Get Wise about Energy & Water Efficiency

Recycling at Work

2009-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever really thought about how much a business wastes? Let's use paper as an example. I know that I tend to waste a lot paper when printing and writing down things on my pad of paper. It might be helpful to ask various people around the office if they feel they are being wasteful. If you do find that your company wastes a lot, and currently are not recycling, consider recycling. It really is simple and helps in such a huge way.

The first step to starting a recycling program in your work place would be to select someone to coordinate it. Second would be to pick the materials in which you would like to recycle; so in my case it would be paper. Third would be to decide the collection method. Are you going to have multiple bins; One for white paper, one for colored paper, one for cardboard, etc. The fourth step would be to either post memos or send emails to all of the employees in the office, to make sure they are aware of the recycling program. The fifth would be once you have your bins full of paper, how do you get rid of it. Well, you can either have a company come and pick it up or you can take it and drop it off. I would suggest that if you have a minimal amount of paper, it would be easier to drop off and if you have a mass abundance, it probably would be better for them to pick it up.

A few other office things that can be recycled are ink jet cartridges as well as toner cartridges. Once you've set up your recycling program, monitored it for a month or two and see if it has a positive effect on the company.

We've Moved

2009-01-28T16:04:00.001-08:00

Thanks for visiting the Resource Action Programs blog. Please visit our blogs new home at http://www.resourceactionprograms.org/blog/ or wait 5 seconds to be automatically redirected.

We hope you enjoy our great new site! Thanks for visiting!

Earth Day

2009-01-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Earth Day as most of you know is a day that we celebrate our earth and find ways to keep our planet clean and protect our environment. Earth Day was born on April 22, 1970 in San Francisco, CA and will be celebrating it's 40Th anniversary next year in 2010.

To give you a little history, Earth Day was evolved over a period of seven years; that started in 1962. Senator Gaylord Nelson founder of Earth Day persuaded President Kennedy to give light regarding this by launching a national conservation tour. After President Kennedy's tour, six years would have passed before the idea that became Earth Day, finally occurred in 1969.

The City of Modesto and The Citizen Advisory Committee on Recycling represents Earth Day In The Park Festival. Modesto's 20Th annual Earth Day is held at Graceada Park on April 22ND of every year; the park is located between Needham and Sycamore. During this festivity in the park there will be many vendors, live music, activities for children, great food, literature to enlighten you about Earth Day as well as environmental products. It really is a good time and fun just to walk around and see all the different aspects of the earth. Listed below are a few different websites that you can visit if you are considering doing any volunteer work on Earth Day. Check them out!

Sierra Club
http://www.sierraclub.org/wecandoit/community/volunteer.asp

US Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/kids/earthday.htm

Not to be confused with the FBI's Most Wanted

2009-01-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

Don't think that just because you aren't terrorizing the U.S. that your dirty deeds have been overlooked. Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed a most wanted list of those who have been accused of assaulting nature.

The list consists of those smuggling chemicals into the U.S., contaminating lakes, illegally transporting chemicals, never standing trial and much more. Check out this link to see pictures and read their stories!

Gilligan and The Professor??

2009-01-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

LiveScience has reported that researchers in Texas are making car parts out of coconuts. Trunk liners, floorboards and car-door interior covers have already been made by a team at Baylor University. Walter Bradley, the engineering professor (has nothing to do with my title) who is leading the project, explained to LiveScience that the fibers in the husks of the coconuts have very good strength, stiffness and ductility.

The Huffington Post reports that Walter Bradley and his Baylor University team are testing the coconut car part prototypes for safety. If these parts pass, 11 million coconut farmers' annual income of about $500 could potentially increase.

For more about this story visit MSNBC.com or Huffingtonpost.com.

Who Knew....

2009-01-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article on The Daily Green about keeping a pitcher of water in your fridge and what benefits it would have for conserving energy and water.
Did you know that by simply keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge from the tap will help keep your food cool. It also provides you with a cold glass of water whenever you need it. So no more letting the water run to get cold or needing to use much ice, which cuts down on waste and conserves energy.This also will help cut back on buying already bottled water, which can have a nasty effect on the environment.
Now if you are anything like me you are probably saying " I don't really like tap water that much." Well in that case you could always purchase a filter for your faucet or a pitcher that filters the water. They are easy to come by and they are not very expensive. For some different types of filters you can check out http://www.brita.com/us/?WT.srch=1 or just go to your local Walmart or Target.

Dusty Ducts

2009-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

We recently had our carpets cleaned in our home; after all the Christmas parties and the disasters that came with people trampling through; and I learned something new. If you have carpet in your home, and you see a darker line around the baseboards of your rooms, those lines are caused from your heating and air conditioning. They are often the darkest by the furnace itself, but can be seen in rooms or areas were there is a vent near by. Those lines are settled particles from the air that are kicked around by your furnace. We are breathing that stuff everyday! I was pretty shocked to learn this. We rent our home, and the damage (darkened lines) was done before we moved in. I was pleased to find out that since I am kinda a “clean freak,” I have lessened the particles in the air and in turn continuing damage on the carpet.

But I wanted to find out more ways to help get all that junk out of the air that we are breathing. One way I learned, was to have all the air vents and duct work professionally cleaned and sucked out. This would not only help take the junk out of the air, but it would also make our heating and air conditioning more efficient! A win win. Having your duct work cleaned out is also great for people with allergies and asthma.

This being said, still be careful of the many scams and "extras" that companies will try to sell you in the process. Your coils should be cleaned annually, and although professionals will tell you you need to have your duct work cleaned annually, its just not necessary unless you are particularly sensitive. Chucks of dust and particles just don't build up that fast to warrant the yearly spending of $200-400 (depending on the house) duct cleaning.

American Fresh Ducts If left unclean for a long period of time, your ventilation system could be the largest cause of your house dust and allergy problems, not to mention the leading cause of HVAC system failure. A buildup of less than a 16th of an inch, 0.042 inches of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease of efficiency of 21% the Environmental Protection Agency (EPS) reports. 9 out of 10 system failures are caused by dirt and dust as reported by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Services (LCES).

A clean system restores capacity and lessens running time – translation: clean systems run more efficiently saving money on heating and cooling costs. A well-maintained cooling system can reduce your utility bill by as much as $30.00 per month. Studies show that a well-maintained system can restore capacity by ½ to ¾ tons, improve humidity control and reduce running time according to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) of San Francisco Bay Area. By simply cleaning and maintaining your HVAC system on a yearly basis (your dryer vent, too) can significantly reduce house dust and microbial contamination. For particularly sensitive individuals and those living in very high humidity environments, the system should be cleaned every six months.

