what has been your most eco-friendly habit

AMH

This is past or present, the most extreme or regular thing you did for the environment. I realized I have quite a list, and I feel bad for having 3 kids and driving a car LOL.

* used cloth diapers
* breast fed everyone (babies that is)
* use cloth everything for a few years, I actually made a roll of paper towels last 2 years by only getting it out when my mom visited.
* hang laundry to dry, a benefit of living in a dry climate
* got weekly fresh organic vegies at the CSA from February through November

How about you guys? and do you think it relates to the buddhism

Lady_Alison

http://lunapads.com/

if you can sew, you can make your own,

lamaramadingdong

I use the library.

vinlyn

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

person

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

You can buy a dual flush adapter that works in any toilet, so a 'yellow' flush takes less than a gallon.



I put one in last year, its really easy.

Dakini

Doing without a car, until recent years. Hanging clothes out to dry. Avoiding buying plastic of any kind.

Environmentalism relates to Buddhism. It's a type of mindfulness. The less oil we consume, the more peacefully we'll be able to live, the need for war will be diminished. The less water we consume, the more there will be for other sentient beings.

But it's not enough to practice environmental mindfulness on the individual level. It needs to be institutionalized, and a new economic model not based on consumption and ever-expanding markets needs to be devised and implemented. Corporate interests aren't human/humane interests.

@person I've heard about those, but I didn't know they were available in the US

Bekenze

I don't flush when I pee.

lamaramadingdong

I also pee outside whenever able.

person

I don't pee at all.

Telly03

Take my bike to work often

vinlyn

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

You can buy a dual flush adapter that works in any toilet, so a 'yellow' flush takes less than a gallon.



I put one in last year, its really easy.

I don't have that kind of toilet, but I put in 2 new water-saving toilets last year, and it is remarkable how little water they use when they flush. Got a big rebate from the city water works, too.

person

I've been using compact flourescents for at least a decade.

Zayl

During the day I throw open all of the blinds on the windows so natural light gets in. Doing that means I don't need electric lighting at all most of the day. I have my own canvas grocery bags. I try to grow my own vegetables in the garden, and I hunt occasionally as well. I am also an avid fisher, which is nice since it is relaxing and heck, cheap quality seafood.

I also always try to separate recyclables into the proper containers. Though I hear that sometimes may do more harm than good.

Other than that... not as much as I should, really.

I also found this video and thought it was a good idea. I didn't install them in my actual homestead, but it brightens up the garage and toolsheds wonderfully, meaning I don't need to turn on those huge clunky lighting systems that buzz when they're running from all the juice they're wasting.

KarunaDharmakaya

vegitarian
dont flush the toilet
nor take any baths
and dont use deoderant cause it contains aluminum an possibly causes altimerz
and I eat off the floor to conserve washing dishes and let my dog clean up ther rest;)

just kidding I'm a vegitarian though and try to never harm any living being ever.

weighted

Environmentalism relates to Buddhism. It's a type of mindfulness. The less oil we consume, the more peacefully we'll be able to live, the need for war will be diminished. The less water we consume, the more there will be for other sentient beings.

^ agree completely. Well said @Dakini.

Dandelion

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

My husband does this. It drives me mad; I can't stand going to use a toilet that doesn't have fresh water in it, so I'll flush his pee away, then use it myself and flush it again!
(sorry @vinlyn and Mr. Dandelion!)

vinlyn

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

My husband does this. It drives me mad; I can't stand going to use a toilet that doesn't have fresh water in it, so I'll flush his pee away, then use it myself and flush it again!
(sorry @vinlyn and Mr. Dandelion!)

I think you're in a different situation. I'm once again single. If you're married or another person is in the household, that's different. So, I actually quite agree with what you say in your situation.

Lady_Alison

You can play the married game of :

"Are you going to pee on my pee tonight?"...don't ask, ok?

