The concerts will accomplish NOTHING unless you DO SOMETHING!

See that Congressman/Senator/Member of Parliament/Representative who does not care about the environment, and, in fact, routinely votes in favor of the special interests of oil companies and/or other large, polluting, corporations? Demand a new candidate who puts the environment first, and make your voice heard at the ballot box.

In a couple of years.


See that large, gas guzzling, unsafe, ugly, unneeded Sports Utility Vehicle sitting in your driveway? Make plans to stop by at a local Toyota dealership and get yourself a Prius.

Next year.


See your old, dirty, energy leaking windows? Get them replaced with new, airtight ones, or perhaps you might prefer to install new weatherstripping.

Next Month.


See all those plastic bags that you usually use to carry your groceries in? Go out and get some reusable cloth bags and use those from now on.

Next week.


See all those old fashioned, utterly inefficient incandescent bulbs lighting 100% of your home? Stop by a WalMart tomorrow and purchase the hip new fluorescents. Replace your old ones and throw them out.

Tomorrow.


See your thermostat? It's at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Raise it to 79.

Right now. (I just did)

ALL TALK AND NO ACTION WILL NOT SAVE THE WORLD. MOVE YOUR BUTTOCKS!

We've been programmed to want it. We have to detox.

make more, which I am going to do.

:thumbsup:

And let's hope the entire world follows your pointers.




On a side note, I love your handle. Good ol' Skynyrd.
And don't leave your computers on, shut them down. It will not only save energy, it will cut down on emissions as well.

I'm going to buy CFL's. I'm going to start using cloth sacks at the grocery store. I am going to turn the lights off when I leave the room.

Thanks for the thread lynyrd skynyrd.:thumbsup:

AC here, only fans, can't afford to turn on my window ac

I have been playing in the sprinkler a lot during this heat wave

should only be 104 tomorrow.....

i got out three power strips and plugged some crap into them so i can click off the strip after i turn the crap off. (it was actually 4 power strips now that i think of it--for six items including a phone charger that no one can be bothered plugging in and unplugging--so, new house rule: click the fucking switch!)

i have two power strips behind my computer table that i need to try and move up so i can click those off as well

we've been going to buy a toyota yaris, but now i'm really thinking i should go that extra financial mile and spring for the prius

i've changed the lights, i use the canvas bags--AND STOP TELLING PEOPLE TO SHOP AT WALMART! (hardware stores, home depot--yuck, target, etc also sell cfls)

btw--fixing up the doors/windows: great idea.

They do carry them as well and cheaper as well and in bulk so that you don't spend as much on packaging...

K & R!

Please understand this important aspect. As it is contrary to everything we are accustomed to, it is uncomfortable. It is not something people want to hear about or think about.

We arrived at our present situation through several modes, and for several reasons. We wanted easier lives. More comfortable lives. And rightly so. But then we also wanted more. In a word, more. We cut trees and burned them for heat. We used whale oil until there were no whales. And petroleum until the wars began and the ice began to melt. And a bit of nuclear material. But now we've reached a limit which cannot be denied. If we ignore it, we will pay a great price. If we continue our lives of comfort we will experience discomfort.

There is no alternative now but to think in terms of "we". Not "me". We. Whatever I do, you do. Times six billion. We must recognize our combined effect.

More than what we do, it's what we don't do that will have a greater impact on the longevity of this earth. It's not for me to say what not to do. But it should be very obvious. Population growth is already slowing in some parts of the world. But I fear that people are not going to stop doing what they are doing. Tomorrow I will wake to cars again. Not just outside my window, but outside everyone's windows. And who will be the first to stop? Who will be the first to not go on a vacation. Who will be the first to not do whatever we have been doing that led us to this precipice? And since no one has the authority to tell anyone what not to do, I don't believe anyone is going to stop doing it. And after all, we aren't where we are for no reason. Who wants to spend tomorrow evening in the dark without a light on? Maybe it's just one thing at a time. After all, it was a gradual shift that got us to where we are today.

But it is something to think about.

Added insulation to my attic
Replaced all the windows with triple pane, low E, argon gas filled windows
Replaced storm doors
Added some insulation to one of my "sheds" which is attached to my home.
I have wrapped heated pipes with foam.

I am one of the few who recycles on my block. (After moving to NC from NoVa, I am appalled how few recycle here)

I have a Bermuda lawn, so I don't have to water it very much.

Oh, and I have replaced almost all of my bulbs with compact fluorescents.

I just need to order some canvas bags so I don't get tons of those plastic jobbies.

First, how much did that set you back? Windows are difficult to install properly, and are not something I'm comfortable with doing myself. Did you pay for installation? If so, was it outrageous?

Did you get them on all the windows, or just the west-facing ones?

And one of my biggest windows -- and by far the biggest heat-grinder in my home -- is the kitchen window box. Do they make those in the triple-paned, low e, argon type as a standard kit, or is that something that's got to be special-ordered?

Have you seen a noticeable difference in your utility bill yet?

Anyway, new windows are something I've really been considering. Any tips or advice yoou may have would be appreciated.

Yes, I had an actual window business come out and give me estimates. I am sorry, but they did a lousy job of installation. I can't say exactly what they did wrong, but they are not airtight. I held out money so they would fix them, but they declined. Still, it is better than what I had.

There were storm windows here, but the screens would fall out, the putty needed to replaced on all the windows, and in general, the windows were a mess. It cost me $10K to replace a sliding glass door, change two windows into a bay window, and replace 11 windows plus 2 storm doors. The largest difference came from adding the insulation in the attic. My home was built in 1970 and it was the original amount of insulation which was like 2 inches worth in the attic.

I also replaced the 20 year old AC with a 12 seer AC back in 1999.

I keep seeing people post about taking shorter showers. I have an additional idea: get a new showerhead that has a shower mode with fewer or smaller holes. I got one like that, and I found that I barely have to turn the water on to get good water pressure out of it.

Lights and televisions are other things that can be turned off when you walk away from them. Small things like that (raise the basement temp of the air conditioner a few degrees, for example, and turn off the fans if you're not using them) really can make a difference.

(Yes, I do know it has to go much much further than that in the long term, but we all have to start somewhere.)

At least the four packs of 60 watters. They work out to be less than a dollar. Wal-Mart's the only place I know of that sells the decorative ones, though, specifically the ones that look like candles that look good in ceiling fans.

Oh, yeah: ceiling fans will help you have a warmer house, a lower utility bill, and save a little carbon in the long run.

:kick:

light bulbs changed four years ago.

energy saver appliances, all

cut water usage.

recycle everything we use

all electrical is off unless we are sitting right there.

canvas grocery bags.

walk everywhere we can.

more if I could think about it. :)

:thumbsup: