Author Topic: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions  (Read 2670 times)

Cwadda

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Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« on: March 15, 2017, 02:53:47 PM »
Here's a few, hoping to learn some more. Please share your ideas!

-Never buying water bottles
-Buying in bulk, rather than buying the same product that has been individually wrapped
-Composting
-Reusing cereal bags as freezer bags (even better than an actual freezer bag!)
-"If you brake, you've made a mistake"
-Shopping at thrift stores and tag sales
-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks
-The 3 Rs, of course!

Just Joe

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2017, 01:34:13 PM »
Carpooling.
Shorter commute, smaller town, fewer miles driven per year, make the family car last longer
Repairing things rather than replacing them.
Owning a bicycle. Riding it too.
LED bulbs as the older fluorescent bulbs wear out
Eating in vs eating out.
Less heat and less a/c by moderating the thermostat settings, more time each year with the windows open

Vindicated

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2017, 01:50:17 PM »
Wearing select clothing items multiple times before washing (undies only once!)
Speed Showering < 10 min

Cwadda

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2017, 02:59:05 PM »
Quote
Less heat and less a/c by moderating the thermostat settings, more time each year with the windows open
Quick question for you - how do you go about monitoring your thermostat settings? I currently have a thermostat that can only be adjusted manually, and it has no timer. Do you recommend getting a simple timed thermostat. Would the newest, trendiest thermostats (I think they're marketed under the name "Nest") be worthwhile if you can control them from your smartphone?

Quote
Wearing select clothing items multiple times before washing (undies only once!)
Maybe TMI, but I switched over to spandex-like underwear and they stay fresh at least 3x longer (because of wicking away moisture, etc). Also, you can quickly rinse them i.e. in the shower or sink and they dry fast and stay fresh!

HPstache

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2017, 07:42:46 PM »
Traveling less

HappierAtHome

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2017, 08:40:57 PM »

Cwadda

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2017, 11:59:13 AM »
This thread already exists: What small things did you do today to reduce your environmental impact?

Perfect, thanks. I don't know why I didn't notice it before.

Just Joe

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2017, 09:36:25 AM »
Quote
Less heat and less a/c by moderating the thermostat settings, more time each year with the windows open
Quick question for you - how do you go about monitoring your thermostat settings? I currently have a thermostat that can only be adjusted manually, and it has no timer. Do you recommend getting a simple timed thermostat. Would the newest, trendiest thermostats (I think they're marketed under the name "Nest") be worthwhile if you can control them from your smartphone?

I don't carry a modern smart phone.

Our thermostat is just a basic digital thermostat that can do schedules. We heat the house to 64F in the winter, cool it to I think 78F-80F in the summer. I have "away" scheduled to several degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. Ours is a well insulated smallish house whose temps are easy to shift a couple degrees except when the temps are at their yearly extreme. Then we maintain the temps so the HVAC isn't playing catch up too much.

There is a big period in between the coldest and hottest weather of the year where we get by with open windows and later window fans. Eventually the heat and humidity here in the south dictates some a/c goodness.

Our HVAC is a Trane hybrid heatpump/gas furnace. It runs the heatpump for cooling and heat. When it gets colder than 28F (I think) I have it set to switch over to gas heat. The system has been good so far.

bacchi

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2017, 10:40:26 AM »
Yes, if you have a schedule, an inexpensive digital thermostat works fine. No reason to get a Nest.

Davnasty

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2017, 08:50:24 AM »

-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks


Oh. Is that longer than usual?

Maybe I should wash mine more often...

Cwadda

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2017, 05:27:43 AM »

-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks


Oh. Is that longer than usual?

Maybe I should wash mine more often...

I think lots of folks use them once or wear clothes once before washing. Never understood really why.

wenchsenior

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2017, 08:34:02 AM »
Here's a few, hoping to learn some more. Please share your ideas!

-Never buying water bottles
-Buying in bulk, rather than buying the same product that has been individually wrapped
-Composting
-Reusing cereal bags as freezer bags (even better than an actual freezer bag!)
-"If you brake, you've made a mistake"
-Shopping at thrift stores and tag sales
-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks
-The 3 Rs, of course!

