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What I do to reduce my environmental footprint...


SDS

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I have a question. I think we are only now beginning to get the energy out of solar panels that it took to put into them. How much energy does it take to make them compared to what we get out of them? Is it a net gain yet, unlike solar (for the moment)?

 

Good question.  I don't know.  And I don't think we're near the final answer either.  Still plenty of work going on with the membrane materials.  Lots of stainless steel used to make the plates.  And there is a significant amount of platinum in the membranes between the plates.

 

Hydrogen sources.  Still takes more energy to get the hydrogen than we are getting from it, but most of the hydrogen used today is a byproduct of efforts to get/make other things.  Call it recycling I guess.  Of course, if fuel cells were to become commonly used, the hydrogen obtained as a by product wouldn't be able to supply it all.

Edited by We've
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I have a question. I think we are only now beginning to get the energy out of solar panels that it took to put into them. How much energy does it take to make them compared to what we get out of them? Is it a net gain yet, unlike solar (for the moment)?

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/solar-panels-now-make-more-electricity-they-use

 

They claim solar has reached the inflection point.

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Just thought of another one: I drink whisky rather than beer, so that conserves water.

Not to mention the raw materials needed for the containers they come in.

 

 

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If you all wanted to conserve water you'd buy your booze from South Florida distilleries and breweries. We're just dumping excess water by the hundreds of millions of gallons.

Edited by JJFIVEOH
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Just thought of another one:  I drink whisky rather than beer, so that conserves water.

 

I drink almost-exclusively local beer, and to a lesser degree spirits. When given the option, I stop and get cases of beer directly from Victory so they've only been transported a few hundred feet prior to the trunk of my car. I used to do a lot of growlers (ultimate re-use, not even recycle) but that's more expensive.

 

Not to mention the raw materials needed for the containers they come in.

 

 

---------------------------

 

If you all wanted to conserve water you'd buy your booze from South Florida distilleries and breweries. We're just dumping excess water by the hundreds of millions of gallons.

 

Are any of them any good? Although shipping them would negate the benefits.

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Not to mention the raw materials needed for the containers they come in.

 

 

---------------------------

 

If you all wanted to conserve water you'd buy your booze from South Florida distilleries and breweries. We're just dumping excess water by the hundreds of millions of gallons.

 

Loan Shark Beer!!!

 

I know it's Land Shark, but my stepmom called it Loan Shark once, so now we all call it Loan Shark.

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I drink almost-exclusively local beer, and to a lesser degree spirits. When given the option, I stop and get cases of beer directly from Victory so they've only been transported a few hundred feet prior to the trunk of my car. I used to do a lot of growlers (ultimate re-use, not even recycle) but that's more expensive.

 

 

Are any of them any good? Although shipping them would negate the benefits.

 

Wynwood is pretty good, their IPA. Funky Buddha is pretty good too, they've got a wide selection for everybody. Not sure how readily available these are out of state. 

 

Considering the population of the tri-county area, we're pretty limited on microbrews. So many chains down here you have to search a little to find something unique. Good non-chain restaurants/bars are all buried, I'm still finding new places not far from me. I've given up on my local area, starting to spend more time in Lauderdale. 

Loan Shark Beer!!!

 

I know it's Land Shark, but my stepmom called it Loan Shark once, so now we all call it Loan Shark.

 

Good?

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I try not to buy things that are cheap junk because I hate throwing things out. If I can't sell it or donate it to a thrift store, I don't want it.

I get about $1500 in tax write-offs every year for donating things that we don't use anymore that are always in good working order.

 

We donate tons of things in my house. This is primarily driven by my wife though. I can't take credit.

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Good stuff, guys.  I do most of the same things SDS and Eleven (among others) listed.  I'm a hippie at heart.  :)

 

So while on a family vacation last month, my father observed me cutting up one of those plastic six-pack holders and asked why.  He really didn't know!  

Good man.

 

As for fabrics, I never knew how to recycle them, either, until I found this:

 

http://www.donatestuff.com/

 

Perfect solution for things like worn-out socks that have no useful life left in them.  (Of course, they take stuff in good condition as well.)  If they don't have a center near you, they'll send you a prepaid UPS bag for shipping!

 

Some other useful recycling links:

 

http://www.purewow.com/ecs/5953.htm?sid=554834

 

http://greatist.com/health/how-to-recycle-anything

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  • 1 month later...

So, as my life marches forward and I think about my kids and what world they will have to adapt to when eventually the oil runs out, the oceans are overflowing with plastic, etc... I try to do things that are probably more symbolic on the individual level, but perhaps be meaningful if adopted culturally. I would like to hear what anyone else does.

 

1. I own a version of these:

 

https://www.rei.com/product/782238/sea-to-summit-alpha-utensil-set?cm_mmc=cse_PLA_GOOG-_-7822380015&CAWELAID=120217890000780412&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA_GOOG

 

and carry them with me on my water jug at work. I nether buy water/drinks at the cafeteria, nor do I use plastic utensils. This has saved 1000's of pieces of plasticware from hitting the landfills. Bringing my own water jug keeps me from paying for water and using the plastic.

