I like the green movement and the idea of using renewable energy such as solar and wind. I think it is awesome that someone can harness the sun's energy from their rooftop to power their household needs. We currently don't own very many "green" products but the idea interests me. The idea of having a plug in electric car sounds pretty cool and is getting more affordable every year. We now see Tesla cars and other plug in cars more often that we ever have. The only "green" items that I can think of that I own include a battery powered blower and trimmer for the yard. My previous versions of these were gas powered, so I now consider myself someone who is going green. I also have rechargeable batteries I use in my metal detecting hobby. I guess that will prevent a few batteries from making it to the landfill.
There are battery powered lawn mowers that are on the market. I understand that they work great. Even better, would be one of the automated mowers that act as a roomba for your yard. I think those are still pretty expensive at this time.
I tried a compost pile for a couple of years at our last house. I never got it to the point that I was using soil out of it, but at least I tried. Our car is a Subaru and gets pretty good gas mileage. Our truck is a Toyota Tacoma and gets decent mileage for a truck. I say all of that to say that is about the total of my green efforts and I know I could probably do more. I have used a paper straw a few times the last couple of years at various restaurants that have started using them. But, those few paper straws don't cancel out the many, many plastic straws I have also used. Sometimes after eating a fast food meal, I am amazed at the amount of trash one person or one family can produce with just one simple lunch. That area could definitely use some improvement.
Part of the movement is to recycle, reuse and reduce. We do participate in curbside recycling and we love to reuse by shopping at thrift stores. Recycling varies across the country. Some cities are very vigilant in recycling while others have no program at all. We visited Portland, OR a few years ago and the city is one that is vigilant in recycling. The state has a mandate that all cities with a population of 4,000 or more must have a recycling program. I don't think such a mandate exists in most states. While in Portland we heard stories that you could be fined if a recyclable item was found in your regular trash. Now that is serious! If we are ever to get serious about recycling in this country we probably need a national mandate of some sort to get everyone on the same page. One city we lived in charged $3 per month to cover the cost of the recycling program. I have no problem with that at all.
Some people have embraced solar energy, some do simple things like compost and use rain barrels. Some have built green homes that use ultra energy efficient building materials, appliances, etc to help the environment. Some people have battery powered mowers and electric cars. Some have given up cars and use bikes or public transportation to cut emissions.
Have you embraced any green practices? If so, what are they and are you satisfied with the products or the actions you have taken? How about recycling, does your city or state have a good program?
One disappointing fact about recycling programs around the country is that in many locations the amount of recycling collected is too much for the city or entity to sell to recycling companies. So, a bunch of what is put in the blue bin ends up in the trash dump anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs a society we must not only recycle whenever possible, but find innovative ways to use the materials for other products.
I think I have seen some similar news about the recycling being sent on to the landfill. We need improvements in the system for sure.
DeleteMy community makes recycling easy, but it still bothers me how hard it can be to discover exactly what can and can't be recycled. I think the numbers should be written bigger, so they are easy to read!
ReplyDeleteI agree on the larger numbers, I often wonder what is or is not recyclable. Our recycling trash can does have placard on what to recycle but there are still things I'm not sure about.
DeleteHi Mitch! Such an important topic because it is something that we can't always see the impact of, but our children and their children will. Like you we recycle a lot but I'm sure we could do more. We also drive a Subaru which yes, gets pretty good gas milage--and we tried by buying a Ford hybrid until we started having problems with it and lost a lot of money. Thanks Ford. We are now waiting for an electric car ourselves. But probably the two biggest things we did was put solar on our house about 10 years ago. We got great rebates and have saved THOUSANDS besides helping the environment. Utility companies aren't as generous now as they were but we highly recommend it. We also converted our lawn into desert landscaping and our water bill is less than $10 a month. But again, I'm sure we can do more. But it is also remember that every little bit helps. ~Kathy
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you are doing your part for sure! Thanks for the comment.
DeleteHi Mitch! Such an important topic because it is something that we can't always see the impact of, but our children and their children will. Like you we recycle a lot but I'm sure we could do more. We also drive a Subaru which yes, gets pretty good gas milage--and we tried by buying a Ford hybrid until we started having problems with it and lost a lot of money. Thanks Ford. We are now waiting for an electric car ourselves. But probably the two biggest things we did was put solar on our house about 10 years ago. We got great rebates and have saved THOUSANDS besides helping the environment. Utility companies aren't as generous now as they were but we highly recommend it. We also converted our lawn into desert landscaping and our water bill is less than $10 a month. But again, I'm sure we can do more. But it is also remember that every little bit helps. ~Kathy
ReplyDeleteWe do our best but we live in a county that recycles very little. So we try to buy products in those categories — corrugated cardboard, paper, and glass. We have a composter and bring our own bags to shop. One kind lady at the farmers market always gives me something extra because she likes my shopping basket! We don’t buy things we don’t need and do look for the greenest version when we do need something. Sadly, our efforts are only a drop in the bucket, (a very large plastic one!) and I worry about the mess we are leaving our grandboys. We should have done better.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing well with your efforts! Every little bit helps. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteI bring my groceries home in bins vs plastic bags. I learned of the 5 R's, not 3 - refuse & rot in addition to reduce, reuse, recycle. Eliminating/reducing food waste drives weekly menu planning. I use stainless steel straws at home. I preserve garden produce - tomatoes, beans, carrots, kale, rhubarb, raspberries, foraged fruit (saskatoons). I consolidate errands/appointments to reduce mileage and fuel consumption. Driving the speed limit also helps. The thermostat is always turned down at night in winter months and there is a wood-burning stove. The house is closed up in the day to reduce summer heating and opened up at night to cool off. I've thought about solar and wind energy but haven't gotten serious about it yet. Yes, every little bit helps.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing all the right things. We have some reusable bags in the back of our car, but I don't always think about taking them in. I need to make more of an effort with the 5 R's for sure. My daughter has bought some of the steel straws and like them.
DeleteFirst time commenting on your blog :)
ReplyDeleteWe recycle, but like another commenter said, I think a lot of what is recycled ends up in the landfill here in Phoenix.
We went solar 3 years ago and regretted not doing it earlier. Figuring out what we pay for leasing the solar panels and what we pay to the electric company for those months we use more electricity than we produce (summers in Phoenix are brutally hot and the air conditioner runs almost 24/7) we found that we paid less than half of what we paid when we didn't have solar to the electric company that constantly raises its prices (our solar lease payments don't change and in fact go down at year 10 of our 20 year lease). A lot of people here are switching to solar for this reason but our electric company is catching out and lowering how much they pay for the energy you generate. We were grandfathered in at a rate that won't change on what they pay us but they are paying less these days than previously.
betty
Thanks for your first time commenting! Solar power interests me but I have always wondered about the initial costs. Sounds like it is working well for you, way to go!
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