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How important is "green living" to you?
Posted by kristilinauer • 2/19/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: Environmentally Friendly, green design, interior decorating, interior design
And what PRACTICAL steps are you taking to live "green"?
I hear this term being thrown around quite a bit, but in my line of work, I really don't see much action. People may SAY that they want to be more environmentally conscious, but then every single client wants to use granite countertops, high-energy products, and other non-sustainable products. I find, when it really comes down to it, they're not concerned with "green living" in the least.
How about you?
User Comments
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I live in a green house. My car is green, all my clothes are green.
Hey, does it worth?? apparently not.. *ROFL* -
Wow...this discussion is receiving about as much enthusiasm as I get from my clients when I suggest anything environmentally friendly!
I'm usually met with a blank stare, and then they go on to tell me all of the non-sustainable products they have on their wishlist.
Here's my take...I think that environmental responsibility is something we expect...actually DEMAND...from our politicians and other "officials", but it's not something that most of us are willing to take responsibility for on an individual basis--at least that's the attitude I perceive here in the U.S. I know there are some countries that are doing an outstanding job in this area. -
Well, maybe it's not enough but I usually take my own shopping bag when I go shopping and try not to use plastic bags from the shop. Separate rubbish, wipe the oil from pans and dishes before washing them, not to keep water running while washing myself when I'm having shower, only that kind of basic stuff... I feel like I should be doing more. :-)-
At least you're doing SOMETHING. That's great!
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I thrift or buy secondhand a good 85% of the things I buy (not counting groceries). I also redo curbside furniture. Otherwise, I try to recycle as much as I can, and am currently working on a craft project involving recycled materials. -
I really should try to be more "green". However, I can't help but think that some of the whole environmentally friendly movement is just a marketing ploy for certain companies. I mean, if Global Warming can put Al Gore of all people back in the spotlight making millions of dollars again, anything is possible. I'm just a bit weary about what's actually worthwhile to the environment, or what products are labeled "green" for a quick cash in for a particular demographic.-
I agree that it can be confusing. And so often, you'll learn that a product that's "green" in one sense is also harmful in another way.
The spirally light bulbs are an example of that. Yes, they use considerably less energy, and therefore save electricity and money. On the other hand, they contain mercury and are supposed to be disposed of properly--not simply thrown away where they will end up in land fills and could possibly have an adverse affect on the environment, ground water, etc. I have yet to meet a person who refrains from throwing them away with their regular trash.
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I think the problem with "green living" is that, in a consumer society like ours, achieving any level of "green living" inhibits economic growth and prohibits people from acquiring the products they want and need.
-Robert
flimjo.com -
Flimjo what you just said is nonsense. It does not prohibit you from buying the products you want, they are just more expensive and you have to buy less of them. It costs more to buy a hybrid car initially, it costs more to buy all natural fiber clothing, and it costs more to buy organic. However, it really is a choice. It is a choice between having less and much better and a lot of junk which you probably don't need. It is expensive to live green, but you end up with a better quality life.
In practical terms, it does not necessarily mean buying organic, but more natural products, less junk food-- that means more fruits, vegetables, brown bread, cleaner meats if you eat meat. It means using public transportationn more and walking more. The greenest form of tranaportation is your two feet,
It means buying a hybrid car or using your car less. It means
being conscious about your energy use, turning off the lights when you are
not in the rooms, insulating your windows, insulating your house, making choices
on whether you want to buy solar panels, or put money into paying more for
your energy bills so there is more wind energy used. It means reading the
labels on your clothes to see that they are made from mostly natural fibers.
It means paying attention to the furniture you buy and buying stuff made out of
wood and bamboo instead of plastic preferably from managed forestry.
A lot of it is about quality over quantity. Do you prefer to buy from your
local farmers market or the supermarket? Some people who care about where
the products they come from and like natural things are probably more green
than people trying to live a green lifestyle.
It means buying durable steel flatware and real plates over throwaway
paper plates and plastic forks.
It also means in the public sphere supporting parks and greenspace over
highways and shopping malls. It means being willing to ask for pedestrian
walkways, bike lanes, and mass transit (light rail) over more highways.
