What do you do in terms of "conservation" or "green living" that is a part of your every day life?

I've been composting kitchen waste for decades. It doesn't make the full cycle back into edible vegetables - at least, not much of it - but at least it's out of the landfill sealed in plastic bags.

I often ride a motorcycle to work, which uses about half the fuel of a Prius. Total lifetime impact, that's not so clear. I think I'm ahead (given that I have a car, too).

I have solar panels and use an electric car. I wrote to companies as to sustainability and have a membership in an organization that promotes the many aspects as to conservation. Prevention is better than to find remedy. But remedy is needed. At home, recycle is important but to use products that use less packing or use packaging that is recyclable helps. Buy less and only what is needed. Buy glass products that require less energy for recycling. Donate time and money to organizations that promote green practices. The Internet is full of these ideas, concepts and organizations.

Richard D - How exciting to have an acre to play with and in; of course it sounds like you've been busy with the sweating part of your sweat equity. If/when you plan to landscape (more) take a serious look at using your landscape to insulate your house from the elements; cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and deflecting cold winds. For example, in my native and natural back yard, a few spare volunteers are now a permanent "hedge" about 4 feet from the side of the house and extending about 1/3 the house's length; I cut them down to about 3' in preparation for removal one year only to discover that it was much hotter in that fall and MUCH cooler that winter so now I hack them down to about 5 feet once a year and dig at the roots to keep them in a "contained" row.

Surly - You sound like a gardening type. I do what are called veggie pits for soil conditioning for many years but, for the past 20 plus have also done it to reduce my garbage costs; excuse me now a days I claim it as reducing my garbage stream. Gather your coffee grounds, egg shells, and veggie waste (I use a coffee can with lid on top and bottom); dig a hole in the garden (pre dig a couple so you can kick the covering back over in a lazy jiffy); dump your veggie scraps in; and cover with dirt. After seeing onions and brocholllini flower in the early spring, my plan this year is to plant some in a sun spot that gets some summer rain run-off simply for the bees, hummingbirds, and a few others; arugula is pretty hardy, self seeding, and flowers readily when a lot of other things aren't too. I could probably do better on the purchasing front too although my current push has been to reduce plastic; especially anything that is food/kitchen related.

Kate - I still use a few basic chemicals in the house but I'm pretty clean outside. The past couple of years I've done some vegetable gardening and "whimped out" in the fertilizer department. I must confess that I am semi-addicted to free, grocery store, plastic produce and carry out bags. I use/re-use them for a zillion things. My yard is pretty much self maintaining and, I must confess that I only hose down the side walks and driveway when there is a serious drought; I intend that water to help the soil and vegetation.

As small and petty as it may sound, I've taken to trying to stoop down and pick up at least one piece of litter, on average per day, and throw it away. Dr Oz probably thinks it's good that I stoop and bend at least once, on average, per day. If I maintain the daily thing, then I will have picked up 365 items that would have probably elsewise ended up in some stream and a few that could go as far as the garbage dump in the Pacific. When I don't maintain the daily thing, which is more often than not, I seem to end up with more items than what would make `1/day average. - And yes, if I'm not doing the daily thing then, I typically end up using/reusing one of those plastic grocery sacks.

Well the land I bought was approaching junk yard status, about 20 cars were removed and I have cleaned up piles of rubble, etc. So, as far as it goes, that was green.

But in other areas than conscious efforts I happen to have a pretty small carbon footprint, a small house and small fuel efficient car, no excessive electronics or anything like that.

Recycle, reuse, not own a car, cycle/walk every day, turn off lights and close doors, put on an extra layer instead of putting the heating on. Taking shorter showers and less baths, using solar power, only updating electronic gadgets when they break and are unable to fix. Repair rips in clothing, sewing on buttons, buying good quality clothing that lasts longer. Insulating cavity walls, loft space, closing curtains on cold days to keep heat in. Planting native species, encouraging bees, butterflies, hover flies and other pollinating species by planting nectar rich flowers, flowering shrubs, grow your own edible flowers and produce. Buy free range eggs and decent welfare meat, eat less meat as methane caused by meat producers. Use ethical toiletries. Buy local, buy British or from countries that treat their workforce with respect and give them rights. Bank with ethical banks etc...

I've been recycling before it became popular. I don't use chemicals to clean my home including air fresheners. I don't use detergents with phosphates. I conserve water by not watering my lawn or washing my driveway or sidewalks. I save rain water to water my garden during dry spells. I don't use pesticides or herbicides. I use only reusable shopping bags. Keep thermostat at 66 in the winter and A/C at 74 in summer.