Ecotality Life

Living Green on a Low Budget? Hm. That sounds pretty impossible. I know I don’t have the money for a Prius or to install solar panels at home. Heck, I don’t even own a home. So, what kinds of things can you do on a smaller scale and on a bit more reasonable budget? Well, surprisingly enough, I have some pretty good ideas, most of which I actually do.

One of the best things to conserve is water. If you shower, which I recommend, turn it off when you are done. I know some people like to leave the shower running all day and night so they don’t have to adjust the temperature when they get back in for the next one. It’s just such a hassle!!! But, seriously, the extra twenty seconds or so it takes to readjust the temperature will save you a lot of money, and makes all that water available for other good things like…drinking or irrigating fields or washing your Excursion 8,000 times a day…oh wait, that’s wrong-well I am sure you get the idea. Also, I know this may be a stretch, but most washing machines hold more than one article of clothing, so when you do laundry try doing several days worth of clothes at once. I have also found that some of your outer clothes can stand to be worn twice without a wash, (and by twice I mean anywhere from 2 to 11 times). Don’t do this if you have been rolling in the mud all day, or even part of the day, someone is bound to notice.

Next on the agenda: electricity. Turn OFF the lights when you are not in the room. I know it’s weird, but just bear with me on this one. Some people will tell you that if a room is left in the dark for too long it will grow mold and monsters. This is mostly false. With the exception of Weegums, (creatures that feed on darkness), nothing will grow in the dark, and Weegums are easily eradicated. As soon as you turn on the light the next time you go in the room, the Weegums dissolve into oxygen. So, just turn off the lights. Another thing you, the savvy consumer, can do is buy CFLs. These bad boys cost a little more, but save you a ton of money on your energy bill over all. You don’t have to replace every bulb in the house right away…at least I won’t tell if you don’t. Just buy a pack, and as the old bulbs burn out, replace them with CFLs. There is a trace amount of mercury in them I believe, which some people have an objection to. There are recycling places for these bulbs, and each one lasts on average 10 years and I am sure there will be plenty of places to recycle them in 2017. And yes, mercury is dangerous, but if you avoid eating the bulbs you will be fine. Just give it a whirl, and if some thing goes wrong, feel free to leave a comment that says, “Hey, Ethan! You are an idiot. I put CFLs in my house, a wormhole opened to the 11^th dimension, my kitty, Morsel, got sucked through, and now I can’t use my basement.” I will likely tell you that this is not due to the CFLs, but more likely it is the Continuum Warp Vacuum Indigo Drive the government installed under your house in the 1950’s activating itself. Hit more to continue>>>

And finally, there is that pesky stuff called gasoline. Unless you are in the racing profession, DO NOT drive laps around the block. If you do this for long enough, it burns a surprising amount of gasoline. I was bored one weekend, and I drove for 10 hours straight around my block. It cost me about 500 bucks, and I said, “Dang, that was a dumb idea, not only am I broke, I am sore, and still really bored. I mean, the scenery was nice, but got a little old.” It just wasn’t worth it in the end. Hybrid and bio-diesel just isn’t practical for some people. I live in a city, and I ride my bike to work and most other places in the city. I tried transporting 35 tons of lumber with my bike, and it just didn’t seem that practical after about 23 seconds. I recommend a truck for that. If you live 50 miles from a city this probably won’t work, but I won’t tell you that you can’t do it. There is really no better feeling than riding to school or work in the morning. I always show up feeling refreshed…and sweaty. This is a small price to pay for the glorious feeling of flying by all the people stuck in rush hour traffic and laughing loudly. Occasionally, I will point while laughing; this just intensifies the feeling of ecstasy, and then for some reason the rest of the people on the bike path will swing a bit wide when I pass by them. I haven’t figured that out yet…maybe I smell funny.

These are all pretty straight forward suggestions. Give ‘em a try and let me know how it goes. I operate on a pretty low budget, and these ideas save me money and make me feel pretty good about being a little green at least. Still to come, for the more advanced greenies: what to do about those pricey but tasty organic foods, and eco-terrorism resistance education and training. I can’t wait!!!

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