What is my dogs carbon pawprint (footprint)?
This is an aspect of dog ownership I hadn't considered before, and I'd guess that sheepie owners tend to drive the larger vehicles because our dogs are large. What other things about our dogs increase our resource utilization? |
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| I'm sure the amount of paper towels people go through with large dogs with hair is more than a normal user.
Not to mention the number of plastic bags we use to pick up poo. |
| this is the link I posted a couple of weeks ago to the "research"
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/pet-dogs-damaging-environment-suvs/story?id=9402234 I think the big issue was that dogs and cats are carnivores and therefore eat meat which is a resource intensive product. I always feel a little remorse though when we leave the a/c on for the dogs while we are at work all day  |
Joahaeyo wrote: I'm sure the amount of paper towels people go through with large dogs with hair is more than a normal user.
Not to mention the number of plastic bags we use to pick up poo. I use almost none. I have designated towels and a pair of rubber gloves so we have very little waste. The only time I take paper towels is when we're traveling to shows. Every bag we use is a bag that has already been used as a grocery bag, then a bag to hold cans for recycling, then it goes on to the poop bag pile. As of late, I bought a roll of biodegradable bags to keep in the car for emergencies but that's about it. I'm very heavy into the "reuse" part of reduce, reuse, recycle-- to the point where it's probably not even safe to do it anymore. I'll reuse a paper cup from Starbucks for a week until it starts seeping through the paper. (I only occasionally get coffee otherwise I just use a regular mug!) I assume one of these efforts will make me sick one day... |
I use biodegradable poop bags Don't use many paper towels I have dog towels I pick up poop at home with a poop scoop. My dogs help keep vets employed (see my post under health) they can feed their children and that helps the poor economy. They bring me joy so I don't need drugs to cope with everyday life and untill my sheepdog got broke he was a therapy dog and helped others the same way. Maybe not a carbon footprint but my dogs help support the dim economy. I almost always drove an SUV of some sort being a nurse I had to get to work no matter what the weather. As long as people are eating steak it is ok with me that my dogs need meat. just my little ol opinion. and I do recycle and reuse Even my dogs were hand me downs  |
ButtersStotch wrote: I use almost none. I have designated towels and a pair of rubber gloves so we have very little waste. The only time I take paper towels is when we're traveling to shows. We had a foster home that was like this. She had a towel she used for accidents that she would then hand wash. We felt horrible when we dropped off an elderly dog with kidney problems, but she took it like a champ! I think the biggest thing for me is driving the dogs. If I didn't take my dogs to work, I would ride my bike everyday. If I didn't have to visit Walter every weekend or transport rescue dogs weekly I would have no use for my car. |
| I love reading about frugality masquerading as being green!
I guess I've been green for a loooong time! 
Oh gawd.... I just looked up from typing that sentence and there's a blizzard going on outside. Sigh. |
ButtersStotch wrote: I'm very heavy into the "reuse" part of reduce, reuse, recycle-- to the point where it's probably not even safe to do it anymore. I'll reuse a paper cup from Starbucks for a week until it starts seeping through the paper. (I only occasionally get coffee otherwise I just use a regular mug!) I assume one of these efforts will make me sick one day...
That's OK, Jill. If you croak from your greeness, I'm sure we'll find a way to recycle you 
I use dog towels for clean-up duty instead of papertowel as well. Probably not any more energy/eco friendly as, guess what? I have to WASH them. They were used to clean up disgusting stuff. No way am I washing them by hand!!!!! I could hang them out to dry, at least, I suppose. If it wasn't snowing out
The funny thing about being "green" is that some times the harder you try, the less green you are. I remember in my younger days known as grad school writing eloquently about this issue just to come across a research study comparing, among other things, McDonald's switch from styrofoam to whatever paper product they went to instead. It turns out the styrofoam was, comparatively, more eco-friendly. BUT, the feel good marketing value of switching to what was actually a less green initative - priceless! And green in its own way
And, Ron, my grandmother was the greenest person I've ever known. Of course, my mother always referred to her as cheap. But now I see that she was actually just decades ahead of her time
Kristine |
| Well now I do have a microfiber towel that I use (that absorbs soooooo much), but I assumed not everyone has and something has to wipe up that waterfall after they drink. I guess you can go green by letting them use the couch and you.
I'm terrible about re-using. I'd love to get better at some of the things I use day-to-day, but I suck. |
I actually think my dogs help me use fewer paper towels...since food spills pretty much all get licked up!  |
| Our dog poop bags we only use at the park, and they are bio-degradable. For our own yard we use a pooper scooper. We have a stack of terry cloth wash cloths that we use and re-use for clean ups; paper towels are reserved for cat urine accidents only (ick). Also, we re-use plastic grocery bag when we clean out the cat litter box. I don't drive an SUV, and refuse to get one until they manage to make one that uses less fuel. Tonks and Luna and I fit comfortably into my Maxima for the time being, but if we were to get a third dog I can see us having problems! |
| ^^^^ You are getting a third dog???? |
Simon's Mom wrote: ^^^^ You are getting a third dog????
Not now. Just saying. |
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