Going green can be daunting for many and there is so much that you need to learn, relearn and unlearn in order the live this "green" life. Technology can be overwhelming to many, so maybe we should talk about all the little things that you can do around the house, at the job, in the car, etc, to make this world a greener place and your life more sustainable too. I am going to start off with a small list. Join in and tell me and the rest what you do to take simple steps to green your life

Turn off the lights during the day
Use only canvas shopping bags
Recycle EVERYTHING
Compost my organic wastes.

I switched the whole house over to CFLs and regular fluorescent fixtures.
I also insulated my metal garage door.

install a programmable thermostat
turn up the temp in the fridge by one notch
walk to work

plant a garden/grow my own food. just a springtime reference I forgot.

I ride my bike or walk everywhere. I actually donated my car to charity because I no longer needed it.

cn, WOW! That's a big big step. Congrats

I talked to my boss about a 4 day work week. Maybe its the economy or maybe he bought was I was selling, but I now work 4 - 10 hour days per week and have a three day weekend EVERY week. I cut down on 40 minutes of driving per week and I make sure to minimize my driving on the weekends too.

As far as my house goes, I have done all the small things and next is a solar hot water panel for the roof.

little steps.... that's exactly what I do. I try to leave as little trace of my presence as possible. I walk softly on the ground and leave the land as I found it.

CFL's in the light fixtures, radiant insualtion in the attic, sealed the ducts in the basement, insulated the hot water pipes, weatherized the windows and doors, and front yard = all drought tollerant plants w/ no lawn, and next are DIY solar air heaters. Total investment over 2 years = $1150, and the savings to date is about $700.

bosseda,

Impressive. with that rate, you should pay yourself back in savings in the next year or so. How did you go about insulating your hot water pipes?

I recylce everything I can. i have reduced my consumption of plastics, water and disposable goods. I compost everything i can.

Yes, taking small steps matters a lot. Solar panels -SF fusion - can be installed in houses for power generation. It is a good way to cut down the electricity consumption.

Water only boils at 212F if it is at atmospheric pressure, ~15 psi. If you keep water in a pressure tank it is possible to keep water liquid well above 212. For example at 228F the pressure goes up only 5 lbs above atmospheric. A 30 psi tank would hold water up to 250F.

list of common diseases