QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

I have no clue. I have not really educated myself on the matter. Right now, it seems like a fad to me. Everyone is pushing for this, and the retailers and manufacturers see it as a way to make money. I am not saying going green is not beneficial, I am just making an observation.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Trend. I'm waiting for the Dateline expose' on how they aren't really even "green" products.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

It's a fad and I love my SUV.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

I agree with everyone else on the "it' a FAD"

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

I agree as well.

It's a Fad.. something new.. like the George Forman Lean Mean Fat Reducing grillingmachine!

Damage is done. Granted we could help the enviroment a little more by secluding all smokers to Mars!

Sorry for anyone thats a smoker..

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Hey now - I love my George Foreman grill! Partly because the meat doesn't swim if fat while it cooks, but because I can "grill" stuff in the dead of winter.

As for the whole "green" thing, I think it is a fad. The idea is good, but it's being poorly executed, IMO. I don't shop for the products specifically, but if they're cheaper, I'll pick it up. Most of the time, though, they're not cheaper.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Yeah I think it's sad that the "better" products are more expensive. Like good food costs more than junk. I do make my own laundry soap though and that saves us quite a bit.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

I try to go green as much as possible, but this is not a new thing for my family. We've been trying to go green for years. Some products are here to stay like low energy light bulbs and LEDs. Some you do have to wonder about. I use products with the EcoLogo. I didn't know what it meant though. My unscented dryer sheets supposedly degrade in three weeks in a landfill. I do wonder about "all natural" fabric softners. What does that mean exactly?

I think some products will permantly switch to biodegradable and others will not. If fuel prices do not go down, I think manufacturers will find a way to make SUVs fuel efficent. I don't think gas prices will go down.

People are walking a lot more here and driving less. I hate it, but I love it. I hate that less money is coming into my (tourist) area. I love the cleaner air and the fewer cars when we go walking.

I don't think green is entirely a fad. It can also be money saving and practical. Those products/behaviors/manufacturing and energy production changes will remain long after the fad is history.

I don't know if there is a "correct" way to go green. I knew a lot of products were making false claims. My only advice on the correct way to go green is to do the obvious things:

Wash clothes in cold water or at least rinse in cold.
Sweep instead of vaccum. A good broom can last for years and uses no energy.
Combine trips
When possible, walk instead of drive. Good for the health, easy on the pocketbook.
Here's one I cannot do because the girls love tv: when not in use, unplug the tv. The TV still uses energy even when it is not in use.
Do not liter. It's unsightly and harmful to the environment. I hate it when people dump their trash along the side of the road or finding used baby diapers in parking lots. This is gross. Our Walmart has started providing trash cans.

I think little changes can led to a lot in the long run.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

My muscles would beg to differ with you..

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

It's a fad but then it's not.

We try, but like it's been mentioned before, it's more expensive.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

It's a fad. Anyone can go green cheaply just by not using all the "disposable" products and switching to cleaners and cleaning tools such as the trusty old broom, newspaper (works great on windows!), and vinegar.

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Kim
You'll get clean, streak free windows using a solution of vinegar water and newspapers in place of your normal cloth or paper towel. Plus they don't leave the fibers behind that other options do!
Some people are oposed to the vinegar smell but it doesn't stick around for long and isn't over powering if you dilute it to 2 tbs per gallon (the recomended amount for windows) and I've gotten to the point that the smell makes me think "clean".

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

There are cheap ways to go green by using common household items. It doesn't have to be expensive. Here are some cheap green household cleaning ideas:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/diy

Re: QOTW - May 18-May 24 - Going Green? I want to know what YOU think.

Fad. I think more people "going green" these days is due more to high prices than the environment. It's definitely more frugal to be green in many ways.

Hang your laundry to dry
Plant a garden
Walk instead of drive
Use things like vinegar, baking soda and ammonia to clean with

Those are just the basics. I think the manufacturers are trying to take advantage of this by putting out more and more products that are supposedly "green". But few people bother to actually research how products are made or what actually goes into them before buying. LExample, everyone thinks "organic" food is better than regular food. It's not. The food in my garden is better than organic food you can buy ain the store. Why? Because I use NO pesticides AT ALL. But the USDA has approved certain pesticides that growers can use and still be considered organic. Yes, the organic you buy in yhr store is probably better for you than some of it's counter parts, but not all of it. Another example is plastic. There are so many different grades of plastic, but few people know what to look for so they are eschews ALL plastic. Not necessary. You just need to do some research on it - there is tons of info on the net and in the library about it.

Having said all that, being green IS better for the environment, but that's not why I do it. I do it to save my family money.