Comments on: Top Ten Green Resolutions for 2009

By: Jill Velez

Jill Velez — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:40:02 +0000

Wow! Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions! Love the tip about the cloth napkins. I hardly ever use the microwave, but when I do I am still in the habit of grabbing a paper towel to cover the dish. My daughter just asked me why am I not using my cloth napkins in the microwave? I never even thought about that.

Michael – I think what Sher was referring to (great suggestions, btw Sher!) as a sustainable meal is one that doesn’t involve any waste, i.e., all the packaging used for the food can be recycled or composted (no Styrofoam!), and any leftover food is composted instead of thrown away. To me, a totally sustainable meal would be vegetarian and would only involve locally grown food. Speaking of…check out this cool “Eat Low Carbon Diet” calculator that a friend just sent me: http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/#.

Talk to you soon!

By: renee west

renee west — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:34:26 +0000

when i shop for food i often shop without a pre-conceived idea of what i want. i just buy whatever looks great(mostly the in- season stuff) and that’s what we eat. i don’t spend any time driving around looking for the one ingredient that the store didn’t have. in summertime i go to my local little farmers market and again shop without plans. i try to buy at least one thing from every single vendor so i support every one of them. i buy the nicest vegie each of them has to offer. then i go home and we eat simple amazing fresh food. i also make do with what i have which means throwing things together and not running around looking for specific ingredients. we rarely waste good food this way. i’ve learned how to use a few key spices and this helps.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:24:54 +0000

If you’re not buying a hybrid (which are still expensive!), check the EPA’s green list before buying a new car.
Some more obvious ones but good ole reminders: don’t run the dishwasher/washing machine until it is full. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Many grocery stores have started recycling programs for plastic bags, if you do have/use them. Bring your reuseable tote everywhere – baggus are great for this, they come in a small sleeve. Don’t buy wrapping paper for gifts – use comics, newspapers, and other common household stuff. That can be a lot of fun, especially if the comic reminds you of someone (e.g. Dilbert for someone in corporate, For Better for For Worse for parents…) Watch what you put down your drain or bathe in, put on your skin, in your body, wash your hair with…get a bike (with helmet). find out who your local farmers are and consider CSA – community supported agriculture. Don’t bring anything new into your home without careful consideration – could I get this in bamboo? Can it be recycled someday? Is there a version in organic cotton? Just asking yourself “How long will this be in the landfill?” can prompt putting down all kinds of unnecessary items… a little vigilance goes a long way. make one change a week.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:48:12 +0000

I think these really are some excellent suggestions, particularly the re-usable bag elsewhere than a grocery store. Also here’s a thought for students, dependent on your discipline and area of study it is sometimes nearly impossible to use up your notebooks from the semester, so instead of tossing out a 60% blank notebook, why not simply discard the used and continue using the notebooks. Also buy notebooks composed of a high concentration of previously recycled paper.

Also someone mentioned about attempts of eliminating meat, particularly beef, from their diet occasionally, that is a terrific idea. The environmental impact of the meat industry actually outweighs the damage caused by automobiles.

By: adi

adi — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:16:25 +0000

ashes to ashes

rather than finding the fanciest coffin and carefully select plot,”green ceneteries” offer the option of a more natural resting place. burying bodies wrapped in biodegradable materials return loved ones to nature, letting them decompose naturally and allowing their remains to be born again.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:45:44 +0000

Use unscented laundry detergents and stop using the dryer sheets. They are full of toxins and perfumes. Your dryer will last much longer too-the filter and other parts of the dryer won’t get all the sticky chemicals all gummed up on them. Hang out laundry when weather permits-you’ll save energy and get exercise.

By: Michele

Michele — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:11:39 +0000

In addition to using non-toxic cleaners for the dishes and house, I’ve started using less toxic personal care items, like soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair color and deodorant. It’s scary how many truly harmful chemicals are contained in the products we use daily. You can check into what chemicals your personal care products have and find better alternatives at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Also, switch to a cloth shower liner instead of vinyl to prevent the chemical outgassing that occurs. The cloth liner will last longer and will be better for you.

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:15:25 +0000

If I have just one item, I tell at the stores, especially at the bookstore…”Save the plastic trees.”
And I walked with my books…normally from a resale bookstores and I do book swaps with my sister and my friends. I am a slow reader and end up spending the cost of the book from the resale store in library fines, so I buy or swap. I also do magazines swaps and then if conditions are bad then recycle. Normally schools will take used magazines for projects.
I also try to hang the clothes out to dry, but I live in a very humid place, so it takes a bit longer to dry.

By: Regi

Regi — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:00:16 +0000

I would love to see some ideas how those of us in restricted living spaces (RV’s) could reduce $ and the CO2 imprint on the earth.

By: Pepper

Pepper — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:19:19 +0000

I have become quite accostomed to carrying the reuseable bags and now know the high points to the right bag for me: grogery-bag size, no bigger, or things get lost in them. Must have a loop for hanging while bagging the groceries, and a flat bottom with a cardboard or stiff bottom. I bought high priced bags in a nice canvas with a pithy saying and these were ok until I washed them. Now they can cart books, but pretty useless in the market becasue they don’t stand up on their own. I bring my own container when I go out to eat and try to put half of my meal in before I eat my first forkful. (”try” being somewhat realative) I can use my own coffee mug at the fast food places if I go in, but not at the drive through. I tell them at the drive through No Bags or extra paper, please! because they sometimes give you a bag for your styrofaom coffee, a bag for your sandwich and a bag for your cream and sugar. Some places will put your sandwich in paper vs. styrofoam if you ask, but I have one place that won’t even put my sandwich in one of their recycled, washed plastic containers. Claim it’s a health risk for them. I have taught my children not to buy or consume water from water bottles. They are used to filling thier own bottle at the water fountain. I often run my dishwasher with half as much or even no soap at all. The high temp water gets things clean with less. Lights on-electronics off in our house, which means I tell the kids we have only so much electricity available to us, and if they waste their allotment on an appliance or light in a room they are not using, they lose a comparable amount of electronics time from thier recreation. That gets their attention.