A clean HVAC system can actually be used to help decrease allergy and asthma symptoms. Air-conditioning can be used to keep the humidity in your home to 50% or less to significantly slow the growth of dust mites, molds and mildew. Electrostatic, UV air cleanser or HEPA filters used and maintained (cleaned or replaced often) in your HVAC system also helps lower allergy and asthma symptoms as well as better maintaining an overall healthy system. Commercially purchased fiberglass filters are only 7% efficient in stopping dirt, dust, pollen, etc. passing through them says the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Experts (ASHRAE).

Stripping to Save $$$$$$

2009-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

I just recently moved into a 60 year old house a couple of weeks ago and have been doing several repairs, additions, modifications, etc. With this cold weather we have been running the heater quite a bit (it seems constant). The house stays warm, but every time I walked near an exterior door I could literally feel the cold air blowing under, and through the cracks of the door. This was starting to get on my nerves because all I could see was dollar signs as my heater kept kicking on $$$$$. So once I realized this was costing me money I went to Home Depot and bought 2 door shoes which attach to the bottom of the door to form a seal at the threshold, and 2 rolls of self sticking weather strip. Once I got home it took me about 10 minutes to install everything on two exterior doors and cost me approximately $30.00. I know for a fact it has helped because the heater (honestly) is not kicking on as much, and my laundry room, (where the second exterior door is located) was always the coldest room in the house, now stays relatively close to the temperature of the rest of the house. Here's a link to give you an idea of what I installed.

Have You Winterized Your Home?

2008-12-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

While surfing on The Daily Green, I found some great tips on how to "Winterize" your home. There are some very interesting and doable tips... some more extreme than others (as in building a refrigerator that uses the cold air from outside to keep your perishables cold.) I am slightly paranoid about food going bad, so that won't be something I will be doing. However, one of the things that has the potential to be fun is the door snake. Door snakes can simply be a towel rolled up, or a cute decorated fabric tube. The purpose of the door snake is to keep drafts out by placing the "snake" at the bottom of your doors and windows. This will save you on your heating bill because that extra cold air will not be able to come in.

Click here for tips on how to build an air fridge.

Click here for more tips on how to make a door snake.

Waterkeeper Alliance

2008-12-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

I was channel surfing on Sunday, looking for something to watch other than football, when I stumbled across The Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest. Well being the type of person that follows all the celebrity mumbo jumbo, I was curious as to what they were trying to raise money for. Turns out they were raising funds for a non-profit organization called Waterkeeper Alliance.
Well I did not exactly know what that was so I thought that I would research it. Waterkeeper Alliance is an organization that tries to protect water quality, ecosystems and communities. They have a full time person that is in change of one area of water and several different program names, such as Riverkeeper and Coastkeeper. For more information, like how you may start your own Waterkeeper Program go to http://www.waterkeeper.org/

Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-12-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Just like other controversial topics, the debate on real vs fake Christmas trees is no different. I have read many articles in favor of both real Christmas trees and fake trees. But I can’t help but wonder why the pendulum is swinging so extremely.

A few of years ago, if not a bit longer, the trend was in favor of purchasing fake trees to save the billions of live ones from being harvested and then discarded like yesterday’s trash. We were told that we were killing forests, and natural habitats, and that our desire for a Christmas tree was destructive and selfish. Pleas to the consumer to make this transition from real to fake were targeted right at our “emotional jugulars.” So, a large percentage of consumers listened (although they had many other reasons for purchasing, such as the convenience of never having to string lights on a tree again) resulting in the popularity of the fake tree.

Now, we are being persuaded to go out and once again buy those wonderful smelling once live trees. We are told that buying a real tree is “eco friendly” and better for the environment. That these fake trees are bad - constructed from harmful PVCs (which is what a lot of our plastic bottles are made from, but we still drink from them!), made in harmful factory conditions in China, and only ultimately end up in our land fills - never to be recycled or decomposed. Again our “emotional jugulars” are being attached with the fear that we are breaking toxic air, or our houses will burn down from our fake trees catching fire.

For me, I have always been in favor of real Christmas Trees. Not for the reasons of whether or not it was better for the environment, but for the traditions that came with picking out a purchasing a real tree, for the bonding that took place when the entire family went out in search of it, for the smells that filled my house once that tree entered. Those are my reasons for why I had always chose real vs fake. But recently, I inherited a fake tree and decided to put it up this year. It wasn’t so bad, it’s still a beautiful tree decorating my home with the Christmas spirit. Which poses this question to me: What would these tree advocates have me do? They tell us continuously that real is better and that fake is toxic and only goes into the land fills. So, do I continue to use this fake tree I have acquired, contaminating my air and raising the potential for fire (which I don’t quite believe...) in my home? Or do I throw it away before it’s use is spent, putting it in a landfill somewhere - to go back to purchasing real trees? These advocates have caused quite the dilemma for us consumers - we are doomed if we do, and doomed if we don’t.

Just Broken Glass or Something Else?

2008-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

I know there has been a lot of blogs about great Christmas gift ideas, but I could not resist blogging about this really cool website I found, bottled up designs.

This woman, Laura Bergman, has found a way to take broken glass that she finds and transforming it into jewelry, and for this time of year Christmas ornaments. With each piece she also includes "The Story of the Glass." Which tells the purchaser what the glass originally was (i.e. beer bottles, mason jar, antique clorox bottles ext.) and the age of the glass.
So I urge you to take a look. The prices are not that bad, and you are buying items that are made from glass that would not have been able to be recycled any other way, not to mention they are really pretty.

Green up your Holiday Parties

2008-12-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is just around the corner and I am sure many businesses are getting ready for there annual holiday parties. Courtesy of Earth911.com, here are some wonderful ideas on how to make your party eco-friendly:

1. Send Virtual Invites - You can save on paper by sending email invites. There are also certain websites that can help you manage your guest list, that will make it easy to see who has RSVP so that you are not buying too much food.

2. Buy By the Bunch - When you buy in bulk it saves on packaging and it makes it easier to clean up.

3. Light it up With LEDs - These lights are more energy efficient and you can now get different kinds of Christmas lights that are made from LEDs. If you like lighting candles instead try and make sure that they are made from non-petroleum products such as soy or beeswax.

