Prius Reaffirmation

The article 'Which hybrids save you money?" in the October 2008 Consumer Reports compared hybrids with similar all-gas models to see how the each car's 5 year total owner cost compared.

The Toyota Prius was a clear winner with the lowest total 5 year owner cost ($28,250) whereas the Lexus G5 450h Hybrid had the highest (70,250). So just picking a hybrid does not necessarily save money or the environment, but taking the total vehicle into account, can do both.

The Prius is a very nice family sedan with lots of features so it was great to confirm my earlier post that it is very economical as well (just as we would expect) -- useful features at a low total cost.

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The best way to dispose of dog poop

Based on my research, the best way to handle dog poop is to use a reusable pooper scooper and flush the poop down a toilet . Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop (yours and your pet's) safely and effectively (this was verified by calling the local sewage treatment plant in Sunnyvale, California) - The poop is treated and recycled fairly quickly and safely back into the environment Cons: - Need to carry the poop to a toilet - Need to purchase or make a reusable pooper scooper Here are other alternatives generally listed from healthiest for environment to least healthy. Use a flushable poop bag and flush down a toilet. Pros: - Sewer systems are designed to handle poop - The poop is treated and recycled - Easy to carry bag around to pick up poop Cons: - Flushable bags can "melt" in rain or other very wet conditions - Flushable bags should be kept sealed in another plastic bag before use - Flushable bags are a bit expensive and hard to find - Flushable bags smell...

No More Disposable Plastic!

Unfortunately the future is plastic because plastic lives just about forever and will be the death of much of our environment, and maybe us. If you have not already, please see Wall-E for what our earth may eventually look like. We must do as much as possible to greatly reduce the use of plastic! Here is a seagoing bird that died from ingestion of plastic in the middle of the Pacific: From: http://ecowatch.com/2013/05/28/california-plastic-pollution-policy-tangled-up-committee/ See also http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/plastic-ocean/ and many other sources you can find by googling. And read the fantastic book Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too . So my household is eliminating our need for plastic bags and other disposable plastic. No more hard copy newspaper with its plastic bag (see my separate post about my newspaper ). No more disposable plastic grocery bags (thank you for the local plastic bag ban -- now we must m...

New Best Way to Handle Dog Poop

I've found an even better way to dispose of dog poop than the one I documented in 2008 at http://ecopractice.blogspot.com/2008/03/best-way-to-dispose-of-dog-poop.html It works by using a funnel-like attachment on your sewer cleanout so you can drop the dog poop directly into your sewer line without necessarily using any water! Here is a picture of me doing this: This is neater and easier than putting the dog poop in a toilet to flush. Saves water too. The sewer cleanout accessory we use is the Doggie Doo Drain Dog Waste Sewer Line Attachment . The reusable device we now use to pick up poop on walks (instead of using a plastic bag) is Nature's Miracle Jaw Scoop . It is easy to carry and holds the poop in the little bucket its jaws create. The medium size model can hold dozens of small poops or a couple of big poops from a big dog (we have little dogs). There is also a jumbo size if you need it. If the poop is solid and not sticky, no water is needed as the poop...

Good Economic/Ecological Practices for Consumers

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