What have you given up in the name of living sustainably?

Companionship.

Meat, poultry, most fish, airplanes, no use of plastics, shopping at Farmer’s Market (and becoming one of their stockholders), combining all errands, if possible, into one trip, borrowing books and ‘zines from library, keeping heat at 63º (and 56º in bedroom – using Milo as heating pad), wearing more clothes in house.

I take fast showers, use clothes line for drying when possible, compost, throw used litter on poison ivy (two birds with one stone), buy all T’s at Second-hand Rose shop, and generally try to be aware of my actions and consequences.

That makes me SO happy, Gail! Though I wouldn’t actually expect any different from you. Seriously, though, I respect all that SO much. (The used litter idea is a really really good one!)

Clothing optional Thursdays!

@delirium: I fear that the calcium in Milo’s waste material may be good fertilizer for the poison ivy. It seems to be really thriving, but I mean well.

( Hello, Deli: It’s so nice to have you back where you belong.)

@gailcalled Oooh, that could be a problem. That’s the problem with those particularly synanthropic species. I instantly started thinking about garlic mustard, but am pretty sure that would just make it spread its seeds earlier.

(It’s nice to be back where I belong. I miss this place, and you, each time I disappear. But it is always for the best when I do it. School has to take priority, sometimes.)

@delirium (Garlic mustard runs amok here. We all hand-weed like crazy, but to no avail.)

@gailcalled It’s such nasty stuff. At the ecology department we’ve mostly resorted to using chemical methods of killing it. If only the deer would eat it instead of the wildflowers!

@gailcalled: What’s a T?

Sorry, chica mia; I was talking about cotton jerseys and t-shirts. I am always astonished at the quality of the clothing that people give away or sell on consignment.

We got rid of the car, we have 4 different garbage gans (paper, plastic, garbage, compost bin), we grow our own veggies in the summer, our baby wears cloth diapers, I use the DivaCup, we support environmental organizations, my husband started a business (GenerationGreen) to go into people’s homes and businesses and make said places more environmentally friendly and efficient in terms of energy costs – we try to make some of our clothing and that for our kids…we clean with cleaning products that we have made ourselves…dilute our soaps…try to cook as much as possible with organic foods and from scratch…we use cloth bags when shopping so no plastic bags unless absolutely necessary and we donate all of our old clothing and stuff so people reuse it again…we pay attention to the kinds of toys we purchase for our children, where they’re made and whether there are toxins…there is a lot more but I’m really tired…oh and I just remembered..I try to carry a Kanteen bottle with me so as to not use plastic bottles and sometimes I manage to use a sweat sack (though I don’t know where it is now) for my hot yoga clothes after practice instead of plastic bags…

I continued to eat at McDonalds after they stopped using the foam plastic sandwich cantainers…

Seriously? Patience.

I have stopped using so much water. We catch the water that we run waiting for the water to heat in a bucket or bowl and use it to water outside. (Okay. L.A. has serious water restrictions, but I must use way less than we are allotted.)

I haven’t eaten most meats for 21 years, but that decision has nothing to do with sustainable living.

I take my own coffee mug to Starbucks and I use a reusable cup at work.

I am proud to say that my household fills just one large trash can every 2 weeks. The recycling has to go out every week, though.

I Xeriscaped the yard (with my own muscle power) so that during the recent drought I didn’t have to water. I do not use gas-powered yard equipment. I have stopped using the dishwasher and the disposal. I recycle plastic and aluminum. I have a compost pile and am about to add another. I recycle all the clothing that doesn’t fit any more. I use reusable cloth shopping bags. I shop for new clothing at Goodwill. I do many of my errands online to reduce the use of a vehicle. I run a business out of my home and now have the post office pick up all packages during their regular route to cut down on driving. I also don’t fly on airplanes anymore, but that is more a function of post-9/11 security and of my husband’s declining health. I mend rather than toss. I keep the house a bit chilly in winter and a bit warm in summer. I plant trees.

Nothing really. I have more immediate concerns. That isn’t meant to be as snooty as it sounds.

Wiping, flushing, showering.

Lol @ratboy

I haven’t really given anything up, if I’m honest with myself. It’s more like, I justify things that I would prefer anyways, by reminding myself that they’re better for the environment.

For example, I don’t shower, change my clothes, or wash my hair unless I’m going to see anyone. This lasts 3 or 4 days sometimes. I buy a lot of socks and underwear so that I can go a really long time in between washing them, and then I have one really big load, so I don’t waste water on small loads. I also multi-task in the shower, but that’s mainly to save time.

We also recycle, compost, and donate to Good Will, but there’s nothing that feels like a sacrifice about any of those activities. I guess we sacrifice our space and time for those activities, but they just feel like the right thing to do, so I’ve never thought of it as “giving something up”.

having offspring. more people should consider doing similarly, like 4 or 5 billion more.

@rawbylaw – Hey! We recycled even there. We adopted.

