Luckily our local council run kerbside recycling (metal, plastics, glass and paper) but the take up in the area is appallingly low. Surplus clothes and bric-a-brac go to non medical (don't want to support vivisection) charity shops.
Also my bank accounts are with the co-operative bank who have an ethical policy.
Haven't changed my light bulbs over to energy savers yet but will do soon.
I do have to use a car but it is a diesel so at least it uses less fuel than a petrol engine.
I tend to use the Ferry, generally!!celtic
Perhaps, the 'Racing Post'?
Holyhead, only a short swim away. Bit cold today though
Hooray - i got a letter from the council yesterday saying they're going to give us a comprehensive recycling collection! i was pathetically quite excited! they're now going to collect glass, cans, cardboard, foil, batteries etc. as well as the newspapers they already collect
unfortunately they won't be taking drinks cartons, now that i make my own soya milk i don't use that many of them but my boyfriend still insists on buying UHT milk in cartonsso we will still have to pay our recycling co-op for those and for a few other things like certain types of paper, but this will save me a lot of money, and hopefully get more people recycling
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Recycling Question
I went to earth911.com to see for certain whether or not the curb-side pickup recycling recycles a certin type of plastic and was shocked to find out they only recyle #1 and #2 types of plastic, when I thought they processed through six. Well, I looked to see if there were any drop-off centers that would take other kinds so we could store them up and make trips every now and then. There's one in New Orleans which we could feasibly go to when visiting relatives, but under the plastics section, it just said general plastics. What does that mean?
That's not just a problem in Baton Rouge, It happens in England too. My curb-side pickup recycling scheme only takes types 1 and 2 plastic as well. We take everything they won't take to our local recycling centre.
I'd take it to mean all types of plastic. Is it possible to contact someone at the recycling centre to ask them?There's one in New Orleans which we could feasibly go to when visiting relatives, but under the plastics section, it just said general plastics. What does that mean?
when you say #1 and #2 plastics, does that mean the triangle with no.1 or 2 in the center
Yes.when you say #1 and #2 plastics, does that mean the triangle with no.1 or 2 in the center
Actually, yesterday I found out they do pick up all types of plastics. They changed it within the last year, so the website hasn't updated. So now there's no problem. *lucky*
hey *M* our recycling collection only takes certain kinds of plastic too. where do you take your other plastics? it's probably too far for me to go there though.
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Have PMed you with the details Gorilla
Gorilla, I had a leaflet about recycling from our local council a few days ago and it explained that only types 1 and 2 plastics are accepted at the recycling points because there are no facilities anywhere in the UK for recycling the other types of plastic, so all margarine tubs, yoghurt pots etc can't be recycled
There's some great ideas in this thread. I'm always looking for ways I can improve.
We have a kerbside recycling scheme - In the green bags I put glass bottles and jars, food cans, aerosol cans, drink cans, plastic bottles, detergent bottles, plastic bags, newspaper, magazines, writing paper, catalogues, directories and junkmail. In the green wheelie bin I put cardboard and garden waste.
The council have recently disallowed green kitchen waste from the green wheelie bin to prevent a further outbreak of foot and mouth. They say kitchen waste is a danger because it may have come in contact with meat and since the waste is composted and sold on to the public it could be a foot-and-mouth risk. It doesn't matter that I don't use animal products. If they spot so much as a tea bag in there they won't collect. Always a solution though, I've started my own compost heap.
I take plastic carrier bags to either of two local shop which do not buy them, but reuse ones that customers bring in.
We cannot recycle envelopes so I use them instead of buying notepads.
I save dairy product/ice'cream' tubs and use them to store food in the fridge of freezer.
I take clothes to the charity shop. If they are too worn I use cotton Tshirts as dusters and put pretty patterned and textured clothes in my daughter's art materials box. I use worn bed linen as dust sheets.
I never learnt to drive as I live in a city and everything is a cycle or walk or bus away.
I arranged for 'Track 2000' to collect unneeded furniture when I moved. They are a local charity who, among other things, recycle household items which are then passed on to underprivelliged families.
Toys, bric-a-brac, etc is taken to the charity shop.
I buy recycled toilet and kitchen rolls, and buy environmentally friendly, biodegradable products whenever possible.
