Green living - Top 10 wild ways to go green - |Green Forum|

darenliving · 07-13-2009, 05:15 AM

Green Lovers....welcome to my thread.

Here are the Top 10 wild ways to go green. I’ll start and you jump in for smiles and giggles.

1. Child eco-powered vehicles– are you forever running your kids from place to place and want to try and cut down on your carbon footprint? Why not put a cycle rack on top of your car and then attach a chain to the axle! The kids get exercise, you get to make sure they arrive safely from the comfort of the car and the whole thing is better for the environment – it’s a win-win situation.taiwansolarcar1

2. Annual bathing – if it was good enough in medieval times why can’t it be good enough now? The savings in water will be huge, not to mention the money saving benefits that will come from the drastic decline in your social life. Americans like to bathe a lot. We’re bath crazy. Although you may not believe me, you don’t need to bathe everyday. A couple times a week is good enough to keep you healthy. (If you are very physically active or work in the sewers/morgue/infectious disease ward, you are probably an exception.)

3. Forget fair-trade, source it yourself – if you want to ensure that products you buy are really ethical then what better way then compiling your own list of producers and sourcing everything direct from the point of origin? From fruit and veg to shoes and socks, you’ll be paying retail prices so the producers get an even better deal. Of course some producers may object to the paperwork and insist you buy in wholesale quantities, but hey, you can never have too many bananas!

4. Become a hermit – if even ethically sourcing everything yourself seems to resource intensive then why not shun worldly possessions altogether, live in a cave and eat what you can forage? You can’t get much closer to nature than that! You may cause a few pollution incidents in the early days as you learn which berries and fungi are good to eat, but at least you’ll have plenty of peace and quiet to recover.

5. Coat your house in tin foil – When all else fails there are always geo-engineering options. By coating your house and garden in tin foil you can reflect more of the Sun’s energy back in to space, thus reducing the global temperature and helping to reverse climate change.

OK LETS GET MORE PRACTICAL FOR THOSE WHO THINK I’M ON DRUGS

6. Eat Over the Sink
If you hand wash dishes, then you may waste more water washing a cup than you drink from it. Save water by eating your sandwich, toaster waffle or chicken strips over the sink.

7. If It’s Yellow Let it Mellow
It takes about 3 gallons of water to flush a toilet. If you don’t flush every time you pee, you’ll save three gallons per pit stop. And, Pee Outside. That’s right. You can save three gallons of water by urinating on the earth we’re all trying to save.

8. Do Laundry Less
You can wear your clothes two or three times before you need to wash them. When I was younger I would wash my clothes when they started to itch. ewwwwwww….isn’t that kind of repelling. Hey…c’mon work with me here, that’s how I knew they were ready.

Learn more about green living

Harry · 07-16-2009, 12:19 AM

Great ideas. As a college student, I am constantly staggered by the amount of paper and materials teachers and students use on a daily basis. Encouraging students and especially teachers/instructors to be environmentally conscious is important--especially seeing as this would also teach younger generations to carry forth the same ideals.

Livingfriendly · 08-11-2009, 01:03 PM

Those really are some good suggestions, though a little wild like you said lol.

Just spending more time outdoors is a pretty eco friendly practice also. I try to engender this belief in my kids since I heard about the study the Ad Council recently did which stated kids spend about 50% less time outdoors than they had 20 years ago.

Kids and adults who experience/respect nature will be more inclined to protect it.

The Forest Service has a campaign called "Where the Other You Lives" which is using a series of PSAs and a website to get parents and children outdoors, experiencing nature and using their imaginations, which to me bespeaks a greener lifestyle.

energymap · 08-19-2009, 08:21 AM

these are some of the good suggestions about the whole topic. people need to follow these points for better results.

Wind Energy

Livingfriendly · 10-13-2009, 09:36 AM

The U.S. Forest service has updated their campaign for getting kids outdoors. They now have a contest to reward children who depict their experiences in nature.

Check out the site here.

theultragenius · 10-30-2009, 05:19 AM

LOL! thanks for the suggestions Daren, love yr sense of humor. & they're great ideas too.

We have water shortage problems in Australia.

- Washing with a bucket on the floor in the shower collects alot of the run off, this water that can be used for the garden and indoor plants.

- Can also be empited into the washing machine. Or used into the toilet for flushing.

