Happy Earth Day!

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turbolapp

turbolapp

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Aug 10, 2007
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I sent out a sort of Earth Day "call to action" email to friends and family and thought it would make an appropriate topic WF today.

Here's the email:

Hello Everyone,

In Honor of Earth Day I thought I would send out an email. Now we all know
this planet is going to hell in a handbasket, so to speak, so I'm not going
to talk about the numerous problems it's facing. I thought I would just
talk about solutions. You guys know me, the environment has never been my soapbox (a gal can only have so many!!) but in the back of your mind you know there are problems and you know what you're doing to contribute to those problems. But honestly, it can be overwhelming, the issues our
planet faces and we feel very small when trying to contribute to the
solution. But you know what? I've just decided to get over it. Maybe it's
having children that is finally jumpstarting my pro-activity. Maybe it's
all the technical advances that makes being eco conscious a little more
convenient.
My family has decided to make little changes here and there to try and do
our part to contribute. I would like to challenge you on this day to make
a change in your lives to help the environment. It can be as big or as
small as you are comfortable with. And the best thing about having so many
problems is that you have so many options you can choose from to help!!
For those of you that want to participate you can look around on the
internet for some ideas. Here is a link that offers many suggestions on
small changes you can make in your daily lives that, if enough of us do it,
can make a big difference. http://earth911.org
In the spirit of sharing I thought I would let you know what kind of
commitments my family is making today:
The average person uses 1000 plastic shopping bags a year. (That's a total
of :153,913,671,387 a year, and counting!) Why not switch out those
plastic bags for your own totes? Really it shouldn't lose much in the
convenience factor (you just stick them in your trunk and then bring them
into the store with you) and they actually carry benefits over plastic
bags.
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-dual-handled-lightweight-hemp-tote-reusable-shopping-p-232.html
Here's the biggest change we are making. As you know we are expecting a
little one soon and we have decided to do this go around (a good two years
at least) with cloth diapers. CLOTH WHAT??? I know it sounds crazy but
today's cloth diapers have come along way in comfort for the baby and
convenience for the parent. And you actually save money in the long run.
Take a look at the link provided if you're interested in learning more.
There's also a fantastic video at the bottom of the page that shows that
certain cloth diapers are actually easier and faster to put on than
disposable diapers!
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1279
I know from speaking to alot of you that many of you are already taking
steps in your daily lives to make a difference. More power to you! Maybe if
we could all join in and do our part there will be something left of this
magnificent planet for our children and grandchildren.

Thanks for reading,
Lauren

The response has been good, here is what people are saying:

Instead of ziplocs, we use these wrap-n-mats for sandwhichs and carrot sticks or whatever.... the kids love them because they double as placemats. I love them cause they are easy to clean and fun to use.
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/wrapnmat-set-of-3-p-137.html

For reusable bags, these are my favorite because they are small enough that I can keep one rolled up in my purse and they expand to hold ALOT...
http://twolittlewhales.com/catalog.php?category=61


We stopped buying plastic water bottles and each of us picked out our own water bottles. http://www.mysigg.com/. These is also great if you are worried about BPAs in plastics.

We too are using cloth diapers. I tried several kinds and these are my favorite http://www.bumgenius.com/one-size.php.

Don't forget composting in the back yard. You can buy one at Sams for about 35 bucks. You can use the compost in a garden or pots for plants.

Another easy thing to do is change all your bulbs to fluorescent. If every american changed even just one bulb it would save more than 600 MILLION in annual energy costs... http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls



Any other ideas, wf?
 


I use energy efficient light bulbs throughout my house. There is a slight difference in the amount of light it produces, but eh whatever.

Recycling goes a long way. I'm twenty and my friends and I drink approximately ten eighteen packs of beer a weekend, and I recycle everything. (That's just the obvious, but if more people did it, it would make a significant difference).


Like the post, Lauren.
 
cpmod.jpg


lol, sorry turbo. couldn't resist. :)
 
My electric bill would stun most of you (old house - 6 people, 4 computers on all the time). I started the switch out process to the energy eff. bulbs about 6 months ago. After changing about 6 bulbs I said screw it and changed them all.

My electric bill is down about 40 percent.... I guess I'll let the kids keep eating.
 
Yeah energy saving lightbulbs FTW!

Cut down on car usage, use public transport as much as possible.... often easier said than done though. Short-haul flights are particularly bad though. Maybe use carbon offsetting if you travel a lot.

We can all do these little things, but unless our governments take some seriously drastic action it's too little, too late. I read a while back that dairy farming (cows farting) is the cause of a third of the greenhouse gasses... if that's correct then why is nothing being done about it?

Not sure what it's like in the US, but here airlines pay fuck all tax on their fuel compared to drivers. Yet the shit they pump out is more harmful and does more damage than car emissions.

Unless our governments are prepared to stand up to the farming, aviation and industrial lobbys it sadly won't make much difference what we do.
 
turbolapp said:
Any other ideas, wf?
Click to expand...

Do not purchase/drink beer, tequila, bourbon, or scotch that does not come in a recyclable container such as aluminum or glass and purchase larger quantities of beer/alcohol to avoid making additional trips
 
anyone use solar panels? I hear having a load of them on your roof saves a ton of energy, but it costs a lot to get them up there.
 
Earth Day! WTF...I'm paying $4 a gallon for gas cause of this shit. Drill Anwar and let me drive my Mustang Cobra without having to pay $40 a day.
 