4. Paper or Plastic? - Use reusable dishes instead of plasticware. You would not only be saving on the cost, but mose of the plasticware isn't recyclable. I know it would be more work, due to the fact that you would have to clean the dishes, but its better to save the environment and save money.

5. Post-Consumer Goodies - If you do however purchase paper products, try and make sure they contain the highest percentage of recycled content as possible.

6. Favorable Favors - Try and give environmentally responsible gifts and favors at your party or you can even make a donation to your favorite charity in honor of your guests.

7. Truly Evergreen - What would a Christmas party be without wreaths or a Christmas tree. Try when you are done with this festive items to recycle them, you can usually use a seasonal curbside recycling porgram or find a treecyling event.

8. The Morning After - Cleaning up after a party is always a downer, but since it has to be done you should make it worth everyones time and efort. You can recycle any bottles or cans that were used. Also if you have a ton of leftovers you can donate them to a food bank or a shelter. And remember to use biodegradable cleaning products.

Holiday parties are always fun and exciteing, but they can also be rewarding if you follow a few of these simple tips.

"Green" Christmas Gifts

2008-12-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Why spend money on Christmas gifts that someone might or might not use! The way to go this year is to give real, useful products such as Kathy's Climate Kit's. These kits have a variety of home efficiency items that can help you start being green. Included in Kathy's Climate Kit is: 2 CFL's, window weatherstripping, an auto-sensor LED nightlight, a faucet aerator, tire pressure gauge, compact reusable Chico-Bag, a form letter for reducing junk mail, 3 pre-stamped letters to Congress on climate policy, a reusable grocery bag, a toilet tank bank (saves water when flushing), toilet leak detection dye tablets, and some informative Climate Cards. They will also make a donation to an environmental organization based on what you've done to fight climate change in your home.

You can also put these together yourself and give them as gifts. The basket below contains many home energy efficiency aids such as: a programmable thermostat, do-it-yourself weatherization products, compact fluorescent light bulbs and a tip booklet.

2008-12-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

I attended a conference yesterday in Salt Lake City, Utah. The topic was: Adjusting To Less Water: Climate Change and the Colorado River. Scientists agree that climate change will affect the southwestern United States in a number of ways: reduced snowpack, earlier runoff, heavier rain events, etc. Water agencies throughout the southwest are trying to determine the best way to deal with these possibilities.

However, there was another aspect of the conference I found quite moving. This conference was sponsored by the Glen Canyon Institute. The afternoon presentations consisted of photographers and conservationists that love the Glen Canyon. If you're not familiar with Glen Canyon, it was drowned by Lake Powell when Glen Canyon Dam was built in the 1960's. The question was posed, "How do we teach children the importance of environmental stewardship?" After some discussion, the main idea that emerged was that it is absolutely crucial that children be afforded the opportunity to be in the natural environment if they are to have any respect for it.

Educating the next generation about natural resources and environmental protection is a noble thing to do and I'm happy to be a part of that!

Eco-Friendly Christmas Gifts

2008-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

While browsing for Christmas gift ideas this weekend, I decided to check out one of the websites another blogger had posted about: www.reusablebags.com. I was thinking that it was going to just be a bunch of bags, but I was mistaken. I came across so many eco-friendly gift ideas. I was stoked when I found the Stainless Steel Cutlery Set. What a great idea! I know that I personally use at least one plastic fork or spoon a day at work. Wouldn't it be great if we had these cutlery sets in our drawers at work? It would save sooo much plastic! And we all know that is definitely going to help the environment. That is certainly on my Christmas Wish List!

Another product I found that was awesome too was a porcelain coffee cup with a silicone lid...it looks exactly like a Styrofoam coffee cup! So much waste would be saved if we all used our own coffee mugs from home. I think a lot of offices lately are encouraging employees to do that, which is great! Someone also mentioned to me that if you take your own mug into places like Starbucks, they will give you a slight discount.. what a great deal!

Let's try to give some eco-friendly gifts this year for Christmas!

A Greener Christmas

2008-12-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

I know we all have our own picture perfect Christmas of exactly what it should be and how it should look. When it boils down to it, if we could do things more Eco-friendly I know we would. I know of 5 simple easy things we can do that really make a huge difference.

Number one is to replant or donate your Christmas tree. I know everyone loves the smell of pine so take care of your tree and once Christmas is over donate your Christmas tree to be replanted in local parks, church's, schools, etc. Second would be switching from incandescent lights to LED lights. It is a fact that if every American home switched to LED Christmas lights, we could save $160 million in energy costs this season alone. Not only that but your bill alone would drop significantly. Third is to either make or buy recycled ornaments. Families could get together and make ornaments out of fruits and berries, gingerbread cookies, pine cones, etc. Most of the ornaments made in today's society are either plastic or glass. Did you know that you can rent a Christmas tree? People deliver it before Christmas and set it up for you and after the Holiday they come and pick it up. This is a great way to insure that the plant will be replanted; and last but not least number five. Christmas trees can be recycled a number of ways. They can be turned in mulch, used for landscaping or chipped and used on pathways. By doing this trees not only stabilize the soil but provide habitats for fish, birds and mammals as well.

Eat A Local Feast For Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Let's get back to our roots this Thanksgiving...

We know that the Pilgrims did not truck food in from thousands or even hundreds of miles away for their feast. It was obviously not possible for that to happen. Why can't we eat locally grown foods for our Thanksgiving meal? The 100 Mile Diet is doing a Thanksgiving special this year. You can go to their site, type in your zip code and find out local foods for Thanksgiving.

To me, this is great because the carbon dioxide emissions from transporting turkeys or what have you across the country are not entering our atmosphere. The produce should also be cheaper because it didn't have to be hauled in from who knows where.

Whether you eat locally or globally, have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo by Elkit via Flickr

Gimme 5

2008-11-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

Starting in January, Preserve, a household product maker, will be accepting all #5 plastics for recycling. As part of a new “Gimme 5” program, Preserve will be arranging a partnership with Whole Foods to have bins for you to take your #5 plastics, such as butter and yogurt tubs, reusable plastic bottles, medicine bottles, and Brita water filters.

The company will be taking these plastics and reusing them for products such as toothbrushes, razor handles and kitchen ware (instead of filling landfills). The activated carbon and other filter media in the Brita filters will be sent to “be regenerated for alternative use and converted into energy” according to press releases put out by both Preserve and Brita.

