Things you are doing individually to lower you and your family's carbon footprint - and did they work out?

[leaf 698]

10 hours ago, whithou said:

Things we've done as a family:

- We are a one car household. I bike the kids to daycare on our electric cargo bike (Tern GSD). My husband and I also bike to work. We chose to live in the loop in Houston so we can walk to the grocery store and restaurants. 

- I take all of our veggie and fruit scraps/used coffee beans to a nearby park that has a compost bin.

- We buy most of our produce from the farmer's market. I try not to cook too many beef and pork based meals and instead use chicken as the main protein. The next step is to do vegetarian meals but it's been hard for me to get creative in that area. 

- I shop at consignment shops to get used clothes 

Serious question.  How do the last 3 reduce your carbon footprint?

[futureman 22520]

1 hour ago, Neonmoon said:

I want solar but I ain’t dropping 15K on it. Waiting for it to come down below 10K

so, mother earth isn’t worth a measly 5k to you? you’re worse than hitler. 

[F250 28813]

10 hours ago, Bevo said:

Generally, it works out fine. Morning wood can be a problem especially on those hungover, sleep-in weekends when the neighbors' kids are playing in the backyard. Leaning back so you don't hit yourself in the chin can be a bitch.

[F250 28813]

3 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

I’m cautious about going eclectic car because of infrastructure. Even typing this, I realize I never drive long distances, so I really don’t know what’s holding me back. 
 

Just bought my first electric lawnmower and I fucking love it. Don’t have to worry about buying gas, it’s quiet as shit, and it works great. I need to buy an electric trimmer and blower. 
 

I want solar but I ain’t dropping 15K on it. Waiting for it to come down below 10K

I used to rent a Prius when I traveled a lot for work. Once the rental only had a Ford Fusion and that fucking thing had a Microsoft Windows blue screen of death while I was in the middle of BFE Ohio. Thing just seized up and wouldn't even unlock the trunk or doors.

I also tried out the early electric mowers and that thing was ass.

TLDR/ early adoption of electric technology turned me off to all of it.

 

[Guest]

Have used rechargeable mower/ trimmer/ blower for 2 years.  Love it for what they do/ no agenda involved.  Bought them all on clearance at close of 2019 season and they have worked like a champ.

I keep the house thermostat on 72 in the summer, which is a sin, I think, but that sumbeech goes to 66 or so in the winter.  If you're cold, do some work or grab a blanket...

[immortal13 4059]

3 hours ago, futureman said:

so, mother earth isn’t worth a measly 5k to you? you’re worse than hitler. 

He must be a republican 

[washparkhorn 9939]

1 hour ago, F250 said:

Once the rental only had a Ford Fusion and that fucking thing had a Microsoft Windows blue screen of death while I was in the middle of BFE Ohio. Thing just seized up and wouldn't even unlock the trunk or doors.

I can smell the interior. You would think Ford would build in redundant systems to limp along the side of the road.  Limping is better than found on the road dead. (no offense to you lucky owners of rugged and reliable Fords). 

___________

Kudos to helping out.

 

[52-80 19224]

8 hours ago, leaf said:

Serious question.  How do the last 3 reduce your carbon footprint?

less waste of potential fertilizer

Reducing demand of carbon-intensive food

reducing demand manufacturing for new apparel

[Telegraph_it 3359]

I fly my Baron LOP, or just over the stoich curve, making sure all the hydrocarbons in the cylinders are oxidized and decreasing my gph. 

[StruggleBus 3922]

20 hours ago, tantric superman said:

Not sure if this is the right place.  Feel free to move ("Help"?)  I'm interested in personal experience with things you do and how they are working out that, whether with beneficence aforethought or not, lowers your carbon footprint.  I'm not doing anything in that regard, but am interested in an electric car, solar panels, and figuring out the best way to maintain the lawn (okay, water use talk is okay too).  I've got an old house with single pane windows (or they aren't triple glazed or some such) so I need to get off my ass. 

Not really wanting to debate anything, just wanting to know your experience with products/methods which lower your carbon output.  So, things like, I own a Tesla and own a Chevy Bolt, and here is why the Tesla is superior, or, there are two companies in Dallas that do solar panels, and one of them sucks, etc. 

