Go Green

tattoosteve99 · **on:** July 17, 2011, 01:51:57 AM

As we move forward we as inhabitants of this planet need to be more cautious of how we treat this world. I have proposed to the mods and Grant that we need a category named "Go Green". So lets all get together and put our brains to work on this thread and show everyone we do care for our planet and the future of our planet. Please post here in this thread with ideas, ways to help, link, and other ways to help out.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2011, 01:54:21 AM

So I guess I will start. I like to take my used and "older" electronics to places that recycle them into new equipment. BTW thats law now here where I live.

GraysonK · **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2011, 02:11:08 AM

Well, I try my best to reduce my "footprint" so to speak. I don't used plastic hardly at all anymore...I use Klean Canteen bottles for water and such. I drink a LOT of it. I put other stuff in there as well. They're built like tanks. I'm also trying to get my hospital to start taking all the newspapers that get delivered to patients and then thrown out to the recycling center each week. You wouldn't believe the paper we go through. I also ride my bike just about everywhere.

J-sews · **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2011, 02:39:12 AM

I do a lot of "green" things, like recycling, carpooling to work, extra insulation in the walls and ceiling of my home, etc. Not just because it is better for the planet, but also because it saves me money

Pacu · **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2011, 02:47:49 AM

My big blue electronics store i work for does recycling. I hear it's a big success. There is always a huge pallet of old electronics in the back prepped for sendback. I like to re-live my past by looking at the old console tvs, zack morris cell phones and ancient cpu brands.

I personally use nalgene bottles for aqua, toss my done with work papers into the recycler/shedder, keep only captive raised cichlids when possibe.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2011, 03:20:20 AM

I save a lot of money by using rechargeable batteries plus on top of that Im working on a way to charge them by using solar power.

jerseydevil · **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2011, 03:22:42 AM

I work in a paint store, and green is the "in" thing. For some applications there's no substitute for old-fashioned, nasty stuff (rule of thumb in the coatings industry-skull and crossbones on the label means it works

) but there are plenty of products out on the market. If a customer comes in looking for green paint (not just the color green) I have two low-VOC lines and two zero-VOC lines from the main manufacturer we deal in, and a COMPLETELY NON-TOXIC line from another manufacturer. OF course, there's a downside. If I get caught by the EPA selling a gallon of oil-based paint to a homeowner, I'm looking at a $10K fine!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2011, 03:37:01 AM

I think the money is the real issue here- being green has to be cost effective or no one will embrace it. As an example, I had my house rewired last year, and I tried to recycle the old switch boxes. I had to call the city to find out how to do it, and they informed me I had to go to a recycle depot and pay a recycling fee. I was ok with that, until they told me that it was located in a small town that's a half hour drive outside the city. Now, I'd consider paying the fee, or I'd consider driving that far out of town, but I am not doing both. Maybe that makes me a monster and an eco terrorist, but it's not worth that much to me to recycle two switches, so I tossed them in the garbage.

We also pay an additional $.10 per container for beverages here- cans, bottles and so on are all subject to a $.10 "deposit" or which we only get $.05 back. Still, I am happy to recycle my bottles and cans, and while it's a pain in the arse to pay a ten cent deposit to get a 5 cent refund, I still do it. I also recycle all my cardboard, and I use compressed fiber fuel in my fireplace rather than straight wood. It doesn't burn as nice, but since it's basically glued together sawdust, it's wood that would have otherwise been wasted.

And, just to include some tool related content, our own Spam Lord Mike put together this article on the environmental concerns at the Victorinox and Wenger factories:

http://www.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=345&Itemid=35

Def

frugalscotty · **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2011, 04:07:43 AM

I use CFL bulbs almost entirely in my house and rechargable batteries for most applications.

And I drive a Toyota Prius....

MultiMat · **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2011, 10:14:02 AM

We recycle most of our paper , cardboard & glass. Most councils in my state provide large wheelie bins for this & collect every second week.Plastic shopping bags are now banned in Oz so we use the reusable canvas bags.
We compost our green waste via compost tumbler & a 2nd stationary compost bin.
Our chickens get a lot of our kitchen scraps & our old bank statements & bills get shredded to line their nesting box which then ends up in the compost.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:16:15 PM

Quote from: frugalscotty on July 17, 2011, 04:07:43 AM

I use CFL bulbs almost entirely in my house and rechargable batteries for most applications.

And I drive a Toyota Prius....

I have CF bulbs all through my building, but I am slowly replacing them with LED bulbs because of the inherent health risks and environmental damage from CFL's. Even if it is fear mongering, the LED bulbs are significantly more efficient than CF bulbs anyway, last longer and produce IMHO a nicer light.

Def

Zed · **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2011, 01:50:09 PM

As cyclist of 34 years and dont drive ive always ben pretty green, i recycle and save energy in the house ,well when i can but the kids just love toleave lights on $:-\$ my wife has to drive for work but doesnt do massive millage, so i would say im pretty green and have been for many years, plus cycling keeps you fit

ducktapehero · **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2011, 04:27:02 PM

I stopped turning on the air conditioner in my car when I drive to the mailbox.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2011, 04:47:22 PM

Quote from: ducktapehero on July 17, 2011, 04:27:02 PM

I stopped turning on the air conditioner in my car when I drive to the mailbox.

Lol. But every little bit does help :p

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2011, 04:49:34 PM

I use the cfl bulbs in my home also. I received them free from my power company. All I had to do was fill in a form and bam! They were here in about 5 days. I try to recycle everything I can.

jzmtl · **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2011, 05:28:08 PM

Free, absolutely, but when you have to pay the full price and they burn out quicker than incan bulb it doesn't exactly entice people into using them.

