I have to admit I'm not huge on anything to do with being "green" or "eco-friendly". I mean, I definetly don't go out of my way to litter (which I don't do at all), and I recycle to some extent (occasionaly recycables go into the waste but if they do I don't get too freaked out about it), but I don't go out of my way to buy organic or eco friendly food. I think it's fine for people who want to be really into that, it's just not my thing.

While we're on this topic, I saw this list recently of skincare products and companies that were touted as being "organic!" but turned out actually weren't.

http://jezebel.com/5813491/cosmetics-co ... c-products

Now that I've said that though, my housemate who I'll be living with starting in Sept is really into being eco-friendly and wants to only use "green" household products, so we'll see how I like them

I try to buy more natural foods when I can, because a lot of the unnatural foods make me sick. They're way too expensive though, so I'm usually forced to buy the unnatural foods.

I think these foods that label themselves as being "natural" should have more extensive testing done before they're allowed to put "natural" labels on their products. There are too many fakers out there. And some people (like me) buy natural foods because of medical conditions. So when these people eat something, thinking it's natural, and it turns out it's not... we can get really sick. It's almost like lying on the allergy information.

~Riella

I try to buy more natural foods when I can, because a lot of the unnatural foods make me sick. They're way too expensive though, so I'm usually forced to buy the unnatural foods.

You'll have to excuse my curiosity, but may I ask what you mean specifically by natural and unnatural foods?

We've been eating a mix of organic and mainstream foods for years. There is a difference in the flavor of things including eggs. Things seem to have considerably more flavor when "organic."

On the go green push... I have cfl's in my room and we have them in various locations around the house. They've got a new line of bulbs out that I would prefer... Leds. They are much more efficient and don't have the mercury problem that the cfl bulbs.

I'm not against getting things that are more efficient, but I do so in my budget. My budget doesn't allow for the more expensive Led bulbs, but maybe by the time my cfls go out, the prices will come down.

A lot of my local grocery stores don't have "organic" aisles anymore. They put the organic stuff on the regular shelves. Which is very nice because you can price compare without having to go back and forth looking at prices. It also means the prices have to be more competitive.

Sorry if this sounds a bit rambly. I just woke up from a mid afternoon nap.

I try to buy more natural foods when I can, because a lot of the unnatural foods make me sick. They're way too expensive though, so I'm usually forced to buy the unnatural foods.

You'll have to excuse my curiosity, but may I ask what you mean specifically by natural and unnatural foods?

Unnatural foods would be the things you'd buy that have ingredients that you can't pronounce, chemicals, food dye #5, etc. Things man have added, basically.

Whereas, natural foods would be things that are... well... natural. Unaltered by man.

~Riella

An interesting idea for a topic of discussion.

My family uses some "energy saving" light bulbs, but come to think of it, that's probably one of the only areas which we do use something "more green", and even then, it's not exactly to be green on purpose, but to save money (whether this is accomplished or not by doing so is beyond my ken).

We do, however, eat a lot of organic food and vegetables, and tend to prefer organic over un-organic wherever possible, although we do eat some un-organic vegetables such as broccoli (we tried the organic for a while, but gave up on it after finding we were spending more time looking for the bugs which infested the broccoli than it was worth) and lettuce.

Again, though, it's mainly because we like to be as healthy as we can be, not because we in my household feel any particular appeal by the "go green" movement. I do like the idea of green eggs, though. Perhaps those eggs were the kind Dr. Seuss had in mind when he wrote Green Eggs and Ham? Or was that Green Ham and Eggs?

We used to use the flourescent bulbs and do use them outside, where the light is on all night. We used to use the white ones all over the house before we moved, but this house already had light bulbs (and we don't use the one in the main room very much at all because there's a lamp that's nice and bright.) so we don't really change back. Are there energy saving bulbs that are orange instead of white? I like that gleam better than the white one... but that's kind of a personal, unimportant preference.

Honestly, if organic is the healthy, economical way to go, then I'm for it. I'm all for planting vegetables in your garden and eating it. That's wonderful. (and many unorganic foods are pretty eh like tomatos or oranges.) But over here (and surprisingly in Kenya, organic is the cheapest thing around. Canned food is very expensive there. ) organic is really outrageously expensive. And I feel, as long as one is eating healthy (like wheat over white bread... I don't get the eggs thing though. We eat normal eggs. *shrugs*) it is healthy enough to eat regular food.

My family is not very go-green, driving to recycle our stuff, etc. etc. We really only started recycling now because the garbage people take it for free here, where as there were complications in the city, but we do care for the enviroment, etc. (and we only buy mainly organic food when we get gift cards for Trader Joe's or something. I admit, I liked buying organic better but mostly just for the brand name. But now, as long as it's healthy, I don't mind non-organic foods. When planting though, I prefer buying organic.)

We really only started recycling now because the garbage people take it for free here

Ah, you're lucky. Here, we have to pay to recycle. Which is dumb. It's hardly encouraging residents to live the lifestyle they're pushing so hard for everyone to live.

I know some people who are required to recycle, and get in trouble legally when they don't.

I think being good to the environment is our duty as God-appointed stewarts to the earth. But when it goes to an extreme, a good thing can easily become a bad thing. I mean, with some people, recycling and "going green" is their religion. Same with some "health nuts". I'm all for eating healthy and excercise. But I know people who think other people are garbage, just because they don't buy the right kind of potatoes.

~Riella

Ok I'm gonna start off the bat by saying (and many of you have figured this out) that I'm a bit of a tree hugger. There are however a few things brought up that I do agree with.

-get rid of the mercury in the green bulbs
-you shouldn't have to pay to recycle
-I'm also upset it's become more of advertising campaign than to actually help the planet.
-organic costs way too much

However you have to admit that when we start talking about chemically preserved foods, and genetically altered strawberries that things start getting a bit sketchy

Whether one believes in global warming or not there's still other massive problems that we have caused like littering, habitat destruction, and over hunting.

As for myself I'd buy organic (actually I'd raise my own food) but I have no job and I rely completely on my parents income. At least though I recycle (I was composting for a while... but I kinda ran into a bug problem I would like to try again though)

I have one more thing to add to the rant list. We were grocery shopping the other day and I noticed the only bananas that we wrapped in plastic were the organic ones. What's the point of being organic if you are going to dump plastic back into the garbage patch?! [/rant ]

I swing my nalgene low "go green" on the side sipping h2o..

Yeah I definitely go green. I always choose organic if I can.

I discovered potting soil labeled "organic" when I started buying stuff for my attempt at gardening this year. I did opt for that as there wasn't really a price difference at the size I was buying.

Somethings that have the organic label, like potting soil, always make me wonder what makes it organic. I mean it's earth. The same thing with the "green" cleaning products. What makes it "green"? It's chemicals just like the other stuff.

I think with soil in might be something like added fertilizer and pesticides. And with cleaning products it might be the source of the ingredients (ie plants or man-made chemicals) but I'm not sure. It might also be the way they manufacture them.

Yeah, in the city we had to pay to recycle, Ithilwen. So we figured that we'd just reuse as much paper as possible and throw whatever away. I mean, at least people should make it easier to save the planet.

I agree--I believe that we are stewards of the Earth, and God expects us to care for it but I don't believe it should be our religion or idol. We should look after it just as He says to.

Good point, starkat, what exactly makes soil more organic than just ordinary potting soil?

I agree with wolfy on the soil. I used to go to the garden section all the time, and I always saw a lot of dirt and soil for sale that said "added pesticides to keep those pesky bugs away!" The organic is the stuff that's just earth pure and simple, I'm thinking.

~Riella