You know sometimes pee water will splay up on your Fannie while you're going....I empathize...men don't sit and pee, usually.

You guys suck

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

My husband does this. It drives me mad; I can't stand going to use a toilet that doesn't have fresh water in it, so I'll flush his pee away, then use it myself and flush it again!
(sorry @vinlyn and Mr. Dandelion!)

mfranzdorf

I get all of these ideas, except the one about not flushing the pee water. I don't understand how doing that saves water. The water does not vanish from the cosmos when it goes down a drain, it goes back to the ground from which it came, does it not?

federica

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

Don't blame me. You asked!

My husband does this. It drives me mad; I can't stand going to use a toilet that doesn't have fresh water in it, so I'll flush his pee away, then use it myself and flush it again!
(sorry @vinlyn and Mr. Dandelion!)

we have a jug in the bathroom for this.... if it's just pee, we fill the jug (about 1 litre) from the tap and use that.
It's a much smaller quantity than the cistern holds, but works very well.

I have to share this - and I'm sorry, but it made me laugh....


"Hey, i saw something today that reminded me of you - but don't worry - i flushed, and everything was ok again!"

That's mean!
No.... it's really mean....!

Lady_Alison

@federica you mean, you have to pee in a jug!? Or just the boys? Ahh! By the way, "cistern" must be added to your word thread...that's a good word.

federica

*sigh*.... :rolleyes: No... we - fill - the - jug - from - the - tap - and use - that - water - to - flush - with -....

what do you call a 'cistern' in america.....? :wtf:

vinlyn

*sigh*.... :rolleyes: No... we - fill - the - jug - from - the - tap - and use - that - water - to - flush - with -....

what do you call a 'cistern' in america.....? :wtf:

Oops, I thought you were peeing in a jug, too.

etherea

it's alright federica, I got it. We share bath water in our house as well as have the 2 flush system and we don't flush unless it's a brown one. We do have problems with water supply so it is important to be frugal.

Lady_Alison

We don't call it cistern. That sounds to me like a part of a chapel...we call it a toilet water tank. Lol

*sigh*.... :rolleyes: No... we - fill - the - jug - from - the - tap - and use - that - water - to - flush - with -....

what do you call a 'cistern' in america.....? :wtf:

Oops, I thought you were peeing in a jug, too.

seeker242

The habit of being vegan

federica

....If they float and refuse to 'go with the flow' - too much roughage.
if they sink - and need a second encouragement - not enough.
If they kind of settle on a medium level, well things are just right.

i call those my 'baby bear bazookas'.....


holy cow - who started this lavatorial banter!?

@vinlyn - i might have guessed !!

vinlyn

....If they float and refuse to 'go with the flow' - too much roughage.
if they sink - and need a second encouragement - not enough.
If they kind of settle on a medium level, well things are just right.

i call those my 'baby bear bazookas'.....


holy cow - who started this lavatorial banter!?

@vinlyn - i might have guessed !!

I confess...I brought out the worst in you!

zombiegirl

Sigh. I feel like I'm terrible, but at least I recycle!

Someday I want to have a compost heap too. My family has always done this but I don't think my apartment neighbors would appreciate it much if I requested that my little portion of the yard be turned into compost... Although, I might save this threat for the next time they piss me off. Ugh.

Lady_Alison

....If they float and refuse to 'go with the flow' - too much roughage.
if they sink - and need a second encouragement - not enough.
If they kind of settle on a medium level, well things are just right.

i call those my 'baby bear bazookas'.....


holy cow - who started this lavatorial banter!?

@vinlyn - i might have guessed !!

I confess...I brought out the worst in you!

I'd say the best!

federica

I confess...I brought out the worst in you!

aye laddie... better oot than in....

Brain

Try putting a brick in your toilet cistern to reduce the amout of water it uses or if you want to be really eco-friendly dig a big hole in your garden and use your imagination for the rest.

etherea

I'd rather not thank you

Zero

....If they float and refuse to 'go with the flow' - too much roughage.
if they sink - and need a second encouragement - not enough.
If they kind of settle on a medium level, well things are just right.

