annasova.com

coyuchiorganic.com

kocandels.com

just keep cutting and pasting my friend you will find what you need especially on treehugger.com and ecomall.com its a amazing resource but dont discount green.alltop.com either because it is a site that has major green sites all in one place that is a link to them and is updated daily i love it

books

365 ways to change the world : how to make a difference--one day at a time / Michael Norton

500 ways to change the world / Global Ideas Bank ; edited and compiled by Nick Temple

Farewell, my Subaru : an epic adventure in local living / Doug Fine

Go green, live rich : 50 simple ways to save the Earth and get rich trying / David Bach, with Hillary Rosner.

The green book : the everyday guide to saving the planet one simple step at a time / Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen with a foreword by Cameron Diaz and William McDonough

Green living : the E magazine handbook for living lightly on the earth / by the editors of E/the environmental magazine

It's easy being green : a handbook for earth-friendly living / Crissy Trask ; illustrations by Mike Clelland.

The lazy environmentalist : your guide to easy, stylish, green living / Josh Dorfman

Making kind choices : everyday ways to enhance your life through earth- and animal-friendly living / Ingrid Newkirk ; foreword by Paul McCartney.

MySpace OurPlanet : change is possible / by the MySpace community ; with Jeca Taudte ; foreword by Tom Anderson

Worldchanging : a user's guide for the 21st century / edited by Alex Steffen ; foreword by Al Gore ; design by Sagmeister

Ethical markets : growing the green economy / Hazel Henderson with Simran Sethi ; foreword by Hunter Lovins

Sustainable planet : solutions for the twenty-first century / edited by Juliet B. Schor and Betsy Taylor

trust me there all excellent books i love them and they have alot of info