Little secrets to save our Earth...

[MollyMormon]

-replace at least once in two months the oil from your car with new one... cause the used oil reduses the power from your engine....!

That's a lot of oil being disposed of. If you check your oil weekly and only change it when it's dirty you will do more for the environment than just changing it regularly . It may not need changing.

[Simon]

That's a lot of oil being disposed of. If you check your oil weekly and only change it when it's dirty you will do more for the environment than just changing it regularly . It may not need changing.

Dont get a car at all! :D

[trisreal]

-Turn off the lights whenever they are not needed,even if you are leaving the room for a few minutes

I have heard differently with CFL's. They don't actually reach their peak of efficiency (as well as brightness) until about 30 minutes. And if you use them for short periods of time repeatedly, you're shortening the life of the bulb, which means while you may be saving energy in the short run, you're producing more waste. Thus, you're probably better off with energy-saving if you DON'T put them in places you'd only be for a few minutes, such as a closet or bathroom.

[Simon]

I have heard differently with CFL's. They don't actually reach their peak of efficiency (as well as brightness) until about 30 minutes. And if you use them for short periods of time repeatedly, you're shortening the life of the bulb, which means while you may be saving energy in the short run, you're producing more waste. Thus, you're probably better off with energy-saving if you DON'T put them in places you'd only be for a few minutes, such as a closet or bathroom.

That sort of makes sense. Thanks for sharing! :)

[trisreal]

Those are the main things we would like to achieve,but basically can't.

People are now so depended on all those things they buy.

So what we should actually propose,is to stop buying so much,stop driving so much.We can reduce our needs and slowly have results.I hopt all of us do it,we recommend it all the time but you can never tell that every person of the forum does it.

I agree 100%. When you HAVE to buy, buy second hand. Or buy local. But I work in retail, it makes me so angry to see how much people waste money on CRAP.

[MollyMormon]

I agree 100%. When you HAVE to buy, buy second hand. Or buy local. But I work in retail, it makes me so angry to see how much people waste money on CRAP.

You are so right Tris. but I hate the idea of spending either more or the same amount on used stuff as I would on new stuff. it's freaking used. I was looking for a phone at the goodwill and for a cheap plug in it was $5. I can go to Walmart and get a new one for that. ( Not that I would).

[trisreal]

You are so right Tris. but I hate the idea of spending either more or the same amount on used stuff as I would on new stuff. it's freaking used. I was looking for a phone at the goodwill and for a cheap plug in it was $5. I can go to Walmart and get a new one for that. ( Not that I would).

True, I appreciate that. You have no idea of the quality/how long it will last and you're paying the same amount. That's when freecycle.org is handy. That way, if you get 3 months out of it before it dies, you kept it out of the landfill until it was 100% used.

[Simon]

You are so right Tris. but I hate the idea of spending either more or the same amount on used stuff as I would on new stuff. it's freaking used. I was looking for a phone at the goodwill and for a cheap plug in it was $5. I can go to Walmart and get a new one for that. ( Not that I would).

I sort of agree with you. If it's something technical, like a phone, I would probably buy a new one. When it comes to furnitures and plates and such, well that is something completely different.

Something that annoys me more is that it's extremely expensive and in some cases even impossible to repair something these days. Why is that so? Why is it cheaper to buy a brand new TV than repairing your broken TV? :blink:

[trisreal]

I sort of agree with you. If it's something technical, like a phone, I would probably buy a new one. When it comes to furnitures and plates and such, well that is something completely different.

Something that annoys me more is that it's extremely expensive and in some cases even impossible to repair something these days. Why is that so? Why is it cheaper to buy a brand new TV than repairing your broken TV?

I totally agree. Same with vacuum cleaners.

Another similar pet peeve, why it's often cheaper to buy multiple smaller packages of things rather than one large package, like fruit juice for example. For two half gallon jugs of apple juice it's $1.50 per container, whereas it's $3.25 or $3.50 for the gallon. I thought buying in bulk was supposed to be cheaper!

[Simon]

I totally agree. Same with vacuum cleaners.

Another similar pet peeve, why it's often cheaper to buy multiple smaller packages of things rather than one large package, like fruit juice for example. For two half gallon jugs of apple juice it's $1.50 per container, whereas it's $3.25 or $3.50 for the gallon. I thought buying in bulk was supposed to be cheaper!

Don't know really.

But! Why buy those big jugs of juice (or similar) in the store? They just contain water from the plant. So you will be carrying home heavy water. And the truck that transported the jugs to the store transported mainly ordinary tap water, and these jugs take extra much space so he would need to transport these jugs more times. That doesnt make any sense!

Instead you should buy these 2dl/20cl "jugs" of juice, that you just add your own water to (you will get 1 litre of juice from one of these):

[brettbh]

If it's something technical, like a phone, I would probably buy a new one. When it comes to furnitures and plates and such, well that is something completely different.