And Buddha himself only appreciated that when he heard a father explaining to his son on restringing a lute.... he must have taken numerous cr*ps up to that point!! the lessons we miss...

My current obsession is lights off... close second cold water...

I think it relates to buddhism as the planet is our eco-system - seeing ourselves as separate from the planet is like one of your cells in your body deciding to suddenly go it alone.

Its a shame that the grunt work for saving the planet falls to us with yellow toilets and dark rooms while the corporations rake in the profits to build more flushing toilets and light ever expanding rooms... :shake: monkeys should never have become so smart!

AMH

oh my,. I almost forgot the famous 5 minute or less showers! I am often surprised by how long people take showers. My dad put a timer in the bathroom when we became teens and gave us 5 minutes, I can often do mine in 3. Comes in very handy when you are camping and have a shower available paid by quarters.

zombiegirl

oh my,. I almost forgot the famous 5 minute or less showers! I am often surprised by how long people take showers. My dad put a timer in the bathroom when we became teens and gave us 5 minutes, I can often do mine in 3. Comes in very handy when you are camping and have a shower available paid by quarters.

Lol, you just reminded me that when I was a kid, my grandmother allotted 3 squares of toilet paper for #1. She never made a requirement for #2, because well, that depends... But I figure she probably started this because kids tend to do the "fistful of TP" method, haha. I remember she was REALLY adamant about it though. How that woman knew... I don't know.


edit: I don't know why #1 and #2 look like links, they aren't... lol. Although, it might be funny if I had...

mfranzdorf

@zombiegirl that is funny that you clarified the link thing. Seriously, as I was reading that they were not links, I was thinking OMG, she actually linked to pictures!

mfranzdorf

I still don't understand how not flushing the toilet saves the planet though.

Dakini

I still don't understand how not flushing the toilet saves the planet though.

It saves water. At the UN environmental summit in Durban, South Africa years ago, you should have heard delegates from India rant angrily about the flush toilet, and the immense waste of water this invention has lead to! (This was broadcast on radio.) It may be difficult for people in developed countries to relate to this as a problem, because we're so insulated from the adverse effects of a way of life based on plentiful water, and water on demand. The reality in much of the developing world is radically different from ours.

@zombiegirl It's possibly your grandmother's frugality was the result of living through the Depression. Depression-era people grew up to be frugal about everything.

oh my,. I almost forgot the famous 5 minute or less showers!

This restriction is based on the assumption that people shower every day. If you shower 2-3 times/wk., you can take 10-15-minute showers. If you wash your hair in the shower, it takes longer. Nowadays, I take baths, and it's a major treat to soak a couple of times of week in a hot tub. Very relaxing.

Studies have shown though, that when a local population takes steps to conserve water, it only encourages the real estate developers to build more houses. So in the end, no water is saved.

vinlyn

I still don't understand how not flushing the toilet saves the planet though.

It saves water. At the UN environmental summit in Durban, South Africa years ago, you should have heard delegates from India rant angrily about the flush toilet, and the immense waste of water this invention has lead to! (This was broadcast on radio.) It may be difficult for people in developed countries to relate to this as a problem, because we're so insulated from the adverse effects of a way of life based on plentiful water, and water on demand. The reality in much of the developing world is radically different from ours.

Yes, then again, having lived and traveled lots in SE Asia, I don't think most Westerners would really want to substitute the health standards for that part of the world for the standards we have here.

