What's Your Best Green Tip?

[Kem]

What's your best tip for living green and saving green?  Mine is definitely gradually changing from standard light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.  Even though CFLs cost a little more initially, they last so much longer and I love not having the hassle of changing and purchasing bulbs frequently.  Plus, we have less waste in our house since we aren't constantly throwing out used bulbs.  Share your best Live Green Save Green tip by responding to this discussion!  We'll all get some new ideas on what has worked for others . . .

[Michael Jurca]

I have been considering doing this too, but I have a concern about the disposal problem this is going to create in the long run. You can't just toss the CFLs out because when they get broken the Mercury will get released into the atmosphere. These bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them.

The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or they'll break in the trucks. Workers and Us may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens.

[Kem]

Intersting, Michael -- thanks for bringing this up. I'll be looking forward to finding out more about the disposal issues. Like so many conservation dilemmas, I suppose solving one problem creates another.

[Carla Myers]

During the month of April I made a commitment to remove the cleaning and laundry chemicals from my home. I was sure this was going to cost a fortune and dreaded learning to implement new cleaning procedures. Wrong - I came upon a line of products that were less expensive than the "grocery store" cleaning supplies. The products are plant based, highly concentrated and chemical free! If you want to change your health and improve the environment there is a way - naturally. Contact me for a chat about the products of you are interested.

[M. Vonderheide]

We keep a small bucket in the shower to catch the cold water as it warms up. We use this to flush the toilet.

[Dan]

There are so many which are simple to do and cost nothing or next to nothing, its hard to know where to start.

About 2 years ago we started to collect both energy and cldean water savings folks use in their home and came up with our free collection of energy and water savings tips, currently exceeding 530, of which:

- 440+ are simple and easy to do
- 300+ cost absolutely no money
- 125+ cost next to nothing
- 145+ clean water saving tips
- 115+ electricity savings tips
- 110+ winter heating savings tips
- 80+ summer cooling saving tips

All of these ideas are not for every household as each is unique. Yet, I was very surprised how many we were able to collect.

And there are lots more ideas out there to reduce energy and clean water usage in the home.....we just haven't found them yet ;).

I hope this helps,
Dan

[Corie Dejno]

I would say educating teens to be aware of their consumption. There are 6 teens and young adults and their friends in and out of our home and they consume so much- mostly out of plain carelessness. Because my influence has been limited, all I can do is live by example, keep talking about the reasons I do things certain ways, and hope someday they will remember. And as far as light bulbs, I have been using CFLs for years and have been extremely disappointed in the life span of most of them. I believe they have become a scam and planned obsolescence has taken over. If you know of a brand that truly lasts, please share. I feel duped and worried about disposal every time one dies within a few months.

[Kem]

Corie, that is a great tip about educating teens! I think they hear a lot about recycling and the environment in middle school, but then the self-focus of teenage years sort of takes over and they are thinking about other things and priorities. The CFL brand we happen to have used the most is GE Energy Smart, and I have been impressed with how long they last. But, certainly the point you bring up here and the disposal issues others on this site have mentioned have gotten my attention, and I plan to pay closer attention to the issues around them. But, at this time, I think they are really helping our family save on lighting energy. And, like I mentioned, they are much more convenient than traditional bulbs. I still plan to do more research and pay attention to the disposal of used bulbs, but for now we're using them.

Corie Dejno said:

I would say educating teens to be aware of their consumption. There are 6 teens and young adults and their friends in and out of our home and they consume so much- mostly out of plain carelessness. Because my influence has been limited, all I can do is live by example, keep talking about the reasons I do things certain ways, and hope someday they will remember. And as far as light bulbs, I have been using CFLs for years and have been extremely disappointed in the life span of most of them. I believe they have become a scam and planned obsolescence has taken over. If you know of a brand that truly lasts, please share. I feel duped and worried about disposal every time one dies within a few months.

[Bob Hart]

Michael,

I used to be worried about the mercury in CFLs until I learned that more mercury is emitted into the atmosphere from our coal plants in the powering of incandescent bulbs than would be emitted if we broke all of the CFLs that we had used to save the power. A more detailed description can be found on my website at http://www.thegreeninstructor.com/cfls.html

Bob Hart

[Kem]

Thanks, Bob -- this makes me feel better!

Bob Hart said:

Michael,

I used to be worried about the mercury in CFLs until I learned that more mercury is emitted into the atmosphere from our coal plants in the powering of incandescent bulbs than would be emitted if we broke all of the CFLs that we had used to save the power. A more detailed description can be found on my website at http://www.thegreeninstructor.com/cfls.html

Bob Hart

[Corie Dejno]

Hi Kem and others,
I have tried many brands. I am not sure if GE is among them. Two offending brands in my possession at this moment are EarthTronics made in China and Sylvania also made in China, both I believe were purchased at Menards. The Sylvania bulbs were expensive vanity bulbs with a globe covering to fit a fixture with exposed bulbs. I have been on this roller coaster of bad bulbs for a long time, or I would not mention it because I believe in the benefits of CFLs. However when companies profits are the driving factor and not the benefit advertised, I want to expose. Any more reliable brand ideas would be wonderful.
Kem said:

Corie, that is a great tip about educating teens! I think they hear a lot about recycling and the environment in middle school, but then the self-focus of teenage years sort of takes over and they are thinking about other things and priorities. The CFL brand we happen to have used the most is GE Energy Smart, and I have been impressed with how long they last. But, certainly the point you bring up here and the disposal issues others on this site have mentioned have gotten my attention, and I plan to pay closer attention to the issues around them. But, at this time, I think they are really helping our family save on lighting energy. And, like I mentioned, they are much more convenient than traditional bulbs. I still plan to do more research and pay attention to the disposal of used bulbs, but for now we're using them.

Corie Dejno said:

I would say educating teens to be aware of their consumption. There are 6 teens and young adults and their friends in and out of our home and they consume so much- mostly out of plain carelessness. Because my influence has been limited, all I can do is live by example, keep talking about the reasons I do things certain ways, and hope someday they will remember. And as far as light bulbs, I have been using CFLs for years and have been extremely disappointed in the life span of most of them. I believe they have become a scam and planned obsolescence has taken over. If you know of a brand that truly lasts, please share. I feel duped and worried about disposal every time one dies within a few months.

[Corie Dejno]

Thank you Bob-Great Link

Bob Hart said:

Michael,

I used to be worried about the mercury in CFLs until I learned that more mercury is emitted into the atmosphere from our coal plants in the powering of incandescent bulbs than would be emitted if we broke all of the CFLs that we had used to save the power. A more detailed description can be found on my website at http://www.thegreeninstructor.com/cfls.html

Bob Hart

[Bob Hart]

Here's my favorite Green Tip: Off means unplugged. If you have a TV, VCR, DVD and cable box at home that you think are "Off," they could be using as much electricity as a refrigerator. Off means they are in standby mode (sending out signals to look for the remote that can turn them "on.") Go through your house and see how many phantom loads you have: Chargers that aren't charging anything, printers, computers, microwaves, any device with lights that are on. We are very careful to eliminate phantom loads and keep our electric bill down to $20 a month.