Fun and Games

Measuring Your Green Quotient Quiz

The following quiz appeared in the Toronto Life Magazine "2001 Environmental Guide". Determine your "Green Quotient" and those of your friends, family, colleagues or students. If you cringe at the effort in being eco-friendly, save yourself the trouble. Just by going about your daily business, you might be more green than you think you are. Take our quiz, score yourself, and find out if there's an environmentalist lurking inside.

1. When the batteries in your flashlight die, you
a) stick them back in the recharger
b) toss them in the kitchen garbage
c) set them aside for the next trip to the depot
d) smile smugly because your flashlight is solar-powered

2. While brushing your teeth, you
a) turn the water off
b) run just a trickle of water
c) blast the water out of the faucet, because it clears the pipes

3. In the summer, you water the lawn (If you don't have a lawn, pick what you would do)
a) four or more times a week, just a bit
b) two or three times a week, a decent amount
c) once a week, a good soaking
d) no extra watering - it can fend for itself!

4. If you saw, or when you do see, dandelions peeking out from your lawn, you say
a) "Honey, hand me that DDT"
b) "Get the digger - I gotta get me some roots"
c) "Doesn't bother me"

5. Grass clippings at your house or building are
a) bagged and left at the curb on garbage day
b) raked up and put in the composter
c) left lying all over the lawn

6. You own which of the following things
a) fluorescent light bulbs
b) composter
c) cloth shopping bags
d) post-consumer paper goods
e) blue box
f) grey box
g) low-flow showerhead
h) green cleaning products

7. You actually use which of the following things
a) fluorescent light bulbs
b) composter
c) cloth shopping bags
d) post-consumer paper goods
e) blue box
f) grey box
g) low-flow showerhead
h) green cleaning products

8. Spring azure, pearl crescent and buckeye are
a) butterflies
b) heritage-seed daisy varieties
c) milk-paint colour names
d) environmentally friendly fish lures

9. Households in Canada generate a total of approximately how much garbage and recyclable stuff every year?
a) 50 million tonnes
b) 100 million tonnes
c) over 150 million tonnes

10. Of that amount, how much does recycling and composting divert from landfill?
d) 5 per cent
e) 10 per cent
f)25 per cent

11. Let's say you replace a standard 75 watt light bulb with a 20 watt compact fluorescent bulb.Over the life of the bulb, you'll save
a) $25
b) $40
c) $55

12. The average household produces how much toxic waste (paints, pesticides, cleaners, prescriptions, batteries) per year?
a) 35 litres
b) 50 litres
c) 85 litres

13. Every person in Canada uses how much water a day?
a) 150 litres in winter; 200 litres in summer
b) 200 litres in winter; 275 litres in summer
c) 350 litres in winter; 450 litres in summer