the "going green" fad

[dletm08]

On my vacation I stayed at a lodge/resort which boasted its "going green" ways.

the place is filled with so much "throw away" merchandise (the gift shop,the arcade prizes, etc).

Alot of places are like this I am sure.

If they were truly green I do not feel they would be selling throw away items. Someone buys them on an impulse and the bottom line is, the thing will only be tossed in the trash sooner or later.

"Going Green" Sells.

In the bathrooms it was recommended to be "green" we hang our bath towels up to dry instead of using new ones(which i would have done anyway). The only party benefiting from this is hotel, they save a few dollars on laundry costs.

My company is the same way, they are green until it costs them a sale, then all that green stuff goes out the window.

I am sure you all know what I am getting at.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Good term for that sort of thing: green washing.

[bowtieguy]

some of it(green stuff) is just marketing to bring people in. the "throw aways" are still what some people require. especially these days, any and all sales are needed!

i don't think it's a fad, i believe it's here to stay. i have no issues w/ it as long as industry is not harmed in a way that affects the economy. we can focus on pollution and conservation w/OUT falling prey to the climate change zombies.

[GasSavers_Pete]

Originally Posted by karnovking

In the bathrooms it was recommended to be "green" we hang our bath towels up to dry instead of using new ones(which i would have done anyway). The only party benefiting from this is hotel, they save a few dollars on laundry costs.

That has been the normal practice here for years but the reason is to save water as much as any other.

If you want a new towel then leave the old one on the floor.
If you want to keep using the same one ; hang it on the towel rack.

That said I must agree about the "green washing claims".

There was one place claiming to be "greener than thou" saying the had reduced their electricity consumption (and by association in most people's mind their impact on the environment) by about 70 % !

Closer scrutiny revealed they changed from electric heat and hot water to gas and made no other changes!

Their credibilty took a major hit on that one.

Pete.

[OokiiMamoru]

I know a local Target has installed motion sensor to turn on the light in their coolers.

Wal Mart has taken the bulbs out of vending machines. Saves a few million dollars a year with that move.

Its the little things that will add to big things.

[bobc455]

Funny you mention Wal-Mart. (Has anyone else noticed how Wal-Mart can draw in "hicks", even in a relatively cosmopolitan area? But I digress...)

Anyhow, as I was walking through Wal-Mart yesterday, I also noticed how many things are "green" - from doormats to air conditioners. Is there such thing as a "green" air conditioner anyhow? All I can figure is that the people who make green color additives for plastics must really have a high-volume sale going...

[cems70]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

i have no issues w/ it as long as industry is not harmed in a way that affects the economy. we can focus on pollution and conservation w/OUT falling prey to the climate change zombies.

That's the spirit....support sustainable ways of doing business as long as it doesn't harm our unsustainable business model (Capitalism) that relies on continuous economic growth.

[Jay2TheRescue]

This whole deal with "green" refrigerants... For the most part I don't think they're necessary. When was the last time you had to add refrigerant to your refrigerator? I have never had to add freon to a refrigerator or a portable air conditioner. My mother has a 30 year old freezer in her garage that has never had freon added to it. My grandmother had a 50 year old freezer in her garage that probably never had freon added to it either. As long as the refrigerant is captured and recycled when the device is desposed of there's no problem. (And even if it isn't I still don't think that there really is an issue) Freon is heavier than air, so how does it damage ozone in the upper atomsphere?

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by cems70

That's the spirit....support sustainable ways of doing business as long as it doesn't harm our unsustainable business model (Capitalism) that relies on continuous economic growth.

so what do you suggest for alternatives? eliminate coal and allow utility charges to stress budgets even more? quit oil 'cold turkey' and watch the economy crumble? that's 'red', not 'green.'

after all is said and done, natural causes will STILL promote climate changes. always have, always will.

if the enviro extremists got their way, ultimately many would die, leaving plenty of the 'limited resources' for the survivors. if that's what you want, well...

again, the idea here is to focus on irrefutable evidence such as waste and pollution, not the skewed politics of global warming and climate change. let's go green, but in a way that supports realistic expectations!

the consumer needs education in regard to what products are available, but they(the products) must be affordable. the irony here is one of the biggest violators of "climate change" is one of the biggest promotors of the green movement--government.

[ecofarmer]

The wall mart they put up last year has skylights and when it?s sunny one out of every 4 lights will be one.

They also have a building attached to the side of the building that is an ice room. They say there?s a huge tank that they freeze solid at night and that they use to cool every thing in the store. They clamed it would be a 5 to 8 year pay off for the system and they use more power at night when the power is cheaper during the summer then they do during the day.




When I built my house and shop I wanted to go green, but as I was digging around with products to use I found it would be better to go smart and not green. I found lots of green stuff that would not hold up to time witch meant I would have to replace everything witch I can?t see being green. I ended up use products that had proven track records and would stand the test of time.

One of the worst products I see right now that is green is solar panels. There are some that are better than others but the ones that are mostly silica sand use more energy to produce them than they can make in there life time on most installations. Yes there made in China so it is green to the US .