It's really nice that HGTV is trying to be more green and raise people's awareness. BUT...will being green be just a trend or a way of life.

I really appreciate that they are finding new ways and new materials to be more earth friendly. BUT will it be controlled or just a marketing technique? A company can easily add eco-friendly on the packaging. Doesn't mean the product really is.

Nice that bamboo is being used for floors and clothes. It grows back fast. BUT will the demand suddenly deplete what's already there, at the expense of the wildlife and eco-system or will the bamboo forests be managed? How will the bamboo be manufactured? Using harsh chemicals? If made in China, will they respect the environment? The same goes for all the materials.

Eco-friendly and made in America. That's a nice combination. Sadly not seen very often. The products will have to be fairly easy to find so consumers simply don't give up.

Being green means starting slow and think about tomorrow. Not something most Americans are used to do.

Jo & Cats ~ I choose to see the glass half full. It will not be just a trend for me. I will do what I can do. I owe this to my DGS.

quote:

Originally posted by Jo & Cats:
It's really nice that HGTV is trying to be more green and raise people's awareness. BUT...will being green be just a trend or a way of life.

I really appreciate that they are finding new ways and new materials to be more earth friendly. BUT will it be controlled or just a marketing technique? A company can easily add eco-friendly on the packaging. Doesn't mean the product really is.

Nice that bamboo is being used for floors and clothes. It grows back fast. BUT will the demand suddenly deplete what's already there, at the expense of the wildlife and eco-system or will the bamboo forests be managed? How will the bamboo be manufactured? Using harsh chemicals? If made in China, will they respect the environment? The same goes for all the materials.

Eco-friendly and made in America. That's a nice combination. Sadly not seen very often. The products will have to be fairly easy to find so consumers simply don't give up.

Being green means starting slow and think about tomorrow. Not something most Americans are used to do.

Unfortunately, Jo & Cats, I think the majority is just after the latest trend. But even well intentioned people are being fooled by many products just marketed as “green”; of course, it is also their fault, most people are too gullible, and fall easily for media pressure without any further research.

One good example of a product marketed as “green” is the bamboo flooring; but if people would care to do a little research, they would find out that this panacea is not more "green" than any hardwood floor, and it has many issues. Almost all bamboo is imported from China, a country notorious for not having any standards regarding control of pollution or hazardous material. They are cutting forests there to grow bamboo in order to attend the high demand for this product, so how can it be "green"?

Also, it can dent easily if the bamboo was cut before the plant was 6 years old, but of course they are not waiting that much for the plant to harden in China, they only want fast profit. Even "eco" sites are now reevaluating their position and talking about the many problems with the bamboo; for example, here is a link to the site "treehugger":bamboo problems

I agree with you, made in America is the only way to go; not only we support our economy, but also this country has serious standards, many health and environmental guidelines that do not exist or are not followed in countries like China, for example.

I don't think green is just a trend. It is a fundamental shift in our society towards a more holistic view of what makes a good life and what is best for us.

Also fossil fuels are rapidly running out so we won't have a choice for much longer. (I know they also said that in the 70's and it was also true then. It just takes a while to run out)

Hey! you beat me to it! I was going to come on and post a topic obout what drives you to be green (pretty much what this is about)

I think due to the wide variety of PPL who are now "going green" that it has become a trend to some extent. Tht is why I say there are 2 types of going green. there are those who really take it seriously and are doing what they can to really improve their piece of the earth. And then there is "trendy green" which is expensive and requires you to go out and buy the latest "green" products (weather they are necessairy or not). This is the type of "going green" that has PPL confused about gonig green being to expensive.

I think if you are really going green you are looking in your own back yard for solutions rather than the latest product or company to find them for you.

sence I have started "going green" I have reduced my comercial cleaning products to borax, washing soda, natural stain remover soap (ingredients for my laundry detergent), vinigar and the one I just cannot seem to part with is my Magic Erasers. And thanks to GA I have found a natural dishwashing detergents that i rally like.

Now I didn't go buy the green window cleaner, or the glreen surface cleaner, or the green scum remover.... see what i'm getting at?

i found a brand of recycled trash bags that are 80% recycled AND made in my home state here in MI.

I will be going to the farmers markets here locally this summer rather than buying the produce all waxed up to get it from who knows where... most of which is grown locally and organically. Next year I will join and subscribe to a CSA (Comunity Sponsored Agraculture).

Recycling is common sence. I mean it's a mtter of asking your self "Where does my trash go, and should i be sending as much therer as i am?" It goes in the ground or the air (incinerators) when many of the itmes can be recycled or composted.

My driver for being more green are my kids. As you probably already know one of my boys is Autistic and my DD and my self have ADD and I am dyslexic. I believe that, though there may not be a cure, nature has the answers to our ailments and how we could have prevented them in the 1st place. We are essentally animals but yet we feed our pets better than we eat our selves, we have not had well rounded diets for ages. Everything got convient... and ultra preserved. We are what we eat, and honestly if you read a lable, we arn't eating verry respectfully to our boddies.