Dakini

Up until recently, there haven't really been "standards", things developed haphazardly. I think now that there's more awareness world-wide about water issues, there's the potential to devise standards that strike a balance between mindfulness of water scarcity and the need to maintain sanitary conditions. I would trust those brilliant and highly educated women from environmental NGO's in India to have that in mind. These were knowledgeable people, and obvioiusly they were quite familiar with 3rd World conditions.

mfranzdorf

@Dakini I understand conserving water in a drought prone area of a third world. What I don't get is how not flushing the toilet somehow saves water. That water does not vanish when flushed. It goes right back into the ground to be used again and again.

vinlyn

I imagine there are toilet situations in India very much like the ones I see in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Burma. You go in and squat over a hole in the floor. Next to you is a reservoir of water, sometimes large, sometimes small. There may in insects in the water, or it may have dirt and silt collecting on the bottom, perhaps scum on the top. When you are done defecating, your rinse your hand in the reservoir (always the left hand), and then rinse off your asshole with your hand. There is no toilet paper. There may or may not be a scoop that you use to pour some water from the reservoir into the squat toilet. Been there. Done that. More than once.

Go ahead. Be my guest.

Dakini

. That water does not vanish when flushed. It goes right back into the ground to be used again and again.

?? It's contaminated water. And it doesn't go back into the ground, it travels through plumbing to the nearest body of water, or to a waste treatment plant, or to a septic system, from where it leaches into the ground and risks contaminating groundwater. What part of the world do you live in, 'dorf? Do you really want to use other people's sewage in your home?

vinlyn, I'm not sure of the point of your post. Do you really think the women in India were advocating that everyone should have outhouses? Please put on your thinking cap.

vinlyn

vinlyn, I'm not sure of the point of your post. Do you really think the women in India were advocating that everyone should have outhouses? Please put on your thinking cap.

My point is that I don't care to have people in that part of the world lecturing me about toilet hygiene standards. Heck, there are communities in Indonesia where when you need to take a dump you go down to the nearest ditch, right in the open, and do your business. My adopted son is from Pakistan...which was part of India. He's told me about hygiene standards there. I have very close friends and colleagues who travel to India on a yearly basis, who have shared with me their horror of the standards in some Indians public toilets. No thanks. I'd much rather waste a little water. I even know a person who went into a public toilet in SE Asia only to find a cobra there.

compassionate_warrior

This discussion has taken a bizarre turn, lol!

vinlyn

This discussion has taken a bizarre turn, lol!

Well, it does keep up with Buddhism, because the cobra situation was at an upcountry Buddhist temple!

Dakini

No one is advocating cobra-infested toilets or ditches. Why such an emotional response? I trust intelligent, experienced people to come up with creative and appropriate solutions. We didn't hear what the NGO's were proposing as a solution. Why shut down without knowing what they may have had in mind? We need people thinking innovatively, because at some point, if changes in weather continue, and glaciers disappear, as some in the US have done already, few people will have the option to flush.

mfranzdorf

. That water does not vanish when flushed. It goes right back into the ground to be used again and again.

?? It's contaminated water. And it doesn't go back into the ground, it travels through plumbing to the nearest body of water, or to a waste treatment plant, or to a septic system, from where it leaches into the ground and risks contaminating groundwater. What part of the world do you live in, 'dorf? Do you really want to use other people's sewage in your home?

vinlyn, I'm not sure of the point of your post. Do you really think the women in India were advocating that everyone should have outhouses? Please put on your thinking cap.

Where do you think water comes from? You think water is used once and its done? Seriously?

Dakini

You're scaring me, 'dorf, with your odd beliefs. And you still haven't told me where you live.

Just north of my town there are a couple of Indian reservations that put in sewage treatment plants. They use the treated water to water crops, and one has a golf course that gets watered with recycled water. Most non-Native communities don't do that, though this is something that water-scarce communities should be considering. In this economy, there's no money for that sort of infrastructure, though.

mfranzdorf

OK, now you are talking contaminated water. The same amount of bodily waste goes into the ground ( if you live in the country and not in a town), body of water, treatment plant weather you flush one bladder full of pee per flush of if you let it get good and stinky with 3 or 4 pees, that same amount of pee gets flushed. Does it not?