What are you doing to save Planet Earth?

Traded in the big van bought a economical 30mpg compact. Neighbors laughed but that was ok. Try to recycle 50% of garbage use boxes instead of plastic at the grocery store. Looking into getting rid of the 3000ft energy hog house in the next few years,just waiting for the kids to hit college.

About one year ago, we started an experiment to see how much of our trash was easily sorted into the recycle bin. After one year, it appears that 75-80% is easily recyclable.

If there is a gooey wrapper, we throw it in the garbage and don't try to recycle it (raccoons). If we were meticulous, we could probably achieve 95%+ recycling.

Bottles come back as new glass, aluminum cans as cans, paper as cardboard, steel as steel, plastic as park benches etc..

As the price of oil continues to rise, it seems patriotic to minimize the waste of oil. Bringing your own shopping bag may come back into style.

The major impediment to recycling is the containers that are used to hold the materials at a home. The City should consider selling recycling trash cans with wheels like those that were suppose to become the standard for garbage before the City wimped out. When recycling is 80% of the trash, it gets to be quite heavy.

It might also save time and energy if the recycling collection truck could use machine instead of muscle to lift the materials into the truck.

The City could even earn some money selling the recyclable material to offset the cost of collection. Who knows, recycling might be the lost virtue of fiscal conservatism.

>What are you doing on earth day?

Burning my district 204 tax bill in order to heat my home. I can't afford any more heat this year due to the ever skyrocketing district 204 tax bill which will hit my mailbox any day now.

What happened to my comment??

Moderator Jim to Ron: Which one?

I wonder if it's a coincidence that Earth Day is the same day as Vladimir Lenin's birthday?

Probably not, considering the typical environmentalist who would like to see us all living back in the stone age, or should I say "Year Zero".

I think it says a lot for the tolerance of the average American that a multimillionaire like Al Gore who lives in a big mansion and travels around by private jet isn't howled down with laughter whenever he flies into town to lecture people about sustainable living.

First of all ANON: good for you for driving an fuel efficient car, even when it's not fashionable in this area when everyone's trying to outdo each other with bigger and better houses/cars. Since Keeping Up With the Joneses is one of the reasons why houses and cars get bigger (to the detriment of the environment) I look forward to being more "green" becoming part of that ridiculous race.

Like, when people are bragging about how "green" hey are by using alternative sources of energy.

That said, Naperville is truly lucky to have a Renewable Energy Program available to you. Not all communities do. For as little as $5 a month--easily tacked on to your electric bill every month--you can support wind, solar, and hydro programs w/in Illinois. I'd post the city link here, but I am not sure that's allowed.

Yes, I know, energy is expensive already--but if you HAVE an extra $5 a month (sacrifice a large Latte once a month!), it's a very easy way to support the system and at least show that you are interested in alternative methods of energy. Again, your money is your vote. I think the statistics said something like 7% of Naperville residents are already enrolled. Despite the McMansions and the Hummers, I think that speaks very well of this area's efforts in supporting green programs.

As far as "typical" environmentalists go, I don't think THE MAJORITY of eco-friendly people want to go back to the stone age, I just think we're headed there anyway (or should I say your CHILDREN are headed there) if people don't make some sort of effort either.

Unless of course, you are already wealthy and your children will be taken care of by your money in the future, then they can always buy their own air and bio-dome and live in it with the other wealthy top 1%.

Moderator Jim to Ron: Yeah, like I'm really going to post that insulting comment. Gimmee a break, Ron. Laugh it up by yourself.

Does anyone know how much Natural Gas and Electricity the City of Naperville uses to dry clothes each year?

I thought about hanging my sheets outside to dry to save the environment, but didn't want to get ticketed for ruining the view of the giant new houses that line my backyard.

Moderator Jim,

*Any chance you can list all of the animals the will be displaced once the McDowell dam is removed in a fit of political-correctness? Will most of the fish now die in dry spells? Is this a welfare project for the developers that contribute so much to our political process?

*Once McDowell goes natural, will the beavers be allowed to dam the creek and be really natural? Not!

*As to the disrespect that was shown by the SUN is running a photo of the dead cougar, shouldn't the SUN be balanced and now show the corpses of the women that get eaten off the walking paths of California, at least the little pieces they can find?

To: Moderator Jim,

Insulting comment ????????? (That wasn't my intention)

Just the plain truth. Why pay for something when you can get it for free.

Unlike my other Naperville neighbors, I drive a fuel-efficient compact car (not a gas-guzzling flashy trashy SUV), and I live in a modest, energy-efficient home (not an ostentatious energy-sucking McMansion). Already I'm leaps and bounds ahead of the average resident.

To Saluki, Thanks for the info on the solar electric power, With this compact car figure the savings around a grand a year, I can splurge for another $60 a year for wind generated electric appreciate the tip.

If it happens that SD204 will prevail and keep the boundaries they created when MHS on Eola will open I will join many others who will be driving extra miles once in a while (or every day) to WVHS. We should be going forward not backward as far as enviromental issues concern. It is a shame that I will not be able to make my children walk to/from school (or take a bike) but SD makes me to drive them. My green heart is crying out.

Anonymous April 24, 2008 2:32 PM, nice attempt to spin the the 204 issue, but in reality, if the school was built at the unavailable southern location, those from the north would have a longer commute, so while you save gas, they burn more. Sounds like a wash if you ask me.

I'm new to the 'green' thing. Currently I live in a 'clean and green zone' in Oswego, but my boyfriend lives in downtown Naperville in what you all would call a 'McMansion' lol. I really don't think any of us adults should result to judging other people who either have or have not jumped on this. We are all creatures of habit and the lure of convenient technology has changed the way we live and go about our day. Now thankfully because it is trendy, we all are becoming more aware of our surroundings; the wasteful and sometimes dangerous decisions we make. But as a newbie to this lifestyle change, it can be overwhelming. You look around and in my case look at a home that you did not choose or 'create' and now you feel the need to fix it. I am completely happy and willing to make a conscious effort to at the very least tackle the little things like light bulbs,power strips,using cold/less water as much a possible, etc. It's hard getting someone else to jump on board when they've been living a certain way. I guess the reason for my post is not to complain, judge others, or boast about why I'm so amazing and here's all of I've done. Going green is great, but everyone needs to lighten up, be supportive and remember that this is a lifestyle change and some of it is hard for people to say goodbye to/change.

I'm planting eco-friendly landscaping, setting up retaining buckets for rainwater for watering and we just installed rubber mulch-which I still am confused on what's better but I was sold on the idea lol.

I completely rambled the majority of that post but I appreciate all the posts and ideas.