If you don’t have a Whole foods near you, you can still send your #5 plastics directly to Preserve. For more information visit Preserve.

"Green your Ride"

2008-11-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

What if a single inexpensive upgrade could significantly cut your car’s emissions while simultaneously increasing its fuel efficiency? That is the idea behind this new product called ‘Blade,’ created by Sabertec. Blade is an exhaust filtration unit. It filters matter particles as well as increasing catalytic converter efficiency. This new device makes some pretty fantastic claims, but is it truly cracked up to be - or just another piece of green-washed bling out to pilfer your pockets?

Blade has been approved by the California Air Resources Board and the EPA. It is capable of reducing greenhouse gasses by up to 34%, filtering vehicle air pollution by up to 57%, and increasing your vehicle’s fuel sufficiency by 10-30%. Blade reduces emissions with a filter that captures post-catalytic particulate matter, also decreases the time it takes for your vehicle’s catalytic converter to heat up and prevents exhaust from slipping back into the combustion chamber as it is expelled, theoretically maximizing gasoline efficiency.

But, “Blade relies upon disposable filters, which must be replaced every 3,000-10,000 miles, cost $20 a pop, and will presumably end up in a landfill. Second, how can a device that by nature filters and restricts exhaust prevent it from trailing back into the combustion chamber? ... perhaps the most problematic aspect of the Blade is the way it empowers car culture by giving free license to gas guzzlers to parade about under an environmental banner: “Blade your ride… because you should feel good about what you drive”. The device even comes with a physical badge to identify your vehicle as “eco-optimized”. Bill O’Brien, the CEO of Sabertech says that “really, when you look at blade, it’s the best thing you can do for your car from an environmental perspective.” He continues to say that “a lot of people put these on their cars just because of how it looks.”

This conflation of image with eco sets a dangerous precedent, and I can already envision hordes of “eco-optimized” SUV’s sporting these banners as a justification to continue on polluting as normal. The blade may help in cleaning up car exhaust, but it ignores the number one way to reduce vehicle emissions: simply don’t drive - walk, ride a bike or use public transportation.”

via Treehugger and inhabitat

Frustration Free, Ouch Free

2008-11-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Amazon introduced ‘Frustration Free Packaging’ just in time for this holiday season. Right now, they currently have 19 products; with the hopes of expanding into more; with this new Frustration-Free packaging.

“If you’ve ever tried to open a plastic package twice the size of the product inside and ended up with box cutters in one hand and carpal tunnel syndrome in the other you may know ‘wrap rage.’ Then once you finally got the plastic off, you still had 18 wires to unwind and a mountain of mostly unrecyclable trash.”

Working with manufacturers, Amazon is trying to eliminate the awful plastic clamshell and other wasteful packages in exchange for recyclable brown boxes that are easy to wrap and unwrap.

Happy Birthday

2008-11-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for colds, and the germs that cause them.

Did you know that half of us don't wash our hands enough throughout the day (and after using the restroom - yuck!)? And and that two-thirds of the half of us that do wash our hands, don't wash them long enough to make a difference? Makes you not want to shake hands or touch doorknobs!!

Washing our hands is something we all seem to take for granted. But proper, effective hand washing takes only 30 seconds and it is the single best way to prevent the spread of the flu and the common cold. You will not only prevent the spread of your germs to other people, but prevent yourself from catching germs as well.

A way of measuring "how long is long enough" when washing your hands, is singing Happy Birthday. No, not out loud... keep those vocals to yourself. If you wash your hands long enough to sing happy birthday, than you are washing your hands long enough to properly kill all those nasty cold causing germs (assuming you are using soap and warm water...)!

So next time you are at the sink, think Happy Birthday!

New Study Shows California's Air Pollution Kills More People Than Auto Accidents

2008-11-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

A new study from California State University-Fullerton dug into the potential dollar and health benefits from reducing California's air pollution levels to meet federal air quality standards. The results were, well, breathtaking.

A report from the Associated Press today indicated that the study found that the California Highway Patrol recorded 2,521 vehicular deaths in the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast Air Basin in 2006, compared to 3,812 deaths attributed to respiratory illness caused by particulate pollution. The study linked ozone and particulates to both respiratory ailments and heart disease, and identified health costs and productivity costs.

In short, while expensive and difficult to achieve, the goal of cleaning up California's air would pay big dividends in quality of life and dollars. This kind of analysis and dialogue is exactly what we need to begin looking at the true costs - and benefits - of actions which clean our environment. These investments have big, important payoffs that help the economy as well as other important quality of life indicators. For more on this story, go to the msnbc website at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27697708/,

The Gift of Giving

2008-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

With the holidays just around the corner, it is the perfect time to start thinking about how to be the most thoughtful without being the most wasteful. There is a plethora of ways - from small to big.

When you’re wrapping those pretty little presents, think about using your shredded paper as stuffing rather than new tissue paper. Not only will you save money, but you will be giving those gifts better protection and won’t be creating anymore waste - it was already going in the trash.. Choose wrapping paper that can be recycled instead of all those foils and tin lined papers. Yes, they are pretty, but they aren’t good for us and they cost an arm and a leg to begin with! Think about reusing ribbons and bows from previous years instead of always buying new present toppers and finishers. All those bows go to waste each year when they can be saved.

When it comes to the gift itself. Try finding new, used/recycled/repurposed gifts. I don’t mean looking in your closet for some junky item you got last year, or re-gifting the fruitcake your aunt gave you... For example: for the wine connoisseur, think about getting them a set of recycled windshield wine glasses, handmade from car windshields. They are great conversation pieces and it is a new use for something once discarded ( for other recycled wine glasses, check out www.potterybarn.com). For the the person who loves unique jewelry, think about giving them vintage “dead stock” jewelry (so they’ve never been worn). This will give them a unique style without adding to the waste of mass produced, cheaply made jewelry of today. For the loved one that needs a vacation (that you certainly can’t pay for), give them a day at a spa, or a massage instead of any of those do-it-yourself relaxation tools. You will keep someone employed and your gift can’t be thrown into a landfill.

You can find unique gift ideas at places like uncommongoods.com, sprig.com, vintage-hollywood.com, costplus.com and many more.

Being creative with your gift giving lends itself to being more thoughtful and less wasteful - it’s a win win!

