All posts in the topic What do you do? (Short link)
Summary
- There are 6 posts — by 6 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Nicole Waxmonsky-Tu at 2007 Mar 13 20:06 UTC
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an Air Pollution Advisory for our area. Here's the web address to the actual Air Quality Index for the Twin Cities Area: http://aqi.pca.state.mn.us/region1.cfm?region=Twin%20Citie. What do you do, as a Roseville citizen, to lessen your environmental foot print? Post up, let's here it.
I’m REALLY not picking on Sean… I think his question of what is it that we do
to conserve is one that is very valid… Hopefully a question to get us to think
about the everyday actions that we do…
I abhor the environmental self-righteousness that SOME people seem to espouse.
Some proponents of environmentalism sure seem like hypocrites and I don’t like
that it feels like some want us to feel guilty about the choices we make. I'm
all about conservation and respect for nature or natural resources, when it
makes sense.
It’s not what we do when there aren’t any choices left. It’s what we do every
day that counts.
I try to be efficient when I drive, but I do love to drive.
I’d rather ride my bike. I do ride almost every day from about April through
October. I'm not taking the bus, I figured it out one time and it would take me
close to 2 hours to get to work by bus.
I could lessen the number of miles that I drive, but I don't want to move. I
like Roseville!
I keep the thermostat as low as I can, which since I got married years ago is
much higher than I used to. For some strange reason, my now-wife never liked
the fact that I would keep the heat set at 50 and prefer no air conditioning in
the summer. I prefer the company of my wife over a lower energy bill.
I’d like to live in a more energy efficient house, but it hardly seems
environmentally wise to tear it down and re-construct it.
I turn off the lights when I leave the room. I’ve been replacing burned out
light bulbs where I can with compact fluorescents which have gotten MUCH better
now.
I recycle when it seems practical. Sorry, but I can think of a recent example
where I spent considerable time trying to rinse the rest of the salsa out of an
empty jar so that I could toss it in the recycling bin. I probably used more
resources in hot water than what ever could have been saved by recycling the
jar, I should have just tossed it and saved the aggravation too!
I use rechargeable batteries when I can.
I prefer my bread un-toasted.
I’m trying to control my weight so I seldom stand in front of the refrigerator
with the door open.
I tell the kids to close the door behind them when they go outside.
I dislike television, I'd prefer not to have one, but prefer the ones we do
have be off.
And finally, I’d rather call my parents than get in the car and drive to visit
:)
Air quality, shmair quality, it's nice outside... I'm going for a walk this
evening.
Last year I bought a flex-fuel Ford. We use E85 instead of gas for fuel (even
though it can run on either). The gas mileage is a little worse but E85 is a
little cheaper so the cost works out to be about the same. E85 comes from corn
grown right here in Minnesota and it runs cleaner than normal gas. Also, I saw
a bumper sticker that said "E85 - No War Required".
as a related subtopic, what do you think of buying carbon footprint offsets?
according to carbon footprint calculators that i've seen, the average american
could offset their carbon footprint for about $100.00 a year. since there are
about 300 million people in the united states, that means the united states
could offset the entire country's carbon footprint for about $30 billion
dollars. now, myself, i think this whole idea of buying carbon footprint
offsets is the biggest scam i've ever heard and the people who are collecting
the money are getting rich off of this scam, but, if it is valid, it seems like
$30 billion dollars a year is way cheaper than changing our way of life. so, in
other words, for $30 billion dollars, we could forget all about trying to
reduce carbon emmissions in the US, we could forget about trying to reduce
pollution from motor vehicles, we can keep using coal for electricity
production, and all other measures to help the environment. it seems like the
purchase of carbon footprint offsets is counterproductive. we should be doing
what is best for the environment so that future generations will have a good
place to live.
of course. i don't know why people say we need to save mother earth since the
earth was in existence for billions of years before humans showed up, and the
earth will be here for billions of years after humans have become extinct. the
span of time where humans populate the earth will be but a blink of the eye as
far as the lifespan of the earth and any changes we cause will make no
difference to the planet.
finally, for myself, i'm a whole lot more worried about what may or may not
happen when the earth's magnetic field flips again. this is of more concern to
me than global warming and no one talks about that. we are thousands of years
overdue for another flipping of the earth's poles. the earth's magnetic field
is reducing at a very fast rate and anomalies are popping up all over the
world. plus, there is the possibility that instead of the poles just flipping
this time, the earth's magnetic field may disappear altogether.
