It is possible to be a green and a petrol head?

DKLS

Have ventured onto this green board, and am somewhat intersted in the knowledge you posters have, not with the stones in the loo type of thing but mainly too offset the damage that my car does. I love my car but the MPG is dire, and am not known for having a light right foot.

So where can I start to make a difference? (That doesnt have a whiff of lentil smoking greenpeace crustie about it)

I recycle glass, plastic, card n paper
Currently have two compost bins
Recyled last years tyres to make spud beds
Implemented energy saving policies at work

Or am I fooling myself completely, somehow I can never see myself driving a prius, unless they bring out a model with twin turbos!

Taadaa

Drive less. You will savour it more and save yourself petrol money. You could venture onto the energy saving trust website, I am sure there are some greener driving tips on there somewhere - but you are going to have to ease up on that right foot. It can't be good for the engine anyway....?

I have a 2.0L beetle and I love it, wouldn't have anything else (except a diesel, when this one packs up in many years' time) - so I usually only drive at the weekends. Can't be green and carry on the same as we always have been I'm afraid!!

Other stuff - do you turn off radiators in rooms you aren't using, and keep it off altogether/on a low setting? energy efficient light bulbs? buy local produce? Buy fruit and veg in nature's packaging, not plastic? give old clothes etc away on freecycle or to charity?

Cardew

DKLS wrote: »

Or am I fooling myself completely, somehow I can never see myself driving a prius, unless they bring out a model with twin turbos!

There is a guy in America who apparently drag races in the 'funny car' category, a green(coloured at least) Prius fitted with a blown V8 running on some exotic fuel!

geordie_joe

DKLS wrote: »

I love my car but the MPG is dire, and am not known for having a light right foot.

So where can I start to make a difference?

Or am I fooling myself completely,

Yes, you are fooling yourself.

I'm not having a go at you, you can drive whatever you like and chuck as much CO2 into the atmosphere as you want for all I care. I don't believe for one second the CO2 man produces make a difference to the climate.

But thinking about carbon offsetting, to me it's like saying "Yes, if an old lady gets in my way I slap her, but I offset this by helping other old ladies across the street."

Doing something "good" to offset something "bad" doesn't work for me. If you really want to do "good" you should do "good" and NOT do "bad".

One "good" act doesn't cancel out a "bad" act, not when you have the choice to not do the "bad" act and still do the "good" act.

Cardew

On the other hand Al Gore who won the Nobel prize(for a powerpoint presentation!) as the leading Green guru does not exactly practice what he preaches:

The headline figures, released to the group under federal freedom of information rules, were striking. Last year the Gore household consumed 221,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity - more than 20 times the national annual average. His household consumption of energy rose between 2005 and 2006, the bills showed, from 16,200 kWh a month to 18,400 kWh last year. In addition, he spent on average $1,080 (£550) a month on natural gas. Combined, his electricity and gas bills reached almost $30,000.

That is for just one of his properties and ignoring his air travel!

So having an powerful car in lieu of a $30,000 energy bill must be OK?

geordie_joe

Cardew wrote: »

On the other hand Al Gore who won the Nobel prize(for a powerpoint presentation!) as the leading Green guru does not exactly practice what he preaches:

No but he offsets his carbon by flying all over the world to tell people not to fly all over the world.

I can't afford to fly to the states this year, but if anyone can please feel free to offset your carbon against the carbon I won't be producing.

DKLS

geordie_joe wrote: »

Yes, you are fooling yourself.

I thought I was, and I didn't mention the number of flights I take a year either which quadruples my carbon footprint.
Realistically the business I am in I need to travel frequently in this country, Europe and long haul. As much as tele/video conferencing technologies have moved on, you cant beat face to face contact. And I usually do about 18-22K a year on company business.

Taadaa wrote: »

Other stuff - do you turn off radiators in rooms you aren't using, and keep it off altogether/on a low setting? energy efficient light bulbs? buy local produce? Buy fruit and veg in nature's packaging, not plastic? give old clothes etc away on freecycle or to charity?

I rarely have the rads on, unless its very cold, I was brought up with the "if your cold put a jumper on" philosophy. I have tried energy efficient bulbs, but don't like them they are slow to light and the light is poor.I tend to buy fresh for the next 2-3 days, and use the local farm shops etc, and I regularly offload to charity shops and freecycle.

Snazzy

Do you think you could get the same thrill from some fast cycling? Swap a few car journeys for some cycling then do as Taadaa suggested and savour the fewer car journeys you'll be making.

weegie.geek

If you love driving, then why not allow yourself that luxury by being green in other areas to offset the damage your driving's doing? At least you have a conscience.

DKLS

Snazzy wrote: »

Do you think you could get the same thrill from some fast cycling? Swap a few car journeys for some cycling then do as Taadaa suggested and savour the fewer car journeys you'll be making.

Realistically Thats feasible for the weekends only, I can and do get a thrill from cycling, usually through a wood covered in mud though,

exil

There are people like me who at best tolerate driving - and others who love it. I'm quite easy to persuade to get the bus instead - but then I'm not having to sacrifice an activity that I enjoy.