Vote: +0

"State as many as you like :)"

By: My Green Cleaner :: 3 years ago

Vote: +3

"1. Overpopulation. Nobody is talking about it and I'd rather people choose what to do about it before nature chooses for us. If you can adopt instead of having your own, do it. If you think developing countries shouldn't be using condoms, think again. Suggestions on this one get ugly and go downhill in a hurry.
2. Restructure your transportation needs. Find a way to live close to work or close to public transportation that can get you to work.
3. Demand smarter water use. There's no reason toilet water cannot be water that has already been used in the shower. The system just needs to be used everywhere. Our toilet water is cleaner than the water millions of people drink - a fact that should be changed from both ends.
4. Recycling. Considering awareness of this, the numbers are downright embarrassing.
5. Being wasteful has an environmental cost so it should also have a monetary cost felt by anyone choosing to be wasteful. Plastic bags should cost money. It should not be cheap and convenient to destroy natural resources.
6. The production of Styrofoam should stop. Until scientists can determine how many years it takes to break down, it doesn't make much sense to create the stuff considering it is not being reused and it will never go away.
7. Solar energy. If there's not enough sunlight to keep plants alive we will die. So as long as it will matter we will have sunlight. If we invest in solar energy now, we have a future.
8. Localize your needs. Food and daily needs that can be met locally cuts out the wasteful transportation stage. It also creates a foundation for what will be our future as cheap oil runs out. If we buy local then food costs will no longer be dependent on the price of oil. Local businesses lack the advertising power of large corporations and require the patronage of those who care."

By: PDX_lead_the_charge :: 3 years ago

Vote: +0

"The biggest thing that I think the average public needs to be aware of is green washing. Just because a product says it's environmentally safe or green doesn't mean it is. A lot of people think they're helping the environment because of signs on products that say "better for the environment" or "now environmentally safe!", etc, when they actually aren't. So the public needs to be aware of these issues, and how important it is to actually research a product before buying it. Read the ingredients of so-called "greener" products - research them until you find something that really is safe, both for the environment and for you."

By: Rick Walker LEED AP :: 3 years ago

Vote: +1

"You do bring up a huge issue which is information. There's a lot of it out there but a lot of it is conflicting, passed down (by people like me who mean well but are still human) and hard to find. I watch a ton of documentaries but other than the occasional facebook user, I can't find anyone else who watches these. There's a section in the paper once a week (The Oregonian in my case) that has some great sustainable idea listed (like taking tupperware to the restaurant for leftovers or forcing companies to take back their packing materials to use them again) which may or may not hit the right people at the right time.

For the people who already care, yes verifying a green stamp is very important. But even for people who care it's a lot of work. Even with all the earth loving I squeeze in between working full time and being a family man with 2 kids under the age of 5, I don't think I can fit that one in. In Oregon, however, there is a thing called GreenDirect which is like the Yellow pages for green businesses. And I met a representative from the Green Direct who says they verify that the companies listed actually do green practices and aren't just trying to profit from the whole desire to go green thing.

But for my money, at the end of the day, the first step to having everyone go green is at least lying about it first. It's kind of like the Declaration of Independence with the all men are created equal thing. They didn't mean it literally at the time, but as time went on the aspiration to make it true literally led to a country that it's founders were incapable of creating at the time they created it. Point is if everyone is claiming they're green at least it means they want to be percieved that way and it's much easier to force a company that wants to be seen as green to be more green then a company that just doesn't give a crap."

By: PDX_lead_the_charge :: 3 years ago

Vote: +0

"PDX - I have to admit, you do have a good point about the time it takes to research products. However, many people buy things because of a label with the idea that "if it's on there it must be true". At least if they know there may be an issue, they have the choice to research or not. Although I think green marketing is beneficial on the whole, I also think the "look for the green label" has become a way for not so environmentally friendly companies to snag some of the environmentally concerned market.

I have to disagree on the part about companies lying, however. Merely by the fact that they are lying, rather than trying to be legitimately eco-friendly, proves that they really don't "give a crap" about anything but sales.

You say "it's much easier to force a company that wants to be seen as green to be more green then a company that just doesn't give a crap." My question to you is, how can you force a company to be more green? How would you propose forcing a company to do this? True, places like Dallas, who have set green building laws in motion, are doing some of it, but that's only in operations, not in manufacturing products.

Now, granted, there are other things as important as green washing. Understanding that everything you do really does help or hinder the environmental effort is one of them; knowing that many changes to becoming energy efficient and ecologically friendly don't cost as much or aren't as involved as a lot of people think is another. Your top ten list are excellent examples.

However, I do think it comes down to misinformation, misdirection and outright lies. We're trying to change the way an entire world looks at things. To do that, it takes trust, among other things. How can the general public trust anything about a topic like environmental concerns - especially when the results won't be see for years -, when they know that some people and companies, at least, are lying about it?"

By: Rick Walker LEED AP :: 3 years ago

Vote: +0

"The problem today all over the world is how much Green is Green? There are no single standards or yard sticks which the Governments and Corporates agree to. So what I label as Green Practice may not be Green as per some else's standards. So first thing is that the Governments must have a measurable yard stick which is not lost out in the mumbo jumbo of technicalities. The standards laid down should be clear, clean, measurable and in simple language for lay persons to understand. Then you require an independent ombudsman who categorizes or rates these Corporations as per the Green ratings laid down. But is all this possible, difficult may be, but a determined Government can certainly have it implemented."

By: dpuckjoe :: 3 years ago

Vote: +0

"Wow, Great topic, good thinking My Green Cleaner!
I think (I'm basing this on england) that on the whole people know they should "be green" and on the whole they also know how to "be greener" (than they are) but I think the massive hole in knowledge comes as to why and what the consequences are if they don't make change.
I was a bit naive (possibly still am too) about the big wide green issue, but the more I know about what happens if I don't, the more I feel I MUST MAKE CHANGE."

By: Cooltivator :: 3 years ago