6 Foolish Ways To Go Green

[SnoDog]

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/6FoolishWaysToGoGreen.aspx

Very good article.

[Nova]

That was interesting.

But I doubt some of his facts. For example, is recycled paper really the cause for less timberland? Has anyone priced the cost of lumber lately? Having recently remodel a bathroom because I needed new pipes, I found lumber to be pricey.

I'm probably more green than most of the posters here. I don't buy into the whole carbon emission thing. But I do believe God gave us dominion over the earth. And expects us to be good stewards.

I recycle because I hate waste. Why put something in landfill if it can be reused?

And I am seriously looking into solar panels for electricity. Because I want the autonomy of not being dependent on the elctric company. Also, I don't like that the money we pay for oil goes to countries who's values I abhor. So self sufficiency is a plus on two fronts.

[Walker]

"Carbon Offsets" are a joke and just a scam.

Nova-I too would love to install solar panels for heating and electricity, but right now their current costs do not justify me doing so. We pay about $100/month for electricity in the milder months, in the winter we have about $250 for gas and elec. Our house is only 10 yrs old and pretty energy efficient.

[antsinmypants]

here in Germany we recycle everything. Paper, Organic trash (it is landfilled and used later to make potting soil etc), plastic & styrofoam (incl packing materials and plastic bags), metal and glass. Every other week we have a collection and our trash is like 1/4 to 1/8th of what we recycle.

Our power is from bio sources - harnessed water/wind/solar energies..

*shrug*

We combine trips with my in-laws to get the shopping done and use cotton shopping bags as well as plastic boxes in the trunk to get it all home... no need to use extra paper or plastic.

I believe the Bus system we use is Diesel, and they've been playing around with using biodiesel but I haven't heard if they're going forward with that or not.

Gasoline is "astronomical" here compared to the US..

[katt]

did anyone see good morning america on January first?..remember the man who went a year w/no modern convieneces?..it was his last years new years resolution..well he finished his experement and was on the show he said there was a site where you can get a windmill he gave it..but i can't remember it all..something like green.com..I tried it..but it wasn't right..anyone remember it?..I went to goodmorning web site and tried to find info about the show..but couldn't find it..I guess it's to late to find it on the site..ya think?

[frodo82801]

here in Germany we recycle everything. Paper, Organic trash (it is landfilled and used later to make potting soil etc), plastic & styrofoam (incl packing materials and plastic bags), metal and glass. Every other week we have a collection and our trash is like 1/4 to 1/8th of what we recycle.

Our power is from bio sources - harnessed water/wind/solar energies..

*shrug*

We combine trips with my in-laws to get the shopping done and use cotton shopping bags as well as plastic boxes in the trunk to get it all home... no need to use extra paper or plastic.

I believe the Bus system we use is Diesel, and they've been playing around with using biodiesel but I haven't heard if they're going forward with that or not.

Gasoline is "astronomical" here compared to the US..
What percentage of your electricity is from bio? It seems to me that the percentage has never been too high in most locations around the world. Most of it in the U.S. is natural gas, coal, and nuke.

Doesn't France get something like 70% of their electricity from nuke?

How much of the use of mass transit is by necessity rather than choice? If gasoline was cheaper, would you use mass transit?

The use of mass transit in the U.S. was pretty high 50+ years ago out of necessity. It was prosperity more than anything that changed it because people could afford cars.

Isn't the high cost of gasoline in Europe due to taxes?

When I was in Copenhagen a few years ago, one of the guys from the office there told me that the tax on a new car was 180%.

[Chula]

Ah, so you guys are saying that by me using plastic throw away forks and paper plates there by saving electricity, and hot water in the dishwasher that I'm actually not doing a good thing?

Going Green is so confusing.

[Issachar]

Going Green is so confusing. Just live, don't be wasteful on purpose and focus on sharing the gospel with as many folks as you can so that they have opportunity to be born into the Kingdom of God and leave the "world" which will one day be destroyed by fire to be followed by a new heavens and a new earth which will be inhabited by the righteous and all will be perfect and never, ever type run on sentences.

Issachar

[SumSam]

Surely the most hideous green plan ever concocted has to be biofuels...using corn to make fuel. Corn has a multiplier effect on so many other foods. So you'll fill up your tank and feel good and green, and go hungry. :doh

[frodo82801]

It is confusing. Remember the huge cloth vs disposable diaper debate? The big stink (no pun intended) was that landfills were filling up with disposables. The research showed that both types were about equal in their environmental impact. It was a wash (no pun intended).

The other aspect of cloth diapers is that babies have a lot more diaper rash, which means you are buying ointments and other such stuff trying to get their bottoms to heal. And you don't sleep, so that creates problems.

There are no ideal solutions, only compromises. When will the liberals catch on to this?