Why is 'going green' so expensive??

Question

just wondering. i want to help the environment but its all so expensive??

why is that?

Answer 1

It doesn’t have to cost anything.  While it is swell to buy organic foods and biodegradable cleaning fluids, and I do think it is Better not to dump toxic chemicals down the drain and use chemical fertilizer, these are not the biggest problems we are facing right now.  Also “simple green” is non toxic, it isn’t much more expensive than most any other cleaner, and it can be used in different concentrations for most any kind of cleaning.

Anyway, the most beneficial things you can do to help save the environment will also save money in the long run.  Recycling is free in most places; you just have to take the time to separate your garbage.  Carpooling to work, walking, riding a bike, taking the bus, will all save you gas money.  Subcompacts are cheaper than SUVs anyway.  Use the money you save on gas to replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that will pay for themselves in the long run by saving electricity.  If your clothes aren’t too grungy, wash them on cold water using the quick cycle, and hang-dry them.

If you are a homeowner, making sure that your walls, attic, and basement are well insulate, and investing in double pained windows will not only save money in the long run on your heating and cooling bills, it will also add value to your home when you sell it.  It doesn’t cost anything to were a sweater in the house in the winters, and set your thermostat lower.  You can also invest in a few space heaters and put them in the room where you spend most of your time.    I only heat my house up to 55 degrees with the furnace, and I have a space heater that I take with me to whatever room I am using.  That $50 heater paid for itself in the first month I had it.

If you live in a warm climate, Open the windows in the late afternoon and close them when you wake up in the morning.  If your house is well insulated, it will stay cool most of the day that way without using the AC.

Answer 2

It is many times more cost effective to conserve and become efficient than it is to buy green products. It can actually be cheaper to be green. Live in a smaller well insulated home, drive a smaller car, etc..

Live simply, so that others may simply live.

Answer 3

It doesn't have to be if you use my: My Best Recycling Idea

Besides recycling the plastic containers, you can improve your work or home environments by bringing live potted plants indoors.

Major items needed:

One empty plastic gallon container.   Tree Top Apple Juice is preferred, or equal in shape.

One empty plastic ½ gallon container.  Langers All Pomergranate Juice is preferred or equal.

Directions:  Lay the plastic gallon container on its side so the front label is facing up.  Place the empty plastic half gallon container on the label and with a sharpie pen outline the bottom on the Tree Top label and with a sharp knife carefully cut the outline.  Insert the half gallon into the hole until it rest on the back label of the gallon container.  Then mark and cut approximately one inch above the cut on the ½ gallon  to complete your planter container.  Remove and drill several ¼ inch holes on the bottom of the ½ gallon cut container for drainage.

Fill the cut ½ gallon planter with one inch of gravel before putting in good potting mix soil and live growing plant.  If you make two or more you can pour the water back and forth and not waste the water with the nutrients.

Go to NASA’s Clean Air Plant Study for the top ten plants that cleans the indoor air better than the rest.   http://www.zone10.com/tech/NASA/Fyh.htm

Answer 4

Because all of the so called "green" processes are inefficient.  Higher cost of production, and or lower production rates for the same cost means that each individual unit of production must cost more.

Answer 5

There are definitely cheaper ways to go green, such as energy efficiency, not just buying green gadgets.

For the most part, true green items and techniques will pay themselves off in the energy they save.

Answer 6

green 'stuff' and power is only 'more expensive' because the standard stuff is subsidised; both directly by governments in the case of oil companies, and by the cost of pollution caused by manufacture being ignored. if greenhouse gas emissions were paid for honestly then 'green' stuff would mostly be cheaper. same reasoning applies to fair trade; if people were paid a fair wage everywhere, we wouldnt get the crazy cheap stuff like £1 t shirts. cheap holidays in other people's misery....

Answer 7

Going green is not expensive. It is the opposite.

Walk instead of drive.

Don't buy that pair of shoes - you already have too many.

Turn off the lights

Don't eat a roast for dinner that take three hours to cook. Eat fruit, a salad, a lettuce, tomato and onion sandwich and water.

Recycle

Donate

Volunteer

Cut back on chemical use - window cleaner, floor cleaners, bleach, washing powder, sprays... Lemon juice is a great bleach and sanitizer.

Answer 8

Environmentalists don't give a d**n about the environment. All they are concerned with is getting more bike paths and the 2009 Toyota Prius.

Answer 9

The technology is expensive. It's expensive to try and reverse the things we've already done to the environment. But it's worth it. For example it cost in the thousands to get solar panels for your house. But it's worth it because of the money you save on power.

Answer 10

Going green is expensive because there's money to be made in it.  As long as people continue being sheep and not researching information themselves to weed out the fanatic propaganda - going green will be the hip thing to do.  And as long as there is a demand for things green, there will be billions to be made giving people what they ask for.

Switchgrass ethenal production is 1150 gallons per acre, compared to Corn's 230 gallons per acre.  Yes, a junk crop that is not good for anything else turns out 400% more efficient.  However, we are driving basic food costs (corn) through the roof (world-wide) making less energy from ethanol than it consumes oil-based energy to produce/deliver it.

Answer 11

Help the environmet by conserving your waste.

Waste not want not come into play here.

The going green campaign is just another way for someone else to have your money. If you want your pocket green then keep your money in it.

Answer 12

If going green is too expensive then don't do it.  I'm not because I can't afford it. For example, here in NZ the government signed the Kyoto Protocol with the result that the cost of energy has increased. I can no longer run my gas heater and have decided to go back to the open fire where I can cut up wood to burn to keep warm this winter. So that the wood will last I'll be adding some coal to it.

Answer 13

because you have to buy all new stuff that are eco friendly.  the compact fluorescent bulbs aren't cheap, and when you replace all light bulbs with cf bulbs, it's expensive.

companies charge more for eco friendly stuff so they can make a profit.  it wouldn't make sense for a company to make a bulb that lasts 10x longer than normal bulb and uses 10x less energy and charge it the same amount.  that means people will be buying bulbs 10 times as less, so to keep the profit the same, they charge more for the eco bulbs.

new technology ain't cheap.  led technology ain't cheap.

Answer 14

It doesn't have to be. The #1 best things to do to go 'green' is to get active among other people trying to lobby for change; and switching your electricity to 100% accredited green power. That's hardly any extra, and give the best bang for buck.

Getting into good habits like switching off things your not using, or walking/biking for travel is not in the least bit expensive.

Recycling is free, and is also great.

Growing you own food. There's another one.

And perhaps the best way to go green is to simply consume less. Hey that's also saving money.

There's heaps of cheap ways to be green. You don't HAVE to buy super-deluxe gadgets/cars/appliances.

Hope that helps, and all the best.