What are the most effective ways a person can be "green?"?

Question

what are some things you can do to be environmentally friendly? recycle, close faucet tightly, etc. more examples?

Answer 1

A couple more ideas are to buy from the bulk bins at grocery stores and use your own containers.

Use plastic as little as possible, you don't need to use plastic produce bags.

Unplug all appliances that you aren't actively using.

Buy a smart strip power strip.

Use freecycle, craigslist, ebay, thrift store etc to get rid of stuff you don't want and find stuff you do need.

Support local farmers by shopping at a local farmer's market.

N. & J.

http://badhuman.wordpress.com

Answer 2

Take public transportation, or ride a bike. (Or convert your vehicle to electric!)

When you change bulbs replace all your incandescent lightbulbs to compact fluorescent! (don't forget to recycle them-- IKEA recycles compact fluorescents)

Buy your electrical power from Green Mountain Power company, if possible. (you can choose how much power goes onto the grid from specific renewable sources.)

When you  replace an appliance, buy Energy Star highest-rated appliances (refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, dryers, TVs).

Buy a device to measure  the kiowatt hours/ energy comsumption of all your appliances-- JUST SO YOU KNOW!

Enable sleep mode on your computer. (replace your old CRT monitors with LCD screens)!!

Dry your clothes on a clothesline or clothes-horse.

Make sure you bring your old computers, printers, and hazardous materials, like chemicals and batteries and paint, to your local hazardous materials collection facility. (Look on your township/ borough website for info.)

Turn lights off when leaving the room, even for a short time.

Encourage your workplace to recycle and to put lights on a timer, so they all go off at night.

Find out what your locality recycles and where to bring it. But try to limit your number of trips/drives out to the recycling center if your are driving a regular car.

Install Solar Panels, or solar sheeting on your home. (If you live in a sunny spot.)

If you are ambitious, really ambitious, convert an old junk car to electric. There are tons of websites out there dedicated to EV's & how to do this and where to get supplies. (MAKE magazine also ran a how to with supply plan for such a conversion about a year ago. )

Turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees F.

Turn your thermostat down to 65 F in the winter and don't refrigerate your home in the summer with air conditioning.

Grow native plants in your garden. (grass lawns are not native)

Buy locally grown produce.

Buy organic.

Go veggy.-- or buy free range organic meat.

Plant a tree.

Don't have more than two children.

Don't take antibiotics unless you HAVE to.

That's all i can think of for now.....

Answer 3

live without electricity and running water and grow your own fruit and veg and keep chickens and goats and have a trout stream.

Answer 4

Some of the most effective ways to be green include walking and bicycling to get where you need to go and buying your food local and organic.  Also, reducing your meat consumption if you are a meat eater.  Beyond that, tackling consumption issues such as shopping for desire instead of need.  Think about every purchase and try to determine if you can make do with something you already have or can purchase used.  If you'd like to determine your ecological footprint, and see other ways to cut your emissions, go to Redefining Progress website.

Answer 5

You can use non toxic cleaners and nontoxic personal items in your home. You can check out my website at www.shaklee.net/dcyfh it has all non toxic products.

Answer 6

Use the energy efficient light bulbs, turn lights off when not using them, don't run water unnecessarily (e.g., when brushing your teeth), use cloth grocery bags instead of plastics, always recycle, have a compost and encourage others to do the same!

Also, you can try to reduce the amount of chemical cleaners you use in your home. There are some great websites on homemade cleaners. There are some all-natural cleaners you can buy at the store now as well. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

recycling, conserving energy and water, buying a hybrid, etc.

Answer 8

make sure all ur lights tht arent needed are tured off in ur house, dont turn ur car on so u can warm it up just **** tht and deal with it, dont have the faucet on when ur brushing ur teeth,recycleeeeee!, uhh lol idk thts how many i can think of on the top of my head

Answer 9

keep your house cooler in the winter, recycle, stop using your car for unneccessary trips, stop eating meat.

Answer 10

When running the hot fawcett, keep a jug or two handy to fill with the cold while waiting for the hot. Then, later, take it/them outside and put it on any evergreen plant, bush, tree, pot or just pour it on the grass.

Answer 11

peytonsa

Looks like you have you eyes open. Can’t say that about to many people in society today. Most of us walk around with blinders until a catastrophe hits, then we wake up pretty quick. Unfortunately we go blind again a few months later…

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live 100% off of the grid and are completely self-sufficient with a 0% Carbon footprint. I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tolet you know it's possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

here's a calculator to find out how much of a green impact your making (carbon footprint)

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_gre...

if you'd like to make your next step feel free to contact me personally at www agua-luna com

I've been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can't do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i've found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com

on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming, Receive a FREE Solar Panels Now!!!

Answer 12

You need to check the products you buy, even if it says green doesn't mean that it is, weird eh?

Recycle anything possible, from toilet paper rolls to newspaper.

Reduce the amount of lights, heat and water you use up.

We have all energy bulbs, solar lights, we have caulked all our windows and door frames, we insulated our attack and our basement. Take the car only for long distance. Walk or take a bike to the store. Support natural clothing. It's more expensive but it's healthier for our bodies and better for the world.

Don't buy lots of packaged foods or take outs.

Dispose of junk and chemical and medications properly

Answer 13

Recycle and compost -- this alone has changed our landfill load from 2 cans/week to 1 can every two weeks.

Change bulbs from "normal" to energy efficient.  The power savings pays the cost of the bulb in 3 years, they run cooler and produce less air conditioning load, and they run much longer before failing.

Insulate, ventilate and seal your home.  Heat loss (winter) and gain (summer) through the attic is significant.  Vent the attic to reduce summer gain and prevent condensation -- insulate to reduce winter heat loss.  Insulate outlets and other "holes" in the wall.