[SeaCliff]

Let's face it - a lot of you guys know me and know me well, and as far as my "Carbon Footprint", I'm you all know well that I'm far from perfect, and that's being generous. In reality, if it was actually calculated, my footprint is probably the size of Montana - but I keep thinking that I can offset it with small changes - little things - that really arent painful at all and as a matter of fact, are just common sense.

So I'm going to toss a few out here now periodically to bump this thread along, but what I'm really looking for is for you guys to tell me what you're doing and clue me on on what else I can and should incorporate.

First on my hit list:

Water conservation. We're not in a drought right now, but the next one is only a matter of time - they come and go every few years. Perhaps a little conservation now makes the next one a little less dire. So with that thought, I try to never run the water excessively when brushing my teeth, shaving, washing dishes, or even showering for that matter. Just the simple act of turning the water speed down a bit when showering, not letting the water run when shaving or brushing teeth can save multiple gallons a day. Sounds easy enough, right?

[Looseness]

YES! I picked up that habit from my days in the caribbean where you have a finite water supply under your house and PAY if you use it up before rainy season or DON'T if you're good.
 
I like to think I do my part by not owning a car and getting rides when necessary with all my friends that do!     Bike shopping right now too.
 
 

[theusername]

i think my air travel alone makes me a huge offender when it comes to my carbon footprint. but i am not likely to cut down on that, as it's mostly for work (okay, and a little bit also for fun) so i do what i can...

1) i recycle
2) i conserve water
3) i carry and use cloth bags 
4) i belong to a food coop that supports locally grown produce and environmentally responsible product
5) i use public transit, though might be looking at getting a car... but only for surfing... to provide options... and will still mostly use public transit
6) i support environmentally friendly legislation and action

i think no matter what though all of my actions are offset by my travel schedule... still... better than nothing i guess...

[JerseyJen]

some others:
-avoid takeout food. At least order with no utensils and reject any extra condiments you won't use.
-use a clothesline
-freeze, can & root cellar locally grown veggies for use through out the year (I was eating organic butternut squash and beets harvested in Nov. well into March)
-use hankies instead of tissues (made a bunch from an old pair of flannel sheets) & cloth napkins.

Our next project is getting some barrels for rain water collection for watering the garden. A green cleaning product manufacturer in PA used to give their spare barrels away. We'd been on their waiting list since last year and it seems like they've discontinued the program. If anyone can PM me a good farming/Ag hardware store where I can get some huge barrels, i'd appreciate it.

[JerseyJen]

also on the water conservation side, I wash my veggies over a big bowl to collect the water which I then use for my plants.

[frr(A)K]

im a vegetarian.

[da Kook]

some others:
-avoid takeout food. At least order with no utensils and reject any extra condiments you won't use.
-use a clothesline
-freeze, can & root cellar locally grown veggies for use through out the year (I was eating organic butternut squash and beets harvested in Nov. well into March)
-use hankies instead of tissues (made a bunch from an old pair of flannel sheets) & cloth napkins.

Our next project is getting some barrels for rain water collection for watering the garden. A green cleaning product manufacturer in PA used to give their spare barrels away. We'd been on their waiting list since last year and it seems like they've discontinued the program. If anyone can PM me a good farming/Ag hardware store where I can get some huge barrels, i'd appreciate it.

Jen, if you could use a 33 gallon steel barrel that is lined on the inside(with what I'm not sure, but it is to prevent corrosion in the event water gets in), I can probably help you out with a couple.  Exterior is painted high gloss black.  They have standard bungs (that is the correct term for the threaded opening on barrels for you pervs out there that were about to make a comment).
 
 

[SeaCliff]

some others:
-avoid takeout food. At least order with no utensils and reject any extra condiments you won't use.
-use a clothesline
-freeze, can & root cellar locally grown veggies for use through out the year (I was eating organic butternut squash and beets harvested in Nov. well into March)
-use hankies instead of tissues (made a bunch from an old pair of flannel sheets) & cloth napkins.

Our next project is getting some barrels for rain water collection for watering the garden. A green cleaning product manufacturer in PA used to give their spare barrels away. We'd been on their waiting list since last year and it seems like they've discontinued the program. If anyone can PM me a good farming/Ag hardware store where I can get some huge barrels, i'd appreciate it.

Good points and good stuff, Jen -

The spare utensils that come with takeout drive me nuts - almost as much as the insistence on every deli I go to giving me a plastic straw when I buy something to drink. I'm constantly handing them back.

