How 'green' are you?
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Topics not related to music
Forum Name: General discussions
Forum Description: Discuss any topic at all that is not music-related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48862
Printed Date: November 30 2024 at 21:31
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: How 'green' are you?
Posted By: Jim Garten
Subject: How 'green' are you?
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 07:51
|
Here's a question I've been meaning to put to the Forum for a while.
Attitudes toward environmental ('Green') issues vary from country to country, culture to culture; what do you do to reduce your (and I hate this phrase) carbon footprint? How much do you recycle? Do you recycle? Does your local council/authority/state make it easy to be green, or do you really have to put in an effort to reduce your impact on the environment? We're lucky where we live - the local council provide every house with specific bins for recycling glass, paper, metal & garden waste; I believe they're also bringing in a scheme to deliver one to households specifically for plastics too, and for us to be able to use the garden waste one for food scraps. As a result of this, our weekly rubbish (ie that which cannot be recycled) has dropped dramatically from 2/3 bags to one small bag per week. As well as the above, the local dump has been closed & replaced with a 'recycling centre' which is fully staffed by (surprisingly helpful & friendly) people who make sure nothing goes into the container for landfill if it can possibly be recycled. Stevenage gets some bad press, but this is something they get right 
Personally, apart from the recycling, I don't think I'm too bad at the moment; the house is fairly well insulated and I don't drive a gas guzzler, but against this is the fact I'm fond of foreign holidays, which increases my CF considerably... So - HOW GREEN ARE YOU? ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Replies:
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 08:04
|
I support Sporting Lisbon. That's as green as I'm gonna get. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 08:45
OK, where to start? First of all, I don't drive a car, and I never have - I don't even have a driving license, nor am I planning to get one soon (even after I move to the US). I use public transport and walk a lot, and I use the train for travelling around Italy. My foreign holidays have dropped rather dramatically in number since I met Micky - unfortunately, it's not easy to travel to the US from Europe without a plane  ...As regards recycling, I've been recycling paper for years. I keep a paper bag in my bedroom where I put anything made of paper or cardboard, then put it in one of the bins that can be found in my street. I do the same with glass and plastic containers, as well as clothes. Not having a garden, I can't recycle food scraps - though I did so when I lived in Finland, where it was mandatory. I also try not to waste running water, and my flat is heated centrally. |
Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 09:18
|
To quote the Can song, I'm So Green. :P I don't have a car or a driver's license, and don't plan on getting one until I actually need it (public transportation isn't very good in the US). I go out of the way to recycle things, and instead of being capitalist and spending $1 on a water bottle every day and throwing it out, I spend $1 on a water bottle all year and just refill it at water fountains and save money, as well as the planet. I try to conserve energy by turning things off when I'm not using them. For the last few months, I haven't eaten any red meat and seldom white meat, but I could never cut out fish/sushi (it's better for the environment to eat lower on the food chain). I tend to buy used CDs, vinyls, and books instead of new. ------------- 
|
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 09:33
|
Not very. To be fair, I don't drive yet, generally eat typically British food, tend to turn things off when I'm not using them, etc.. I'm also not too keen on holidays, and I'll happily walk rather than be driven somewhere. To be honest, I don't try to reduce my 'carbon footprint', it's just not very large anyway, comparatively, at the moment. |
Posted By: Yukorin
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 10:17
|
Not much. I don't have a car but do have a European bus driving licence. Doin' my bit. ------------- 
|
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 10:30
|
We recycle paper and tins and plastics here, turn off electrical items at the mains when not being used (though this is mainly to reduce the bill) and we recycle fruit and vegetable scraps on the compost heap in the garden. I also dont have a drivers licence/car (cost far too much to obtain and run) so I use public transport (which is unfortunate, because public transport is rubbish here). I'm still highly sceptical towards global warming and whether its got much to do with mankind or not, especially with the preaching of Carbon = bad, which I think might be a load of rubish but there's no such thing as an unbiased study these days. However, thats not an excuse to not recycle or waste energy. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
|
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 10:31
|
positively viridian ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 10:34
|
Mm. I tend to buy as much ecological food (most stores have a surprisingly big selection here) as I can afford, and not just the basics like pasta, milk, butter and so on, but everything. Being a student is tough on your economy as it is, so I can only do my best with my current situation. Recycling is mandatory in all of Sweden (except the most remote places) so I do my part there as well. Driving a car is out of question, since I could never afford paying for gas in the first place, and it's so easy to use the bike or walk. Turning things off just feels natural and I'm gradually exchanging all my standard light bulbs to low-energy ones as they break. It hasn't always been like this, but since I got very interested in biology a couple of years ago, and now study it, I guess it opened up my eyes and put some pressure on me. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LinusW88" rel="nofollow - Blargh |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 11:45