A lot of what you think of as being green being touted by environmentalists
isn't.-
I am not sure what you mean by "nonsense." In fact, what I said is very true.
Some of it might be a choice, but a lot of it isn't. People who don't buy hybrid cars because they're more expensive aren't making a "choice." They're forced to buy a regular car because they can't afford the hybrid one. That, in turn, results in fewer car sales. Auto manufacturers then have to cut expenses to make up the difference (i.e., they cut JOBS). The result? More unemployment and a bogged-down economy.
Likewise, people who don't buy organic food often don't buy it before it's more expensive. More often than not, that isn't a "choice." If someone makes $35,000/year, that person is going to manage his or her finances economically and not spend a fortune on organic food. By saving money, that person will have more money to spend or invest in other areas. That's good for the economy.
I'm also sure non-plastic products and the natural furniture you mention is probably more expensive. When manufacturers are forced (or intimidated) by government regulation and special interest groups to make natural or organic products, the cost of those products gets passed on to the consumer. The result is that we, the people, have to spend more money to get a product that does exactly the same thing that the non-organic product did. We then have less money to spend or invest in other areas. And when we can't buy these organic products due to their high cost, companies have to cut jobs to make up the difference. Moreover, because the U.S. is unilaterally imposing these types of restrictions on itself, it stays behind while the global economy (countries like China and India that do not impose these restrictions) takes off.
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i don't do as much as i'd like in terms of purchasing better products because of limited finances... but i do squeeze every bit of life out of what i already own & refrain from purchasing new products whenever possible, which i think can be just as helpful in "going green" as a consumer.
sarah
sarahspy.blogspot.com -
I think it is extremely important. I try to do as much as I can (even though in comparison to what needs to be done it can feel like very little). This is the only home we've got, we have no choice but to take care of it. -
In all the communities in Austria we've got a working garbage seperation and recycling system. Plastic to plastic, oil to oil etc. This turned out to be even profitable for some entrepreneurs who work together with the communities.
Personally?
We live in 'the green'.
Reuse stuff, avoid pollutions contaminations, try to give certain animals a place to settle down and feel comfortable.
Of course: 'living green' is a daily challenge.
And we are far from being perfect. -
I recycle but that is about the extent of it. -
If it costs more and requires you to buy less, the total amount spent on goods remains the same. The contribution effectively is equivalent in the economic sense because you are paying the same amount of money.
If you think about it this way. If you think about this way in terms of spending dollars and sense, you may have bought less, but you spent the same amount of money.
This is further made clear by the idea of producing more being better. To produce more agri-business is heavily subsidized creating false prices for goods.
There are no subsidies for organic produce or locally produced products. As far as organic products being more expensive or natural products being more expensive. I have actually found that if I go to my local produce stand that it is considerably cheaper to buy tomatoes, cucumber, and many other vegetables than if I go to the supermarket. There are less middlemen so the cost savings gets passed on to me. It may not be organic, but it is locally produced. The same goes for if I went to a food cooperative which buys from the distributors. It has been in my experience cheaper than the supermarket.
Here is another one to call you on. If you are buying an SUV instead of a hybrid which is cheaper. Hybrids may be more expensive initially, but with scale the price goes down. The other thing to consider is if the hybrid is locally produced it creates more jobs, even if less are bought. To produce a hybrid based economy massive investment to build new factories would need to be put in place creating many new jobs. Also, it is not just hybrids that will be coming out it is E85 vehicles which there are several million on the rodes.
New technology creates new jobs. The oil industry is a mature industry and requires very few people to run refineries and install new equipment. To create a more efficient greener economy would require massive investment, whole new industries would need to be created. In order to do this, we could not rely on China and India to make our goods. We would be using the latest technology to create high quality new manufacturing jobs in the United States not elsewhere. If you are watching closely, jobs are fleeing the United States to places where manufacturing is cheaper. We really have a choice, more expensive manufacturing jobs at home with higher quality goods that employ Americans, or service jobs which rely on a flood of foreign produced cheap goods
to be sent to us via big box stores.
I have made a conscious choice to not buy cheap goods, to buy more expensive locally produced materials because the price is job loss, environmental degradation, loss of manufacturing jobs to foreign competitition, and a litany of falsehoods fed to me everyday. NAFTA has not created the benefits which we envisioned for the United States.