If a kid has ADD everyone knows to limit sugar. Well there are a ton fo food triggers and solutions out there. My DH is alergic to red #40. And how many other man made things do we put in our bodies that are reacting togheter or harming us? Deoderent contains Aluminum! Aluminum isn't good for us but we have been conditioned to not question these things, we just buy them figuring if they sell them to use they must be alright.

WOW that got wordy!

I'm 45 years old and being a child, I remember my father teaching us about being respectful of nature and water. Not to use more than you need, not to throw everything in the water, etc. Little did I know that he was so much ahead of his time.

I'm always trying to recycle, use as little water as I can, buy animal and nature friendly products and am trying really, really hard not to buy things made in China.

I'm simply worried that a lot of consumers will see "being green" as a new trend and by doing so, end up not being green at all (more waste, depletion of resources, buying items marked "green" but that are not really green, etc)

I'm trying to be hopeful and pray that some will see the light and turn green for real!!

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I think it's a combination of both possibilities, but as the shift occurs, manufacturers will produce more "green" and eventually, a lot of the "non-green" will phase out. I'm old enough that I well remember the first gas crunch in the early 1970's. We were told to plan our errands or the driving around town - don't drive to the store and come home and 20 minutes later, hop in the car and go to a different store. Instead, keep a shopping list handy and run ALL errands at the same time. That was 35 years ago and I still do it. Recently, DH announced that we will no longer use plastic grocery bags. (For me, this is somewhat of a shock because DH never cared one way of the other about recycling, going green, the environment, etc.) If his attitude is shifting, I guarantee there are a lot of others changing as well. It's not going to happen overnight, but with encouragement from those of us who are green-conscious, the rest will shift in that direction also. Manufacturers are driven by consumer demand and if the demand for green products rises, the manufacture of these products will rise also.

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The commercialism of our throw away society has now spread to developing countries so it truely is a world wide problem.
Quality products are just not the norm anymore, but if they are well made, and made to last, they are usually much less costly in the long run....for so many reasons. If we could just get appliances, autos and electronics that are not made to self destruct in a few short years, we would all be ahead. Recycling is great, but why are items like refrigerators made to be disposed of in ten to fifteen years...when we still have a 1950's Philco refrigerator running in our basement, never having had a repair???

quote:

Originally posted by conrad:
Recycling is great, but why are items like refrigerators made to be disposed of in ten to fifteen years...when we still have a 1950's Philco refrigerator running in our basement, never having had a repair???

I've been planning and working toward a kitchen remodel for quite a while. Not questioning your numbers here but I suspect appliances now are expected to last much less than even 10 years.

Remember when a standard appliance warranty was at LEAST 2 years and most were 3? EVERYthing now is 1 year. I have to believe they expect it to go out within 5 years and have the owner plan on replacement then. And with repairs often being hideously expensive we often HAVE replaced.

TMS, Yes I knew I was being generous, suggesting up to 15 years. Most appliance repair people have been saying 10 is the average for nearly 8 years, that I know of. Our 2000 Maytag refrigerator is pushing it's senior limit. All these great hunks of metal and plastic, end up at the landfill. Can't we somehow encourage a manufacturer to use heavier, better quality parts? I honestly don't mind if it does not have all the electronics, (I will even defrost it) just insulation and a great compressor that will give it a good long life?

Honestly as much as the idea darn near gives me nausea, I've seriously looked at Sub Zero fridges. Last I checked they had a 12 year warranty. I know of 3 people who have subzeros that are 15 years old and more. I know things aren't built like they used to be but it does seem like some things are built better than others. We're on our 3rd fridge in 20 years and none of them have performed well. Frozen milk and melted ice cream make me an unhappy camper.

Sorry for the derail of this thread but 3 fridges in 20 years just wears on my nerves.

O.K. note to self "hang on to old stove we inherited"

quote:

Originally posted by still tryin:
O.K. note to self "hang on to old stove we inherited"

And if some do-gooder offers you $50 to take it off your hands so you can get a nice new stove, you throw your body across it and have said person escorted out.

Lots of good discussion here....I am currently reading Cradle to Cradle...and basic message is that while recycling is good and wonderful, the problem lies more in consumption habits...and yes, as Conrad mentions the throw away society in which we live....the sheer amount of waste...which in turn could equal food for another human being in the big picture...

So I have been pondering my shopping and aquistion habits. I am looking at all the "stuff" around my home we have...I really don't "need" anything...want things yes...need things no. That has shifted my focus from obtaining something...so I am reducing my consumer purchases...trying to repurpose what I have....donate what I no longer need etc.