- Putting a brick or two in yr toilet will also reduce the amount used with each flush.

NinaGabriel · 11-17-2009, 10:10 AM

Ahahaha I laughed for real on these suggestions! That "annual bathing" is really something huh? But I doubt Americans, or any country with colder climates, are really that bath crazy compared to countries found near the equator or tropical ones. Tropical climate is more humid, hotter than normal therefore people tend to take baths more than usual.

I agree with theultragenius in that you can displace some of the water in the tank so it doesn't use that much to flush. But these are the old toilet bowls. The newer ones will flush just as good with even less water.

Bruinnguyen · 11-25-2009, 01:27 PM

haha tip #4: become a hermit and no possessions....

I don't know that might be a hard one for me since I do love my electronic gadgets like my iPhone.

I was going to mention that I think its great that shopping is going green. For example, Walmart's Make It @ Home, a website with cooking demos and free recipes, has just launched a free iphone app.

Its a paperless shopping list app for iphone and ipod touch for users to create and save customizable grocery shopping lists. Haha and you can email or load the list you made on the website to another person's phone if they have the app also. So YOU CAN STAY A HERMIT and have someone else get food for you! LOL

People should check it out on the walmart make it@home site. I think this is exciting and I don't have to worry about paper anymore.

ArtisanGal · 01-15-2010, 08:25 AM

Great tips! Don't know about eating over the sink, though. I think food needs to be savored.

KPaulson · 01-15-2010, 10:08 AM

Don't forget to do what most of us are doing right now....get EDUCATED! If you know how many gallons it takes to flush a toilet, then you will think twice next time. If you know your computer uses energy when it is sitting idle then you will know to turn it off! Simply, keep educating yourself & those around you.

michellek · 01-23-2010, 11:06 AM

Everyone has great ideas and some funny ones! LOL I also believe the best way to go green is to be educated and do your research. Know all your options. Good Luck going green everyone!

Green Cleaning Mom · 02-11-2010, 04:20 PM

Clean with vinegar and baking soda. You can do your whole house!

07-13-2009, 05:15 AM	#1
darenliving Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1	Green living - Top 10 wild ways to go green Green Lovers....welcome to my thread. Here are the Top 10 wild ways to go green. I’ll start and you jump in for smiles and giggles. 1. Child eco-powered vehicles– are you forever running your kids from place to place and want to try and cut down on your carbon footprint? Why not put a cycle rack on top of your car and then attach a chain to the axle! The kids get exercise, you get to make sure they arrive safely from the comfort of the car and the whole thing is better for the environment – it’s a win-win situation.taiwansolarcar1 2. Annual bathing – if it was good enough in medieval times why can’t it be good enough now? The savings in water will be huge, not to mention the money saving benefits that will come from the drastic decline in your social life. Americans like to bathe a lot. We’re bath crazy. Although you may not believe me, you don’t need to bathe everyday. A couple times a week is good enough to keep you healthy. (If you are very physically active or work in the sewers/morgue/infectious disease ward, you are probably an exception.) 3. Forget fair-trade, source it yourself – if you want to ensure that products you buy are really ethical then what better way then compiling your own list of producers and sourcing everything direct from the point of origin? From fruit and veg to shoes and socks, you’ll be paying retail prices so the producers get an even better deal. Of course some producers may object to the paperwork and insist you buy in wholesale quantities, but hey, you can never have too many bananas! 4. Become a hermit – if even ethically sourcing everything yourself seems to resource intensive then why not shun worldly possessions altogether, live in a cave and eat what you can forage? You can’t get much closer to nature than that! You may cause a few pollution incidents in the early days as you learn which berries and fungi are good to eat, but at least you’ll have plenty of peace and quiet to recover. 5. Coat your house in tin foil – When all else fails there are always geo-engineering options. By coating your house and garden in tin foil you can reflect more of the Sun’s energy back in to space, thus reducing the global temperature and helping to reverse climate change. OK LETS GET MORE PRACTICAL FOR THOSE WHO THINK I’M ON DRUGS 6. Eat Over the Sink If you hand wash dishes, then you may waste more water washing a cup than you drink from it. Save water by eating your sandwich, toaster waffle or chicken strips over the sink. 7. If It’s Yellow Let it Mellow It takes about 3 gallons of water to flush a toilet. If you don’t flush every time you pee, you’ll save three gallons per pit stop. And, Pee Outside. That’s right. You can save three gallons of water by urinating on the earth we’re all trying to save. 8. Do Laundry Less You can wear your clothes two or three times before you need to wash them. When I was younger I would wash my clothes when they started to itch. ewwwwwww….isn’t that kind of repelling. Hey…c’mon work with me here, that’s how I knew they were ready. Learn more about green living