Another falsehood which comes up is that public transportation and walking is not cheaper than driving. Trains are considerably cheaper than driving, so are bicycles, and walking.
In many cases buying regular plates and steel flatware is cheaper in the long run than buying disposable plates and plastic ware. Over a period of six months or so you have paid for your flatware and plates and do not have to continually buy new ones.-
Yes, you have good points.
"I have made a conscious choice to not buy cheap goods...".
With some 'cheap things' you can actually spend more money in the long run than with buying quality stuff.
Just for an example:
Tools and shoes.
If he/she gets cheap shoes and tools,
he/she might use them just for one day ... and then
they are 'kaputt'. -
I agree.
If you really choose what & which one to buy, it would be less likely to be a "junk" in a short period of time.
There's a tendency in people that they buy it because they are cheap, not because they really want it or need it. This kind of concept would certainly create more "junk"...
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China and India are bad examples of countries to emulate economically. Do we want to enjoy the same standard of living they do. We see a neighborhood building a house and we are fascinated by how quickly it is built. However, we are not looking at the economies which have the nicest houses as examples of the way to run our country. If we take standard of living as a measure of having your house in order. Iceland, Japan, Sweden, Australia and a number of other countries are enjoying a considerably higher standard of living than the United States. We have turned around and are looking behind us to see how we should run our economy. We have to question why many countries use half the amount of energy which we do and still enjoy a higher standard of living than the United States. I am not interested in seeing our country run backwards at the behest of those who are in charge. By the way, the countries with the highest standards of living are not laissez faire systems in the slightest bit.
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Green living is extremely important to us. The hardest part is figuring out how to do it with ease. We have started the exercise of mapping every "touch point" in our life that is resource intensive in an attempt to strive towards a state of equilibrium (giving as much as we take). For example, do you drink coffee every day? What do you use for a cup? Do you bank? Are you doing paperless statements? Do you host a blog? Are you using a renewable provider? How many of you run the faucet to clean a fork or possibly wet your toothbrush? There are many ways to begin to adjust your everyday patterns to become more conscious of the impact of your habits. Keep a list of every activity and then start to adjust...as I look over to dual monitors where one is powered on but unused.-
In light of this, do you think it is more about corporations discarding environmentally unfriendly business practices and products than consumers choosing green products?
We can all make a difference by being more socially responsible consumers: recycling, reusing, reducing, & buying green and fair trade products/gifts. I try to make ethical purchasing decisions as much as I can.
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I think 'Living Green' is mostly a feel good catch phase thats hot in the PC community.
town-n-country.blogspot.com -
well I put forth an effort and know I could do more. And yes it is true thier are many companies exploiting the word "green" and all natural, etc., charging us more for the product and in reality it is not really as "green" as they say. However I use my favorite brand of cleaning cleaning and I think I am doing my part to at least protect our water and my family's health. hope you can check out my blog Creating a Healthy Home -
"Green" has become a byword for just cutting down on paper or other waste in businesses. It's just another business slogan anymore.
But it does nothing to erase the carbon footprint or to restore ecosystems. When it comes down to it, the entire social order isn't conducive to the poorer classes doing their part because they can't expend the money to move ahead in this direction even if they are better in the long run by doing so.
Just reducing carbon emissions isn't what I call "green." I call "green" producing more oxygen than CO2 and restoring wetlands and plankton. I call "green" energy farming through the use of wind, solar, and tidal sources and integrating them with desalinization and hydrogen production without the use of fossil fuels. -
I have considerably reduced my water usage. My parents are in the process of planting a lawn that requires no watering, fertilizing or mowing and increases biodiversity. My apartment patio is filled to bursting with edible, organically-grown plants. I work from home and have a recycling exchange with my clients so that they take what they can recycle and drop off what they can't, taking advantage of different communities' recycling laws. I buy all my energy from a 100% renewable energy source. I drive only two days a week and carpool wherever possible and always schedule all my grocery shopping and errands on those two trips. I have a fireplace and use it responsibly--shredded documents for tinder; windfalls for fuel that would otherwise go in landfills, and only when there is a cold snap that would otherwise require me to turn on my heat. I cook in large batches and freeze what I won't eat immediately. I sew a large portion of my clothing using only natural fibers, organic where possible but otherwise remaindered fabric, and reuse and repurpose everything my active imagination will let me. I use electronic billing and scheduling for my clients. I recapture rainwater (yes, even in an apartment). I have increased the insulation in my apartment so that my heating bills are less and grow houseplants which have been proven in NASA studies to filter toxins from the air. I use only chalk, baking soda and vinegar to clean my house, and I make my own soap and cosmetics.
