h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

1. Don't litter
2. Recycle cans, plastic, paper, glass...if your neighbourhood doesn't have weekly collection days for specific recycling, then you should have recycling bins in your area for sure.
3. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products.
4. Use recycled stationery, toilet paper, etc...
5. Use biodegradable plastic bags, cutlery etc. When shopping re-use old plastic bags so you don't build up a collection of 100's of them from the shops.
6. Plant trees, and tend to them well

Well now, this is an interesting topic. However, all these people talk tough and say they will do more but how many actually do?. The answer is very few. They still go on about the price of petrol and how they love their cars, not worrying about the Earth. But with no decent public transport in Britain, I can't see them abandoning the car. Even if we had clean buses, trains etc would these arrogant fools get out of their cars anyway?. Now they go on and quibble about a extra few pence on the petrol prices like the selfish idiots they are. Still, this is what you get for a Tory government and privatisation. Still, it was a good decision at the time..or so they say. More like another Tory ballsup methinks.
RedWills

Being American, I am unfamilar with the political remarks you make. However, many of the things you say also hold true in America. Public transportation isn't near as convenient as driving one's own car. Seldom do you see people carpooling to work to save gasoline. Places that might take 20 minutes to walk people will drive to in order to save 15 minutes.

Not that I'm any one to be speaking, mind you. I do all these things. The only thing that separates me from the average driver is that I don't complain about gas prices. Why? Because I consume 2 gallons of gas a day driving to and from work. If the price of gasoline (petrol, I guess you call it) goes up by ten cents, then that's twenty cents per day, or $1.40/week, or about $75/year. I spend more than that on beer, and I don't drink (much).

I find it sad that so much pressure is put on oil companies and politicians to keep the price of gasoline down. The economic boom in America has drastically increased the demand for gasoline. Supplies of oil aren't increasing, and there's no alternative in sight. Conclusion? The price of gas will go up, no matter what anyone does.

Redwills, you can help by leading by example. My family have never had a car - hence I find the following two websites useful: http://www.ukbus.co.uk/ and http://www.thetrainline.com - for online bus and rail timetable information.

Governments should, as the price of petrol inevitably increases, subsidise bus and rail travel, and put money into ensuring co-ordination - so that the bus arrives at the station in time for you to make the train to London, reliability - so that there is a penalty, perhaps, on companies who don't run buses/trains which are on the timetable, and information - so that it is easy to find just what public transport options are available where, and how much they'll cost.

I know that I've had a headstart over my peers as far as finding new places are concerned, I've been doing it since I was 11 but they've always had mummy and daddy to take them everywhere. And its the greener way...

Same here. No car for me to hop into to go to the shops owing to my mother not being allowed to drive due to illness. I always find it so annoying to hear the "rich kids" talking about the latest monster wagon their parents have got or how they are getting picked up by their businessmen daddy in his superpower sportscar. However, I now must dispel myths that might arise. You all probably think I'm just jealous of these people when in fact I really couldn't be bothered what people drive, if they should be driving at all . Now now, conservatives among us, I think you better go and lie down for a second because I'm going to mention the dreaded Germans, *shock*. If that hasn't got you into a mad frenzy this next comment surely will. Their train and transport system is far superior to ours(having been on it) and we should be asking Mr. Schroeder and friends what their secret is. However, the answer will be pretty simple-money. Ok, conservatives, calm down, the war is over!.

I just don't get the 'I drive this car 'cuz its stylish' thing, it should be just another option to get from a to b. And not really a good one at that.

I was without a car for 18 months. I gave it up because I didn't really need it. However, I have now gone out and bought one, as I find it really frustrating that so many places aren't accessible by public transport (also there is no service on a Sunday), and my child has problems that can't always be coped with on the bus.

I went out and bought a Fiat 126 as I hoped that it would be less polluting. I still walk everywhere I can, which is most places. In fact my son was commended in his school report for his extremely good area knowledge,and he is only 5.
I feel guilty about using the car sometimes, but it does stop me having the problem of walking home from work at 3am, which is nice, and in the winter, definitely warmer.

I have to say this now. If I have in any way made you feel guilty in this particular forum I haven't meant too!. I can see that after my rave about people in cars, researchers seem to be making excuses and coming up with "green" things they do. Don't feel guilty, I'm sorry!. I was just moaning about an ever-increasing problem. I enjoy a good moan you see, being a teenager and all that.
p.s-I do believe you do these things, sorry if it didn't sound that way!

You didn't make me feel guilty, I feel guilty about it generally.

I also feel guilty if I am out and have to throw away something that could be recycled.
I try to do a lot of things that could be classed as "green", but by far the greatest thing I do is bring my child up to believe that it is normal to recycle and try to respect the earth, not an oddity.
That sounds really crap, but I am hoping you know what I mean.
I have also been doing this sort of stuff since I was a teenager, so I hope you are still doing what you are doing now in 10 years, like me.

You can only do your best- I go to work by car because I'm a dry stone waller (and do occasional other conservation work) and I live in a small village. It is a bit annoying paying as much for petrol as people in cities as I have no choice about what transport I use and do some good for the environment (wallers aren't very well paid - if I was I wouldn't mind paying more for petrol). All the transport solutions seem to assume you live in a town or city and work in an office!

I do try to do my shopping (and recycling- give the girl a medal) on my way to and from work rather than make a special trip. Other than that I can't do much about transport.

The most important things are to think about what you do in terms of the environment and try your hardest to do as little harm as you can.

It's easier said than done, but driving economically is one way to make driving less polluting, and cheaper on fuel.
Taking advance driving lessons really helps with that, and only doing 56mph on duel carriageways and motorways (I know, what a nightmare!). And it only takes 7 minutes longer per hour. (So I read somewhere.
Keeping the car well serviced also keeps it running peak form, which means less pollution.

I am driving everywhere at the moment, even into the village, as I am just recovering from an operation, and walking to the village or biking would probably finish me off.

However, I have given up a job 70 km away and am looking for one nearer home.

I have one water-saving tip: if you pre-rinse your crocks before putting them in the dishwasher (so you can use the ecological programme) don't use water. Just one piece of kitchen paper - or the dishcloth, rubbed over, will get the lumps off just as well. The kitchen paper then goes in the compost bin.

The server is so slow tonight, I nearly forgot what I actually wanted to say - I think the concept of "duel" carriageways is really funny, and am imagining jousting tournaments over the crash barrier!!!

I have a few tips that will do the world the world of good:
1.Take a shower instead of a bath.
2.After washing up, put the water diluted fairy liquid into a spray bottle and spray it onto the vegetables in the vegetable patch, as it keeps the slugs and snails off the plants.Try it!!!!!

If you really wanted you take that a step further and have a second grey water system, taking the water from the shower and washing up and using that to fill up the toilet cistern, saving using clean water for the task where the gery water will do. I wonder what the cost of retro fitting a system like this is to a house.

I find it silly that some of the same Americans who are complaining about the price of gasoline also regularly purchase bottled water. In America, the cost of a gallon of bottled water far exceeds that of a gallon of gasoline, yet people don't seem bother by this at all. Water is the most abundant and free resource on the planet, yet people pay money for it. Then they complain when the price of gas isn't anywhere near the price they pay for water which they could easily get for free. Ridiculous.

I wouldn't be so sure about water being abundant and freely available. Look into the World Vision web site.