Measuring Your Green Quotient Quiz Answers

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.

Answers

1. When the batteries in your flashlight die
a) 8 points
b) 0
c) 8 points
d) 10 points
Never throw batteries in the garbage! That's pure poison going right into the ground, with no chance at special treatment. Save them up for local Environment Days, or take them to a responsible retailer like Battery Plus, which collects batteries for recycling. Be sure to express your appreciation so they keep up this good practice.

2. While brushing your teeth, you
a) 10 points
b) 5 points
c) 0 - you wish to clear the pipes, call a plumber!

3. In the summer, you water the lawn
a) 0
b) 0
c) 10 points
d) 10 points
A good one-inch soaking of the lawn once a week is best, particularly with a soaker hose, and early in the morning. This will minimize evaporation and encourage root development.

4. When you see dandelions on a lawn
a) 0 - in fact, use of any pesticide in this situation earns you 0 points
b) 10 points
c) 5 points
While it's admirable that you don't reach for the weed killer, if you allow dandelions to thrive and go to seed on your lawn, they'll spread over to other lawns whose owners might just use some really horrible chemicals to stop them.

5. Grass clippings are
a) 0
b) 3 points
c) 10 points
In this case, laziness rules: leave the clippings where they fall so they'll return nutrients to the soil.

6. You own which of the following things
a) through h): 5 points for each

7. You actually use which of the following things
a) through h): 10 points for each

8. Spring azure, pear crescent and buckeye
a) 10 points
b) 2 points - wrong answer, but points for knowing about heritage-seed programs
c) 2 points - wrong again, but points for recognizing milk paint as eco-friendly
d) 0
You can attract these butterflies by avoiding synthetic pesticides and by planting the right things. Contact the North American Native Plant Society. 9. Households generate how much yearly?
a) 0
b) 10 points
c) 0

10. How much is diverted from landfill?
b) 0
b) 0
c) 10 points
Canada's goal is to divert 50 per cent of all residential waste form disposable by 2006. Help by recycling, which saves natural resources and energy, and reduces the need for landfill.

11. Switch a standard 75 watt light bulb with a 20 watt compact fluorescent bulb
a) 0
b) 0
c) 10 points
BONUS: a whopping 10 points for every fluorescent bulb in your home! New compact fluorescents save up to 75 per cent in energy consumption and last 10 times longer than incandescents.

12. The average household produces how much toxic waste
a) 10 points
b) 0
c) 0
Don't get too confident about a paltry 35 litres per household per year - that's about 80,000,000 litres in Toronto alone! Toxic waste, when disposed of incorrectly, ends up in the lake and then - in a diluted form - in your drinking water.

13. How much water used per day
a) 0
b) 0
c) 10 points
Canadians use up to 350 litres of water in the winter, and in the summer, with garden watering and washing cars, it's 450 litres per day.That's too much stress on overburdened water and sewage treatment plants.

Scoring

0-50: Oh dear.You must read this entire magazine, take notes and really make an effort to inject something green into your lifestyle.The fact you took this quiz at all is a hopeful sign.

51-100: Small steps are being made, but we suspect you're in a rut. Check who to call, for the Environmental Day nearest you and go. You'll get tons of inspiration.

101-150: Closet environmentalist. Let yourself move to the next level - come out. Give money to green charities. Join a neighbourhood group. Find out more about the environment.

151-250: Proud to be green. You're doing so many things right! Congratulations. Now share your beliefs with others. Join an environmental organization. Educate others.

251-plus: You could become a contributor to this magazine! You are one savvy, committed individual whose efforts should be praised and emulated.

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