List one new habit you've adopted

[prolesunited]

in the past year that's good for the environment.

I've switched to cloth napkins and I'm working to pry the paper towels from my husband's hands in favor of making better use of our rag pile.

One thing I've learned is how much money more environmentally friendly habits save.

So what are you doing that's new for you?

[Unkguy]

1. compact flouresecent light bulbs

[PeaceNikki]

2. I'm trying to start composting.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3338490&mesg_id=3338490

[rAVES]

3. Cycle.. no car.

[taterguy]

33. Just in the past year? What took you so long?

:toast:

[flvegan]

4. Swapped out every light bulb, for starters

Not THAT big of a change as this house gets a lot of daylight, so lights don't go on until 8pm or so anyway.

I go to the farmers market as a habit now.

My mom's subdivision doesn't have recycling, so I bring her stuff back home with me when I visit and put it out with mine.

[roody]

5. Minimal bags coming home.

In my large bag, I now place small plastic and paper bags. I don't need a new bag to buy something in bulk or produce. I have less mess at home because I do not throw away a usable bag.

[hfojvt]

23. aha, I was gonna say nothing

since I have been bicycling for over three years now and using compact fluorescents for over a decade. After seeing Al on Oprah, I started checking my furnace filter more often. I also started using my cloth shopping bags, especially since I bought three of them from the Edwards campaign. Since Wal-mart wasn't giving me any credit for using them, it just seemed like I was giving a little bit more profit to them by doing so. Now I see they are selling them for a dollar. I am also shopping at Wal-mart much less, in favor of the locally owned chain grocer which gives me a nickel credit for using the cloth bags.

[lame54]

6. we stopped buying anything made in china...

it's not easy

[PeaceNikki]

9. Have you read "A Year Without 'Made in China'"?

http://www.amazon.com/Year-Without-Made-China-Adventure/dp/0470116137

Fascinating!!

[laylah]

25. Any tips for the

rest of us that may be interested in doing the same? I don't care to feed their economy while ours is "starving", TYVM!

[lame54]

27. look closely at every package...

and if it says made in china(chances are it will) put it down no matter how much you think you need it
We have been looking for solar lights for our front garden but have yet to buy any because we have not found any that aren't made in china - we even looked on-line - no luck

[roody]

38. Turns out you really don't need them!

Economical.

[PeaceNikki]

7. Oh, and I have switched to ALWAYS using canvas bags.

[gristy]

8. In the past year? Not much.

But about two years ago I started riding my bike to work. Still do, most every day.

[grannylib]

10. We switched to all CFLs in those fixtures that can take them; it's nice

that they're coming out with the smaller ones for more kinds of lamps now. We are also putting up a clothesline (retractable) outside and I'm going to use drying racks and hang clothes to dry inside more in bad weather. We've started a compost heap, and are thinking about trying to raise chickens :-) We've been working on eliminating a lot of lawn since we moved in to this place five years ago. We've never used pesticides/herbicides on what we do have, and we're trying to turn more and more of it over to prairie plants.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Using cloth shopping bags

I banned incandescent lights in our house years ago.

We've never had a dryer.

Next up - saving gas by getting a more fuel efficient car.

[BeatleBoot]

12. New 93% Energy Efficient Two Stage Furnace, Re-usable bags at the Grocery Shop

Those light bulb thingies.

[havocmom]

13. broom more, vacuum less

and bought a bike.

Trying to talk Havocdad into building a solar oven. Telling him I could make cookies in summer when I normally do not bake because it heats up the house. (gotta know the right hook and bait to use when ya go to reel something in ;) )

Planted more clover as it is dense and slows weeds, it shades the ground and cuts moisture loss which also prevents grasshoppers from using that ground to lay/hatch eggs so I don't have to use chemicals to kill those plant eating pests, the blossoms are good for my local bees, it fixes nitrogen in the soil and cuts the need for fertilizers/ helps my garden grow

Put more sun shields over windows in summer. Insulation in walls too, for summer and winter comfort without as much fuel use.

A chillow for my nighttime comfort with less use of ventilating devices.

oh, you said ONE. Sorry. My bad ;)

It is so easy to find ways to do better. Make it a game for the kids.

[yy4me]

14. Always used paper towels sparingly, hang hand towel near sink.

Have also told my gang, "get used to it, be thorough---use 1-ply". Goes twice as far. Buy on sale at CVS or the like, 12 rolls for 4.99 this week. The old tushies is this house can adjust, no babies here in need of extra soft just to flush away. I know, there are those of you who may think I'm nuts but guess what, we also use handkerchiefs. Kleenex is expensive and conserving paper goods saves money.

[kestrel91316]

18. I use hankies to clean my eyeglasses.........

I haven't made the switch from kleenex, sadly.

