quote:

Originally posted by Andre:

I use a dishwasher: I just can't shake the habit do to the high convenience. I do, however, use 100% natural biodegrading soap and do not use the dry/heat cycle.

Lucky for you, a modern dishwasher uses less water than hand washing.
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/dishwashers.html

I use plastic bags for the garbage cans, too. But you know you can buy bags made of recycled plastic? At least it's a compromise...

Guilty: Long showers, a little bit of water runoff from porch plants when watering the yard (but the birds love it

quote:

Originally posted by Andre:
Alright here's what I'm guilty of:

I use a dishwasher: I just can't shake the habit do to the high convenience. I do, however, use 100% natural biodegrading soap and do not use the dry/heat cycle.

I still use a gas lawnmower, trimmer and tiller: I plan on switching to battery or electric when they each die, except the tiller. I have tried electric tillers and I don't think they have enough power yet. I expect new models in the next couple of years will.

And I use plastic bags inside my garden cans.

I'm sorry I didn't bookmark the article, but I read something recently that said that using the A/C in the car doesn't actually use up more gas. I'm super heat-sensitive and I run the A/C almost 100 percent of the time while driving (L.A. is ALWAYS too hot). If I can ever afford to go solar I'll do the same inside the house.

quote:

Originally posted by Suasoria:
(...) I run the car A/C when it's over 90.

I live in a pretty hot climate also. When I get in my car I first roll the windows down(electric helps)and drive 2 or 3 hundred yards to blow out the hot air, then I turn the ac on low to blow out the hot air in the ducts for another hundred or so then I roll up the windows. Rain showers pop up to often to leave the windows cracked when I park.

If you left the windows cracked open here on New York, you wouldn't have a car when you came back.

quote:

Originally posted by GardenDmpls:
I would love to bike part way to work, but there is one problem. The drivers here try to kill you.

I had someone try to intimidate me on a bike. She got a pedal mark the entire length of her brand new BMW. You should have heard the obscenities from that woman when the policeman gave a her a ticket on top of it. Sometimes their is justice.

Dirt

I use a sunshade in the car. When it's really hot and I can't park in the shade, I will crack the windows a tiny bit too. That makes a big difference. Most car thieves couldn't figure out how to start a Prius anyway, and even if they did, there's always lojack. Plus the Club slows them down, I guess, so they don't want to try. So far so good.

I did some yard-work today
...........
I did not use my gasoline "edger".
..........
I did not use my gasoline "blower".
...........
I did not use my gasoline "lawnmower".
....
I did some of my "parkway" manually
and got a blister.
.....
Saved some gasoline today.

quote:

Originally posted by kar1a:
using the A/C in the car doesn't actually use up more gas.

I believe it depends on the speed, and they compare using the AC to driving with the windows down. If you're on the freeway, it's more fuel efficient to use the AC with the windows closed because you're more aerodynamic. At street speeds, the drag coefficient is minimal, so you should turn off the air and let them winders down.

I've taken two old trash cans and converted them to rain catch barrels, have not yet shortened the downspouts, save a few hundred gallons a year.
All kitchen waste, non meat scraps are composted, have been for over a decade. All yard waste is composted, cept for walnuts, I leave em for the tree rats.
Will use recycled grocery bags whenever possible.
I take all paper waste, cardboard, packaging, magazines to the city waste bins.
People ask me about why I recycle, and all I can think about is my grandparents, on the farm, and they never had garbage to set out. Times change.
Linder, hows the Prius? I'am determined that my next car to be electric, if affordable. I would bike to work, 3.5 miles, but I leave at 5 am, and sometimes it's dark, and other drivers aren't that alert.

dirtdaddy, you converted a couple of old refuse bins to catch rain water? Could you tell me how? I'm doing an article for my blog on catching rain, but I think it would would be better if I had some pictures to go with it. That's if you don't mind.

Email me at christopher dot joya at gmail dot com.

Chris J., I'm not photo ready on this port, at this time. I just took old water tight bins we had leftover from our old place and but them in a good spot alongside the shed. I keep em covered as much as possible, per mosquitios, and try to use all water within a week or two. It's also convienant not having to drag the hose around. Sometimes I brew up a little compost tea.

Chris, Here's my super cheap, low-tech rain barrel. It cost $9 for the garbage can and $9 for the spout (at Lowes). It has lasted more than 5 years outside, so far. Of course, I don't have it in the front yard or anything

When it comes to living green, my hubby and I have spent our lives doing it- even spent 9 years without electricity (or a generator) but finally gave that up and crept back to civilizastion and the electric pole.

For years we didn't have garbage service. We just recycled everything and took our two bins of trash to the dump once every month or so. (two cans is the minimum.) Then three years ago we got garbage service. we still don't generate much garbage, but it is handy just to put recycleables and green waste out front.(yes, greenwaste, my hubby doesn't feel up to mulching all the tree branches our place generates.)

We have 300 watts of solar panels on the roof, and I hope to add 200 watts more this year. Unfortunately, the more panels we get, the higher our electric bills go. I am on oxygen now, so that means a concentrator, plus I need a c-pap machine to sleep. We do unplug tv, computers and C-pap machine when not in use, but now I need an electric scooter. At least I will get to play in the garden again.

We grow all our vegetables and some of our fruit. We have a nice winter garden in addition to the summer one.

Our scrap bucket goes to the three chickens in the back, and they take care of it and provide plenty of organic eggs.

We limit our driving, and are saving for a golf cart to make short trips. When I bake, I usually use fresh ground grain and honey. We get our bread day-old.

Our cheats are small some months I will buy a pizza or hot dogs. I do buy enough meat that we can eat some every day, but that is only one serving each per day. Once or twice a month I wil buy candy, and we have occasionally thrown out a goopy plastic bag. We watch TV every night.

We use cloth bags at the store, and reuse (and reuse again) every plastic bag that comes into the house. We dry our clothes on the line, and I use a bidette instead of toilet paper. We use 1 package of paper towels every two or three months- mostly we use cloth or towels.

There is probably more, but I can't think of it right now.

I'm glad you use the bidet instead of recycling used toilet paper!