What's the most ungreen (brown?red?) thing you do?

[Wolverine]

Nobody's perfect.

What thing do you have that you wish were more green that you cannot or will not give up? I think everyone has their limit; it's just a matter of finding it. For people who have never even heard of this site and consider "treehugger" an expletive, it's probably their 10-cylinder Hummer. For others, it might be indoor plumbing.

Examples:
I cannot give up my driving commute, unfortunately. My job requires me working at multiple offices which are over 20 miles apart. My wife's job is 40 miles away from one of my offices. We've located ourselves to minimize our driving, but it's impossible to eliminate (and the nature of my work makes it so I can't exercise before starting the day many days, which eliminates biking to work).

I will not (OK please don't crucify me here) give up steak. I know it's bad for the environment. I know it's really not that good for me. But every once in a while I've just got to have a nice thick piece of Filet. When I look back, on average, it's probably about 3 a year, but I just gotta do it. Even with everything else I'm willing to do, I just gotta keep that going.

I'm hoping this thread won't get self-righteous, accusatory, and argumentative (though I'll bet the potential will be there). I think there is the potential to learn something, both about ourselves and what else needs to be done to lean someone else in the green direction.

Dave

[Wolverine]

I just want to add that there is one other thing I can't get myself to give up right now that I think will be REALLY unpopular, but I'll wait and see how active this thread gets before I out myself on that one.

[mobius]

Driving up to the cottage for the weekend in the summer. Its about a 500km round trip, and I do it many times during the summer. I hate that I have to drive through the Muskoka's on my way though, as most of the cottages are worth over $1 million (and for the most part, that money isn't for "green" improvements) and I usually see a fair number of Hummers, Escalades, other luxury ridiculously big SUVs. It's a depressing combination of excess and nature. It also makes me feel bad about my own driving.

[Alida Cornelius]

After learning about the mercury content in my curly incandescent light bulb, I have one that burnt out and I don't know what to do with it!!!!!!!

[daithi_a_haon]

The most ungreen things we do (these are tame compared most peoples' ways of life) are:

(1) My wife drives 15 miles to work and back. I cycle because I work in the opposite direction. She's trying to get a job nearer home. The car gets 55 mpg so it really ain't that bad but I still hate the idea of nearly a ton of metal to transport just 8 stone of person.

(2) Using electricity to heat our water in summer. The solar panel is on the shopping list when we reroof our cottage next year (with recycled slate, naturally).

Apart from those guilt-isms, some people think we're crazy greenies.

Not so - just ordinary, normal, non-tv, non-cell phone, second-hand clothes wearing, non-flying, organic-growing, non-barbecue, plastic-avoiding, non-fast food, non-newspaper buying, recycled-newsprint insulated, local timber burning, rainwater-collecting, local farmer supporting, non-deep freeze, non-microwave, non-dishwasher, obsessive electrical plug-pulling, non-clothes dryer, non-patio heater, supermarket-avoiding, packaging-avoiding, avid recycling and freecycling, natural or no paint advocating vegans.

[Alex]

After learning about the mercury content in my curly incandescent light bulb, I have one that burnt out and I don't know what to do with it!!!!!!!

Stick it in the cabinet, they will have figure that out in a few years. Some places already have stores you can recycle them, one store here even give you a discount on a new Energy Star lighting device if you recycle a CFL. Thats sort of odd though, as most people haven't used CFLs long enough to make a difference, however.

My worst are the hot, 20-minute showers. Every time I get in, the Saudis smile. The other is probably my love of computers. The Saudis smile at my dual CRT monitors as well.

[JiltedCitizen]

My worst are the hot, 20-minute showers. Every time I get in, the Saudis smile. The other is probably my love of computers. The Saudis smile at my dual CRT monitors as well.

Why would they smile? Oil is usually not used for energy production....nor do we get most of our oil from Saudia Arabia.

[Collin McConville]

I.... drive over 300 miles (one way) from home to college about once a month from August to May.... I know, I'm a horrible person. I just can't deal with the trains that take 8-10 hours for a trip I can drive in 4-5.... Please don't hate me >.<

[ayomide]

Well, there isn't really anything I can do about this, since I'm still a high-school student living with my parents, but the most ungreen thing about my life is my house, and the cars in our garage. We live in a fairly large house, which automatically makes is an energy monger. However, my mom drives a 1999 Honda Odessey Minivan, which should have been replaced in 2004 to keep up with energy efficiency. Our other car is even older. SO old infact, that the paint is peeling off. I tried to get my parents to swith to Bullfrog, but they're not buying.

So, I try to make my life 4x greener to compensate for my family members.

[sniffmeister]

I take a super hot shower everyday that isn't a marine shower.

That being said, I'm super fast in the shower and am done in about 5 min tops.

I also sleep with the TV on. I've tried not to, but it really makes me personally sleep better (it would drive most people crazy)!

I do a lot to make up for these 2 things though!

[gizzigoo]

There are loads of things we do that I wish we didn't, but life is a compromise.
My biggy is our office, we work from home and have three computers and five monitors in our office. If I could find a way to pare this down I would as the office uses more power than we do. On the up side we very rarely use our car.
Where I am water is at a premium, so for those lucky people with water to shower, I envy you. We had a water saving shower but have just changed it to a new more efficient one which I am still trying to get used to, but uses about 7 litres a minute, I am going to measure it as I swear it's way less, like a trickle! Shower maximum is 4 minutes. We have a dual flush toilet, but have a new one to go in which uses half the water. We have a grey water system which is what waters the garden. But I really want to get the worm septic tank which cleans all the toilet water to pure, they say drinking quality, amazing invention.
Over all I think we have to compromise way too much on what we would all like to achieve, but life is not that simple anymore.

[MissyWombat]

We have a grey water system which is what waters the garden. But I really want to get the worm septic tank which cleans all the toilet water to pure, they say drinking quality, amazing invention.

The Biolytix? I love that invention. I tell you if my house ever blows over in this cyclone zone and I have to start again, that is one of the first things on the design plan...

[thefictionwelive]

I drive to work, though I did just move to within 5 miles of work from 40 miles. I would be willing to ditch the car once I'm not upside down on it anymore. It is amazing how much monthly income flys into a car and not into a mutual fund =/.

Though my girlfriend is not as keen on the idea of public transportation as I am =/.

That and I shop at Wal-Mart....which is one of the first things I plan to ditch when I can afford it.

I'm guilty of a hot shower as well.

[Jackalope]

I drive an SUV, I try to drive as little as possible, but I don't have the money to replace my car with a new fuel efficient one. I only leave my house about once a day and get all my errands/work done then, but I still feel horrible since my car avg's 17 mpg (I know I can hear the yelling now).
But in 2 mos time, I wont need to drive almost at all since Ill be out in the middle of nowhere restoring land that was once cow pastures to it former natural state. Maybe this can help make up for my horrible car.

[Alida Cornelius]

After learning about the mercury content in my curly incandescent light bulb, I have one that burnt out and I don't know what to do with it!!!!!!!

Stick it in the cabinet, they will have figure that out in a few years. Some places already have stores you can recycle them, one store here even give you a discount on a new Energy Star lighting device if you recycle a CFL. Thats sort of odd though, as most people haven't used CFLs long enough to make a difference, however.

My worst are the hot, 20-minute showers. Every time I get in, the Saudis smile. The other is probably my love of computers. The Saudis smile at my dual CRT monitors as well.

I am going to have to find the article to prove it, but I read somewhere that the majority of the electricity in the USA actually comes from the grids in Canada.