That may not be green enough for some people but I hope that I am making a small difference.
Oh, yes, and I go to all those "click to donate" sites and have so far raised enough money to plant almost 200 trees, saved acres of forest, donated thousands of cups of clean water, hundreds of pounds of food, hours of medical care, etc.-
That makes a great difference, geeky-pie!
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Forgot to say that those CFLs go in the hazardous recycling along with electronics and batteries.
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I do as much as I can to be "green".
I take the bus to work, I recycle, I use biodegradable products where possible, I shop at LUSH for most of my bath and shower items, and I'm an energy conserver. -
It's important enough that I make a cursory effort (i.e. recycling) but not important enough that I did up my own alfalfa sprouts out of my back yard which were composted by my own crap or anything like that. -
Conserving the planet should be a priority of everyone. Digesting new energy concepts should be the way to discover (for our future)
www.twitterchatroom.com -
I read this thread last week and have been thinking about this topic a lot lately. Particularly, I've been thinking about people who can't afford the fancy "green" products advertised or organic produce. I finally posted on this topic today on my blog,-
Green products actually have long term savings as they are often far more effective and efficient. Organic produce is expensive because it reflects the actual price of production, but factory farmed produce is actually not cheap. It's heavily subsidized by the government and the methods used to produce it verges on insanity.
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Green! Schmean! Nuts.
A waste of time and energy. I pay absolutely no attention to these zany appeals to so-called "Green" Utopia-building.
With all the BIG troubles in the world--one about to be overcome with the greatest Depresssion ever, a U.S. about to be invaded by Drug Lords from Mexico, about to be terrorized on the streets by the Islamic extremists, etc., who has time to think about "green remedies" to anything at all?-
I am a Green architect and the truth is, little changes in our everyday lives can make a big difference. AND green building makes a huge impact on the amount of raw materials and energy consumed every year.
And the OP hasn't been by Blog Catalog in three months and isn't reading this anyway.
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I purchase recycable products.
I usually buy cotton, wool and other similar fabrics.
I do not purchase fur and would never.
I purchase organic, farm raised or free range chickens and eggs.
If I buy fish it's wild and not that disgusting farm raised fish where the same fish are enclosed in one area, eating and shitting in the same isolated water. Disgusting.
I am always looking out for free energy sources, making my own electricity if possible,
solar energy or solar panels.
My electric company is now offering wind energy and I will be looking into switching to wind or solar if possible.
Right now I own a condo but later I am selling off this baby for a regular home and then I will be updating it with solar panels if possible. I'm always open but I am doing it mainly for me and the environment and not for big brother, mainly because I do like to live a kind of independent and self serving or self efficient life without too much reliance on someone else. -
It is a really simple formula actually, and it applies to pretty much all comsummerism. Make is cost effective and easy and people will do it. Alot of so called "green" products are not terribly cost effective or easy therefore the masses just don't bother.
If you want people to actually believe in your cause you're going to luck out, only a limited percentage of people will become believers in any given cause, no matter if it is good/bad/ugly. Alot of poeple will say they believe in this that or the other but that is as far as it will go, active believers are typically small in number until it becomes easy and affordable.-
I think you have hit the nail on the head. Many people I know, both here and in the US, are struggling to get by financially and don't see any light at the ends of their tunnels. Pennies make a difference to them and my experience with many "green" products is that they cost more...and that puts them out of reach of people for whom a few pennies makes a difference. Furthermore, I have found that quality is not always there in the green or recycled products, particularly in such things as paper and plastic goods. I tried our local "green" garbage bags only to have them split when filled with discards...rather pointless and ultimately MUCH more costly then the conventional ones.