Have to say I'm with you on that one - I seem to remember reading the eruption of Mt St Helens in the 1980s did more damage to the atmosphere in 5 days than mankind has done since the beginning of the industrial revolution... Still - if we do our best to be as 'green' as possible, at least we're not making things worse
Good responses all, many thanks - keep 'em coming! -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
sleeper wrote:Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 12:03
I may be very sceptical about man made global warming (personally I think its far more likely to be driven by the sun, that giant flaming ball of nucelar fusion that determines whether life is possible or not in the first place), but as I said, that is absoulutely no excuse to push our luck. ANyway, I think its been acknowledged that water vaper is a far more dangerous green house gas. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
|
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 18:20
|
Would you believe we have to pay extra to participate in the county recycling program? Screw that! There's stuff that our local farmer's market takes ("Your Dekalb Farmers Market" hey if it's mine, why do I have to pay for the dang food?!?) and the Publix grocery chain takes stuff they don't take, so we go that route. Public transportation in Atlanta is fairly sucky. If I used it, it would quadruple my time in transit to work each way. Fortunately I have I a reasonably short commute, but biking would also quadruple my time in transit. I don't drive a guzzler, though I still feel the pain at the pump. Really tempted to hold my hands up the next time I fill up.  We live on a nice green lot between two creeks, love to grow our own vegetables. Lots of trees, keeps the cooling cost down nicely during the hot season. I don't mow the lawn excessively. Use reusable shopping bags rather than paper or plastic. Yellow/mellow brown/down. Compost... Had a small carbon footprint before the term was coined. Did I mention green was my favorite color as a kid?  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 18:33
|
'green' at heart... but American by nature...
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 18:38
By the way if you don't think we're causing global warming, there is no doubt we're causing thisGreat Pacific Garbage PatchPlastic Turning
Vast Area of Ocean into Ecological Nightmare http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Pacific-Garbage-Patch27oct02.htm - http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ocean/Pacific-Garbage-Patch27oct02.htm http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html - http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html  "The second angel poured his bowl into the sea. It became like the blood of a dead body, and every living thing in the sea died." ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 18:43
|
On second thought, maybe it's all Japan and California's fault. I can't blame Hawaii, my wife and I honeymooned there and We love the place. Can't be Hawaii anyway, if it was them, it might be poi instead of plastic. Seriously though, I love seafood and this scares the crap out of me. Just because other natural causes can cause global changes more drastically doesn't mean that we haven't risen to the level of being able to have that impact ourselves. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: May 23 2008 at 19:55
|
I recycle, never litter, try not to make a lot of garbage. I drive, I rode public transport all during high school and it SUCKED!! Dirty, smelly buses, never on time, rude bus drivers. It's way better having a car, but again I live in Los Angeles. By the way, I hate the marketing term "going green". Even Fox is going green. Although I do like green as in Kawasaki green.  |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 00:24
|
If being green in the US meant anything more than something for people with their heads up their asses to boast about, then I'd be green all the way. But honestly, America has a sh*tty public transportation system at best, and only in major cities can you really get by without a car. And our options for cars suck. Sure, more hybrids are out, but the backlog of people waiting to get their hands on one has gotta be huge. 25 mpg doesn't mean that much anymore because gas is $4.00. Most hybrids realistically get about 30-35 mpg, which is a lot better than 25, but still it's a f**king sham. For everything that citizens in homes could do to help the environment, our government will undo twofold at least. So what's the f**king point? I recycle (I wonder if the people I give my cans and glass to don't just throw it in a landfill, though), but really, it's futile. This country has the most half-hearted attitude toward recycling. Even if I did my share 100%, the likes of the wastes of human lives in West Virginia who were interviewed after the primary as voting against Obama becuase "He's a Muslim," "He's of a different race," and "I don't like the 'Hussein' thing. I've had enough of Hussein" will surely not be able to see the benefit of recycling and must expect God to magically fix all the problems they hoist upon this Earth. Sons-a-bitch. Really, f**k bombing Iran, let's bomb West Virginia. If anyone on here is from WV, get out right now. When we have green standards for industry, then I'll start really giving a sh*t. Edit: too angry, needs smilies.  ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 01:46
|
I am a bit skeptical of the global warming causes too, but I do believe in making this a great place to live so I do my best to lower my impact on the Earth. Turn off stuff I don't use (lights, water, computer, TV, etc). I do drive a car, but it gets a decent amount of gas use (Mazda 3). I love riding my bike, so I take that out quite a bit to run errands and stuff. RECYcle always, and reuse paper that isn't filled up for whatever I could possibly use it for, before (or if) it gets ditched. I don't buy meat anymore. Well I do, but only at restaurants for a meal. I haven't been getting it for home cooking use. Which I guess doesn't do much, but whatever. I don't turn on my heat or a/c. I have sweaters and shorts. Apparently, there was some study done on the Prius and Hummer which showed that the Hummer was actually better on the environment because it lasts longer, and doesn't need go to the shop as much. While the Prius tends to go into the shop more, and also the lithium battery inside it is pretty bad for whatever reason. Although, the Hummer is certainly big, useless and unnecessary, and guzzles gas. I'll have to check what group conducted the research and the results to be more clear. Also I've been quite opposed to the whole Ethanol craze which is now being opposed in as quick a time as the same people were praising for its use. There were studies well before people started going all out for ethanol that said it was not good on the environment which is why its use was banned in some states. Not to mention the food cost hikes which are becoming apparent. Of course, all the who's who's of whateverland had to make Ethanol the "it" fuel to cut down on gas usage without think or I guess bothering to look at the available information out there. |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 06:17