Which Candidate Thinks Like You

2008-11-04T16:15:00.001-08:00

It may be election night and you may have already voted but there's still time to take the "Which Candidate Thinks Like You?" election quiz over at thedailygreen.com. Just like voting you don't have to tell anyone which one you favor just smile knowingly when your candidate wins.

Don't Let The Holidays Get You Down

2008-11-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

So the holiday season is upon us and so is the season for colds and flu. With the passing of money back and forth with holiday shopping and the elevated stress levels it's a given you're going to get sick.

Not to worry though, The Daily Green has some advice that will help keep you healthy this winter.

For instance, I never knew that eating carrots would help get rid of headaches or that tomatoes could ease the pain of minor burns.

thedailygreen.com: Phytonutrients in fresh produce, like the beta carotene in carrots, can reduce inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain. Eating two cups a day can help some people reduce headache incidence by 70%!

For minor burns, slice a tomato and apply it to the burn, allowing the juice to fully dry. Tomatoes have nature's healthiest dose of lycopene, which is anti-inflammatory.

Be sure to check out the other tips at TheDailyGreen.com and let us know your great winter tips by leaving us a comment.

Photo by Claudecf via Flickr.

Starbucks

2008-11-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few things that we can expect from our favorite coffee company coming up in the near future. As part of its Shared Planet™ program, Starbucks has vowed to:

* Making 100 percent of Starbucks cups to be reusable or recyclable.
* Increase and encourage in store recycling.
* “Greening” all new, company-owned stores by 2010.
* Growing and ethically trading 100% of the company’s coffee (up from the current
65%).
* Contributing more than 1 million community service hours annually in Communities where the company does business.
* Reduce its global impact by conserving water and energy and promoting forest conservation.

Starbucks has committed to achieving these goals by 2015. Current Starbucks is already supporting other green programs in stores; such as a 10-cent discount whenever a customer brings there own cup to fill up instead of a store paper cup.

Blind as a Bat?

2008-10-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

We all know the saying blind as a bat, although it is an oxymoron. Well, the University of Michigan College of Engineering, just received a five year $10-million dollar grant to develope a steel-winged robotic spy plane shaped like a bat - named COM-BAT. It is a six inch surveillence device that is powered by solar, wind, and vibrations - much like a real bat... The concept came from the US military as a means to gather real-time data for soldiers, and the army. The grant will initiate the University of Michigan Center for Objectives Microelectronics and Biominetic Advanced Technologies (called COM-BAT for short).

Some of the concepts that will be worked on through the grant include cameras for stereo vision, mini-microphones capable of tracking sounds from different directions, and small detectors for nuclear radiation and poisonous gases.

There's Something New in the Air

2008-10-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Hey readers, welcome back! Blogger is rolling out a new feature that will make getting your fill of energy and resource conservation news and tips much easier. Now you can follow us if you have a blogger account. Here's how to do it.

Step 1) Log into Blogger.com and go to your Dashboard.

Step 2) Look about half way down the page and you should see 3 tabs. One says "Blogs I'm Following", and the other 2 say "Blogger Buzz" and "Blogs of Note". Click the "Blogs I'm Following" tab. If you don't see it don't worry. This is a limited roll out but everyone will have it very soon.

Step 3) Now click the light blue "Add" button.

Step 4) Select "Add from URL" and enter the following URL in the blank: resourceactionprograms.blogspot.com and click the "Add" button.

Step 5) Select "Follow publicly" and then click "Follow".

That's it! Now you'll be able to see posts from our blog on your Dashboard everytime you log in. You can add all your favorite blogs the same way! Enjoy!

That's A Lot of Bottles...

2008-10-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

In Thailand, the Wat Pa Maha Chedio Kaew Temple was built from one million recycled bottles! They "found a way to bottle-up Nervana, literally." The temple is in Thailand's Sisaket province, about 370 miles northeast of Bangkok. It was nicknamed, "Wat Lan Kuad", Temple of Million Bottles. It features glass bottles throughout the entire temple and grounds, including the crematorium, surrounding shelters, and the toilets too! An estimate of 1.5 million recycled bottles are built into the temple and they are continuing to build with more. They have even used the bottle caps as decoration throughout in mosaics and murals!

This bottle collection that turned into a building started in 1984 when the bottles were used as decoration in shelters by the monks. The shiny feature of the glass attracted more people and donations of more bottles until they had enough to build the temple standing today. The bottle bricks don't fade and let plenty of natural light in, and are surprisingly easy to clean and maintain.

Living like Tarzan?

2008-10-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

Mitchell Joachim, an eco-architect, has a visionary idea about how to grow living treehouses from ficus that is molded around a group of frame structures.

"As part of the ecological architecture nonprofit Terreform, Mitchell Joachin, Lara Greden, and Javier Arbona designed this living treehouse in which the dwelling itself merges with its environment and nourishes its inhabitants. 'Fab Tree Hab' dissolves our conventional concept of home and establishes a new symbiosis between the house and its surrounding ecosystem."

In order to build this treehouse, an initial frame must be constructed by forming and manipulating lager tree trunks and branches of trees such as Elm, Live Oak, and Dogwood, to bear the heavier loads. Vines, smaller branches, and other plants would form the lattice work for the walls and roof of the house. The inside structure would be made of cob (clay and straw), which has been proven as a tried and true "green building" approach that allows for customization in shaping the walls and ceilings.

The idea is to create a structure that provides sustenance for the inhabitants and other living creatures who interact with the structure, that when utilized in their "living state", can create a "superstructure" that is biologically pure and contains no unknown substances.

I don't know what to think about the idea. Although these designers have the best intentions and are only trying to "do good", it seems like we are using the technology and resources we have today to live like Tarzan and the Swiss Family Robinsons... going forwards just to go backwards....

Below is a short video:

California's Solar Thermal Plant

2008-10-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

In Bakersfield, California, a solar thermal plant was launched - the first in twenty years. This was a push to launch California into a "new era of renewable energy." It was designed by Ausra and was named "Kimberlina." The first of it's kind in North America, it uses 1,000 foot long mirrors to convert the sun rays into energy. Kimberlina is expected to generate 5MW of electricity - enough to power 3,500 homes. It is the first trial before constructing a much larger 177MW plant powering more than 120,000 homes, set to open in 2010.

This plant uses a technology called "compact linear fresnel reflectors," which uses mirrors to focus the heat of the sun upon tubes of water, creating steam that is then used to drive power turbines to generate electricity. Solar thermal plants are capable of storing heat for when it is needed and the steam created can also be used for other applications.

