Does Green Have To Be Expensive? (VIDEO)

True or false: The hardest thing about going green is accepting the higher cost.

FALSE!

The belief that going green is costly is itself a costly misunderstanding. Cutting back on energy means cutting back on cost -- and cutting back on waste means (you guessed it) cutting back on cost.

Sure, there are premium green vendors out there who want you to splurge on their brands because they're both green and fashionable, but that's not the way it has to be. And that's something that Marcal CEO Tim Spring was proud to tell us last week.

WATCH:

Wartime efficiency inspired cost- and energy-efficiency in a business model that has lasted 50 years. A great lesson.

Comments

[Glenn Anaiscourt]

Not only does a green life not have to be expensive, but green people can contribute just as much, if not more, as others do to the economy.

I began commuting and running errands by bicycle in 2007, cutting my automobile use by 96% over my 2006 usage and decreasing my CO2 emissions by over 2 tons per year since then. I estimate that by washing my clothes in cold water and line drying them I have decreased my CO2 emissions by at least a half a ton per year compared with a few years ago. I also adopted a vegetarian diet rich in foods produced organically and locally, including at home, in order to reduce my carbon footprint.

Yet my level of overall spending has not decreased.

I direct the spending that I used to devote to such things as gasoline, car repairs, and fuel to heat a clothes dryer to goods and services that I care about and enjoy more. I am able to meet many important, personal environmental goals, and also to do my part for the economy as a consumer during these challenging economic times.

There simply need not be any conflict between making meaningful environmental improvements and living well.

[burtmckinly]

God forbid it might be expensive! Oh, please don't make it expensive to be "green"! Modern people just like to spend lots of money when buying worthless crap. I'll throw this idea out there: When you die, ask that you be buried and have a fruit tree planted on your dead body. That way humans can actually accomplishing something productive.

[research]

remember when Americans were frugal?

When a penny saved, was a penny earned,

Now it's just burn the cheapest junk you can

Since the Rapture is coming anyway.

[cjt1957]

It does not have to be expensive, untill Obama figures out how to tax it....

[sheila]

If we could just get decent energy policy in this banana republic, everyone who owns property could SAVE huge amounts of money by installing solar panels and/or making efficiency improvements, and many of us could MAKE money from generating clean power and cutting our consumption.

48 places already have feed in tariffs - a per-kWh payment for all clean power you produce. all we need is a law setting fair prices (35 to 50 cents) and lending programs like CA's AB 811 which amortizes the costs over 20 years and is repaid through the property tax system (interest is tax deductible, repayment is guaranteed by lien on property, no credit checks) and EVERYONE would sign up immediately.

CA's CPUC - Big Energy shills on our tax payrolls - has constantly blocked FITs because they are afraid we would get TOO MUCH RENEWABLE ENERGY IF WE ALLOWED DEMOCRACY. They support slaughtering millions of acres of wilderness and wasting billions of gallons of water while spewing deadly SF6 into the environment so that Big Energy can rip off ratepayers and taxpayers even more than they do now! TRAITORS to the environment and the public!!

feed in tariffs and loan programs are THE MOST URGENT POLICY THIS NATION NEEDS. please contact your state and federal reps and demand a moratorium on industrializing our public lands, and a democratic, non-lethal, stable energy policy.

[Bowingobama1]

Oh noes! horrible carbon dioxide! What a terrible poison it is! Its actually at historically low levels right now! We need to suck all the CO2 out of the planets atmosphere so no more is left since its such a horrible poison! I fear for our planet!

[Joseph Upton]

Everytime you commie greenies FORCE your ideas on others (the lightbulb mandate, milage standards, etc) you lose more support. I care about liberty a lot more than I care about political correctness.

[Moabkid]

You misspelled mileage and from your comments it's clear that education is a terrible thing to waste.

[cjt1957]

Good you were not able to speak against the conteint of the message.

[Pema]

put an older blanket or wool blanet under your fitted sheets, it helps keep the warmth in far better than just a top cover. Also adds an extra bit of cush. I love reading the posts, i am getting so many good idea from other huff po readers!

