What is your environmental balance sheet?

[kreigle]

Let's see: at 42 yrs old, I am on my 5th car, all bought used.

The house we currently live in is an early 1900s (1904/1907) 2500 sq.ft. (un-unsulated) brick city row home. Gas hot water and gas stove. Gas bill ~$35-$40/mo. Oil Heat, we had 2 tank re-fills last winter, about 375 gallons heating oil total. Electric runs ~$90 in winter and $120 in summer when we install the window air conditioners. Water useage averages ~2500 gal/month (currently $16, soon to go up to $19).

Local refuse contract allows us to set 6 32gal cans out twice a week, but we usually only put out 1 every week, and it is usually not even full then. When my son was in diapers, we would put out about 1 1/2 cans/week.

Local recycle takes glass/metal cans/plastic #1 thru #3 only. We recycle everything that qualifies, including all the junk mail goes in a paper grocery bag and into the recycle bin. Local picku does not take cardboard, so I drop that off in person at a semi-local recycle drop-off point that does, as it is on my way to/from work.

 

[Schmoe]

I'm getting the picture that we are all "tight" here. Works for me.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Tight? I'm so tight you couldn't nail a pin up my arse.

 

[OriginHacker21]

hahaha

I guess thats what being environmentally friendly really is all about!

 

[Pablo]

GM - I didn't think you had an arse.

I peee on my compost pile.

I don't use any insecticides/pesticides.

Keep my cars forever, if I buy new (5 new cars, 47 y's o.

Rarely create waste oil.

Home tighter than GM's arse.

Very frugal with water.

Breath when necessary.

China is already pooching the enviroscrew on us. Ever hear of prevailing high level jet streams? Any China burns what? (hint: EVERYTHING) And it appears the pristine forests in my state. We control/limit our pollution pretty darn well in the USA and we should continue to do so! But unless other countries do so as well, it's kinda of silly to feel guilty about our energy use. (And yes we need to conserve)

You folks make me chuckle. Please standardize your numbers for energy use per GNP output/head. Sure a bushwoman consumes little, but output other than babies is small, too.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
I'm getting the picture that we are all "tight" here. Works for me.

---

I prefer frugal. What it amounts to is, we each in our own way tend to maximize our resources and minimize the expenses. Certainly not a bad thing.

 

[Intelman34]

I have a feeling the environment hates my automotive choices. I am 22 and have had 10 vehicles.... smallest engine has been a 2.5L V6. Most have had been modified, some with cats removed and some with heavy engine modifications. I am on my 3rd diesel truck. I have never pulled a trailer. I just enjoy driving a big diesel. All 3 have been the ones you see/hear sounding like a Semi and smoking like a freight train. I regularly go for 100+ mile drives in a 6.6L diesel pickup or a 5.7L V8 car for nothing other than to relax.

Everything else I am pretty good with. My apartment only has the flourescent energy conserving bulbs in each room, I turn the lights, tv, computer, etc when I am not using them. I rarely use the central A/C or even heat. I only do super full loads of dishes or clothes and flush the toliet only when need be. I recycle EVERYTHING possible.

I'd be a very environmentally friendly person if I didn't enjoy autos so much.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Intelman34:
I have a feeling the environment hates my automotive choices.

I'd be a very environmentally friendly person if I didn't enjoy autos so much.

---

You will get over that when you get married. Trust me.....

 

[Spitty]

I have often thought that if the planet earth were to talk to us, it might say; Squander my resources, Dump your garbage any place you like, pollute the Oceans and the Air.
But Please stop breeding!

 

[Razl]

I recently moved into my newly built 3,200 Sq. Ft. home which is a big change from my modest 1,700 Sq. Ft. first-home. The reasons are plenty but mainly because of location - excellent neighborhood and school system for my baby to grow up in. The need for a large house came from me taking on the responsibility of hosting family events. Most of my wife's and my family are much older and entertaining is getting very difficult (physically and financially) for them.

My balance sheet: I heat/cool with geothermal, installed high performance windows and doors, insulated and air sealed (including garage) to energy star standards, 90% of my lights are CFLs, with many of them on timers and motion sensors (all bath fans on timers) so only the rooms we are in are lit, I reduce phantom electrical loads by using power strips wherever they exist, all of my hot water pipes are insulated including in the walls, hot water heater turned down to 120F and wrapped in a blanket, all appliances are energy star (my dryer is gas) rated, I shut off the shower when I’m shampooing and soaping up, I try to buy only low-packaging items and recycle everything which keeps my trash to less than a bag a week for a family of three, I do not buy commercial cleaning products in favor of less toxic and cheaper home-made cleaners, I have a garden compost bin and a worm compost bin to handle my kitchen waste, I have a few rain water barrels to take of my garden and flowers, I take the bus 4 days a week and negotiated working from home on Fridays with my boss, for the miles I do put on the cars, I purchased a TerraPass to offset the CO2 emissions I do produce, my cars are always fully tuned, tires pressures checked twice a month, the Honda with bypass filter get OCI of 20k miles, the Saab 5K OCIs (can’t go longer cause of turbo issues), I’ve mostly bought used cars, but owned two new cars (first own was kept 10 years/ 185k miles, the 2004 current Honda, hoping for 250,000 miles, I try to combine all of our weekend “to-do’s” into one driving session, I raid yard sales and consignments, I will fly but refuse to take any cruise because they are such careless wasters, I’m planning to add a PV solar system within the next year but still doing my research.

All in all, I don’t feel like I skimp on anything, I just try to clean up after myself and my family as best as I know how in the process of enjoying life.