I use energy efficient lightbulbs. I would have bought them but British Gas sent some through the post last year and the year before as part of an ennergy efficiency scheme.
That's all I can think of for now. There's probably more, like stuff I'm amazed that some people don't do but I just do as second nature.
"He who binds himself to a Joy, Does the winged life destroy;
He who kisses the Joy as it flies, Lives in Eternity's sunrise"
William Blake
Gorilla, I had a leaflet about recycling from our local council a few days ago and it explained that only types 1 and 2 plastics are accepted at the recycling points because there are no facilities anywhere in the UK for recycling the other types of plastic, so all margarine tubs, yoghurt pots etc can't be recycled
it's a shame they don't do something about that, or try to make yogurt pots and margarine tubs etc. out of a more easily recycled material
on Saturday i was at a market in Brighton and Friends of the Earth had a stall there. the local council want to build an incinerator for all the waste generated here rather than encouraging recycling and composting, so FoE were asking people to write out short letters of complaint to the council. the funny thing was they had old bits of rubbish for people to write the letters on, to at least grab the council's attention. i wrote one and it looked like a lot of other people had too.
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
I like to think im quite green as i already recycle and do the majority of other eco-friendly tips already mentioned in this thread.
But, my most exciting eco-friendly attribute is that im carbon neutral. I dont know if you guys already know about this scheme but i found out about it at glastonbury festival last year. It involves planting enough trees in selected areas around the world to balance out the carbon released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. We worked out our yearly carbon status and then paid for the correct amount of trees to balance this. My boyfriend's sandwich shop is also carbon neutral and everytime we fly we work out the required number of trees to be planted to balance out the flight also.
simple ways to help the environment?
what are some simple ways and things we can do to help save our environment? my sister is wanting to learn more about our environment and how we can help it, and i would love to hear everyones input on what they do to help.
i know recycling helps, natural cleaners... what are some other things?
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
don't litter, don't drive a vehicle that's not road worthy, if your local area has such facilities... you can switch your energy provider to ones that uses either green or renewable resources.
Catching public transport is not always a environmentally friendly way to travel, it all depends on what the city use to produce electricity and if the buses run on disel... how well are the vehicles maintained and finally over all usage.
is she vegan ?
also, Re:Good suggestions, but it's better to think of stuff in terms of the positive aspects rather than the negative, and to think of it as doing things rather then not doing stuff, to encourage motivation and avoid feelign that you're restricting yourselves from doing stuff - iedon't litter, don't drive a vehicle that's not road worthy
rather than "don't litter" think of it as "dispose of rubbish properly" , instead of "don;t drive an unroadworhy vehicle" think of it as "keep your vehicle well-maintained" - and similarly instead of "not eating or buying this that and the next thing" veganism can be thought of as "living in a way which is environmentally, ethically and healthfully sound"
and so forth
Switching off appliances and lights when not in use is a good idea - also avoiding the habit of leaving a TV on continuously "as background" - as many people do :P
Eating organic food and local food wherever possible is also good.
Using natural bath-products is not only much nicer, but also much less harmful to the environment than "conventional" products.
Walking or cycling where possible is obviously better for the environment than driving a car or getting a bus, and using organic fertiliser and pest control methods for a garden is infinitely better than drenching it in chemicals.
no shes not. my sister isnt very healthy, meaning she is sick often, but she is makign changes to make herself better, but for the meantime, she feels that sometimes she just needs meat. and i know thats because her health isnt the best right now, but when we move, she will feel alot better and i wouldnt be surprized if she went vegan, as shes not against it, and she knows how much better it made me feel.
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
Foxytina, didn't you start a thread about gardening books? Now I can't find it, but obviously growing your own fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to help the environment, and I wanted to tell you something I've realised saves loads of effort, MULCH!
If you lay old carpet or cardboard etc, on top of the patch where you want to grow stuff, and leave it there for a few weeks or months, the weeds will die back and if you leave it long enough, you'll probably be able to plant right into the patch with hardly any work. It's so much easier than digging!
And toads, slow-worms and other creatures love to live under the mulch, but so do slugs. However, it's easy to deal with them because you can just lift the sheets of cardboard or whatever, and pick them off, put them in a bucket and take them right away from your garden, and this will reduce the slug population in time.
Good luck, anyway! Gardening is my favourite thing to do!
