Adverse to conservation at gunpoint, maybe. Of course, when I moved to The Peoples Republic of California, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. I suppose Washington state, which is more or less being assimilated by Californians, is not too much different from California in this regard any more.

What kind a mileage does your mini-van get?

I get about 18 mpg. I pay good money for the gas, and need the room in the vehicle.

Do you recycle? I recycle everything and burn the rest.

We recycle paper, glass, aluminum, the usual. Naturally, our waste pickup here in California has a good recycling program. We have separate containers for glass and aluminum, cardboard, and brush trimmings. Financially, I think only aluminum pays for itself in recycling, but the whole idea is to make Californians feel good, not to actually accomplish anything.

I don't know how you burn stuff. Not legal here to burn outside, and in fact the Econazis are trying to make home woodburning fireplaces illegal too.

You probably would consider me a nut for switching to fluorescent light bulbs but, hey-it was buy one get three free courtesy of Snohomish county public utility district. (Now I have to put up with that puky blue light for 10,000 hrs.)

The light bulb issue is under constant study at my house. The technology of fluorescents is constantly improving, and I watch it carefully. Newer bulbs from reputable companies look more like incandenscent light, and actually are starting to last as long as advertised without blowing up. I use such bulbs in lights that burn for a long time, like the bathroom lights that stay on all night for the kids. I mark the date on them when I install them. Early ones didn't last very long, and a couple even started to smoke and burn when they failed. They can't be used in touch-sensitive lamps, or dimmers. I predict that eventually they will largely replace regular bulbs, if the price can be brought down even further.

I have a well but still try to conserve water. I left the flow restrictors in all the plumbing fixtures. The low flow toilets work just fine. We do try to maintain a high fiber diet though.

If you have a well, and probably a septic tank, I can understand why you have to keep a close eye on water use. Here in California, I live in an area that by nature is quite dry, and water does have to be watched. However, the stupid rules they put down usually don't help. A low-flow toilet that has to be flushed three times makes no sense. Newer pressure-flush types are better, but still need work. I hate low-flow shower heads. I'd get the same result by feeding my dog a load of water and hanging it from the wall.

It would be nice if I was allowed a choice. I pay money for my water, too.