So just ornery, surly thoughts on some of this stuff.  Sort of see it as a "cutting the cable" kind of thread. 

 

 

 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

less waste of potential fertilizer

Reducing demand of carbon-intensive food

reducing demand manufacturing for new apparel

Never would have crossed my mind as an act towards environmentalism, but I'm solidly in this quadrant.  Was doing a video chat with my grown sons and had a shirt on from a vacation we took 10 summers ago and they were giving me shit.  My wife chimed in that it probably had 10 more years to go...

Our dresser has 16 drawers. I get one of 6 long ones and 2 of the 10 shorties.  I have 20% of our closet at the very most.  I don't throw away clothes until they are worn the fuck out.

[futureman 22520]

9 hours ago, Dr. Beeper said:

I took out my recycle dumpster for the first time in 7 years because my idiot wife filled it with trash. 

I cut back on watering my lawn from 5 days to 4 days last Sunday. 

And daily, I pick up trash in my lawn left by neighbors’ work crews and my kids and neighbors’ kids. 

you are making as much of a difference as anyone posting here. 

[52-80 19224]

2 hours ago, slorch said:

Never would have crossed my mind as an act towards environmentalism, but I'm solidly in this quadrant.  Was doing a video chat with my grown sons and had a shirt on from a vacation we took 10 summers ago and they were giving me shit.  My wife chimed in that it probably had 10 more years to go...

Our dresser has 16 drawers. I get one of 6 long ones and 2 of the 10 shorties.  I have 20% of our closet at the very most.  I don't throw away clothes until they are worn the fuck out.

Im amazed how old some of the stuff i have is. Literally 1-2 decades old 

[CHIEF 5094]

I replaced my a/c units with ones that have variable speed compressors. It saves a lot of money at a cozy 66 degrees. CHIEF Jr. being a smart mechanical engineer, told me not to vary the temp, as it is cheaper to just maintain a constant temp. Hadn't had a bill over $300.

CHIEF

[Larry T. Spider 1747]

I don’t buy shit I don’t need. I swear half of the carbon footprint of the world is women buying shit on Amazon and having it shipped/trucked around the world.

[Texas Jeff 1945]

I’ve been an Austin GreenChoice subscriber since 2005 or so. I pay more on my electric bill and in theory the extra money helps Austin purchase wind power. Does Austin Energy actually do that with my extra bucks? Who knows.

I own a 2200 sq ft house. I could have gone for 3500 sq ft farther out, but I thought our family of four could make it in a smaller house and after the kids leave it will be more than enough for two. So I have not had to air condition 1300 extra sq ft for all of that time. It was tough not having extra room for the kid’s stuff but I have accumulated a lot less than I would have in a bigger house.

I’ve planted oak trees and tried to plan for eventual large tree coverage of my property. The extra coolness will make the city just a little less warm, which will mean a tiny bit less A/C needed. It’s a tiny effect but planting trees now for coverage later is better than not doing that.

I drive cars until they fall apart, and try to take care of them. It takes a lot of energy and materials to make a new one.

On the other hand, I have an Amazon habit that is costing the planet way too much cardboard.

[52-80 19224]

19 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

You Tesla drivers sure about that carbon footprint reduction?  There's a reason Tesla doesn't report its carbon emissions.  Cool cars, though.  Might be our next purchase.

they estimate the production phase , and usage phase ,  carbon emissions here

https://www.tesla.com/impact-report/2020

who else is producing more granular gram by gram accounting ?  by the way, if you're buying a new vehicle today, both are going to be 4,000 pounds hunks of metals, plastics, glass, rubber, and fluids.  the real difference is what happens the next 5-15 years when you're operating them.

[Neonmoon 38130]

13 hours ago, F250 said:

I used to rent a Prius when I traveled a lot for work. Once the rental only had a Ford Fusion and that fucking thing had a Microsoft Windows blue screen of death while I was in the middle of BFE Ohio. Thing just seized up and wouldn't even unlock the trunk or doors.

I also tried out the early electric mowers and that thing was ass.

TLDR/ early adoption of electric technology turned me off to all of it.

 

Yeah I was skeptical of the electric lawnmower when it first came out. But I love the new EGO. I ain’t ever going back to gas. 

[Hpara759 1780]