What are the top 3 things an individual can do to go green?

Answer 1

Remember in elementary school when you learned about those OTHER three R's? Of course I mean reduce, reuse, and recycle.

REDUCE-Reduce your consumption! Don't use plastic silverware, don't use paper or foam cups and plates, don't buy foods in single-serving packages, don't drive when you can easily bike or walk to your destination and carpool or take public transportation when you can't , turn down your hot water heater to 98 degrees, shower every other day, use cloth diapers, use rags instead of paper towels, turn down the heat or the air conditioner when you're not home, switch to energy efficient light bulbs, turn off lights and appliances when you're not using them, use natural light during the day, you get the idea.

REUSE-Use a cloth bag or basket to carry your groceries in, donate used clothing and appliances to charity instead of throwing them away, save Popsicle sticks, paper bags, pipe cleaners, wrapping paper, and anything else that you think could be used for kids' crafts (a lot of times Head Start and other preschools/day cares have lists of needed things like this available to the public!), wash and reuse plastic and glass containers, think creatively about "trash" and find things to do with it. Ever see those purses made out of plastic grocery bags? Same concept.

RECYCLE-Take the time to learn about and follow your community's recycling guidelines, return aluminum cans and plastic bottles to the store, use food waste to make your own organic compost, buy products made from recycled goods, teach your children and educate your community about what can be recycled. Things like batteries are actually recyclable, but not many communities are on board with this kind of program; push for yours to get on board.

I know that's a lot from three things, but I truly believe that these are the keys to a greener existence.

Answer 2

I am all for the idea of universal health care. The only problem is that we have an extremely corrupt government (deny it or not) and if they were providing the health care, they could dictate every aspect of your life. Now, I wouldnt mind that to some extent. If they dont want to pay for your lung cancer treatments because you couldnt put out the cig for 40 years, or the many results of eating a cheeseburger daily, thats fine with me. You should be taking responsibility for your health to at least that extent. But I doubt that they have the resources to watch what 300 million people are having for lunch every day. lol Maybe if they required all food produced in the US to be organic (oh holy day!), that wouldnt be an issue. But then they lose precious money on that, too, those poor millionaires. Its not that they cant afford it, they just dont want to lose the mountains of what they already have. Really, people are going to get screwed over no matter what. But the fact that it is only available at a minimum number of jobs and that otherwise it will cost you hundreds a month is, I think, the greater of the two evils. Its quite sad. The government cannot be trusted and everything else is too expensive. If Americans grew back the balls they had 200 years ago that first got them here and stood up for something, the government would be forced to stop being so controlling, heartless and greedy, but thats not going to happen. For now we have to choose the better option, even if they all suck.

Answer 3

Walk and/or use public transportation, get a bike.

Recycle and buy second hand things from thrift stores.

Dry clothes in air.

Answer 4

1) Repair - anything that can be repaired instead of throwing it away

2) Reuse - anything that can be repurposed

3) Recycle - anything that can be recycled when it is no longer useable in its original state

Answer 5

Replace all your lightbulbs with low energy lightbulbs.
Bring you own reusable bags to the grocery store.
Stop using pesticides in your yard and inside your home.

Kim at http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com

Answer 6

A small safe car.
Insulate your house to a high standard.
Save Water

Answer 7

Conserve h2o
Conserve energy
& recycle

Answer 8

Buy a hybrid
Replace gas appliances with electric
Recycle

Home owners can replace their garden machinery with electric powered ones too ... i.e. mowers, trimmers, blowers etc etc

Answer 9

The biggest thing any of us can do is to offset our carbon emissions - go carbon neutral. Other major differences can be made by reducing the amount of fuel we use from transportation, reducing our demand for power generated from fossil fuels and buying products that are more environmentally conscious.

We can cut fuel consumption by driving less, walking or cycling short journeys, driving a more economical vehicle, using alternative fuels to conventional gas and driving smoothly.

We can switch to a green energy supplier - and use solar, wind, tidal power instead of a supplier that generates electricity through the burning of fossil fuels. At the same time we can reduce power consumption in many ways.

And buying products that are more 'green' means sourcing food and products locally as opposed to ones that have been shipped half way around the world, avoiding excess packaging, buying energy efficient appliances etc.

Here's a whole list of ideas...

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT HOME
> When replacing appliances buy energy efficient ones.

> Turn off electrical appliances when not in use, don’t use the standby option.

> Use energy efficient light bulbs and switch off lights when not in use.