Governor Schwarzenegger was quoted saying: " This next generation solar power plant is further evidence that reliable, renewable and pollution-free technology is here to stay... Not only will this large-scale solar facility generate power to help us meet our renewable energy goals, it will also generate new jobs as California continues to pioneer the clean-tech industry."

Spooky Eco House

2008-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

This eco-friendly, off-grid house, in the woods of Sweden is enough to give anyone the creeps. This house gives the human imagination cart blanch! It's structure takes on the shape of a lizard, dragon, even a dinosaur! It was built in compliance with environmental building code. Because of it's location, so close to the water, the owners were limited. Inspired by Frank Loyd Wright's "Fallingwater," they got around the regulations by building an accordion room that is capable of extending outward over the nearby stream along two steal rails with a series of ropes and pulleys. The extension has not foundation and is technically part of the main footprint - thus avoiding the strict regulations.

inhabitat.com The organic cabin has a frame constructed of pine, with western red cedar shakes, which will eventually turn gray, blending in with its surroundings. The interior is naturally bright and lined with silver birth laths. Reindeer hides were nailed to the walls and ceiling to provide extra insulation, which was inspired by the Sami culture in Northern Scandanavia. Additionally, the cabin has no running water or phone lines and is not tied to the electric grid. The off-grid cabin is powered by solar panels on the roof.

When fully extended, the cabin is 775 sq ft, with a kitchen, living room, dining room, bedroom and a sleeping loft. As the architects describe Dragspelhuset, they see it as a tightly sealed cacoon in the winter when the movable extension is stored inside the body. When they return in the summer and extend the living room, they liken it to a butterfly expanding its wings to provide shelter on rainy days. Either way, it is an ingenious use of a small space, totally off-gird and in harmony with its surroundings.

One Solution to Polluted Runoff

2008-10-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Fall and winter will, hopefully, bring much needed rain. Rain brings many benefits, however, in urban areas with a lot of pavement, rain also brings "runoff". Storm water runoff is a major concern. When it rains, pollution on driveways, parking lots, and roads washes into storm drains and into rivers, lakes or the ocean. This pollution can include: oil, brake dust, animal feces, cigarette butts, and trash.

One solution to reducing runoff is the use of porous pavement. Using larger aggregate than normal asphalt, porous pavement encourages rainwater to seep into the ground rather than running into storm drains. When water seeps into the ground, there is a natural filtration process that cleans the water, and ultimately recharges groundwater.

Porous pavement can help capture runoff which would be lost to the ocean for later use as it is pumped from the groundwater aquifer, and it helps protect our lakes, rivers and oceans from the polluted runoff.

This technology is being used in new construction, but if you're thinking about repaving your driveway, you might consider using environmentally-friendly porous pavement.

Stop Burning Leaves!

2008-10-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Although you might think that it is easier than raking them and bagging them up, burning leaves may be hazardous to your health, not to mention that the smoke does pollute the air.
When you burn leaves they usually burn slowly because of the moisture that can be trapped in them. This can cause airborne particulates, such as dust, soot, and other solid materials, which can cause coughing, wheezing , chest pain, shortness of breath and sometimes respiratory problems.
Leaf smoke may contain carbon monoxide and benzo(a)pyrene. It can also irritate the eyes, nose and throat of adults and affect people that have asthma.
There are some alternatives to burning leaves, you can always rake them and bag them up. I know this is a major chore, but it is a lot healthier than burning them and many towns offer curbside pickup for leaves and other yard waste. So all you would have to do is set the bags in the street by the curb or simply rake them to the street, just make sure they aren't too far into the street because that could be an accident waiting to happen.
Leaves also make good compost and you can shred your leaves to use as mulch to help your lawn or protect garden and landscape plants.
So please, the next time you think about burning your leaves not only think of your health, but the health of the people around you.

Another Reservoir to Store Colorado River Water?

2008-10-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

A groundbreaking ceremony took place this week to provide more water for southern Nevada, central Arizona and Southern California, a good thing in light of our drought conditions, right?

The $172 million reservoir being built in the Imperial Valley of Southern California will store more Colorado River for the three states building it. However, this means less water being delivered to Mexico. Mexico has been receiving excess water from the Colorado River when available, more than they are “entitled” to under a 1944 treaty.

An Imperial Irrigation District board member said, “It’s not Mexico’s water, it’s California’s water.” But is water really something countries (or states, or individuals) should “own”?

Before the United States began diverting Colorado River water, the river ran free from it’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. This fresh water carried silt to the Delta which once covered 1.9 million acres. The delta wetlands supported abundant plant, bird and marine life. Diversions of freshwater for the U.S. resulted in a loss of freshwater for the Delta, consequently, the Delta has been reduced to about 10% of its original size.

So, if you haven’t already gotten the message that conserving water is a good thing, here’s yet another reason not to be wasteful. Water is a natural resource that has benefits beyond our use around our homes and businesses, water is necessary to support ecosystems such as the Colorado River Delta. For more information regarding ongoing work to heal the delta visit www.sonoran.org

CFL's

2008-10-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

How would you like to be saving hundreds of dollars just by using a certain light bulb? An energy efficient home is not only good for wallet but also good for our planet. So here comes the big question... Do you use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL'S) in your home?

It is estimated that just one CFL will save you $30 in electric costs over a lifetime. Doesn't sound like much; now, take that and multiply it by the number of CFL's you use in your house and you really could be saving some serious money.

A CFL is a spiral-type integrated compact fluorescent lamp that is combined with a tube and electronic ballast. This spiral shaped style has reduced efficiency compared to the tubular shaped style, due to the thick layer of phosphor that is on the lower layer of the twist. This type of CFL has become the most popular type of lighting among the Northern American consumers.

Here are a few interesting facts about CFL's...

*If every home used just one ENERGYSTAR light bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for one whole year.

*ENERGYSTAR CFL's use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than a standard bulb.

*Incandescent bulbs waste 90% of their energy generating heat; while a CFL uses only 20% as much energy, emits 75% heat and still produces the same amount of light.

Generating Electricity at Sea Takes the Cake

2008-10-23T10:52:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest complaints against off-shore oil drilling is the possibility of an oil spill that would destroy ecosystems, threaten coastal communities, decimate miles of coastline and cost untold millions of dollars in cleanup costs and restitution to families and businesses. What if we could still meet our energy needs but instead of drilling offshore we put up wind farms to harness coastal breezes and turn it into electricity? That's exactly what the UK and Denmark have been doing.