I suspect the reason Astrocat asked about your sisters consumption is the simple fact that cutting animal products out of your diet will save more resources and lower her impact on the environment than never driving or recyling/reusing. Animal farminfg is a resource heavy industry, and currently one of the largest producers of waste and polution.
Also you know, many people become much healthier because they go vegan.
Oh and BTW reusing is much more helpful than recycling.
Yup - if people want to help the environment through simple lifestyle changes, I feel that one of the first things to consider is whether they are vegan - for the above reasons.I suspect the reason Astrocat asked about your sisters consumption is the simple fact that cutting animal products out of your diet will save more resources and lower her impact on the environment than never driving or recyling/reusing. Animal farming is a resource heavy industry, and currently one of the largest producers of waste and pollution.
Animal farming wastes vast amounts of water and food, creates masses of pollutive waste and generates lots of ozone-layer depleting gases such as methane.
It also uses masses of fossil-fuels to power the transporters, machinery, killing belts, etc.
The way animal feed is grown depletes the soil of nutrition and the whole process is very much unsustainable.
I would very much doubt that there is any one other lifestyle change (ie recycling everything possible) which would benefit the environment as much and in as many different ways, as a typical western omnivore becoming vegan.
Yup - I know that a lot of people make excuses to keep eating meat, but it seems bizarre to me that people will even do that when it is affecting their health negatively.Also you know, many people become much healthier because they go vegan.
I don;t know the sister mentioned's situation and it is unfortunate that she is so ill... however i have seen so many people... so many of them... who have tried to convince themselves that they need to wait until they feel better before they will change their diet in a way that will make them feel a lot better.
Of course, they never got much better at any kind of pace on their omnivorous diets but they wouldn;t even try to change, just saying something vague about "needing" 'meat' because they don't feel well.
It strikes me as being very like the people who "need" to smoke because they feel upset by being ill, and it would be "too much" for them to stop smoking then supposedly... who wait until they feel "better" before they will even consider giving it up.... who end up prolonging their illness by many years through their refusal to improve their situation.
To me, a person who uses their own state of poor health as an excuse to continue causing others in great numbers to suffer lives full of substantially poorer health and misery, and death for their benefit, is unjustified in doing this, especially when decaying chemical-laced flesh is far from the healthiest thing for a person to be eating.
Especially if they claim not to be against the idea of avoiding causing others misery unnecessarily.
This may seem harsh, but it is no more harsh than many peoples' attitudes towards the easily exploitable, and I feel that it needed to be said.
Yup.Oh and BTW reusing is much more helpful than recycling.
Using energy saving light bulbs
Composting your vegetable waste (I think tea bags can be composted too, but others say not to)
Sharing bathwater (I know a lot of people wouldn't like to do that though!)
Using natural toiletries where possible (like vegetable oil rather than expensive, bottled creams)
Re-using carrier bags, newspapers, bottles, enevlopes and things
Free stuff and save the planet too
HI
FREECYCLE is a free scheme that allows its memebers to advertise their unwanted stuff and other can go and collect what they want.
No money exchanges hands and its only legit stuff.
you will be amazed at the items you can get for free
further info
http://www.alternativesouls.com/phpb...topic.php?t=95
though you all would like this n its world wide too
G
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
The website is actually http://www.freecycle.org
Thanks!
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
Wow, thanks! I have joined my local one and it is amazing!
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
I just have to say agin how much I love this site. I already have dozens of things that I've offered that so many people want. I already am going to meet with someone to give them a CD. This is great! And there are so many great things people are giving away. EVERYONE should do this in their area.
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
Tried to register, filled in comment bit. But dont know where to register!!
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
Did it bring you to a yahoo group when you went to your local group? If so, in the lower right-hand corner I think you can hit "Join this Group". You need a yahoo ID to subscribe, but clicking "Join this Group" should bring you to where you can chose to get a yahoo ID.
Re: Free stuff and save the planet too
yay, i just helped the environment today
i just changed it so that i get all my bills online, so theres no more paper bills.
(we also just started recycling everything in our home)
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
Re: Ways to help the environment
How do you all feel about real Chrsitmas trees?
My aunt has a huge garden full of varying in size trees where she's planted them out every year.