> Fit individual thermostats to radiators and don't heat rooms that aren't used.

> Insulate walls, lofts, hot water tanks and pipes.

> Turn your heating and air conditioning down, a small difference will be barely noticeable.

> Similarly, turn down water heating by a few degrees.

> Sign up to a green energy supplier, one that produces energy from renewable sources.

> Turn off heating and air-conditioning when the house is unoccupied.

> Wash full loads of clothes at a lower temperature, modern machines and detergents are just as effective at lower temperatures.

> Dry your clothes outdoors instead of in a tumble drier.

> Wash full loads in the dish-washer.

> Insulate your home and block draughts around doors and windows. In Europe this is free to many people.

> Consider installing a renewable energy system such as solar panels or a home wind turbine.

> Use rechargeable batteries; don’t leave rechargers on for longer than is needed (including mobile / cell-phones).

> Boil only as much water in the kettle as you need.

> Buy locally produced organic food where possible, there's less transportation and the farming methods are more environmentally friendly.

> Look where goods were manufactured and avoid buying those that have been flown or shipped long distances.

> Recycle and reuse as much as possible. Sign up with mail preferential services to stop junk mail.

> Avoid buying products with excessive packaging.

> Don’t have your fridge or freezer set lower than need to be, regularly defrost freezers, don’t put hot food into your fridge or freezer.

> If your fridge or freezer is over 15 years old then consider replacing it (check with local authority regarding disposal of old one).

> Work from home where possible.

> Eat less meat and dairy produce, farming produces large quantities of greenhouse gases.

ENERGY EFFICIENT TRAVELLING
For many people a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Each gallon of gasoline burned produces 10kg (20 pounds) of carbon dioxide. A motorist driving 15,000 miles a year in a vehicle that delivers 30mpg will produce 5000kg of carbon emissions whereas a vehicle returning 50mpg will produce 3000kg.

> Drive a fuel efficient vehicle, if you have more than one vehicle then use the most economical one more often.

> Consider walking or cycling when going to work or taking the kids to schools, if you have to drive then consider car sharing.

> Use public transport where possible and consider taking a coach or train instead of using domestic flights.

> When replacing your vehicle look at diesel and liquid petroleum gas models.

> Combine multiple journeys into one and do your weekly shopping in a single trip.

> Stagger journeys where possible to avoid rush hour traffic and hold ups.

FUEL SAVING TIPS FOR DRIVERS
By driving carefully and keeping your vehicle in good condition you can save up to 30% on your fuel bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Below are some tips for increasing fuel efficiency.

> Avoid harsh braking, accelerate gently and drive at a steady speed.

> Keep tyres inflated to the correct pressure.

> Remove bike and ski racks when not in use, also remove detachable roof racks, luggage boxes etc.

> Carrying unnecessary weight wastes fuel, declutter your vehicle.

> Use the correct gear and use cruise control if your vehicle has it.

> Keep your vehicle regularly services.

> Turn the engine off when stopped or waiting.

MORE ENERGY SAVING TIPS
Natural Resource Defense Council - http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/genergy.asp
Energy Saving Trust - http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/
Carbon Footprint - http://www.carbonfootprint.com/index.html
Carbon Trust - http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/energy
Energy Quest - http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/saving_energy/index.html
US Government - http://www.energy.gov/energyefficiency/index.htm
Alliance to Save Energy - http://www.ase.org/
UK Government - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Energyandwatersaving/DG_064371
Rough Guides - http://www.roughguides.com/savingenergy/
Salt River Project - http://www.srpnet.com/menu/energy.aspx

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CARBON OFFSETTING

Each of us leaves behind what is commonly referred to as a 'carbon footprint'. This is a measure of the environmental impact in terms of the amount of greenhouses gases produced, it is measured as the equivalent number of units of carbon dioxide. The global average is 5 tons per person per year, in developed nations the average is 11 tons and in the US it is 19 tons.

Carbon Offsetting is one way to reduce or eliminate your carbon footprint, in most cases this involves calculating your greenhouse gas emissions and planting trees so as to absorb an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. Some websites where you can calculate your carbon footprint and purchase offsetting are:
The Woodland Trust - http://www.carbonbalanced.org/
Carbon Footprint - http://www.carbonfootprint.com/USA/calculator.html
The Carbon Neutral Company - http://www.carbonneutral.com/pinfo/carbonoffsetting.asp
My Climate - http://www.myclimate.org/index.php?lang=en
Atmosfair - http://www.atmosfair.de/index.php?id=9&L=3