The UK has completed it's most aggressive campaign to harness offshore winds opening up a 194MW (megawatt) wind farm off the coast of Lincolnshire. The new wind farm can produce enough electricity to power 130,000 homes and makes the UK the worlds largest producer of offshore electricity.

Now that's thinking green!

Photo by emily_well_mannered via Flickr.

7 Green Vacation Spots You're Going to Need to Visit

2008-10-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

No matter whether you're an Obama supporter or a McCain supporter, one thing we're all going to need after this Presidential Election is a vacation.

National Geographic's Green Guide had a great article the other day on 7 Green destinations for travelers. The destinations were picked based on their sustainable practices, recycling and resource conservation efforts, and ambiance. Here are the top 5 from the list.

First on the list was Camp Denali in Vice-Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin's home state of Alaska. Camp Denali is located in Denali National Park and Preserve home of Mt. McKinley (Denali), the tallest peak in North America.(campdenali.com).

Second was the Orchard Garden Hotel in beautiful San Francicsco, California. The Orchard Garden is a LEED-certified hotel in the heart of the city, just a couple minutes walk from Fisherman's Wharf, the beach, fine Italian food in Little Italy, or breathtaking views of the city from Telegraph Hill. Forget driving in San Francisco and hop one of the cable cars or rent a hybrid car and take day trips around the bay area to Mt. Tamalpais, Tomales Bay, Half Moon Bay (where the pumpkins are great right now), or even visit the Computer History Museum. (theorchardgardenhotel.com).

Number three on the list is the Rock Harbor Lodge in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. Tucked away on a remote island in Northwest Lake Superior, Rock Harbor Lodge offers seclusion and beauty giving you ample opportunity to unwind (rockharborlodge.com).

The Sundance Resort in Sundance Utah has long been a favorite getaway destination and with 6000 acres of wilderness and some of the best skiing anywhere it's no wonder it was number four on the list.(sundanceresort.com).

For the rest of the list be sure to check out TheGreenGuide.com

Photo by Tyler Westcott via Flickr.

Want Green Employees? Reward Them For Being Good

2008-10-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

So your company's gone green. You're doing all your printing on recycled stock. You're shipping with recycled cardboard containers and using biodegradable foam for packing and you've switched to more efficient lights in the office. The only problem you still have is getting your employees in the game. You could always do what Earth911 of California did, offer the prime parking spaces to employees who frequently carpool or drive hybrid vehicles.

Earth911 is located in San Francisco California, a city notorious for minimal parking and rampant crash and runs. You're more likely to get your car damaged by simply parking it on the street than stepping in front of a moving train. Well...ok...I'm over exaggerating a little. Just a little. But in a city where parking is hard to come by incentives like this can really make the difference to your employees.

Have a Green Halloween!!!

2008-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone should know a few eco friendly ways to go green and enlighten your kids while celebrating Halloween. Some little fun ways to recycle are instead of using a store bought candy holder use a cloth bag or a pillow case. If you start this when they are young they will definitely endure this as they grow up.

It is always fun to be creative and festive for the holidays. Like the picture of this pumpkin that is made out of twigs. Another fun activitie is melting down old bees wax crayons and making Halloween candles with them.

Get Clean and Green

2008-10-15T15:24:00.001-07:00

Nothing feels better on a cold, fall morning than a nice hot shower but did you ever think about how much CO2 that shower is producing? Showers account for approximately 30 percent of household hot water use and can produce over 1,000 pounds of CO2 per year. Electric powered water heaters can produce even more CO2 if you live in an area where electricity is generated from a coal fired plant.

So what can you do? Try limiting the time you spend in the shower under the hot water. As my dad used to say, "Do what you gotta do and get out."

Install a high efficiency showerhead.

Have you had your water heater more than 2 years? Contact your plumber and have it checked to see if it's time for a new one. Sediment and calcium build up inside your water heaters tank lowering it's efficiency and require the burner to be on longer to heat the water.

Have your kids recently moved off to college or out of the house? Ask your plumber if downgrading to a smaller water heater or a tankless model is an option. Smaller tanks don't require the burner to be on as long before the water is the proper temperature. Tankless models heat the water "as-you-need-it" using far less energy.

To see how much CO2 you generate in the shower check out thegreenguide.com's CO2 calculator.

Photo courtesy of Oxygenics.com.

Maybe It's Not Better

2008-10-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Walk around the gym, school, or even down the street and you're sure to see someone carrying a bottle of water they purchased at a store. But is that water really better than the water you get out of a tap? A new report says no and in fact, says tap water may be much safer in some cases.

In a new report from the non-profit Environmental Working Group, 10 popular brands of water were found to have contaminants ranging from fertilizer, benzine, bacteria and even medications such as Tyelnol.

Environmental Working Group: Overall, the test results strongly indicate that the purity of bottled water cannot be trusted.

“It’s buyer beware with bottle water,” said Jane Houlihan, Vice President for Research at EWG. “The bottled water industry promotes its products as pure and healthy, but our tests show that pollutants in some popular brands match the levels found in some of the nation’s most polluted big city tap water systems. Consumers can’t trust that what’s in the bottle is anything more than processed, pricey tap water.”

“For years the bottled water industry has marketed their product with the message that it is somehow safer or purer than tap water,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of the non-profit consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch. “This new report provides even more evidence that the purity of bottled water is nothing more than a myth propagated to trick consumers into paying thousands times more for a product than what it is actually worth.”

Laboratory tests conducted for EWG at one of the country’s leading water
quality laboratories found 38 contaminants in ten brands of bottled water purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in nine states and the District of Columbia. The pollutants identified include common urban wastewater pollutants like caffeine and pharmaceuticals, an array of cancer-causing byproducts from municipal tap water chlorination, heavy metals and minerals including arsenic and radioactive isotopes, fertilizer residue and a broad range of industrial chemicals. Four brands were also contaminated with bacteria.

Unlike tap water, where consumers are provided with test results every year, the bottled water industry does not disclose the results of any contaminant testing that it conducts. Instead, the industry hides behind the claim that bottled water is held to the same safety standards as tap water. But with promotional campaigns saturated with images of mountain springs, and prices 1,000 times the price of tap water, consumers are clearly led to believe that they are buying a product that has been purified to a level beyond the water that comes out of the garden hose.

