Living greener

[Alex]

Fuel cells are not a pipe dream. Widespread individual use of the fuel cells and energy production is, in my opinion, the pipe dream.

Like I said, I'm all for it for anybody willing to go to the trouble has my full support. But I just don't see it as a significant source of relief for the current problems with our electrical generation.

I'm also not saying that a resumption of nuclear development will solve all of the problems, but they are solutions in different realms. Hydroelectric is pretty much overdeveloped in this country. People aren't going to like what they see if we make any attempt to fully develop solar and wind energy (though I generally support efforts to do so) and it is only irrational fear that keeps us from using nuclear.

But the improved solar generation you want is probably still a decade or more away (and has been promised as being "just a decade away" for the last 30 years) and even then only a small minority of people have both the space and the willingness (let alone "Los Angeles light conditions") to do it.

Rather than reducing demand for coal-fired electricity (which is all that would happen, best case, with individual generation) I'd rather convert the coal-fire to nuclear as well.

[flippyshark]

Shifting to a sub-topic: If I know that my trash is being taken to a landfill far from any oceans, do I still have to cut my six-pack holders?

And by extension, if I know that my trash is being dumped in the ocean, is snipping my six-pack holders really enough? Shouldn't I be far more worried about all the trash being dumped in the ocean?

And as long as I'm wondering, are there any studies or reports that show six pack holders are a significant threat? I certainly understand when anglers are advised not to discard such items in the areas they are fishing in - that's common sense. But is there really a documented crisis stemming from the holders that most of us are tossing in the trash? (And shouldn't these plastic doohickeys be going into recycle bins anyway?)

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

Shifting to a sub-topic: If I know that my trash is being taken to a landfill far from any oceans, do I still have to cut my six-pack holders?

Is it also going far from any lake, stream, river or creek? Also don't forget that birds can have the same problem as fish. So it also better be going where there are no birds.

Originally Posted by flippyshark

And as long as I'm wondering, are there any studies or reports that show six pack holders are a significant threat?

No. It's just a feel good thing. I think my wife started it.

[Alex]

Mr. Cecil Adams on cutting six pack rings.

[Not Afraid]

All it took for me to cut six pack rings was a picture of a pelican with his beak tied shut by a ring. I love pelicans.

[flippyshark]

Thanks, Alex. That was interesting.

It doesn't sound as though I need to make ring-cutting a priority, but I like the idea of going to the beach and filling grocery bags with trash. (It's an excuse to go to the beach.) Anyone here on the East Coast game?

In truth, I don't buy beer or soda, or anything in six-packs, so it's kinda moot.

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

It doesn't sound as though I need to make ring-cutting a priority, but I like the idea of going to the beach and filling grocery bags with trash. (It's an excuse to go to the beach.) Anyone here on the East Coast game?

Yes, but I think I'm very far north of you.

[alphabassettgrrl]

We try to reduce waste of all kinds. If something comes in a package or without packaging, give me the one that's naked. I am continually amazed at how much trash people throw out. I don't want to buy that much stuff!

In-town transportation is usually by bicycle now that hubby and I have good ones. The city is only about 4 miles from one end to the other, and 2-3 miles the other direction wide. Easily covered on a bike. I'm starting school in... less than a week, which is also bike distance, 4.5 miles from the house.

I agree with one of the early posters (Alex?) who said if you buy a car, buy one for most of your needs and deal with the occasional other need in some other way. I was just trying to convince my mother she could rent a truck or van on those few occasions when she needs it; she's tired of paying for gas but doesn't want to give up the hauling capacity. She never likes my ideas, LOL.

A lot of the consumption is driven by marketers, who need to sell ever-increasing amounts of product, whether the consumer actually needs them or not. I hate the hype. I don't actually need that much stuff, so I don't buy much. If we buy less, we throw less away. That means less in landfills, less to recycle, and more money to save for the things that really matter.

[Ghoulish Delight]

After the move, I'll be considering public transit for commuting. Currently, it's infeesible. Due to quirks of the OCTA system, my current 15 minute driving commute would turn into an approximately 2.5 hours (each way!) marathon on public transit. Simply unmanageable.

But from the new place, an auto-commute would be around 40 minutes, while a bus communte would be around 1:15. That's a much more reasonable exchange rate. I even toyed with the idea of bringing my bike along for the lunch commute, but my options within non-sweating bike distance are limited, so I don't think it'll buy me much. I'd just pack lunches, bum rides, and drive on days that I need to run errands. I might, however, consider a skateboard just to speed up the pedestrian transit to and from bus stops.

[alphabassettgrrl]

GD, you'd be surprised how far you can get in just a few minutes on a bike. In twenty minutes, I can be nearly three miles away. And that's with not sweating too much.

I think we've found our next car- http://www.commutercars.com/

They're cute! Easy to park, and electric. Of course, we still haven't solved the problem of how to get electricity, but at least it's not burning gas. It uses little tiny tires, too, so those use less resources to produce.