Comments on: Top 10 Frustrating (and Funny) Experiences with Going Green http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/ Confessions of a Reformed Consumer Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:03:59 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Andrea http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Andrea Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:16:25 +0000 http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/?p=94#comment-36 I used to be driven into work by my husband each morning, a chance to chat about life and enjoy our time together. As part of our green-household initiatives, we decided that I should take the bus into work instead. So I traded-in my lovely peaceful chats and laughter for a grumpy bus-driver woman who, despite my best efforts, never smiled, didn't reply to my good-mornings, would actually IGNORE any question I asked her and would thump her foot down on the accelerator as I was walking to my seat, catapulting me half-way down the bus. Finally last week she smiled. This week she actually talked to me AND waited for me to sit down before she took off. I guess ice does eventually melt in the sun! :-) I used to be driven into work by my husband each morning, a chance to chat about life and enjoy our time together. As part of our green-household initiatives, we decided that I should take the bus into work instead. So I traded-in my lovely peaceful chats and laughter for a grumpy bus-driver woman who, despite my best efforts, never smiled, didn’t reply to my good-mornings, would actually IGNORE any question I asked her and would thump her foot down on the accelerator as I was walking to my seat, catapulting me half-way down the bus. Finally last week she smiled. This week she actually talked to me AND waited for me to sit down before she took off. I guess ice does eventually melt in the sun! :-)

]]> By: Gary http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Gary Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:14:41 +0000 http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/?p=94#comment-34 Funny stories. Going green is not easy nor funny, but fuuny things sure happen Funny stories. Going green is not easy nor funny, but fuuny things sure happen

]]> By: Pablo Solomon http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Pablo Solomon Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:35:17 +0000 http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/?p=94#comment-31 You might enjoy this story Gia-- For several years my wife and I lived in an upscale golf course community of Houston. We lived on the main entry boulvevard which was separated by a series of esplanades. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the automatic sprinklers would come on and water the grass on the esplanades. They would run so long that water would run off and down the drains. Keep in mind, that this was drinking quality water being wasted by the thousands of gallons. The sprinklers would come on rain or shine, drought or flood. I finally had enough and bought a gizmo to cut off the water---this after the sprinklers came on after a flooding rain of 8 inches in 2 hours. Well, you might think that the homeowners association would commend me for saving water and money. But instead, they sent me letters warning me that I would be cited by the police if I turned off the water again. So I decided, OK I just play along. Because our house was on the downslop of a small bump (no real hills within a hundred miles of Houston) I dammed up the water running along the street curb with a sandbag and siphoned the wasted runoff water into my yard. By the way my yard was the only one in the neighborhood using native plants---another source of irritation to my neighbors. Fast forward to 2009. We recently visited our old neighborhood after moving out 20 years ago to the beautiful Texas Hill Country. As is typical for suburbia, since Green is now the thing, people are putting in solar this and that and are collecting rainwater. Of course every SUV has a "Stop Global Warming" bumper sticker. And the sprinklers still come on every Tuesday and Thursday. You might enjoy this story Gia–
For several years my wife and I lived in an upscale golf course community of Houston. We lived on the main entry boulvevard which was separated by a series of esplanades. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the automatic sprinklers would come on and water the grass on the esplanades. They would run so long that water would run off and down the drains. Keep in mind, that this was drinking quality water being wasted by the thousands of gallons. The sprinklers would come on rain or shine, drought or flood. I finally had enough and bought a gizmo to cut off the water—this after the sprinklers came on after a flooding rain of 8 inches in 2 hours. Well, you might think that the homeowners association would commend me for saving water and money. But instead, they sent me letters warning me that I would be cited by the police if I turned off the water again. So I decided, OK I just play along. Because our house was on the downslop of a small bump (no real hills within a hundred miles of Houston) I dammed up the water running along the street curb with a sandbag and siphoned the wasted runoff water into my yard. By the way my yard was the only one in the neighborhood using native plants—another source of irritation to my neighbors.

Fast forward to 2009. We recently visited our old neighborhood after moving out 20 years ago to the beautiful Texas Hill Country.
As is typical for suburbia, since Green is now the thing, people are putting in solar this and that and are collecting rainwater. Of course every SUV has a “Stop Global Warming” bumper sticker. And the sprinklers still come on every Tuesday and Thursday.

]]> By: Earth Friendly Shopping » Funny and frustrating stories about going green http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Earth Friendly Shopping » Funny and frustrating stories about going green Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:22:18 +0000 http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/?p=94#comment-30 [...] EcoPlum  - along with some great suggestions.  Read the whole thing - Our favorite #10 Rob [...] [...] EcoPlum  – along with some great suggestions.  Read the whole thing – Our favorite #10 Rob [...]

]]> By: John Rarrick http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/2009/08/18/top-10-frustrating-and-funny-experiences-with-going-green/comment-page-1/#comment-28 John Rarrick Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:31 +0000 http://www.ecoplum.com/blog/?p=94#comment-28 #11... I traded my kick-ass Audi A4 for a 27-year old Mercedes that runs on vegetable oil. This might seem glamorous, until you've ruined your third $1,500 suit pouring dirty french fry oil through a 5-micron sock filter. #11… I traded my kick-ass Audi A4 for a 27-year old Mercedes that runs on vegetable oil. This might seem glamorous, until you’ve ruined your third $1,500 suit pouring dirty french fry oil through a 5-micron sock filter.

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