And I def have to see if I can start hitting the local farmers market near us more.

[surfcitynj]

1. Have a garden in my backyard
2. Reusable drinking containers etc.
3. Ride my bike to work and school pretty much all the time.
4. Don't take plastic bags or receipts unless necessary or use a reusable bag.
5. Recycle.
6. Eat meat at one meal a day, if I eat it at lunch then I don't at dinner and vice versa.
7. Go to school for Environmental Sustainability in hopes of getting a job where I can really make a difference.

Peace,
Kyle

[waveslider]

-Reusable water bottle
-Recycle
-Ride my bicycle to the bars, grocery store, farmers market etc
-use a canvas bag at the grocery store
-been eating a ton of locally grown fruits and veggies
-between the hours of 545am and roughly 8 never turn on a light inside my apartment. plenty of windows with natural light
 
also i bougt a pair of bamboo utensils. leave them in my drawer at work so i can decline all the plastic utensils they try to give you everywhere
 

[shenzi]

1. I'm trying to eat as locally as possible, with produce from the market and non-processed foods. I have yet to find a good enough basket to use in the market, but I'm working on it.

2. I'm looking into low-tech ways to recycle glass, plastic and metal (particularly aluminum soda cans). I've heard of developing country project that do this and know we could get funding for the project in Monrovia. If anyone has any leads on this, let me know!

3. I'm not eating canned fish anymore. I'm too sad about what large-scale commercial fishing is doing to the ocean.

4. I'm trying to start Surfrider in Liberia.

5. For me, it's important not to get distracted or want to think about something else, but to allow the immensity of our world's environmental problems to sink in and let myself be sad, frightened, concerned. It's hard to stay with that.

[waveslider]

oh and i forgot my favorite.


"if its yellow let it mellow. if its brown flush it down"


Lots of water wasted by flushing the toilet every time you go number 1

[JerseyJen]

yeah, we try to obey that one when we're not expecting company.
Additionally, you can sink a filled pint sized bottle in your toilet tank to displace some water so you're using less.

I've seen the loos that have the two flush system priced in the affordable range.
Unfortunately when we re-did our bathroom fixtures they were really had to find.

oh and i forgot my favorite.


"if its yellow let it mellow. if its brown flush it down"


Lots of water wasted by flushing the toilet every time you go number 1

[snaggletooth]

this thread is awesome - you guys are great. i've been a vegetarian most of my life (23 years of it, at least), but it doesn't even feel like a choice (i've thought about going to a hypnotist so i can tolerate eating fish), so that doesn't really count. 


i love that you guys are eating locally. i went to whole foods the other day at columbus circle and love that they put where everything comes from in the produce section but was sad that there were NO local options. i'd say 60% of the produce came from new zealand. i can't even handle that long of a flight. i can't imagine it's good for the produce or good for the earth for food to be transported across those types of distances. i opted for some honey from long island instead. i think just thinking where everything you touch comes from changes your consumption habits pretty quickly, at least for me.


i try to avoid plastic as much as possible. i don't even like to touch the stuff. 


i try not to use paper towels (just shake my hands dry as much as possible, do the ole butt / hip smack of the hands to dry them.


i'm impressed with what you guys are doing

[ChopChaser]

As a child spearfishing on the coral reefs of Miami and the Keys and observing the rapid reef decay, I have devoted my life and career to making cities cleaner after learning the cause is partially related to stormwater runoff.
Other than that wifey and I


1) Grow as much of my own food as possible, including free range organic cattle, maple syrup, and eggs from our farm in addition to fruits vegetables on our Brooklyn roof.
2) Installed a cistern to catch rainwater
3) Eat organic for the food we buy.
4) Sail or surf for leisure (minimize fossil fuel usage)
5) Avoid plastic at all costs
6) Try not to plant non natives unless they contribute ecologically, and encourage clients to minimze lawns and maximize habitat
7) Put up a bat house in my backyard for conservation, and to eat those effin mosquitoes!
  Soon (hopefully) will get an egloo and have two chickens for fresh eggs
9) Will get a beehive and solar panels for the roof.
10) Guerilla garden with natives in the streets of BK.
11) Even though a pick up truck is needed for work, got the most efficient mini truck possible and minimize driving.


Probably the best thing we do is live in NYC with exponentially less carbon footprint than the rest of the suburban hell out there.


I am still a pretty bad polluter but strive to improve.