Eco-guilt

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

However, we don't have a normal recycling program at my condo complex. People in apts/condos are not recycling, at least in CA. All of our stuff goes into the trash bin. Or rather, all of our stuff goes into the landfills.

It's bugging me. We have one of those coin dispensing recycling things at the local market but I know I'm not going to make an effort if it's just select items. It's not about refund value. I don't think there's anywhere to drop off mixed recyclables.

My impulse is to find out about what I can do to get recycling into complexes. It's ridiculous that so many homes don't have this service. I've called our HOA before and they said it would cost more money, so we don't have it. I suppose I could go make a case with the HOA.

My complex used to have it, but it wasn't self-supporting. Not, I think, because people weren't putting stuff in the bin, but rather, because other people were taking stuff out of the bin and recycling it themselves for profit, when those profits should've been used to pay for the pick-up of the recyclables.

We don't even know where our local recycling center is, so unfortunately, we stopped separating our trash. If Stater Bros had a recycle center in their parking lot, I could probably continue recycling, but they don't and anything further is too far out of the way for a few cans and bottles. I think more Americans would recycle voluntarily if recycling were simply made more convenient. If every grocery store had a recycle center, for example.

We have switched to CFLs. Now I have the problem of figuring out how to dispose of a dead cfl bulb. But overall we're very happy with CFL bulbs.

EH: did you try CFLs or LEDs? And if not both, try the other and see if that's better for you.

[lashbear]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

no- because I firmly believe that nothing is as bad as we are told and most fear mongering is designed to change our life styles out of a desire to control- not conserve.

Originally Posted by Nephythys

We can be good stewards of our environment without fear and worry and guilt.

The Lashpair thoroughly endorse these statements.

We have, in our own little way, been green by using low-wattage lightbulbs, and have now got a Soda-machine which has eliminated the mountain of plastic bottles that we formerly produced.

Stoat says: If we worry about all the world's causes we could go crazy. It's a bottomless list. We believe the key is to avoid negligence when it's in your power to do so. Addressing a bottomless list is not.

And we've read enough to realise that if the world is headed for disaster based on "Non-Green" practices, then it's going to take MILLIONS of years for that to happen, and by that time we'll have caused instant annihilation by discovering the Higgs Bosun using the Hadron Collider and causing another big bang, after which no-one will care much for being green anyway.

See "A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson for more info.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

EH: did you try CFLs or LEDs? And if not both, try the other and see if that's better for you.

Hate them both.

[Nephythys]

Thanks-

Just as many oppose controlling the population through fear as in "threat level orange" (whatever that means)-I think controlling consumer behavior through fear and guilt is wrong- and most likely dishonest.

All these years of the sky is falling and the trash is not overflowing onto our streets. The planet continues to do it's "thing"-

Be responsible in your choices-that's pretty much it.

[Alex]

I don't go all the way down to sleeves because they annoy me, but I do move all of them over to slim jewel CD cases and then keep the actual DVD cases in a box out in the storage closet on the patio in case I ever want to offload the DVD collection (I'm pretty sure if I took a couple hundred DVDs in CD cases to the Goodwill they'd toss them; let alone tried to sell them in some way).

[Disneyphile]

Oh, and Ken and I have decided against having a child unless through adoption, so I think we've already beat out a lot of people by eliminating the impact of adding to the population.

That's usually my last resort argument to friends (usually with children) who wag their fingers me for not keeping a recycling bin in our itty bitty kitchen.

I'd like to make a poster and place a hidden camera next to it to see people's reactions - "Want to really help the planet? Don't have kids. Less people=less impact."

As for DVDs/CDs/Video Games, we compacted ours to binders a little over a year ago and love it. It has saved SO much clutter. I'm also starting the process of digitally capturing our old VHS tapes to either burn to DVD or keep on a drive. Most of the old cases get saved and then reused for my non-contract projects, or for sample reels.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

"Want to really help the planet? Don't have kids. Less people=less impact."

Sheer brilliance! I want one!

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

Oh, and Ken and I have decided against having a child unless through adoption, so I think we've already beat out a lot of people by eliminating the impact of adding to the population.

The first gift (and probably only) gift I will purchase for your adopted child is a t-shirt with the recycling symbol.

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

The first gift (and probably only) gift I will purchase for your adopted child is a t-shirt with the recycling symbol.

Well, he/she would technically be a "recycled" child, so it fits.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

Well, he/she would technically be a "recycled" child, so it fits.

Exactly the point of the purchase.