But I DO have an emergency stockpile of cut up flannel "wipies" in case I ever can't afford toilet paper anymore, lol.

[Muttocracy]

19. My flannel sheet go from bed to car seat cover for the dogs to chopped for rags

It's amazing how long they've lasted through many washings as dish rags, cleanup rags, whatever. And I don't think they add to the water and energy I would otherwise use for laundry.

[lame54]

21. I like that one...

There are so many simple things we all can do that can add up to a difference

[tridim]

28. Has anyone found a material that absorbs as well as paper towels do?

I certainly try to use as little as possible, but there are just some jobs that only a paper towel will tackle.

And no, I'm not going to buy those "Sham-Wow" things, as seen on TV.

[PeaceNikki]

43. Trader Joe's "Super Amazing Kitchen Cloths"

http://ecocleanreview.blogspot.com/2007/09/trader-joes-super-amazing-kitchen.html

[kestrel91316]

15. I almost always walk to the grocery store to shop. And the drug store.

And Trader Joe's. And the several good little restaurants in my neighborhood.

Even though it would be easier to just go two blocks out of my way in the car on the way home, I go home and park, and then spend a few minutes at home getting a RATIONAL grocery list put together, rather than making impulse purchases.

Oh, and I take my cloth shopping bags, usually only one, so I don't overbuy. I have been known to walk over there (1 1/2 mile round trip) 4 or 5 evenings a week. This way I get my exercise AND help the environment at the same time.

[patrice]

16. stopped bottled water

driving 60 mph on highways

having a little trouble getting into the swing of it, but also using re-usable shopping bags.

[Muttocracy]

17. quit drinking soda; reusable coffee mug

good for me and the environment - calories, corn syrup, aluminum mining or petroleum bottles, phosphorus mining, carbonation (not sure where they get the CO2 for it?), acid and sugar on my teeth

I've picked up a coffee habit instead, and perhaps that's not the best thing, but at least it's in bulk from shops or making at home. The coffee shop across from work gives a big discount for doing a refill instead of a new cup. I probably shouldn't spend the $0.80 a cup either, but I don't have many treats these days. I spent money on a couple of nice easy-to-clean travel mugs.

(edit typo)

[izquierdista]

20. Traded in my car

Sold my petroleum sucking gasoline car and bought an old diesel Mercedes. Now I can run on biofuel. :woohoo:

[Subdivisions]

22. We cut out 99% of our driving. She moved to a job within

1 1/2 miles of home. I quit working in construction and now work at home. Also, we are growing a portion of our own food for the first time ever. CFLs and recycling as well.

[nashville_brook]

24. been a cloth napkin person for years. drive a hybrid. starting to compost. CFLs.

But, i really don't feel like I've done any of this is done "for the environment." I like cloth better. I like my hybrid better than the BMW I drove. I need compost for the garden. And, CFLs just seem like a better buy.

As a matter of fact, I can't think of one thing I'm doing "for the environment" unless you count getting out in nature and appreciating it.

on edit: stopped buying bottled water! yea, there's something.

[asthmaticeog]

26. Excercise.

Stretching, using a treadmill, and of course cycling instead of driving now that it's summer. My old ankle problem seems to have subsided, so I'm doing as much as I can while I can. :hi:

[Jed Dilligan]

29. Chico bag, twisty bulbs, almost no driving

[uppityperson]

30. Driving less, planted bigger garden, raising more chickens

I am combining trips in car more, making sure my business appointments are clustered closer together also. Now, out to check the baby plants in the garden!

[raincity_calling]

31. unplugging appliances, including computer,

when I am not using them. Just being plugged in draws electricty.

[Nay]

32. My composter arrrived last week, am putting it together today; have

put in many fluorescent bulbs; have started a raised-bed garden; 5 yrs ago we put in an underground heatpump; we combine car trips, do errands on way home from work; we don't eat out -- we cook plain food at home; and we are not going to fly anywhere for vacation this year.

[alfredo]

34. CFL's LED's, open windows in summer, sweaters in the winter.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

35. I didn't heat my house at all last winter

Fortunately, I live in southern California. But still it got cold during the winter and I wore sweaters and jackets during the day and had extra blankets at night. I even unplugged the refrigerator during the coldest periods of the winter. It's possible to get by even when the temperature outside goes down into the high 40s as it does along the California coast. And it sure saves a lot of money. I wish people throughout the United States were lucky enough to have our weather and could do this, too.

