Your Questions About Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air
Mary asks…
What are some of the things you do to lead a more sustainable lifestyle?
Many years ago, Kate and I developed a Stewardship Model for Tom’s of Maine in order to codify all of the natural, sustainable practices we were already following—such as only using natural ingredients and never testing on animals. The Stewardship Model sets out very specific standards for natural, sustainable, and responsible practices, and guides all of us every day in our decision making.
Kate and I also feel that a commitment to sustainability should be incorporated into all areas of the company—not just the product formulations. Let me share just two examples: our packaging designer, Jack, purchases only post-consumer-waste recycled and recyclable materials and soy-based inks; and my Director of Product Supply, Mark, had some great ideas about using renewable energy sources, so in 2006, we began purchasing wind energy credits to offset 100% of our factory’s electricity needs.
admin answers:
I recycle, grow many of my own vegetables (without pesticides and herbicides), maintain my home so that it is as energy efficient as possible, purchased a new high efficiency washer and dryer pair (uses less gas to dry because washer spins clothes better), keep my tires on my car properly inflated (increases gas mileage), flush my hot water heater regularly (improves efficiency and increases lifespan of heater), use a thermos instead of bottled water (wastes the plastic), buy recycled materials when possible, reuse bags from grocery store, buy soy ink printed materials whenever possible, buy soy ink checks, buy recycled checks, cook from scratch often (less packaging), get regular oil changes/air filter changes (improves mileage), pickup after my dog, don’t smoke tobacco, installed new energy saving windows in our home, and last, but not least…
I write my State Legislators, Member of Congress, Senators, Mayor, Governor, and even the President to ask that they support legislation that will encourage the expansion of alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal. I also advocate for the use of gray-water systems and other “green” alternatives. Check out these websites:http://www.1000fom.org/
http://www.mngreenremodeling.com/
Donald asks…
What kind of fuel alternative do you think would be best? Electric, hydrogen, ethanol, other?
There a few different options yet it seems that the switch is very slow. What do you think would be the best alternative and do you think it would be a possibility to offer them all to the public at once.
Thank you for the great answers so far everyone. Breath of Wind I agree with most of what you said. We might need to look into different energies for different situations.
admin answers:
Hydrogen takes too much energy to create, there isn’t enough spare land for biomass – electricity is probably the solution since it can be generated from many different sources which can become greener as technology advances. ‘Sustainable Energy without the hot air’ is a good read if UK centered
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