Me, I like a good plastic thing, and I do get very sad when I see a cut off tree. I know they're grown to order, but it seems such a shame.
A young tree, cut down in it's prime.
Maybe we should all campaign to make all trees rooted, and then after Christmas go out and plant them along the middle of dual carriageways and next to motorways. (Early on a Sunday would be a good idea, to minimalise the risk of getting squashed)
Re: Ways to help the environment
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, transportation by far has the biggest adverse impact. After that, animal agriculture, and after that, plant agriculture. These are the big three. Pimentel says that even our current methods of plant agriculture are not sustainable,
ref:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/78/3/660S
although not as adverse as animal agriculture. From the environmental standpoint, it is better to not drive, to be thin, to eat organic locally grown produce, and to reduce food energy intake.
Questions like paper vs. plastic are much less significant in comparison.
From
http://www.bizstorytellers.org/ucs_summary.htm
Making Personal Choices That Contribute to Sustainability
From the book:
A Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice From The Union of Concerned Scientists
By Michael Brower, Ph.D. and Warren Leon, Ph.D.
Seven Categories of Spending With The Most Impact
The authors' study links consumer spending in each of 50 major categories to the four environmental issues above, either through direct impact or through the industrial processes involved along the way. They found that JUST SEVEN accounted for the majority of the environmental impact caused by consumers. In descending order of importance, here are the seven:
1. Cars and light trucks: 28% of impact on greenhouse emissions, 48% of toxic air pollution, 24% of common air pollution, and 21% of toxic water pollution attributable to consumer activities are due to the production and use of cars and light trucks. The average new car produces 2 METRIC TONS of carbon emissions each year. The impact on water pollution is due to production processes involving steel, batteries, paints, plastics, aluminum, lubricants, etc.
2. Meat and poultry: 25% of impact on land use, 20% of common water pollution, and 19% of water use attributable to consumer activities are due to the consumption of meat and poultry. And about 25% of the threat to natural ecosystems and wildlife are due to meat and poultry consumption, because 40% of the U.S. land area is used for grazing livestock. Heavy water use is required to irrigate land for growing livestock feed. And animal wastes cause 16% of common water quality problems, because they generate 2 billion tons of wet manure each year - which is extremely difficult to dispose of safely. One pound of beef has 17.5x the impact on common water pollution as a pound of pasta, and 19.9x the impact on land use. A pound of poultry, although better, still has 11.2x the impact on common water pollution as a pound of pasta.
3. Fruit, vegetables, and grains: 28% of water use attributable to consumer activities is due to production of fruit, vegetables and grain, because irrigating crops takes so much water. It also requires 20% of the US land area, and results in some water pollution due to fertilizer and pesticide runoff. The cultivation stage has much more impact than the processing, packaging and transportation stages.
4. Home heating, hot water, and air conditioning: 16% of impact on greenhouse emissions, and 11% of impact on common air pollution attributable to consumer activities are due to heating, hot water and a/c. This is largely due to the fossil fuels burned either directly or in the generation of electricity, which is mostly produced by burning fossil fuels, especially coal. Wood is the most polluting option, due to the particulates released by low-tech home furnaces. Natural gas appears to have the least impact.
5. Household appliances and lighting: 15% of impact on greenhouse emissions and13% of impact on common air pollution attributable to consumer activities are due to appliances and lighting, again due to fossil fuels burned either directly or in the generation of electricity. This category also has an impact on toxic air and water pollution due to the production processes for plastics and metals used in the appliances. Refrigerators, freezers, swimming pool pumps, waterbed heaters, lighting, and electric dryers consume the most electricity per appliance (except lighting which is per household). Computers are among the lowest consumers of electricity.
6. Home construction: 23% of consumer impact on land use is due to home construction, both due to the direct use of lots and also due to the enormous amount of wood required to build a home. 2/3 of timber harvest in 1991 in the U.S. went to structural lumber. Erosion often results from clearing land for housing. Manufacture of home materials, as well as fertilizer and pesticides used in new landscaping contribute to toxic water pollution. Mobile homes may have higher impacts due to metals and plastics used in construction.
7. Household water and sewage: 11% of impact on common water pollution attributable to consumer activities is due to water use and sewage, because municipal sewage remains a major source of water pollution. Home water use only accounts for about 5% of total water consumption. Solid waste disposal contributes to air pollution through incineration, usually due to low-tech approaches by individual households.
