What are YOU doing to change your ecological footprint?

[Nutmegger]

I just changed the incandescents in the most used rooms to CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps). I hate fluorescent lighting but I can live with it, I'll save money in the longrun and I'm doing my part. It's not really that bad once the shade is in place.

In addition to that, I take mass transit. I have been for a few years now. I won't lie to you, sometimes it's a bitch. My trip takes twice as long compared to the same trip in a car and that's on a good day. I do have time to read my books and I cannot tell you how easier it is not to deal with parking.

These are a few things that I do. What about you?

[dysfunctional press]

1. we bought a bigger house and a bigger car.

i'm determined to see florida submerged in my lifetime.

[kanrok]

18. Me too

And I bought land in Georgia right on the border with Florida. I'm hoping to have cheap waterfront property.

[Lucky Luciano]

21. LOL! nt

[AndyA]

2. I'm doing many of the same things.

Changing out lights to ones that use less energy, and turning more of them off if they aren't needed.

I'm car pooling more, so that's one less car on the road. I'm also keeping my cars tuned up, and servicing the pollution equipment so they pollute as little as possible.

I recycle paper, magazines, old phone books, glass, plastic, and aluminum cans (my city does this along with the trash pickup, so I just have to sort it out and put it in a separate container for pickup.)

It really isn't difficult to do.

What bugs me is I see lots of neighbors with kids who don't do ANYTHING. And I think, "You guys are destroying the environment. What are your kids going to do when they grow up? You are not setting a good example."

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. And the ones who fill up the landfills with diapers.

I'll never understand that one.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Use a canvas grocery bag, reuse plastic produce bags, no straws,

I use almost no disposable items of any kind (sadly, there's always something that just has to be used once, or those few things that are simply stupidly overpackaged...), I take my coffee mug with me on road trips most of the time (imperfectly, at times I forget), try to use as little as possible, try to buy only what I actually need (but the weakness for DVDs and CDs often gets the best of me...), recycle as much as I can (and strive to buy only things that are recyclable), buy local foods when I can, avoid as much as possible any packaged foods, try to conserve as much energy as I can (though I surely run the computer too much, as well as the TV and the DVD player and stereo)...

[The Count]

5. Don't have a car, walk, ride a bicicle, public transportation

I live in a small apartment and care for two community gardens - where I grow fruit and vegetable for me and others to eat. I consume only what I need - which is extremely little - and have no secret envy/desire for humongous properties whatsoever. (addressing the "envy" issue)

[DainBramaged]

6. I changed EVERY LIGHT, including outside spots to CFL's 2 years ago

I use the fireplace whenever possible and I have cut my car usage in half through better planning.

Maybe next year I'll convince the owners of the house to put solar panel on the roof.

[tk2kewl]

7. My wife and I are building a new house.

We will be using either insulated concrete forms or polyurethane spray foam insulation to create a super-insulated air tight building envelope. We hope to incorporate solar panels for electricity, bu may put it off due to cost with the hope that there will be substantial price reduction and rebate increases sometime in the next 5 years.

[maxsolomon]

8. mothballing the SUV unless we go skiing.

mass transit, carpooling.
heat down to 67 permanently.
reducing waste stream - yard waste, recycling, 2nd smallest garbage can.
LEED accredidation.
switching out fixtures to CFLs as affordable.
designing off-the-grid house for brother.

decided not to build a 20,000 SF mansion despite my wealth.

[RiverStone]

9. Also did the CFL thing...

And never raise the thermostat over 60 (live in the NW).

Also planted shrubs/plants that are native to the NW, which minimizes water needs. Have a yard which requires no lawn mower, just a hand powered hedge trimmer...

and of course - spreading the word on this:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/

Thanks for posting Nutmegger! :)

[peacekitten]

10. Hi!

I use the energy efficient light bulbs now. I know its not much though

[newyawker99]

24. Hi peacekitten!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[peacekitten]

26. Thank you

Not sure how to use any of this, lol

[Jersey Devil]

11. Selling my house and moving into John Edwards' garage

I may also drive one of his cars while I'm at it.

[peacekitten]

12. LOL

Can I come?

[gilpo]

13. We donate to carbonfund.org..

and I am trying to figure out a way to install a solar array on my house. Having trouble figuring out how to pay the $20K, tho.

[sandnsea]

16. There are credits

Federal and some states have them too. It would have been nice if we'd been promoting using the equity during the housing boom to make some of these upgrades. It would have been a real boon to the alternative energy industry and benefited this country, instead of creating jobs in China for polluting plastic crap.

[sandnsea]

14. I write carbon checks

That way I don't have to worry about how much I consume.

:sarcasm:

[MGKrebs]

15. Those CFL's shouldn't bother you.

Old style fluorescents cycled on and off 60 times a second, which is kind of right on the edge or our perception, and can be annoying even if you don't actually see it. These new bulbs cycle at I think 20,000 times a second, so you should never be able to see that. Also, they make these bulbs in many different shades of white, so you can get "warmer" bulbs if the normal blueish ones are bothersome.
A normal blueish bulb is called 4100K. The smaller the number, the yellower the light. So a typical old style household lightbulb is about 2700K. You can also get 3500K, right in the middle.