| Probably not as green as I'd like to think I am. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 06:31
My thoughts exactly  . I can't believe that over 6 billion people and the volume of pollution they produce have no impact whatsoever on climate changes. Those who doubt the reality of global warming seem to forget one very simple fact, which many of us have witnessed firsthand: mountain glaciers everywhere are shrinking (not to mention polar icecaps, which are considerably bigger), and in some cases disappearing altogether. It's been happening here in the Alps, and I suppose in other mountain areas as well. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 08:26
|
Well the right wing noise machine has spent considerable effort in denying global warming just because it was one of the librul's (liberals) big issues. Stoopid monkeys! "With discoveries like these Civilisation agrees To give itself a pat on the back We're the smartest monkeys The evolution's plain to see We're the dominant of the species The smartest monkeys We brought the caveman from the stoneage To the subways of the modern world Quick call the Guinness Book of Records Well you have to admit that he's come a long way Since swinging about in the trees We're the smartest monkeys..." XTC ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 08:34
I re-cycle everything I can, and our local authority manage this quite well, with reliable pick ups and separate bins etc. My house has got those f  ing awful energy saving lightbulbs throughout, and they DO make a difference to your electric bills. My walls and loft are all fully insulated too.
However, I now run a car, and I make numerous short hall flights each year; about three to Newcastle, three to Dublin and 3 or 4 to Switzerland, so not so good on that score. So all in all I think I'm fairly green. Certainly no where near as bad as many people I know. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 11:49
I dont think there's anyone with an ounce of sense that oposes the existence of global warming, and I also agree that we will have some impact on climat change, but I've seen plenty of evidence to show that its not us that is driving climat change, which is about the only constant this planet has ever had (for example, the oxygen content of the atmosphere use to be so high that we had massive bugs on land (triple modern sizes and then some) not something thats possible with the current O2 content). ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
|
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 12:14
Don't know what to think, really. Contradictory studies are never nice. But I think that it serves its purpose (true or not) in that we at least try to live in a more sustainable way. Which is what really matters. The greenhouse effect is of course what we hear about the most, but there are so many other (truly substantial) environmental problems that need to be dealt with as well. All in all, it's a development we should be happy about ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LinusW88" rel="nofollow - Blargh |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: May 24 2008 at 15:23
The Earth is a finely tuned solar-powered system, vary any single parameter a little and the system self-regulates to maintain an equilibrium. By that the Earth is 'immune' to slight variations in these initial conditions resulting in only mild fluctuations in climate - for example the 11-year cycle of sun-spots is known to cause freak weather conditions, but the Earth's ego system is robust enough to cope with these as a human would the common cold, however should these be prolonged or their effects not be shielded by the upper atmosphere as well as they are now and it could tip the balance too far.
Change one parameter dramatically or several parameters slightly then the system becomes unstable while it searches for this new equilibrium, oscillating wildly from one extreme to the other. These lead to staggering changes in the system that in the past have resulted in the ice ages and the numerous geological epochs. Since the last ice-age ended roughly 12,000 years ago, (which is like, yesterday in geological terms) these deviations are a continual process and the climate is not as stable as it would appear. Individual changes may be small, but their accumulative effect is harder to ascertain since we cannot predict every circumstance and variation that may neutralise or enhance them.
The problem with 'global warming' is that any evidence can be interpreted in a number of ways depending upon your point of view, politics or economic situation. It is easy to jump to the wrong conclusion because the entire system is far more complex than we can model - we cannot even accurately predict the weather for tomorrow using the biggest and fastest supercomputers the Cray corporation can muster, so what chance do we have of predicting the out-come of burning fossil fuels or depleting the ozone-layer?
All you can say is that any prediction is pure speculation and whatever we guess the outcome to be, we will be wrong by several orders of magnitude in either direction simply because we are messing with a system we do not fully understand.
What does appear evident to me is that releasing all the carbon that was trapped in the Earths crust over several million years during the Carboniferous period within a relatively short space of time, while at the same time deforesting large tracts of land and polluting an ecosystem of natural resources that could conceivably counter the effect, (like ocean blooms for example), cannot be 'absorbed' by planting a few extra trees.
Since there are enough natural disturbances that can upset the environment without our help, adding to them does not seem to be the wisest option. ------------- What? |
