How to know what is really Green

[PamsPride]

I do use the excuse of being 'green' though!! Saving $$ is not THAT cool yet!! I mean who in their right mind would want to use cloth diapers or homemade SN unless it was to BE GREEN!!!

 

[patandchickens]

by being frugal, at the same time you are being green accidentially

At least for the "just use less stuff" and "use it up, wear it out" types of frugality (as opposed to "buy cheap stuff made in faraway countries out of scary materials"), I think you do indeed automatically get quite a lot of 'greenness' as a byproduct.

Frankly an awful lot of Western society's (especially North America's) disproportionately enormous negative impact on the environment is not a matter of whether to use toilet paper that contains recycled fibers, or whether to use solar vs conventional heating, etc etc...

...AFAIK, the main reason Westerners/Americans have such a huge per-capita negative impact is just the AMOUNT OF STUFF we use.

Use less stuff, do less harm. It's pretty simple.

Frankly this is more or less why I am highly, highly skeptical about the real desirability of recycling programs for household waste. It seems to me like people have X amount of mental effort they're realistically going to put into Being Environmentally Sensible, and if you ask me it would be a lot more constructive for people to just QUIT USIN' SO DARN MUCH STUFF ALREADY rather than recycling some of the packaging thereof :/

JMO,

Pat

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I started being 'green' in the 70's ... and have carried a lot of 'current' recommendations for the last 30+ years because it just made sense.

Like not driving frivolously, never buy a new car (takes a lot more energy to make a new one), then repair until it's DEAD. I had a Dodge Caravan go to it's grave with 300,000 miles on it! Nowadays we do have a Ford XL 350 w/cab so we can haul our horse trailer and other farm/home related projects, but still have an economical car for regular driving.

Always buy items with least packaging when there is a choice. Always recycled, even when it tough to find places to take stuff. I haven't paid for trash service in over 20 years. We recycle within the house, reusing plastic grocery bags, newspapers, boxes & shipping supplies. We deliver our cans and extra paper/plastic/cardboard to a local recycle center 3-4 times a year.

My husband takes lunch to work (I just bought some resealable sandwich containers to use instead of plastic wrap or wax paper). I use kitchen towels for a lot of stuff, but still have a roll of paper towels & tissues available when needed.

I don't own a dishwasher. Actually didn't own a microwave or color TV until about 15 years ago. I do have a front loader washer and dryer. Used to hang my clothes out to dry for years, haven't since we moved here, but I think I will explore a location for a new clothesline this year. I use a toaster over instead of the big oven whenever possible.

Do I sweat some other stuff? No. As FarmerChick said, you have to decide what you can do and be comfortable with that. I know that my footprint is one that I am comfortable with. We have our chickens & ducks for eggs and some meat; we continue to work on our garden. I buy local produce when I can.

When people don't read 'labels' just if it looks or says 'green' (without really wondering if it is all that much better) and PAY MORE for it, that bothers me ! Buying eggs, honey or maple syrup from your local farmstead is 'green' !! Recycling that kitchen cabinet into a nestbox is 'green.' Buying 'green' or regular Clorex ... not so much.

So agree with patandchickens .. be frugal ... 'just use less stuff' ~~ one of my lifelong mottos ... reuse what you have. I save a lot of reuseable items (often to my hubby's dismay), but I always point out when we find a use for some things. (And try NOT to go overboard... there is saving and then there is BACKFILLING.)

I've watched the US evolve into quite the 'throw away' society in my lifetime. It's good to see a resurgence of awareness. Whatever you do, for whatever reasons. It helps.