If green advocates think we "should" be willing to pay more for inferior products in order to "save the planet," they need to adjust their thinking from "starry-eyed" to "reality." The planet, sad to say, comes second to keeping the electricity on, the cupboards full, and the kids clothed. When the amount of income is so small that pennies count (and more and more people are finding themselves in that condition), welfare of the immediate family comes ahead of all else...the planet included.
If you green advocates really want to get people in your corner, you need to come up with economical alternatives (of equal quality) to conventional goods. Otherwise, in a tightening economy, you are likely going to see regression as more and more people make choice based on economy rather than ideology. -
Totally! I'm also really disappointed in the amount of propaganda and rhetoric the "green" movement spouts that is wholly based on opinoin. For some reason many seem to think being vegatarian is more "green" then eating meat. They also think that if it's "natural" it must be more green then synthetic and that just isn't always the case. The whole "organic" movement is just a joke.
I'm all for being enviromentally friends don't get me wrong, but alot of what is being preached is nothing more then propaganda being repeated with little actual knowledge behind it. Stamp a recycle symbol on something and well it just must be green....
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I feel pretty discouraged in general, because - like many other posters - I recognise that almost every aspect of our society necessitates so much waste, however I do a lot within the framework of my urban Western life.
I walk almost everywhere, and when I have to go in a vehicle, I take transit. I do laundry and dishes during the night, when the drain on the power grid is less. I use water conservation fixtures. I am a vegetarian. When I buy a single-serve beverage, I re-use the cup as a poop scooper for my dog. I buy low-packaging food. I only buy what I really need. I re-use as much as possible of what I buy that's meant to be disposable, and I recycle everything else. I buy second-hand clothes and I repair as much as possible of my electronics and appliances before replacing them. When I eat take-out, I bring my own dishes (I know that it's a trade-off, water to wash them vs garbage, but water is plentiful where I live while landfill space is not). I turn off the water while I'm brushing my teeth, and I close the fridge while I'm pouring myself a water. I rarely take baths, only showers. I use biodegradable cleaners. I compress my garbage so it takes up less room. I donate and receive stuff on freecycle and craigslist rather than throwing away or buying new. I compost what I can in the planter boxes of my apartment. I collect grocery bags from my neighbours to use rather than buying them.
Areas where I could do better but don't: I am not great about turning off lights. I wash a lot of laundry in hot water. I keep my water heater at top temp all the time. I will never switch to fluorescent lights - if my government follows through on banning incandescent, I'll order them over the internet. I don't have a proper apartment composter.-
I actually wonder if compressing garbage is a good thing. It may take up less space true, but things that have been that compacted take even longer to break down.
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@becthomasphotograp: That's where regionality comes into play. In my area, we're using rich farmland as landfill; when we may need that land in the near future to be regionally self-sufficient, whether the garbage takes 32,000 years to decompose or 35,000 years becomes less important than how much space is being used.
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I drive an SUV with a 4.3 litre V-8 engine. I also use less than one tank of petrol per month because I do my driving intelligently: when I go out to shop, I make an efficient "circle" of the route, ending up back at home. I don't drive every day and unless we need the cargo space of the SUV, we take Hubby's little gas-sipping sports car when we go out. Why an SUV? Well, Saturday we went to a farmer's market...at a farm...and needed the 4WD to get in and out of the parking. We own rental property and have a large garden...we'd never get ladders and lawnmowers and other such things moved from one property to another in the sports car. We have family that visits regularly from another city...we need something big enough to carry them and their luggage in from the airport, and to hold at least 5 people for getting around. We own 4 dogs (three of them are rescues)...how do you get 4 dogs to the vet, to the beach for walkies, to the groomers...without a vehicle of size?
Grocery bags in this country are biodegradable by law, but I use cloth. I buy the "green" products but if they don't perform, I don't buy them again. I belong to Freecycle and before I discard anything I offer it to my maid, my friends, and try to Freecycle it. We dry outside when possible, but tumble for a few minutes for softness. When we must use the dryer, I have a "condenser" dryer that extracts the water and deposits it in a container that can be emptied...that water is used for houseplants.