... and that's where a whole new set of problems come into play. When it comes to electronics, it can be next to impossible to make (environmentally) informed purchasing decisions. Choosing to buy an ENERGY STAR (or similar) approved item will ensure that you are buying an item that is (somewhat) energy efficient, but it will not ensure that you are buying from an environmentally responsible manufacturer. What's really needed is some form of audited processes/benchmarking which enables companies to clearly establish - and publicly state - their green credentials.

That's when freecycle.org is handy. That way, if you get 3 months out of it before it dies, you kept it out of the landfill until it was 100% used.

Even when it comes to deciding whether to buy new electronics or to buy used electronics, it's not clear which is the greenest option. Is it better to buy a new energy efficient refrigerator or a used refrigerator? In buying new, I'd reduce my electicity consumption, but is that offset by the energy used in the manufacturing process? The same problem exists when attempting to decide whether to upgrade. Should I replace my old and still working refrigerator with an energy efficient model today? Or should I wait until my old one dies? Which is the greener option? The answer may partly depend on what will happen to the old item. Will it be sent to landfill or will it be wholly recycled?

[trisreal]

Should I replace my old and still working refrigerator with an energy efficient model today? Or should I wait until my old one dies? Which is the greener option? The answer may partly depend on what will happen to the old item. Will it be sent to landfill or will it be wholly recycled?

All of our appliances came with our house. Unfortunately, they are not very high on the energy star rating (some of them still have the sticker, others I have looked up). With our refrigerator, I adjust the temp to make it more energy efficient, and plan to use it until it dies.

I'm not sure about your part of the world, but in my town, if I were to put a disassembled (door off), defunct refrigerator in my alley, I can promise you it wouldn't be more than 48 hours before it was gone. With our economy being what it is, we have people patrolling on recycle/trash day who will take anything they can sell for scrap.

[trisreal]

I have heard that you should only wash your windows in the fall, not the spring. Clean windows let in more heat, which is something you want in the winter but something you want to avoid in the summer. Therefore, if you're one of those twice a year cleaning people, leave window washing off your spring cleaning list and only on your fall cleaning list.

[VTDC]

Most important area to save energy - Heating & Cooling. Where ever you are - it constitutes around 60 to 70% of energy being used in the house!!!

Where are the good user friendly controllers that would help us save so much?

[only_green_no_gray]

Most important area to save energy - Heating & Cooling. Where ever you are - it constitutes around 60 to 70% of energy being used in the house!!!

Where are the good user friendly controllers that would help us save so much?

For heating the house invest in isolation and on thick clothes and blankets, you'll see that you will use less energy. For cooling isolation is also very important and wear less clothes B)

[VTDC]

While I agree that clothing is an option - the real way to get people to change is not to compromise 'perceived comfort'. In actuality, no matter what you do, the home does not deliver comfort while keeping the energy use down.

I am sure you cannot imagine that the house will ever be so cold that you cannot take a shower. In a cold house, showers are hot - so energy is wasted. Whereas in a comfortable house, the showers are comparatively cooler. The trick is in directing the heat to come on and go off at the right times. This is where controls come in.

We live in a world of energy waste - we can decrease that waste without being uncomfortable - that is just scientific fact. Once we begin going down the route of energy conservation, we can start to take more radical steps that truly change our lifestyle.

A violent and sudden revolution rarely succeeds!

[FirstBaby2011]

Upcycle!

There are numerous websites out there with tutorials on how to reuse t-shirts.

Here are just a few things that can be made by upcycling t-shirts:

-cleaning rags

-cloth grocery bags

-produce bags

-skirts

-cloth napkins

-cloth diapers

-reusable baby wipes

-unique baby and toddler clothing

Glass bottles and jars can also be used to store creative homemade gifts. The list of things that can be upcycled is limitless!

[Ana]

Hi everyone!

Recycle everything you can.

Turn off the light when leaving the room.

Buy local.

Turn off your computer overnight...

Recycle your clothes! Check out my blog learn how to recycle your old t-shirts.

There are also great tips to save the earth...

http://sustainableandfashionable.wordpress.com/

Cheers,

[amyp1113]

if you live in an apartment we unfortunately dont' have control over landscaping or the placement of your appliances to reduce the energy need to cool things. Bummer Right! but there is still something you can do. unplug! we are all so attached to our electronic devices that we end up charging them more often than really necessary.  Set a time each day or one day of the week to Make a human connection and leave the electronics alone. And as was mentioned earlier unplug it if your not using it things like the tv, toaster, blender, coffee maker, and even lamp may not do much but it will do something. sometimes you have to start small, but taking the first step in little things can lead to great things in the scheme of things. It also helps if you can choose what floor your apartment is, pick the top or basement floors. up top you reduce the gas ussage for heat necessary because heat rises. on the bottom you use less electricity to cool as the earth around you is already doing that for you. What wonderful natural laws and creation itself has made to save us from ourselves.

[cbrook812]

try to buy green products, learn about new green products

[oraclemay]

Walk instead of riding. Clean with homemade products instead of store bought. Eat more fresh and organic and less meat. Stop smoking. Plant more and support local supplies. Make use of recycled goods and recycle your own.