I do my part when I can, but I absolutely hate being forced to do it by the lobbying eco-nazi. I.e. banned plastic shopping bags, banned incan bulbs, deposit for cans/bottles, more and more ethanol in gasoline etc.

Gareth · **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2011, 06:17:03 PM

fluorescents burn out faster than incandescents? I don't think so mate. Believe me, as a bloke who has to buy and change lamps as part of my job, there's absolutely no way that, on average, an old style lamp lasts longer than a fluorescent.

Sazabi · **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2011, 06:41:30 PM

I'm trying to make the switch over to LED instead of incandescent or CF bulbs; I find CF bulbs to make a horrendous whine that gives me headaches. :/

dks · **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2011, 06:45:06 PM

I buy most of my knives and multitools from Ebay auctions, used, that are being Recycled by the TSA

Gareth · **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2011, 07:30:40 PM

Quote from: Sazabi on July 17, 2011, 06:41:30 PM

I'm trying to make the switch over to LED instead of incandescent or CF bulbs; I find CF bulbs to make a horrendous whine that gives me headaches. :/

I've used some LED's in my bathroom but they're really quite blue in tint. Hopefully they start getting better colours out there as I sure wouldn't want the ones I have in a living room/lounge. I also had two of the units fail and need replacing.

kirk13 · **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2011, 07:32:44 PM

Think this is a great idea for a thread,as there are many little things we can all do to help the enviroment.Like Zed i'm a cyclist,and I've started walking instead of taking bus or tube rides.

Mind you...and this is just a thought or 3,things we might all look at is buying food that is local produce(reduces carbon footprint from transport),choosing glass over plastic bottles,paper bags over plastic packaging(cardboard boxes rather than blister packs for our new tools and knives!).

As anyone who knows me knows I'm a big petrol head,but on this subject,its worth rembering that the greenest car is actually the one that is on the road(far less emissions in maintaining a 'dirty' car than in building and transporting new ones!).

I do wonder why the eco damage and the cost in co2 terms of making,and ultimately the disposal of the batteries of the new hybrid cars is never mentioned in the marketing blurb(sorry Frugelscotty,really I'm not taking a pop,promise).

I think we all collectively(her on forum and in everyday life) need to look very deeply into the needs of being eco friendly

jzmtl · **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2011, 10:14:10 PM

Quote from: Gareth on July 17, 2011, 06:17:03 PM

fluorescents burn out faster than incandescents? I don't think so mate. Believe me, as a bloke who has to buy and change lamps as part of my job, there's absolutely no way that, on average, an old style lamp lasts longer than a fluorescent.

Depends on place, use and quality. I've had GE brand that's 5 years old and still going strong, and other brands burn out less than 6 months.

Besides, incan bulbs are 100% efficient at least one third of the year, not something they tell you when saying fluorescent is xx% more efficient.

Oh and while fluorescent can theoretically burn for certain hours, they can only be turn on certain number of times, which generally is order of magnitude less.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2011, 10:32:21 PM

Found this on youtube:
Seems like it would be a good idea. Even if you have to pay a little seems like it would hep the power bill tremendously.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2011, 02:33:06 AM

Come on people surely there's more ideas and topics. I know I'm not the only one.

Reinier · **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2011, 02:40:51 PM

I have a solar water heater and a solar panel. The water heater works quite well, but the solar panel is too small to really make a difference.

Crappy StreetView pic:

jzmtl · **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2011, 07:11:29 PM

I actually thought about doing solar panels, but it cost several grand just to get a small one started, and it's useless half of the year because of cloud and snow.

Maybe if where you live things aren't so expensive it's more viable.

Pacu · **Reply #26 on:** July 19, 2011, 11:41:13 PM

im surprised here in Houston we don't have solar panels and wind turbines galore. someone down here makes wind turbines as i always see the motors and huge blades going north on the highway

Phrea · **Reply #27 on:** July 22, 2011, 04:06:51 PM

You guys make me feel bad.

I do only use LED lamps in my [very small] house, I don't have a car [nor can I drive], I use the A/C as little as possible and I do recycle.
...but I have two modern computers in my house, which are both running 24/7, been like that for many years, but I can't seem to shut one of them down if I'm not using it, because a lot of the time [not always] it's doing something, like logging stuff, downloading stuff, etc. I have been feeling guilty about this for years, but I just can't switch to a more sensible way of using my computers. I simply HATE having to [re]boot a computer when I need it, it's a bother to me.

I do have one small tip for everybody: take those chargers out of the wall when you're not using them. Even though they're not charging anything, they do use up a bit of power.

Reinier · **Reply #28 on:** July 22, 2011, 04:26:06 PM

Quote from: jzmtl on July 19, 2011, 07:11:29 PM

I actually thought about doing solar panels, but it cost several grand just to get a small one started, and it's useless half of the year because of cloud and snow.

Maybe if where you live things aren't so expensive it's more viable.

Well they are pretty expensive over here as well, but they were already installed when I bought this house a year ago. When these houses were built (in 1997/1999) it was the largest solar power project in Europe (or the world), I believe. It was known as the 1 megawatt project: 12,000 m² of solar panels on 500 houses, producing 1,000,000 kWh/year

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #29 on:** July 22, 2011, 04:38:44 PM

Don't worry Phrea- I have four computers in my house and at least two are running at any one time. I don't believe power consumption/use is directly linked environmental issues- there are lots of "clean" methods of power generation like solar or wind energy. Unfortunately the power station in my city is coal and oil powered, but then since our harbour has been filling with sewage for a few centuries, the coal burning is pretty minor in comparison!

Seriously, I have some concepts for clean energy generation that I want to explore, but my money keeps disappearing for multitools and other things.

Def

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