[MountainLaurel]

36. Seriously reducing car use

We moved to a place where my spouse can walk to the law school he'll be attending and I can ride my bike or our scooter (60+ mpg) to work. We'll soon get rid of the second car, and our other vehicle is a Prius. We plan out errands so that we can get more accomplished on one trip (e.g., grocery store, pharmacy, pet store, hardware store). We try to buy local whenever possible. I bring my tea and coffee to work in a reusable mug instead of buying at work every day. Likewise, we bring our own bottles of water filled from the tap. We recycle everything we can, including stuff I bring home from my job, which does not recycle at all. I want to start a compost pile. We cool our home in the most energy-efficient way possible (minimal A/C plus ceiling fans). We use the public library as much as possible and buy used books.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

37. Buying local or fair trade and organic foods whenever possible

Replacing my plastic containers with glass
Switching to fluorescent bulbs as the others burn out
Trying to be more conscious about whether I really need to drive somewhere (Driving is an easy habit to get into, even after living 10 years without a car.)

[Fox Mulder]

39. CFLs and cloth bags at the store.

[Blue_In_AK]

40. We switched out all the lightbulbs

and now we don't ever go anywhere. It's a good thing I work at home. Whenever we do go out, we combine as many errands as possible. Oh, and we've got cloth bags for grocery shopping, too.

[femmocrat]

41. Several things:

I collect those plastic grocery bags to send the kids' projects home from school.

I have always been frugal about heat and electricty use (although I'm tired of being cold right now).

I have always hung clothes out to dry, weather permitting.

We have always had a garden. I don't can, but I do freeze a lot of veggies for later use.

We are driving much less and only when necessary for errands, etc.

I reuse a lot of things around the house. No reason to be wasteful.

[greenbriar]

42. hanging my clothes on the line and not using the dryer as much

does that count?



recycling cans and plastic

[ColbertWatcher]

44. Using public transportation...

...for weekend movie days, the funny-looking bulbs, moved from plastic to paper grocery bags, will move to the canvas bag for small shopping runs.

Oh, the big one: I've been vegetarian for close to 10 years.

[PeaceNikki]

46. The canvas bags are better for big trips, too.

They are sturdier, you can fit more in them and they can be arranged easier in your trunk.

[ColbertWatcher]

50. Thank you. n/t

[Horse with no Name]

55. that has been my biggest thrill

I'm rather a neatnik and I LOVE the way the cloth bags are arranged in the trunk. NOTHING falls out and they are much easier to manage.

[ThatsMyBarack]

45. At work:

We have replaced our paper-towel dispensers with hot-air hand dryers. ;)

[Irishonly]

47. I probably should do more but

all the light bulbs have been switched out. I stopped buying cleaners and use house hold products. We burn soy candles in the evening when it's cold. I use canvas bags all of the time. I use ads for cleaning windows. We recycle cans, plastic and give paper ads we don't use to the boy scouts. I only go to the store once a week and we walk whenever possible. We use cloth napkins and use regular dishes all of the time instead of paper plates. I use rags instead of paper towels a lot of the times. My roll of paper towels is two months old and only about 1/4 gone and we planted a garden.

[cherokeeprogressive]

48. Not new, but we use a single cup of water each to brush our teeth. n/t

[pinto]

49. Walking whenever possible for errands, recycle *everything* , talk it up,,

unplug electrical stuff at night (turn off at the power/surge cords), eating/making something different out of the leftovers instead of throwing them away, got rid of water thirsty landscape plants for drought tolerant choices.

[Lorien]

51. Recycle near everything, cloth shopping bags, CF bulbs in every socket

planning my errands very carefully so I drive as little as possible, eat very little meat (no mammals) or dairy, unplug many items when they aren't in use and I'm walking more than I used to, though I really should invest in a bike. I also plant trees regularly through www.americanforests.org .

[JackDragna]

52. Same here.

I recycle everything and I make a concerted effort to shop at locations that have many stores in the same area, so I don't have to drive around.

[anitar1]

53. Many things through the last few years.

Stopped buying commercial "cleaners". I use natural cleaners. Haven't used paper napkins for yrs. Changed out light bulbs last year. do not use plastic bags for groceries. I carry my canvas bags in car.I buy locally and organic as often as possible. Do not buy canned or frozen items. I just try to think of new ways of doing things.But I grew up doing those things so it is easy.

[Horse with no Name]

54. Everytime I go to the Goodwill

One of the first places I look is in the linens for cloth napkins.
I've actually acquired several REALLY nice sets.

We changed out the lightbulbs.

Bought Energy star dishwasher, refrigerator and washer/dryer.

Eating out less. Cooking more from scratch and not filling the landfills with excess packaging. Carrying lunches.

Using cloth grocery bags.

Quit driving my Jeep.

Turn off AC/Heater. Right now we are using attic fan and have doors/windows open.

Cut down from mowing lawn once a week to once a month. Neighbors don't like it much but we have a very large yard area so it is substantially less.

Actually started hanging clothes out on the line, however, we all suffer from allergies so bringing the "outdoors in" in our high pollen area didn't work out so well and we had to stop.


This summer, our goals are to switch out light fixtures to ceiling fans. We are in the process of doing that.