Gumby! said:
purchase larger quantities of beer/alcohol to avoid making additional trips
Click to expand...

That's a great eco-tip! :drinkup:

A friend uses solar panels for electricity on his camper and built solar panels to heat water at home.

The water heaters seem to more practical for most people as they don't need direct sunlight or a large bank of batteries.

If I owned my current place then I'd look at something like that maybe along with a small wind turbine. It would be great to produce more than needed, sell it back and receive a cheque every month rather than a bill!
 
$4 a gallon? Boo fucking hoo.

In the UK we're paying over $8 a gallon - and it's going up almost daily.
 
LazyHippy said:
Yeah energy saving lightbulbs FTW!

Cut down on car usage, use public transport as much as possible.... often easier said than done though. Short-haul flights are particularly bad though. Maybe use carbon offsetting if you travel a lot.

We can all do these little things, but unless our governments take some seriously drastic action it's too little, too late. I read a while back that dairy farming (cows farting) is the cause of a third of the greenhouse gasses... if that's correct then why is nothing being done about it?

Not sure what it's like in the US, but here airlines pay fuck all tax on their fuel compared to drivers. Yet the shit they pump out is more harmful and does more damage than car emissions.

BTW: To Celebrate Earth Day I turned My AC down from 55f to 60F

Unless our governments are prepared to stand up to the farming, aviation and industrial lobbys it sadly won't make much difference what we do.
Click to expand...


Hey yea, lets fuck with farming more than what we are now!. You do know that there is a epidemic food shortage in the third world countries happening as we type this. Why? cause of the regulation and enviromental shit.

Its hard to believe that a dumb ass ex vice president of the US was a main cause for all the shit that is about to hit the fan..but he is.

Let's let millions die of starvation because of some half ass hyposthesis, promoted by one of the most ignorant, impotent Vice Presidents in US history.

Plain ignorance is all it is.
 
Earth day is overrated. I pulled out my so-called energy efficient bulbs because they suck and they contain mercury...which is harmful to me and my family.

Environmentalism has become a religion among many, to a point that it's fanatical. Therefore, I don't really listen to a bunch of people trying to preach to me how to live my life.
 
BeerHat said:
Earth day is overrated. I pulled out my so-called energy efficient bulbs because they suck and they contain mercury...which is harmful to me and my family.

Environmentalism has become a religion among many, to a point that it's fanatical. Therefore, I don't really listen to a bunch of people trying to preach to me how to live my life.
Click to expand...

Damn,A real "thinker" among the sheep.
 
popeye said:
Hey yea, lets fuck with farming more than what we are now!. You do know that there is a epidemic food shortage in the third world countries happening as we type this. Why? cause of the regulation and enviromental shit.

Its hard to believe that a dumb ass ex vice president of the US was a main cause for all the shit that is about to hit the fan..but he is.

Let's let millions die of starvation because of some half ass hyposthesis, promoted by one of the most ignorant, impotent Vice Presidents in US history.

Plain ignorance is all it is.
Click to expand...

I would be very interested in reading any evidence that suggests the environmental shit is the main cause of food shortages in the developing nations, but I somehow doubt it is as an important a factor as subsidies (our taxes given to rich farmers to help them compete with poorer ones elsewhere), or unfair deregulation (you poor countries must remove restrictions on the stuff we export, but don't expect us to do the same).

The local climate and politics are also more significant factors in my opinion and ignorance is describing something agreed on by the vast majority of experts in that field as a 'half ass hypothesis'.

However I can see how developing countries would be affected economically if there is a massive shift towards only buying locally sourced produce in order to reduce the impact of transportation and this creates a catch 22 for anyone trying to be an ethical consumer.

If you buy fairtrade, which definitely helps the poorer countries, the environmental impact will be more than if you buy local produce. But by trying to only buy locally grown (& in season) stuff your cash goes to the same farmers who already get a lot more of our taxes than any other private businesses, and the cost of your reduced carbon footprint could be more kids dying in Africa.
 
LazyHippy said:
I would be very interested in reading any evidence that suggests the environmental shit is the main cause of food shortages in the developing nations, but I somehow doubt it is as an important a factor as subsidies (our taxes given to rich farmers to help them compete with poorer ones elsewhere), or unfair deregulation (you poor countries must remove restrictions on the stuff we export, but don't expect us to do the same).

The local climate and politics are also more significant factors in my opinion and ignorance is describing something agreed on by the vast majority of experts in that field as a 'half ass hypothesis'.

However I can see how developing countries would be affected economically if there is a massive shift towards only buying locally sourced produce in order to reduce the impact of transportation and this creates a catch 22 for anyone trying to be an ethical consumer.

If you buy fairtrade, which definitely helps the poorer countries, the environmental impact will be more than if you buy local produce. But by trying to only buy locally grown (& in season) stuff your cash goes to the same farmers who already get a lot more of our taxes than any other private businesses, and the cost of your reduced carbon footprint could be more kids dying in Africa.
Click to expand...

Tax breaks and incentives are one of the reasons your country and mine are as succesull as we are today. We are stong because we have cheap food. Without cheap food, we are standing in a bread line beggin for our next meal.

WTF! I live in the bread belt of America. I personally don't produce food but I have friends that I have known since kindergarden that do. They are not rich..they are not even comfortable. They farm because they love it. They do it because their family has farmed for hundreds of years on the same land.

They are the backbone of the free world. Neglet them and not only will the third world starve..but the Western world will fail.
 
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