Overall, the categories above (except Housing) can be grouped into Transportation, Food, and Household Operations, which combined, explain about 80% of the impact from consumer activities.
Transportation: accounts for 32% of the impact on greenhouse emissions, 28% of common air pollution, 51% of toxic air pollution, 23% of toxic water pollution (due to manufacture of vehicles) and 15% of land use (due to road construction), attributable to household decisions. Cars and light trucks, described above, have the major impact. Motorcycles are no better than cars, per passenger mile, due to the lack of pollution controls on their engines. Intercity bus travel has about the lowest impact, although passenger air travel has lower air and water pollution. Passenger rail travel is also relatively low impact, although it has high air pollution (due to low ridership) and a huge relative impact on land use. Personal aircraft, recreational boats and off-road vehicles may have as much as 15 times the emissions of ordinary cars.
Food: accounts for 38% of common water pollution, 22% of toxic water pollution, 73% of water use, and 45% of land use attributable to consumer decisions. Meat and poultry has the most impact, with fruit,vegetable and grain consumption coming in second. Seafood production was not measured, because we eat so little seafood compared to other categories studied, but there are serious impacts there including depletion due to over-fishing and damage from unregulated fish farms. Sharks, swordfish, and orange roughy fishing and farming are among those with the most negative impact.
Household Operations: 35% of greenhouse gas emissions, 32% of common air pollution, 20% of toxic air pollution, and 21% of common water pollution attributable to consumer decisions around overall household operations. In addition to the categories described above - heating, hot water, a/c, appliances, lighting, water and sewage, other practices have a significant impact. Cleaning products and services, including dry cleaning and the use of solvents in particular, make up a large share of toxic air pollution caused by consumers.
See also:
http://boston.earthsave.org/DrivingVsMeat.htm
http://www.miwildlife.org/n-paperorplastic.asp
Re: Ways to help the environment
Interesting piece in todays Guardian on green energy which has brought home a few of the concerns i've had over Green energy supply.
'More power to green electricity
It still pays to switch to eco-friendly power, as Rupert Jones reports
Saturday September 24, 2005
The Guardian
Growing numbers of households, concerned about global warming, are considering switching to "green" electricity tariffs offered by a number of energy companies. But will you pay extra for a clear conscience?'
http://money.guardian.co.uk/weekly/s...576847,00.html
We currently use Good energy, but it remains to be seen that they do not generate ANY of their own energy, they basically trade in the renewable energy market, buying up whatever they need (partly from their parent comapny Monkton) and then others. Good Energy have been busy increasing their energy prices, but i can't remember wind becoming more expensive, or there being a drought in breeze? It says in the article that Good Energy's parent company has not increased its prices so why is Good Energy sticking them up? To make more money it seems. But only if more and more people switch to Good Energy will demand increase, and then it seems if supply does not follow we'll end up paying more for power because there is a shortage! Crazy.
Eco-tricity only sources a percentage of its energy from renewables, but is investing heavily in development, according to independent sources found on its website. So which is better?
It remains to be said that in common with the article some conventional power companies that have renewable schemes are actually cheaper than normal electricity accounts, but not all people would want to give them their service, as they are massive polluters.... but if you currently use a conventional energy source it may be worth looking into Powergen, N-power and Scottish energy to see if their green schemes will save you money.
Re: Ways to help the environment
Well I guess there are a lot of people out there, who are thinking to switch to green energy comapnies mainly because of the fact that it will save them money. However, if the green companies are going to rise their prices, because the oil companies are rising their prices - then where is the incentive for these people to switch over? I know....saving the environment should be incentive enough - but there are a lot of people out there, who will put their purse before the environment.
Re: Ways to help the environment
Green electricity should be getting comparitively cheaper, however, the problem is companies like Good Energy that only supply renewable energy and have to buy at market prices (they don't have their own supply, except from some from their parent company at present) if more people switch to green energy over and above any increase in supply then it's going to start costing more. However, hopefully this money will be invested in creating new renewable sources.
At the moment it seems that Good Energy can get the best margins from a few people willing to pay more money for power, rather than encouraging more people to switch by keeping their prices lower. Hmmmmmmmm.