Personally, I haven’t given up much of anything. I was raised to be very frugal. Re-use, recycle, and do without has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

@darwin that’s admirable, really. but, i think you are a recycleee. If you give your adopted children up for adoption, you can then say you’ve recycled.

Purchased an electronic thermostat with timer. The heat is basically off when we’re not at home and set to 60F while sleeping.

I shave in the shower.

Weather seal all windows in the Winter.

I donate all out-grown/worn-out clothes, toys and nic-knacks to the Salvation Army.

I donate all my read comic books to the Boys & Girls Club.

Stopped all magazine subscriptions and read everything online.

Pay most bills online.

Truthfully though, I do these things because I think they’re a good idea. The idea of sustainability doesn’t enter the equation.

I am in the same position as @YARNLADY . I love to get a deal ai Value Vllage- some clothes are new! I’ve been broke all my life so reusing, repairing amd mending are my mates. And we cook from scratch which is a drag sometimes but healthier and cheaper.We also keep the cars until they die.

I reduced my use of plastic, and recycle.

I give my old magazines to my neighbors or bring them to my doctors office.

My husband and I never leave lights on in rooms we are not in, we have always done this, not sure I can count it as giving it up for sustainability.

@cprevite I would freeze to death at 60! I am just barely warm enough at 68 with two layers on and multiple blankets. But, I do have an electronic thermostat and reduce the heat when not at home. We also “close off” our upstairs during the winter, and keep it at 60, unless we are up there. We also close of our downstairs bedrooms (that is where the master is), so they are only heated during sleeping hours. I do it more to save money than anything if I am honest, and we save a lot.

@faye: Ooh that’s a good one I forgot. I too drive my cars into the ground. I have no need for a new car every few years.

been driving twenty years, I just bought my third car ever a month ago

@cprevite: That’s actually not good for the environment because when older cars have worse emissions than newer ones.

@JLeslie: My wife hated it at first (she’s always cold), but it simply induces more snuggling – which is always good.

We also keep the house pretty dark. My father called us the “bat family”.

I agree though. We either make these choices to save money or we simply like it that way. I never think, “Hey I’m supporting sustainability”.

@La_chica_gomela: Even if all three were Hondas and well maintained? Probably not.

well then, I’m just really cheap when it comes to cars.

@cprevite Even if my body can get warm it feels cold going into my lungs. I really can’t go below 68, I would be miserable. Now, on the other hand we keep our air conditioning during the summer at 77/78, which is probably warmer than most people, so I probably make up for it there.

@JLeslie: See, there ya go. It’s a wash. :^)

A lot of the things that I do because they are sustainable I do more because they are easier for me, with an added bonus of being sustainable.

For instance, joining my local CSA helps me eat my veggies, but also helps with keeping my produce local. It’s also fairly economical and forces me to try new things and eat old favorites.

Using the bus system instead of driving allows me to cut out the cost of insurance, gas and upkeep on said car; it also allows my mom to continue driving it until I need it (at which time she’ll buy a new one, maybe).

Bringing my own bags to the store helps me (attempt) to limit my spending so that my arms don’t fall off while waiting for the bus. Others benefit, too: my bags are cool-looking. :P

I buy things, especially jeans, second-hand, so I don’t have to pay full price or break them in. I also buy other things second-hand, especially work clothes and older t-shirts. (I found an awesome kid’s Quidditch tee for about $1 that fits me just fine…) Although I have been known to spend ~$50 on second-hand clothes in one trip, that would be the cost of one pair of Gap jeans. For that, I was able to buy the Gap jeans, several black button-downs (brands like Old Navy, Express and NY&Co), and a few LS tees (including some Calvin Klein and more Old Navy). Not bad.

This makes me sound like a fashion plate. Poo. In reality, I like to get the more “pricey” brands because, from experience, they last longer, both in holding their shape and holding up to general wear & tear. Most of the items aren’t labeled conspicuously, though. Yay!

Real food. Now I just eat soylent green.

No really I haven’t given things up except for plastic bottles but I did buy motion sensors for all my light switches ( because I always forget to turn them off ) and I’ve started composting. I’ve also been started a hydroponic garden but they don’t seem to be doing too well.

I generate most of my own electric power via photovoltaics and wind turbines. I drive a diesel car (37 years old) that gets 36mpg on B100 biodiesel. I built an earth-sheltered superinsulated house.

@rawbylaw – No way. Not after how much it has cost to raise them. ~

Besides it is just as much recycling as only buying used cars or buying clothing from Goodwill.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land – You win!

I have chosen to not procreate.

@proXXi good choice.

@proXXi but have you chosen not to procreate because you care about the planet or because you had another reason and simultaneously it helps the planet?

I don’t have a great desire to have children. I would have them if I wanted them.

All the other animals are doing it. Besides, there’s overwhelming evidence that propagating our species is why we’re here on earth.

Belief in scarcity.