Not In My Back Yard!

In Cherokee County, South Carolina, a familiar, but sad fight is heating up. The fight is over a proposed new landfill. The company that is building and maintaining the new landfill, Waste Management is proposing a site that does a lot of environmentally friendly things and the battle is not over them, but the basic concept that folks don't want to live near a landfill.

This battle screams to me of a reason to recycle that doesn't require a person to care if "Mother" Earth gets pampered. At the Council meeting where Waste Management presented the details of their plan, one facet of this landfill commanded my attention. The landfill will cover 75 acres when it opens for business with an projected expansion to 300 acres. What a huge increase in loss of land to trash! The property that is being purchased spans 1,500 acres. Will it stop at 300 acres?
Here is a concrete example of how recycling can have a direct impact. The more items recycled, the less landfill space needed. I know personally, that since I started recycling, I have reduced my trash placed in the dumpster by over half. Now, there are probably 6-8 other residents here where I live that consistently recycle. Add their "trash savings" to mine and we have a tiny spot in the land around the landfill that doesn't need to be introduced to trash. Now, imagine the land space that would go unused if all 54 town homes in my community consistently recycled? Here is a very definite thing that the average joe can do that will have a obvious positive effect.

And you folks in Cherokee County, fill up those recycling bins if you want to avoid a new land fill, or at least keep it small.

A fun "Green" product test

This is a Toyota Prius and it belongs to the company that owns the property I manage. It's also the vehicle that I got to drive on my Thanksgiving trip to Grandmother's house.(OK, it was my mom's house, but the song says Grandmother and she is a grandmother). I work for a GREAT company. They lent me the Prius for the trip.

Let's address the Green aspect first. I drove 1710 miles from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. I drove from Greenville, South Carolina to Buffalo, NY and back again, over flatland, and mountains, through rain and snow, in light traffic and in traffic jams that made traveling 10 miles take 2 hours. The average mileage for this trip would have been around 20 mpg. The Prius got an average of 44 mpg. I spent $65.00 instead of at least $120.00 in gasoline. So the main Green ingredients are lower fossil fuel consumption and then by extension, less harmful emmisions. The car has a great system of energy creation and use. I would say that if anyone is wanting to make a big change to be more responsible for the planet they are borrowing for a few years, then switching to a hybrid car would be a great place to start.

But suppose you're an average guy and you're not all worked up about "Saving the Planet," should a hybrid be on your Christmas wish list?

YES!!

Ok, so your not hyper to Go Green, still I assume you like saving green? I paid close to 50% less on gasoline on this trip. Close your eyes and image spending half as much on gasoline. Now stop smiling and check out a hybrid. The Prius handled well, drove like a charm and had great features like hands free calling with your blue tooth working through the audio system. It also has a built-in navigational system. You can see the energy conversion and track your energy consumption at any time. When I think about purchasing a vehicle, functionality, price and mileage are the criteria I value most and the Prius won on all levels.

To be fair, I will point out a few drawbacks or concerns.

First, price, I did a quick check and $22k+ is their starting point, so it is a bit expensive. My daughter pointed something out to offset that sticker shock. She said, that with the savings you are recieving from better mileage, you could offset the added purchase cost.

Second, I'm kind of tall and the back seat is not a great place for me to sit, as my head attempts to create a sun roof. Even in the 4 door, which is what I drove, the leg room in the back is not a winning observation. The front has plenty of leg room and the car was comfrtable to drive.

Finally, maintenance is complicated. If you buy a Prius, prepare to tell Bubba and his ball peen hammer goodbye. The days of the shade tree mechanic fade away into our story books as more hybrids are made because they have the duel engines and the different energy transferring systems.

My recommendation: someone give me a hybrid Prius PLEASE

Two Green Thumbs Up

In my last post I joked about giving out an award to folks who find creative ways to go Green. I was joking about the doctor, but I am serious about recognizing folks who find ways for average people to live naturally, but responsibly.


My first, Two Green Thumbs Up award recipient is:

Remember those clothes you have stuffed in the back of the closet, or the pup tent hiding in the far corner of the garage, you can liberate them from their place of exile and give them new life. You simply post a message on freecycle with what it is you no longer need and no longer wish to cram into the back of the basement. Someone sees your ad and contacts you to make arrangements to pick it up and in no time, you've taken you closet back, someone else hasn't wasted their money, and the landfill stays hungry.

Remember those ice packs and cardboard boxes that I've mention in a few posts? This is how I "reused" them. You'd be surprised at the items people give away.

So take a look around your home. Do you really need that? I mean, it hasn't seen the light of day since MTV played music. Go to freecycle.org and let someone else enjoy what you have finished enjoying.

Here's one way to reduce landfill deposits

This is a doctor's office. No seriously, a pediatrician works out of this office daily.

I think it's time to start giving out awards for the creative ways ordinary folks go green.

So the first recipient of the Going Green By Accident Appreciation Award is:

Dr. "I haven't found a piece of paper I felt I could throw away EVER." pediatrician and paper lover.

Congrats!

Cleantech Blog

This blog:
http://www.cleantechblog.com/

has some very insightful posts on environmental issues. The author seems to have a level headed approach to the subject as well as a wealth of knowledge. You will find some very interesting and useful information here.

If you have any sites that you would recommend, please let me know. I will post the ones I find esp. helpful.

"Green" Product Test, stage 2

Remember These?


In my last post about the "green" floor care products, we looked at the "green" floor products effectiveness in the initial use, the actual stripping and refinishing. As you recall, I was impressed with their performance. I was excited, but the shine has to last, that is the ultimate test. "Did the "green" product hold up over time?" I was unable to get to these floors to buff them on their normal schedule...every other week; these floors didn't see a buffer for over a month. I will leave it to you...did the eco-friendly finish retain it's shine?

A "Green" Road Trip.

View Larger Map
You can slide the map around to see the whole trip, simply click and drag,


This is where Jeni and I will be May 15-31, 2009. This is the trip I referred to in my second post. When I was talking to a friend about the trip and mentioning that I wanted to take an environmentally friendly road trip, I asked him how he thought I could make it "green". He said, "Don't drive" I understand what he meant, but this is the whole point of this blog. I want people to realize that you don't have to stop living your normal life in order to take care of this planet. I believe it is possible to take a road trip, yes, in a car, and still be eco-friendly. Obviously, a hybrid or something along those lines would be a natural first step. So if you have a Prius lying around, look me up.

I'm looking for ways to be "green" on this trip, any ideas?