Re: Ways to help the environment
Electric cars have to be the way to go!!
Check this out (look at the transport section)...
www.greenconsumerguide.com
My turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd point of view that it breaks out in spite of me every now and then.
- Byron
Re: Ways to help the environment
I think electric cars are a great idea too!!!! Now.......I just have to convince my boyfriend. Not an easy job
Responsible veganism
Just because we are vegan doesn't mean we are without impact on the world. Veganism is the best place to start in living green, but we can all move forward from there to reduce our impact on fuel consumption, gas emission and the production of waste. I thought it'd be good to start a thread where we can share advice on changing aspects of our lifestyle to live more greenly and offer tips on recycling or products that are less harmful to the environment than other similar items.
Have you realised that purchasing items made in your own country has less impact on the environment than imports as they don't require as much energy to distribute them? Buying these means you are not creating a market for imported goods which use up fuel and create waste getting to you. To be extra diligent, you can even check on whether the componants in the item are local or imported also.
Last edited by flutterby; Dec 1st, 2005 at 10:27 AM. Reason: Merged with similar thread.
Re: Responsible veganism
support small business.. larger companies are taking over the world and small business is suffering, including my family's.
by purchasing from smaller stores the people working there actually know where their products are coming from, many try to keep it local. you can even ask the person ringing up your purchase how and what they recycle, and not get a generic answer- or no answer at all. it may cost a little more but vegans are used to that!!
down with walmart, home depot, lowe's, etc.
Re: Responsible veganism
Good thread Adam!
It's so rare to see items from canada, that when I do see that something is made here, I get extremely excited and I try to support the company as best as I can. Canadian products are starting to come into stores more, so there is hope... or maybe it's just because I'm more aware of it now, so I notice it...?
I agree completely with you mophoto! I see the small businesses suffering here too... it's really important to support them everyone!
I can't stand it when my family talks about going to walmart...they still go after everything I've told them and why they shouldn't buy anything from there... grrr!
I hope your family will be alright and make it through this crazy time...
A few small suggestions I have:
Less driving...My boyfriend and I only use the car once a week to go grocery shopping. walk walk walk...
Bring your own canvas bags to go shopping instead of using the plastic bags. Or if you can fit it in your hands, just carry your items home and don't take the plastic offered to you.
Wear your clothing more than twice... (jeans, sweaters...etc.) We really aren't THAT dirty. We don't need to wash our clothing each time after we wear it....
hmmmmmmm. I'll think of more.
Re: Responsible veganism - Ways to help the environment
Okay, i recycle as much as i can [cardboard/paper, glass/plastic/aluminum, and then the regular trash]. Once it's summer again i'll use my food waste for compost in the garden im going to grow. I want to grow most/as much of my food as i can. What i can't grow or need more of i will buy from the local farmer's market. I grow my own sprouts, herbs, and wheatgrass.. and i also hope to get a few window boxes for christmas so i can grow a few things year around, maybe some greens or something.
I walk everywhere now.. but that's only because i dont have a car at the moment. it's winter here and verrrrry cold so usually i'd be driving a car. In the summer i walk almost everywhere as well.
I rarely buy new clothes.. it's always second hand. i love going thrifting. I use the paper from things i print out at home [that end up getting reprinted] as scrap paper. i have a lifetime supply of scrap paper, i swear.
I have a few cleaning supplies from my pre-vegan days that i'm still using up.. same goes for some plastic zip lock bags, tin foil, and seran wrap. Once those things are gone i have no intention of buying more.
I just ordered a few dr bronner's items and can't wait. I bought one large bottle of the all purpose cleaner, which ill use for dishes, floors, counters, etc etc. i also got the all in one stuff for people. you can wash your hair, body, and even brush your teeth with it! I'll also use the tiny bottle i will be getting of that stuff along with a hankerchief for public restrooms.
I reuse grocery bags, wear my clothing WAY more than once.. and shower [i know i'm going to regret this] maybe once every 3 or 4 days. Really, i don't appear to get that dirty. I swear!!
I just went through my apartment and unplugged appliances that have no need to be plugged in right now. so go me on that part.
I still feel like i'm not doing ANYTHING to help the environment!