11-25-2009, 01:27 PM	#8
Bruinnguyen Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 2	Conserve with electronic shopping list haha tip #4: become a hermit and no possessions.... I don't know that might be a hard one for me since I do love my electronic gadgets like my iPhone. I was going to mention that I think its great that shopping is going green. For example, Walmart's Make It @ Home, a website with cooking demos and free recipes, has just launched a free iphone app. Its a paperless shopping list app for iphone and ipod touch for users to create and save customizable grocery shopping lists. Haha and you can email or load the list you made on the website to another person's phone if they have the app also. So YOU CAN STAY A HERMIT and have someone else get food for you! LOL People should check it out on the walmart make it@home site. I think this is exciting and I don't have to worry about paper anymore.

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07-16-2009, 12:19 AM	#2
Harry Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 6	Great ideas. As a college student, I am constantly staggered by the amount of paper and materials teachers and students use on a daily basis. Encouraging students and especially teachers/instructors to be environmentally conscious is important--especially seeing as this would also teach younger generations to carry forth the same ideals.

08-11-2009, 01:03 PM	#3
Livingfriendly Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 8	Those really are some good suggestions, though a little wild like you said lol. Just spending more time outdoors is a pretty eco friendly practice also. I try to engender this belief in my kids since I heard about the study the Ad Council recently did which stated kids spend about 50% less time outdoors than they had 20 years ago. Kids and adults who experience/respect nature will be more inclined to protect it. The Forest Service has a campaign called "Where the Other You Lives" which is using a series of PSAs and a website to get parents and children outdoors, experiencing nature and using their imaginations, which to me bespeaks a greener lifestyle.

08-19-2009, 08:21 AM	#4
energymap Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	these are some of the good suggestions about the whole topic. people need to follow these points for better results. Wind Energy

10-13-2009, 09:36 AM	#5
Livingfriendly Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 8	The U.S. Forest service has updated their campaign for getting kids outdoors. They now have a contest to reward children who depict their experiences in nature. Check out the site here.

10-30-2009, 05:19 AM	#6
theultragenius Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pacific Rim, Australia Posts: 4	LOL! thanks for the suggestions Daren, love yr sense of humor. & they're great ideas too. We have water shortage problems in Australia. - Washing with a bucket on the floor in the shower collects alot of the run off, this water that can be used for the garden and indoor plants. - Can also be empited into the washing machine. Or used into the toilet for flushing. - Putting a brick or two in yr toilet will also reduce the amount used with each flush.

11-17-2009, 10:10 AM	#7
NinaGabriel Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Georgetown Posts: 7	Ahahaha I laughed for real on these suggestions! That "annual bathing" is really something huh? But I doubt Americans, or any country with colder climates, are really that bath crazy compared to countries found near the equator or tropical ones. Tropical climate is more humid, hotter than normal therefore people tend to take baths more than usual. I agree with theultragenius in that you can displace some of the water in the tank so it doesn't use that much to flush. But these are the old toilet bowls. The newer ones will flush just as good with even less water.

01-15-2010, 08:25 AM	#9
ArtisanGal Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 7	Great tips! Don't know about eating over the sink, though. I think food needs to be savored.

01-15-2010, 10:08 AM	#10
KPaulson Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 13	Don't forget to do what most of us are doing right now....get EDUCATED! If you know how many gallons it takes to flush a toilet, then you will think twice next time. If you know your computer uses energy when it is sitting idle then you will know to turn it off! Simply, keep educating yourself & those around you.

01-23-2010, 11:06 AM	#11
michellek Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 3	Everyone has great ideas and some funny ones! LOL I also believe the best way to go green is to be educated and do your research. Know all your options. Good Luck going green everyone!

02-11-2010, 04:20 PM	#12
Green Cleaning Mom Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	Clean with vinegar and baking soda. You can do your whole house!