You know what I hate? Over-air-conditioned buildings. It always drove me crazy at my former employer. I had to wear a sweater in my office all summer. On a day when it's 90 degrees outside, I think I should be able to dress for 90 degree weather, dang it. Ok, I don't actually want it to be 90 degrees inside, but I think we could certainly survive in the upper 70s. If the personal discomfort of a freezing building weren't enough, the waste of energy (and money) is just ridiculous.
I thought things might be better at my new employer, which has this whole green building certification thing they're working on. They do turn the AC off on the weekends, I discovered when I went in there one day to check my e-mail. But on weekdays, it's cold enough to make me put on my down vest. (All part of my carefully constructed professional look. Sigh.)
Little instances of waste have really started to annoy me. For the last few years, I've stockpiled plastic bottles at work so I could carry them home to recycle them. I'm taking the stairs now at work instead of the elevator, partly because a lot of pants that I remember wearing a few years ago don't fit anymore, and partly because it seems like such a waste to run an elevator just to lift one person. (I work on the 7th floor, so I don't know how long I'm going to be able to keep this up, but I'm giving it a shot.) The other day after lunch I carried my paper bag (and N.Lu's) from the empanadas place back to work so I could put it in the paper bin.
These little things seem kind of dopey, and I know they're tiny, but...the earth is just such a damn *mess*, I feel like I have to do what I can. And I just find waste really personally irritating. Do you have any dopey environmental habits? For me to neurotically adopt?
10 comments:
I made a donation to my dad biodiesel plant - does that count?
I also bike or bus to work every day, but I'm not sure the bus is so environmentally-friendly with all it's spume. I guess when there are 60 people on it, the spume is less than our collective car exhaust would be.
I bring my own bags to the grocery store. I'm so hip.
I print things double-sided, when I print at all. One of my pet peeves about a lot of offices are the unnecessary volumes of paper that go to waste. I hear you on the excess A/C, too (though I'd vote for the lower 70's).
i've been such a waste this past year. i wanted to recycle, but my apartment complex didn't offer it. so into the trash went EVERYTHING. and because of where i live, and where i work, i have to drive every damn day. 40 min + for 8 miles.
my new house, though, is quite green, literally! we have a garbage disposal, recycling is *key*, and we have a garden and compost pile. if i get a new job, i'll be taking bus/metro if i can. and walking anywhere i can go, which may or may not be feasable, safety-wise. both centers of stores and stuff are on major roadways - lee highway and the ballston area.
has anyone done that "terra-pass" thing? hearing about how the emmissions in this area are on the big-time rise make me feel a bit yucky about driving everywhere. if it's a good cause, maybe it'll be my charitable contribution for 2007.
I wash out zip-lock bags in order to re-use them (unless they're used for raw chicken, in which case my public health senses kick in). And I take my own mug with me when I go to the coffee shop.
I think about waste. A lot.
I also go through Jiggity's trash from time to time because he isn't fully aware of all that can be recycled these days. He's really getting better though. And he announced the other day that he wants to buy a Prius when he gets his new car. Now I just need to convince him to take the train to work.
My parents were big non-wasters back when it wasn't cool. I had to take my lunch to school in in re-used paper bags on a daily basis. Most of the bags had labels like "True Value Hardware" and "Iris' Cards and Gifts". People made fun of me. Alas.
Oh, gosh, J.Po, me too on the bags. We actually started with new paper lunchbags but then used them over and over and over - basically until it was more likely that stuff would fall out of the holes than stay in.
EC, I don't know what the terrapass thing is. ?
I terrapassed my car last week and it's actually really easy. It's quick, easy, and not terribly expensive, either.
I'm waiting to terrapass my condo until next month though, that's a little more pricey.
I recycle (in as far as Chicago's blue-bag program actually recycles stuff) and try to buy organic food whenever possible. Oh, and I've got a timer on my thermostat, which pretty much shuts it off while I'm at work. I'm slowly switching to compact fluorescent bulbs where possible.
Oh, and I've given up my monthlong "slash and burn" vacations to the amazon.
Beware the Tristero and W.A.S.T.E.
I own a Prius, thus automatically placing me in the category of stereotypical liberal "Hey, look at me, I care about the earth!" people. And when I drive my beautiful, awesome car, I am completely paranoid about checking the MPG readout and have gone on line to figure out how to make my driving even more fuel-efficient - which has resulted in such awesome performance as this Thursday/Friday's average of 50.4 MPG over a drive to/from Chicago.
I take the bus or walk to/from school. I bring canvas bags to the coop. I print everything double-sided and 2-up. I'm a recycler, to the point where while I was still taking classes I was known for my penchant for taking soda cans out of the garbage in our seminar room and transporting them the four additional feet to the recycling bin in the hall (really, is it that hard?!?!).
I draw the line at reusing baggies and yogurt containers and stuff like that, although I do try to buy nice containers (Pyrex, etc.) that I can reuse instead.
And yet, I often feel like I'm kind of wasteful. Huh. Maybe I need a Terrapass!
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