I'm very curious. How do you do this?  Just fold the opening over and tape it shut?

Just Joe

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2017, 08:48:49 AM »

-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks


Oh. Is that longer than usual?

Maybe I should wash mine more often...

I tried that and the towel smelled bad far sooner and I tossed it into the laundry. Maybe it's the difference between your chemistry and mine or our soaps.

Davnasty

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2017, 11:55:26 AM »

Oh. Is that longer than usual?

Maybe I should wash mine more often...

I tried that and the towel smelled bad far sooner and I tossed it into the laundry. Maybe it's the difference between your chemistry and mine or our soaps.

I think humidity is the biggest factor. If the air is dry and the towel dries quickly there is no time for mildew to grow. The smell of a dirty towel is primarily from mildew.

Same goes for clothes really. Body odor comes from bacteria growing in your sweat, not the sweat itself. In theory if you could dry your sweat instantly, your clothes would never smell. I think.

Bart1ma3u5

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2017, 12:03:56 PM »
An obvious one I finally got around to doing a few weeks ago: Getting a french press for my  desk instead of using the office keurig and k-cups.

Cwadda

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2017, 04:03:38 PM »
Here's a few, hoping to learn some more. Please share your ideas!

-Never buying water bottles
-Buying in bulk, rather than buying the same product that has been individually wrapped
-Composting
-Reusing cereal bags as freezer bags (even better than an actual freezer bag!)
-"If you brake, you've made a mistake"
-Shopping at thrift stores and tag sales
-Using the same bath towel for 1-2 weeks
-The 3 Rs, of course!

I'm very curious. How do you do this?  Just fold the opening over and tape it shut?

Or crunch it up as if there was cereal inside. Or staples work well too.

Cwadda

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2017, 04:06:48 PM »
An obvious one I finally got around to doing a few weeks ago: Getting a french press for my  desk instead of using the office keurig and k-cups.

Yep that's also a good one. Also, bringing in a regular mug and keeping it at the office instead of using styrofoam, plastic, and paper cups each day. People buy Starbucks and all of those millions of cups are wasted each day. All of those were made using fossil fuels.

Just Joe

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2017, 07:40:19 AM »
Built an e-bike. Anyone ever done the math to ride? The kit is expensive and unless you're replacing a 10 mpg truck, paying for it purely on the gas saved would take a while.

I'm not doing it to save money on gasoline, I'm doing it for the exercise that this middle aged fellow needs to do alot more of. I live in a hilly place. Need to be useful and smell reasonable when I arrive at work.

The cost to charge an ebike is a little bit of nothing. Like ~15 cents to ride 20 miles. I'm quoting numbers from a website. Costs even less if you charge at work.

Bart1ma3u5

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2017, 10:19:12 AM »
An obvious one I finally got around to doing a few weeks ago: Getting a french press for my  desk instead of using the office keurig and k-cups.

Yep that's also a good one. Also, bringing in a regular mug and keeping it at the office instead of using styrofoam, plastic, and paper cups each day. People buy Starbucks and all of those millions of cups are wasted each day. All of those were made using fossil fuels.

Thats a good point! I didn't even think of that one, i have used the same mug in the office for the last few years.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Small Acts of Reducing Carbon Emissions
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2017, 03:04:10 PM »
An obvious one I finally got around to doing a few weeks ago: Getting a french press for my  desk instead of using the office keurig and k-cups.

Yep that's also a good one. Also, bringing in a regular mug and keeping it at the office instead of using styrofoam, plastic, and paper cups each day. People buy Starbucks and all of those millions of cups are wasted each day. All of those were made using fossil fuels.

Thats a good point! I didn't even think of that one, i have used the same mug in the office for the last few years.
For thank you gifts to clients I usually give out ceramic mugs; precisely to ensure that people have access to non-disposable cups at work. With some long term clients I've noticed my mugs have replaced their disposable cups.

Some clients have passed them on and placed them in the communal kitchens, I still take it as a win.