Just started reading the book and it mentions downcycling vs recycling...the concept that yes your new carpet may have avoided the dump by being recycled from old soda bottles...but a similar amount of energy was used to make carpet and not necessarily avoiding offgassing or something undesirable in your home. Hard to think about the exact shades of green. That thinking makes it easier for me to re-think my purchases as well...

It's good to hear cradle to cradle is not just talking about recycling.

I once throw away a message recorder because the little rubber drive belt wore out and I couldn't get a replacement. (a part that should have cost only a few dollars and would have been simple to change)

Not only should we have quality American made products but also ones that can be repaired easily.

All of your comments gives me optimism.

Another great book, and i have mentioned it recently here, is The Green Kitchen Handbook

It discusses how to eat locally, reduce waste, says a green kitchen is a simple kitchen. it talks about preserving foods. Guides for eating whole foods and which are best. Herbs and spices and what htey are used for, also some basic cleaning solutions you can make your self.

I have been finding it verry intresting and it's the type of book you can flip through rather than read cover to cover.

Some of the stuff is dated like the recycling info (the book was published in the late 90's and alot has changed). It's where i found out about CSA's and has really spiked my intrest in our local farms and home grown produce.

slightly unrelated... I was listening to the BBC last night on NPR (yup, I'm one of those type... I listen to talk radio almost all night some times) and they were saying that the use of palm oil is depleating the brizilian rain forests at an astonihsing rate. And there is no current substainable source for palm oil. They are working on establishing a substainable source for palm oil but it won't be in effect for several years.

I also really enjoy listening to their one planet segments... verry intresting.

quote:

Originally posted by Too Much Stuph:

quote:

Originally posted by still tryin:
O.K. note to self "hang on to old stove we inherited"

And if some do-gooder offers you $50 to take it off your hands so you can get a nice new stove, you throw your body across it and have said person escorted out.

You bet I will. That old stove is now worth several thousand dollars. That isn't why we own it but, we were surprised at that outcome. I still have the original owner's manual which we inherited with the stove but, not the receipt. I kinda think that appliance actually appreciated in value since it's original purchase price. lol It has been in constant use since the day it was purchased and passed onto us. It is still going strong.

I like that "going green" is getting alot of attention right now. I hope they do keep the spotlight on it. If everyone changed one or two of their normal routines, like recycling instead of throwing in the trash, starting a compost, or even something very simple like reusing bags for as long as you can, we can make life better for our children.

We've become such a disposable society. I can't see going out and buying disposable bowls. Most of my cereal bowls my kids use are from the tubs of butter I buy. I get butter and a bowl, how can you go wrong? Do I care that my cuboard is filled with Parkay bowls? Not really.

There's alot of things one can do around home, and work to be green and not have to go out and spend alot of money to do it. You don't have to be totally fanatic about it (though it's great if you are), but we all need to do something to do our part.

Originally posted by Rachel G
"My driver for being more green are my kids. As you probably already know one of my boys is Autistic and my DD and my self have ADD and I am dyslexic."
Rachel I think you will be interested in the May '08 issue of Consum*r Rpts., Pg. 10 "Recalls & Safety Alerts"


I hope all this isn't a fad. We do have to be aware of greenwashing by companies. Hopefully we will be provided with more info. on products along with a slew of other topics that will casue me to morph this post into a blog entry if I attempt to name them all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: still tryin,

was it called... A new focus on plastic ingredient in bottles and cans

i just looked it up and read it. verry good.

There is so much out there that we don't know. In many cases the damage is done but that doesn't me we should give up. Alot of things can be reversed or improved with care and diet. IT's not easy but i'm working on it a little at a time.

you can "blog" me any time (PM). I'm always intrested in information... kinda a sponge if you will.

Dear Renee ~ This just might be the most sensible post on this subject I have seen. You expressed my opinion to a tee. I have seen post that are in favor of Green, and I have also seen post that are not in favor of
Green. I was very surprised at all the discussions about Green pro & con. Of course this is a discussion board. LOL I guess I live in a dream world, but I thought everyone was in favor of going Green.

I cannot have wind turbins, I cannot be off grid like Jackson Brown, and since I live in a apartment I cannot have a compost pile. Before I am told that I could have a portable one, I know that.

All I can do is recycle, use bio-degradable products, and as my regular cleaning products run out, replace them with Green products and bakeing powder, hyg. peroxide, salt, vinegar,etc. NOW, if that is wrong, I don't want to be right! Sorry about the pun! I do not use paper plates or cups. I also have butter tubs I save to store other things. I also purchased cloth grocery bags.

I can also be informed about my @@ngressman and his views on going Green. I can send letters and emails.

I have said this ad nausium, but I will repeat it again ~ I just want to do what I can do to leave my little space in the **iverse better than it was when I arrived. I owe that to my DGS, DGGS, and on and on and on!


KJH


Progress not perfection

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