My pool has a cover, my water heater has a blanket, my roof is insulated. My husband has a reverse commute and drives a small, relatively fuel efficient sports car. We are planning to put solar water heaters at the rental, but the cost will put us in the red on te property for years to come...but it will reduce our electric bill.
The thing is, I am affluent. I can afford to put in solar hot water, I can afford to buy a new car with less emissions, I can afford to buy more mostly "green" products and discard them if they don't work for me. OTHER PEOPLE CANNOT.
Bottom line is, it just costs too damned much and fewer and fewer people can afford the extra bucks...increasingly, people are faced with survival level choices which just eliminates more costly green products from consideration. If the greenies want the rest of us to take them seriously, then solar hot water heaters should cost NO MORE than replacing a conventional one (mine burst last year and the cost to go solar was EIGHT TIMES the cost of replacing the conventional...guess which I chose?) and other green products should be no more costly than conventional.
In all things, immediate survival issues will trump the more esoteric, less immediate (and personal) issues. Maslow's hierarchy says it all...until most of us are off those bottom two layers, "green" isn't going anywhere very fast.
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@becthomasphotograp, my understanding is that eating meat DOES contribute to global warming. There is plenty of research on the topic. Google away.
I'm speaking as a meat eater, btw, so I don't have a vegetarian agenda! -
the green environment is necessary for us, especially for human life is far more healthy and to handle global warming
wwww.solarpanelgreenenergy.com -
I try on a daily basis to really make good choices for the environment. We recycle everything here, and compost what we can. Using a programmable thermostat, watering our lawn only at night (not when the sun is out). Of course using my handmade reusable shopping bags and coffee sleeves (no plastic or cardboard to recycle). -
I try to live as "green" as possible; however systems are structured in such a way as to almost defeat the attempt. Recycling out where I live is patchy, and public transport is so awful as to be impractical. I do try to keep energy use low, and to use an efficient car, but this doesn't seem like nearly enough.
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I see this has been a hot subject for a long time and will continue for even longer. We all don't do enough for the environmet.But every little bet helps. In the west here we are looking in to getting of the grid,but it's not easy.We recycle compost, and any thing else we can think of. But It is all personal choice, and most people don't want too. Have a great day and stay green.
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There are many little things you can do for cheap or free, and very easily. There's a lot of talk about buying all the fancy green stuff and not being able to afford it, etc. but I think there's a flaw to this logic... Consuming *anything* creates waste. Even the green stuff. So wouldn't it logically be better to consume as little as possible, and thereby create as little waste as possible, rather than focusing on what *kind* of new stuff we should buy?
Bring your own bag when you go shopping instead of buying the little plastic or paper bags.
Use cloth napkins that you can wash instead of paper napkins when you eat or clean.
If you buy cheaper foodstuffs, try to buy the one with the least packaging. (I hate stuff like cookies wrapped in plastic, wrapped in a carton, surrounded by plastic, with stickers on them... Just the one layer would be enough!)
Don't buy bottles of water if at all possible. Spring water is not necessarily better than your tap water. (depends on your tap water, obviously, but many bottled waters have been shown to be just as crappy as tap water. Sometimes it actually IS tapwater put in a bottle.)
Ride a bike or walk instead of driving everywhere.
Turn off the lights if you don't need them.
Get green electricity if possible. At least here in Sweden, electricity from wind or hydro power isn't really more expensive than nuclear or coal power.
Recycle and reuse as much as you can. I don't know about at your place, but here that's completely free.
If you go work out, you could buy a fancy unbreakable water bottle to put water in, or you could reuse an empty soda bottle. I know plenty of people would rather buy the fancy bottle, but that's not about cost or effort anymore, it's just vanity... -
It is all about the little things - no one can live a life that does not impact the planet in some way - however it important that we really think about our choices and do everything we can to help in small ways. Together we can make a difference. -
I actually made an algae CO2 scrubber. Grew some green algae in a big bottle, then got a tiny aquarium air pump to blow air through the water/algae mass. Supposedly, the algae eat CO2 and the air that comes out of the bottle has more oxygen and less CO2 in it.
Thing is, I don't have any CO2-meter thingy to measure with, so I have no clue if it's working. But hey, it looks cool...
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