[rox63]

17. Several things

I've changed most of my light bulbs to CFLs, and I am more conscientious about turning off lights when they aren't needed. About a year and a half ago, I moved much closer to my friends, family and job. So while I still drive, I'm driving a lot less than I used to. I live in relatively small (860 sq ft) well-insulated 2-bdrm condo, which I share with a roommate. So our energy use is pretty small. And we don't even take up a lot of space. My roommate uses public transit quite a bit, but my job isn't near any public transit stops.

[kcass1954]

19. We also changed all bulbs to CFL's a couple of years ago.

My new car is not a compact, but it's not a gas-hog either (Camry). Mass transit isn't an option - it would take me more than an hour to get to work (buses only between my house and my job).

One of the reasons I stay where I work is that it's only 7 miles from home. Well, that and the fact that I wear jeans and sneaks most of the time. But that also reduces the amount of dry-cleaning I do.

When we put in the new a/c unit, we got one with a much better energy rating, and added extra insulation in the attic. The thermostat is usually set on 77 - even in the summer, the house is still cool enough most of the time. (We're in South Florida, so the a/c is on most of the time due to "permanent summer".)

We have load-management equipment on our water heater (it was there when we bought the house). They can turn off the power to the heater during heavy usage to help avoid a brown-out. We get a few cents per month off on the electric bill, and a couple of dollars if they actually turn it off, which has only happened 3 times in 6 years.

But try as I might, the rest of my household is not as concerned. I'm the one walking around turning out lights and TV's when no one is in the room. And I've turned into my mother - "I'm not paying to air-condition the entire neighborhood!" I use flatware and regular dishes and a cloth towel all the time, but the other 3 of them use disposable plates and tons of paper towels. I put a clean towel in the kitchen every morning, so I don't understand what's up with that. BTW, I don't do the grocery shopping, so I'm not the "enabler".

My current goal is to get back to recycling. After Wilma, our city temporarily halted picking up the recyclables because there was so much other debris to deal with. I still put most everything in the bin, but I just found out that Mr. kcass has been dumping the bin into the regular can on Friday mornings because he doesn't feel like walking his happy ass out to the street twice. I've let that slide for a couple of months since I found out, but it's been bugging me lately. The solution will most likely involve me taking care of it, because I'm "the only one who cares about that crap".

And I probably could be doing much more...

Edited for clarification...

[Lucky Luciano]

20. Actually, I am pretty good unintentionally...

I do have a big car which would be considered bad, but I only use it for recreation on the weekend. During the week, I take a one mile cab ride and walk home. I never watch television (ever). I use regular lamps, but they are not abused and usually not on. I only buy fruits and fresh squeezed OJ. Otherwise, I eat out for all meals, so I use very little detergent or gas on the stove. I don't really buy much, but I might do my annual clothes shopping trip soon. I don't intend to be environmental per se, but I simply have little interest in buying much of anything or pop culture in general.

I would say that I spend most money on entertainment. I like nice dinners out, nights out with friends, and world travel. The rest gets saved. Hording is important because my job is very volatile and could very easily not exist at any given moment.

[oblivious]

22. Public transport instead of a car; Fans instead of aircons.

But sometimes I wonder about the size of my footprint even with public transport. Here's a common day:

home - 2km walk - ferry - 3km walk - bus - 1/2km walk - train - 1km walk - train - 1km walk ferry - 2km walk - home

The only consolation is knowing the public transport would be running even if I walked and swam all the way.

[Lucky Luciano]

23. Not sure where work is, but it lookslike you walk

5.5 km before getting to work. That takes an hour if you walk fast. It takes a lot of fortitude to get up an hour earlier than you must!

[oblivious]

25. I run the first two because it's downhill.

I could take a bus for the next three, but the walking helps keep my weight down and half of it is along the harbour with all the fishing boats, sampans and kaidos, so I like it.

[bigendian]

27. Nobody mentioned this.

When you leave town for say, the weekend or longer, throw the breaker for the water heater and unplug all electrical appliances. Timers are nice too. I am switching to CFL's asap.

[Adelante]

28. I've never owned a car in my long life

I've only chosen places to live where I would not need one. I walk almost everywhere I go or take public transportation when I have to. I live in a one person sized apartment with a clothesline on the roof. I changed light bulbs a few years ago. I never have a light on in an empty room, so only one light on at a given time since I live alone. I don't have heat on at night when I'm under the covers or in the daytime when I can handle it. I light the hot water to take a shower, wash floors and dishes in cold water. I watch TV rarely. The only luxury item I own is my computer. I shop locally for almost everything I eat. I don't wear makeup or buy a lot of clothes and have very few household appliances. I wash my hair twice a week instead of every day the way I used to. Um, I can't think of anything else. It's just living as simply as I can, really, but I prefer it, too.