 

2. I carpool to soccer games whenever possible keeping another car off the road when we are all going to the same places.

 

3. I use Eneloop rechargeable batteries (they are incredible) and a high end charger that charges them slowly to maximize life.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-BK-3MCCA8BA-Pre-Charged-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00JHKSN5I

 

Quite frankly, I would pass a law that every household own these instead of buying alkaline.

 

4. We recycle more material than we throw away. Our county has an awesome program, so that is easy for us. But our recycle bins fill faster than our garbage bins.

 

5. I refuse plastic bags whenever possible (and use reusable ones when grocery shopping). 

 

6. AC is set to about 80 in the summer. Heat is at 68 in the winter. Programmable thermostat runs a weekly program. 

 

I would love to see a society that carries their own drinking cup and utensils. So much single use waste that is unnecessary.

 

What do you do?

 

 

So my "camp cutlery" finally arrived today.  I can't wait to start using it tomorrow.

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This thread makes me want to buy a F-350 diesel, have my heat on 76 with the windows open during winter, and my AC on 60 during the summer.

 

The fallacy of global warming!

Awesome 4th post. I breathlessly await the 5th.

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Meanwhile, multimillion dollar waterfront homes in Miami will imminently lose access to open water because the masts on their yachts will no longer fit under the municipal bridges thst cross their waterway outlets. Because rising sea levels.

 

The planet is warming. The climate is changing.

 

Are humans to blame, at least in some meaningful way?

 

I have no idea.

 

But it seems the better wager is to try to reduce what we can in an effort to avoid catastrophe.

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Meanwhile, multimillion dollar waterfront homes in Miami will imminently lose access to open water because the masts on their yachts will no longer fit under the municipal bridges thst cross their waterway outlets. Because rising sea levels.

 

The planet is warming. The climate is changing.

 

Are humans to blame, at least in some meaningful way?

 

I have no idea.

 

But it seems the better wager is to try to reduce what we can in an effort to avoid catastrophe.

Even the president of The Flat Earth Society believes that people are the cause of global warming.

 

 

Uh,… wouldn't that be planar warming?

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I'll rephrase slightly: There is good science for both positions -- that humans are contributing, and that humans are not contributing to climate change/global warming. (It would appear that the large majority of the good science comes down on one side of the issue, but that does not necessarily sway me -- I think there's dangerous group-think that occurs in these kinds of situations.)

 

My point being: If I'm choosing between the two, I will choose the position (and encourage others to choose the position) that will allow me (us) to help mitigate risk.

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So my "camp cutlery" finally arrived today.  I can't wait to start using it tomorrow.

 

 

And of course I forgot to bring it.  So one more day of plastic.

This thread makes me want to buy a F-350 diesel, have my heat on 76 with the windows open during winter, and my AC on 60 during the summer.

 

The fallacy of global warming!

 

 

I'll play.  Tell you what:  What if it has nothing to do with global warming?  How can landfills full of plastic possibly be a good thing?

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How can landfills full of plastic possibly be a good thing?

Meanwhile, multimillion dollar waterfront homes in Miami will imminently lose access to open water because the masts on their yachts will no longer fit under the municipal bridges thst cross their waterway outlets. Because rising sea levels.

 

Could we re-purpose landfills so that people living adjacent to the oceans can save their homes?  :angel:

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Go for it. Your wallet will feel the effects of your individual actions more than the planet will.

Speaking of that, I really miss $4 gas. There are just too many idiots on the roads these days.

 

 

 

(and I do have an F150)

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Speaking of that, I really miss $4 gas. There are just too many idiots on the roads these days.

 

 

 

(and I do have an F150)

It's funny, I price out all my expenses as if gas is $4. I just can't shake it. I expect it will be back there in a few years, and I'm not falling for the prices right now. 

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Just bought a 1992 Acura Legend that, surprisingly enough, is pretty good on gas, but one has to have some fun.

 

Better yet, our 2016 Corolla (bought for everyday use) gets almost 600 KM per tank of gas.  That is awesomely good mileage.  It's like driving Montreal - Toronto on one tank of gas and having a bit left over.

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How can any landfill be a good thing?

 

There is evidence that NOAA and NASA cooked the books to further the global warming fraud. Ice core analysis shows there was just as much green house gas when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I'm all for clean energy but the tech has to be there.

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How can any landfill be a good thing?

 

There is evidence that NOAA and NASA cooked the books to further the global warming fraud. Ice core analysis shows there was just as much green house gas when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I'm all for clean energy but the tech has to be there.

 

The planet also had a much different climate when the dinosaurs were around compared to now; it was hotter. Like, palm trees in Wyoming hot.

 

EDIT: Deleted VMware troubleshooting link. I think that was Off-topic. :)

Edited by MattPie
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