Hi All!
The planet doesn't need ME to save it. In fact, I am one of those clear
thinkers who believe that man is way too puny and around for way to short a
time to mess up the planet.
I do "green" things when they make economic sense, I've installed a few CF
bulbs just to see how good they are and I don't have any problem with them.
Someone will correct me perhaps, but I wonder if replacing and good bulb
with a new CF "really" pays for itself as some have claimed. I'd bet 90% of
the incandescents that came with the house 18 years ago still burn brightly
and I have dozens of spares stored in the basement, so I won't be converting
over any time soon -- or anytime in my lifetime.
I AM an invetrate light-turner-offer which is almost a full time job living
with a wife and 3 kids who turn on every light in a room and then go away.
I am motivated not so much be saving the earth as being of a mind that
wasting not means wanting not.
One thing I have always seen as a virtue is recycling -- sometimes we have
more of that than trash! Nothing recyclable goes in our wastebaskets (well,
the kids toss bottles and cans but I dig them out).
I take the cans to the Rosetown Legion where they are a great fundraiser.
Rather help the club than BFI.
I sold my Trooper SUV last fall and I bought a Honda...scooter, which the
whole family put over 300 hundred miles on it, using about 6 gallons. Great
for short errands and trips, nice for touring too! Wish I could use the
bike paths -- bikes are faster so I don't understand why using has instead
of muscle to go 20mph forces me onto the mean streets.
Of course, our furnace and water heater and A/C are all fairly new and were
sold as energy savers.
So what I am tortuously trying to say, is that I don't believe in Global
Warming and Earth isn't running out of anything anytime soon, but I have
done some reducing of my "carbon footprint" (sounds like something you'd
track into the house and get on the carpet). I am motivated by simple
virtues that were instilled in me many years before saving energy and
recycling were considered. Waste not, want not (oops sorry to repeat
myself)
As far as life on earth being threatened, I fear more of a fatal bee sting
or a terrorist attack.
I agree with Roger that they earth has the power to destroy itself, but we
got nothin' to do wit it. Never heard of the poles switching -- sounds
pretty nasty. But it can't be true because we are all being brainwashed
into thinking that we are somehow the only REAL threat to the planet.
Horse Hockey.
Roger -- I do agree that the carbon footprint purchases seem like an easy way out -- pollute as much as you want and then throw money so you feel better about yourself. However, it seems to me that most people who invest are or have reduced their footprint to their level of comfort and would like to invest in environmentally friendly technologies. The system is based on the Kyoto Protocol where caps would be set and then countries could trade their carbon credits. Before everyone cries over the debilitating effects of such a matter, the same protocol has been implemented to combat acid rain with sulfur emissions. This article explains the pros and cons of carbon trading much more eloquently than I: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/05/buying-a-stairway-to-heaven/ I appreciate this thread because I am always looking for new suggestions. I don't see the point in wasting for any reason or least minimizing the waste stream. I know I can espouse the greatness of biking everywhere but I don't think it would convince anyone to start riding (though my brother asked me to build him a bike; I am such a proud sister!). One of my favorite discoveries is a Minnesota-based company called Restore (http://www.restoreproducts.com/). I know at my co-op they have a refill system, so you can reuse your plastic container multiple times. I have only used their hand soap and laundry detergent thus far. When I begin to think of all the plastic containers that I have wasted in the past, it is mind-boggling! I have seen them stocked at the Cub near Har Mar but I did not see a refill system. Another reason why I enjoy a co-op is because of the bulk items. Besides carrying every baking and cooking ingredient I can think of, you can also purchase nut butters, pasta, nuts, dried fruits, candy, beans, teas, cereals...the list is pretty extensive. Most of the products are also produced locally as well. It does take minimal investment in some permanent seal-able containers. I could talk about this all day but I won't. ;) Minnesota really provides great opportunities to invest in local businesses and farmers from the community.