[Jeff9]

Not only does it not have to be expensive but it can save you money; Save money and the Earth and be clean at the same time! Get serious and add Bathroom Bidet Sprayers to all your bathrooms. I think Dr. Oz on Oprah said it best: "if you had pee or poop on your hand, you wouldn't wipe it off with paper, would you? You'd wash it off” Available at www.bathroomsprayers.com with these you won't even need toilet paper any more, just a towel to dry off! Don’t worry, you can still leave some out for guests and can even make it the soft stuff without felling guilty. It's cheap and can be installed without a plumber; and runs off the same water line to your toilet. You'll probably pay for it in a few months of toilet paper savings. And after using one of these you won't know how you lasted all those years with wadded up handfuls of toilet paper. As for water use a drought is always a concern and must be dealt with prudently but please remember that in the big picture the industrial water users always far exceed the water use of household users and in the case of toilet paper manufacture it is huge. The pollution and significant power use from that manufacturing process also contributes to global warming so switching to a hand bidet sprayer and lowering your toilet paper use is very green in multiple ways.

[VanillaSeven]

It can be more expensive, since people uses cheap harmful chemical products that are costly and difficult to be recycled. Cut corners only caused more damage.

http://vanillaseven.com

[thinkingmama]

My grandparents married during the Depression, and started their family during World War II. When I was a kid during the 80s, I thought it was an adorable vestige of antiquated cheapness. I now realize their lifestyle was green, as well. They washed and reused aluminum foil and ziploc bags. They never bought Tupperware - that is what was margarine tubs were for. They put the chair by the window to read in the natural light - why waste electricity during the day? They had a vegetable garden as long as they were able, and froze and canned the extras for the winter. They wore clothes until they were no longer serviceable, and then they became cleaning rags. In short, they never bought a thing they could live without. With the money they didn't spend on stuff they'd have to throw away later, they gave more than 10% of their gross income to charity and managed a substantial retirement savings despite never earning more than $35,000 in a single year. I've been thinking about them more now that we are paying more attention to our budget, and find we are also greener in the process.

[koko99]

My suggestions for saving money and the planet at the same time. Some apply to homeowners only.

Create a compost pile. Don't buy a fancy bin. Just pick small area in your yard and start tossing your food scraps there.

Water the grass only enough to keep it alive. Mow less often and leave the clippings in place.

Put your TV and computer on a power strip and turn it off when not in use.

Replace most frequently used bulbs with CFLs or LEDs. CFLs are around frequently around $1/bulb. I've seen LEDs for $10-15 a bulb, but the light is a bit harsh. Just fine for the laundry room and basement.

Plant shade trees on the east and west sides of your house.

Use a programmable thermostat. In the summer, raise the temperature several degrees when the house is empty. In the winter, lower the temperature a few degrees when sleeping and when the house is empty. Use an electric mattress pad to keep warm at night.

Wear layers in the winter and lower the heat a couple of extra degrees.

Turn off the heat or AC and open the windows on nice days.

Buy a couple tubes of caulk and plug up the drafts.

Put extra insulation in the attic. This one can cost several hundred dollars, but payback is usually in a couple of years.

[elcerritan]

Use an electric mattress pad to keep warm??? How about just using a a blanket or a down comforter?

And shade trees are most useful on the south, southwest and west sides of the house where they block peak solar gain in the summer in the late afternoon, NOT on the east side. They should also be deciduous, so that they provide shade in the summer but don't block the warming sun in the winter. Trees are most effective when they're next to windows, walls, and air conditioners. If they're more than about 35 feet from the house, they're probably too far away to provide shade to the structure.

[frantaylor]

Don't forget to use a humidifier in the winter. It will save your furniture etc. from drying out, and it makes the place feel a couple of degrees warmer. It's also much better for your sinuses.

[ImagesAndAdjectives]

Did everything on your list. It really works to save big $$$$

[GuyFawkes]

If green is pricey, it's only because it isn't mainstream. Once it goes mainstream, once supply and demand meet up, the price will be equitable to $4 gallon of gas. Remember: even VCR's were expensive once.

[cloudminder]

it is expensive in water usage:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=7371405&page=1

[Krootie]

There's a green car in the US - the Smart car - inexpensive and 97% recyclable, 5 star crash rating. Green can be better.

[pokemon]

I saw one the other day.. it may have 5 star crash rating but had it crossed over I would have killed everyone in it and I was riding a bike. Until more people have these I will not get one, I'll ride my bike or drive my huge truck (between the two I have a hybrid).