Ways to be more environmentally friendly
Just wanted to start this thread as there has been lots recently in the media regarding environmental concerns but I am sure there are lots of people on this forum who know some ideas how we can all do our bit!
My tips:
Buy an book on environmental tips I just brought "Save cash and save the planet" which is really good!
Use eco-balls - plastic balls you put in your washing instead of using powder/washing liquid etc - they work really well and also have a stain stick for any stubborn stains. They cost about £30 but this will last you a few years (therefore save lots in the long run in terms of cash....
When you replace your lkettle but an eco-kettle (cost about 35 pound) - it has an inner chamber and a press biutton which means you only put in the ecxact amount of water you need e.g. 2 cups and also boils real quick. Until then only use the water you actually need
"If its yellow let it mellow if its brown flush it down" - yes at home we dont flush until its well you know - we tend to flush if visitors are here though! You can also used items in your cistern to reduce the amount of water it uses....
Make sure your curtains are not covering the radiator top (otherwise the heat goes out of the window....
What other tips do you all have....
Liz x
Last edited by flutterby; Apr 29th, 2007 at 12:00 AM. Reason: this was the 1st post in a similar thread
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
The best tip for anyone is to remember that a single serve of meat takes more than 200 litres of water to produce, and creates 5kg of greenhouse pollution.
Secondly, reducing one's dairy intake by just 2 cups of milk a week will save 13000 litres of water and 250kg of greenhouse pollution in a year.
Bearing those two facts in mind, as a vegan do I need to bother reducing the time I spend in my shower? what sort of saving is that?
As to the eco balls, my preference is to continue using Aware detergent which is very environmentally friendly.
Eve
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
use energy saving lightbulbs
use rechargable batteries
stop all junk mail (although I use mine to line the guinea pig cage!)
buy food in bulk where possible (save packaging and resources)
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
Use cloth re-useable grocery bags.
Buy recycled toilet paper, paper towel and other paper products.
Recycle all cans/bottles/tetra packs that can be recycled.
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
What about using products that bio-degrade where possible? Is that helping?
"It's not that people suddenly start breeding like rabbits; it's just that people stopped dropping like flies" - population explosion
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
Yup it does. Another suggestion..Maybe a little impractical.. eat less food
Re: Ways to be more environmentally friendly
- Use public transport/bike instead of car
- Buy organic food
- Turn off devices like tv, mobile phone, computer... when they're not needed (disconnect from electricity, not just on the remote
- A dishwasher is a good way of saving up water (a couple times more water is used when washing manually)
Re: Responsible veganism - Ways to help the environment
I think we first have to accept that humans are a destructive species. As vegans I feel the best we can do is to limit that destruction as much as possible. By being vegan, by and large we have already reduced our ecological footprint markedly, but there are a few things that we could do to reduce it further - recycling, supporting green energies, being conservative in our use of energy and heating at home, trying to grow more of our own food (I know this is not possible for everyone) and also being very aware of where the things we buy come from.
One point in that regard that I do need to make is the problem with soya and soy products. The demand for soya has gone up dramatically in recent years and soya bean fields/plantations are now a growing threat to natural habitats around the world. It is a difficult one to get around though as I think many vegans are quite dependent on soy and soy products.
Re: Responsible veganism - Ways to help the environment
your points about soya i agree with robert.
i dont think its any good saying "well i only use a tiny amount of soy milk daily" (as i initially thought) is any good really, if we use soya products, never mind how much, we must be contributing to this problem - and yet its nutritionally useful for vegans.
maybe the extra demand comes from non-vegans who are looking into the benefits of soya? we better stop encouraging them then¬
Re: Responsible veganism - Ways to help the environment
There must be a fair trade/eco friendly source of soya somewhere - must check out local fairtrade/oxfam store out. Otherwise there are at least some alternatives to soy milk - oat, almond and rice milks come to mind.
As to the protein content of soy - that is a bit harder to get around I suspect but as yet do not know enough about the specific dietary challenges of vegans to comment.
For myself I do not use any soya products anymore. I was never hugely in love with them anyway and am quite happy to substitute regular beans for soy beans in veggie burgers and the like.
Re: Responsible veganism - Ways to help the environment
This is simply not true. For millions of years we've lived in harmony with nature as hunter-gatherers. Civilization marks only approx. 10,000 years. The project of civilization isn't sustainable.
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