Fifteen years ago, a class of first-graders planted a tree in their schoolyard for Arbor Day. This was their way of giving back to the environment, to replace one of the trees cut down to make their desks and supply them with notebook paper.
But today, planting a tree isn't quite enough. Today, being patriotic isn't just about the red, white and blue - it's also about being green. Our new president has entered office ready to confront environmental issues. His goals include putting one million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015, ensuring 10 percent of our energy comes from renewable resources by 2012, eliminating our current imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 years and creating millions of new green jobs. Think of it, instead of going into the work force as blue-collar or white-collar, American citizens could call themselves green-collar.
Some of these goals may seem pretty lofty. Yet the green movement is not just about what President Obama can do; it's about what the average American can do. So what exactly does it mean to "go green?" What can an ordinary person do to save energy and to help save the environment?
First of all, take a look at the thermostat. Turn it a few degrees lower in the winter, and a couple of clicks higher in the summer. Not only will you save energy, you will save money. Compact fluorescent light bulbs help with the energy bill, too.
Other ways to conserve in your home include unplugging appliances when you aren't using them, such as your cell phone charger and putting clothes on a drying rack or clothesline instead of in the dryer.
Next, think about transportation. Walking or biking to class or work not only is green-friendly, it's a great way to stay in shape. You also save money on gas and parking. If the weather is bad or you live a little too far away, consider public transportation or carpooling. There is no reason for your friend to drive even five miles if they are going to the same location you are.
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I disagree - the most important question in my life right now is 'how am I going to save green?' If you're a bleeding heart, like the author seems to be, and you feel chills when you watch the youtube video of President Carter addressing the nation in the late 70's telling them to wear a sweater and turn the heat down, then this column probably rings pretty true. For most people, though, I'd go so far as to opine that people will 'go green' when it becomes economically feasible to do so. That will happen in different ways for different technologies; but simply mandating that everyone ought to be environmentally conscious without regard for anything else is a bit heavy-handed. The Earth was here long before we were here, and it'll be here long after we're gone.
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Kyle, very true and your comments remind me of a classic from Carlin regarding the environment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw
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Why do I feel that this column should have been titled "I have a column due in twenty minutes and don't have time to do any research"?
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Kyle, there are ways to save money now by going green. Driving a fuel efficient car, using less water, and insulating your house all reduce expenses by using less resources. Energy prices will only go up, and we should use the current economic crisis as an opportunity to reconstruct our energy paradigm. Also, the term 'save the planet' is a bit off, it should be 'save the human habitable planet.'
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Hummers may seem more wasteful, but in fact, when taking into consideration all facets of procution of a hummer compared to a Prius, the hummer contributes less of a carbon footprint than the Prius. http://bexhuff.com/hybrid-or-hummer Also, what is wrong with Capitalism? It is a beautiful thing and is the reason behind a great majority of the fine things in life we enjoy. Again, this issue of limited resources is pretty simple. If supply of a certain good is waning then prices will increase to reflect this. This increase in prices will cause oppurtinities to make money (capitalism) in other areas of energy production. There is absolutely no need for lawmakers to subsidize one energy method over another, it skewers the supply and prices and doesn't allow for even competition in the market.
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I'm not so sure that fuel-efficient cars are actually the best argument you can make here, Eric. Let me put it this way - I currently drive a 92 LeBaron Convertible which gets around 20mpg in my daily commute and around 27mpg on the highway. I paid $800 for it, and I pay about $200 a year in upkeep. I buy around $150 worth of gas per month. To buy a fuel efficient car today, I'd need at a minimum $10k, and I'd still have to pay about $100 a year in upkeep. So let's say I pay $75 a month for gas, since the new car would be more fuel efficient. Then we have to find the solution to the system 800+(200/12)x+150x and 10000+(100/12)x+75x, and my degree in mathematics tells me that it would take 110 months, or 11 years and 2 months, for me to break even. There's a point at which the cost of a 'green car' becomes more economically feasible, but for right now it's a bad investment for me.
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The other points you cite (using less water, more insulation) are certainly legitimate points - and believe it or not, most mildly intelligent homeowners already take these steps. And what's more, most of them DON'T do it out of some sort of overwhelming concern for the environment - they do it because using less energy or water means that they get to keep more of their own money. I'm not arguing that doing 'green' things is necessarily bad - just pointing out that with most green technologies we really haven't gotten to the point of economic feasibility yet. It'll happen one day - and my guess is that it will happen sooner if the government gets out of the way, actually. But that's a different discussion altogether.
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And. . . forgive me, I did my division incorrectly. It's actually 9 years and 2 months, not 11 years and 2 months. That's what I get for spending all day trying to reprogram stuff at the office. . . .
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I meant only if you are in the market for a new car; obviously you won't immediately save money by buying a new car right now. You will need to buy a new car eventually, and I recommend giving extra consideration to highly fuel efficient vehicles.
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But, Eric, I'll NEVER be in the market for a NEW car. For one thing, working on my car is a hobby of mine, and if I buy new then I would void the warranty by working on it. Additionally, since I am generally willing to do auto repair work myself, buying used cars tends to be more friendly on my wallet because I save money by doing the labor myself. Fuel efficiency is only one consideration when purchasing a car - and given that the cost of gas is pretty easily manageable right now (and I wasn't really having problems with it at $4 a gallon either), it really ranks quite low on the importance scale.
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Even though a few people have pointed out a few inconsistancies in your article you do make some great points. I know for me some of the small things like using a clothes drying rack has been a very simple change that benefits both my wallet and the earth. What a win win situation.
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