Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I'm a resource whore. I love my SUV. I like to let the water run while I brush my teeth.
I do turn off lights, but I still get Christmas cards from Penelec.
What do you guys do consciously to try to save Mother Earth?
What don't you do that you probably ought to?

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I have always been good at keeping lights off for the most part.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

So you're the guy I'm compensating for! :r

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

In the last two years, we have really gotten into recycling.
We went from barely being able to fit our trash into the can every week, to having to ask for an additional recycling bin (since they only pick up recycling once every two weeks.)

Also, we try to take our own bags to the grocery store, instead of using plastic bags.

I've also replaced almost all of our lights with CFL bulbs. Except in the baby's room where I have a dimmer.


We do a pretty big Christmas light display every year, so I am only adding LED lights. No more incandescent. That's partially because my house can't handle much more.

I am guilty of driving a SUV, though.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I recycle tons of materials every day
conserve water
conserve electricity
no unnecessary driving
I hold in all flatulence

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I fly in Al Gore's private jet to shop at Whole foods.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

You should set up a containment system and use it to power your house. :tu

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I really could have cared less about recycling until my son was born. Now I try to be conscious of what goes in the garbage can at home.

Almost all the bulbs (wherever we can use them) in the house and the bakery are compact fluorescent because of the cost savings, not the energy conservation.

I also try not to let the water run un-necessarily and shut off lights not being used, but again for cost savings. When you start paying utility bills you understand why your parents were always up your ass about stuff like that.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

If it's yellow, let it mellow...

If it's brown, flush it down!

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

:r

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I'm trying to reduce my dust footprint.

According to my wife, it seems that every time I walk outside, I track in dust and leave footprints on our hardwood floors.

I am going to work hard on improving this problem.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I conserve water by peeing in the shower :D

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I drive whereever I go REALLY fast b/c the less time on the road the less carbon your car spews.....now I just need to get that v10 M5 with 500hp to get there REALLY REALLY fast! See the Toyota Prius is really slow so you spend more time on the road therefore emitting more carbon into the atmosphere...:tu

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

We should set up a carbon-trade economy here. Where those with large carbon footprints send cigars to those with small carbon footprints.

Did I mention I drive a two cylinder car only on weekends (that runs on discarded kitchen grease), don't own a single light, only use water heated by the radiator of my car, and am posting this purely by telepathic powers.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I conserve water by peeing in his shower as well.

[/joke]

I've gotten into recycling fairly recently, I replaced all of my bulbs in the house with CFL's and so forth.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

We've done a few things with the intention of saving money, and a side benefit of reducing energy consumption, For example we try to combine trips, errands, etc to drive fewer miles. We started doing this, though, to save money when fuel prices were so high, and not so much to save Mother Earth. We've continued doing it just because it makes sense. When we replaced our washer & dryer we got ones which use less water and electricity. Many of the light bulbs have been changed to VFL's. We recycle, but are forced to by the city we live in.

Of course I commute about 90 minutes per day since we moved into our house, so I'm probably killing any benefit I may have created with the other stuff.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I think you're winning. :tu

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

Well, we recycle our beer cans every semester to fund our keg, does that count?

I drive very large diesel truck with no kitty cat or muffler, so I don't think I'll be on Al Gore's Christmas card list any time soon.

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I only smoke cigars made by hand!!!:D

Re: Reducing your carbon footprint.
 

I never really cared until I started working in a plastic factory. The amount of plastic parts/granules/dust/purge that we throw into the landfill is truly disturbing. We've gotten better (MUCH better) over the past couple of years, but it still made me wake up and realize that it only takes a little effort to be less WASTEFUL.

I recycle my paper/cardboard
"If it's yellow, let it mellow...." yeah, I do that :r
Canvas grocery bags
Reuse plastic bags