Photo by shrff14 via Flickr.

Safe Toys are Good Toys

2008-10-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Having a new little girl who is at that age where every toy in the house finds its way into her mouth I'm becoming more careful with the toys we buy for our kids. HealthyToys.org tracks toys and lists the hazardous chemicals found within them including lead, mercury, arsenic, chlorine, and cadmium.

You can vote for a toy to be tested and even nominate a toy to be tested.

Plastic Recycling Codes

2008-10-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

We all know that we need to recycle our plastics, but did you know that there are different types of plastics and that you should not necessarily put them all in your bin at home? Some of them need to be taken down to other designated places to be recycled. Plastics have codes on them with different symbols that designate what type of plastic they are. The Daily Green posted a list with all the different types and codes for plastics. This list will help you figure out if your plastics are eligible for curbside pick up or not. I like this this also because it tells you what certain types of plastics are recycled into. So lets keep on recycling because we need to save as much energy as possible!!

For a complete list of the different codes click here.

Frogs In Trouble

2008-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

It looks like the little, green amphibians are facing extinction. Why would this concern us? Scientists say that amphibians are indicators of how the environment changes. Since they breathe partly through their skin, they are more sensitive to things such as disease, pollution, toxic chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, and habitat destruction. So the fact that they are showing signs of going extinct could be early warning signs that some ecosystems are out of whack.
There is hope though, Jane Goodall has been talking to zoo's regarding an international breeding program called the Amphibian Ark. This is where amphibian's that would otherwise go extinct would be put into biosecure shipping containers to let them be able to breed safely until they can be secured into the wild.
Personally, I am glad that people are working together to help frogs. I love the little guys, not only because I think they are cute and they get rid of annoying flies, but know because it means that our environment is doing well.

Endangered Species

2008-10-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

How important is the specie life to us in today's society. Probably not as important as it should be. McDonald's Corporation and Cl partnered up almost 20 years ago in creating on the ground conservation efforts along side and educational outreach campaign. This campaign is focused on teaching kids how important it is to protect endangered species.

McDonald's in Europe has turned something useful into something fun. This partnership has launched a happy mean promotion. This happy meal special is a great way to make children and parents more aware of endangered species and how they are being threatened by climate change. The promotion is focused on 8 species of endangered animals. These 8 animals are:

ELEPHANTS

GORILLAS

SNOW LEOPARDS

PANDAS

POLAR BEARS

RHINOS

TIGERS

TURTLES

This is a unique opportunity to empower children to make conservation an every day part of their lives. For more information you can visit www.mcdonalds.com and www.happymeal.com.

One Stop Gardening Advice

2008-10-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

Fall is the perfect time to begin thinking about your yard for next year. The soil is still soft and easy to dig, the days still have good sunshine in which plants can develop root systems and build nutrients, and winter is just around the corner so your fall plantings will go dormant and get the rest for that busy spring that'll be here before you know it.

Now that I've got you thinking you're probably wondering, "Hmmm...what should I plant?" Well obviously you want to plant drought tolerant, low maintenance, low water plants right? Have no fear all the information you want is at one easy to find place, the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has information on plant needs, choosing the right plants (list included), efficient watering, installing irrigation systems and lots more to help you get ready for next spring.

Photo by Kristie Tuthill via Flickr.

$700 Billion Bailout Helps the Environment Too

2008-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

With the ups and downs of Wall Street and bank closings topping the news every night it's easy to see why millions of Americans think the $700 billion financial bailout bill is going only to the banks and Wall Street but, the reality is, the bill is targeted at almost everyone across this country from teachers to cattle ranchers and even the environment.

The new bill, passed last week, creates and extends tax credits and incentives for businesses large and small. The incentives for renewable and green energy extend investment credits for solar energy, as well as breaks for wind, geothermal and other alternative sources for another eight years. According to the solar industry by extending the credits through 2016 an additional 440,000 jobs will be created and more than $230 billion in investments as well as encouraging growth in the renewable energy market.

If you decide to buy an electric vehicle you could receive a tax credit ranging of up to $7,500. If you bike to work your employer can exempt from taxation what they spend on some of the fringe benefits for workers who commute by bicycle (e.g. reimbursing the cost of parking the bikes.)

So whether or not you believe the fiscal bailout bill was a good idea or bad, know that at least, in the long run, some good will come of it.

Photo by Bruce McAdam.

Venus Flytrap Being Poached?

2008-10-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I never would of thought that a plant could be prey for poachers. But apparently, the Venus flytrap is a hot commodity to poachers. I found an article on msn.com detailing how the habitats for the Venus flytrap are being made into shopping centers and golf courses. People hunt out the flytraps, take them from their soil and then sell them on the Internet and on the side of the road. Luckily, there are people out there trying to save the flytraps. They really not as dangerous as people think they are. Who wants a fly around any way right?

To read the full article click here.

Photo by David Midgley via Flickr

'Green' Halloween Costumes

2008-10-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Black and Orange are usually the colors of Halloween, but this year, why not try GREEN!!!! Okay, okay, I'm not telling you, you have to be the Jolly Green Giant or anything... But you can make a costume out of recyclable material... Check out these suggestions below! (Click on the links to view what they were made with.)

Handmade Crocodile Costume Coke Can Birdman (or any other beverage that comes in a can)

For the very brave the Great Pumpkin Costume!
For more ideas visit MSN's website at http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=231&GT1=45002&page=1.

Denver Youths Make a Big Splash

2008-10-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

What would you do if someone knocked on your front door and wanted to replace your old, inefficient toilet with a new, state of the art, low flow model? Did I mention they'd do it all for free? Well that's exactly what the Mile High Youth Corps and Denver Water are doing in the Denver area.

The program is part of a contract between Denver Water and the Mile High Youth Corps, a Denver based job training program, which began in 2007. At the time the youth corps was already greening up area residences by conducting energy audits for dwellings listed with Colorado's Low Income Energy Assistance Plan, installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, efficient shower heads and other items to cut energy use.

Going door-to-door the youths offer to replace toilets with newer efficient ones, install water conserving aerators, and install high efficiency shower heads saving just this year alone an estimated 18.2 million gallons of water for Denver residents. That's enough water to fill 28 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Awesome job guys!

Photo courtesy of DenverPost.com.

Ways To Green Your Office

2008-10-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Lots of companies are looking into more and more ways to go green. Well, here are a few simple ways you can:

1. Buy in bulk- this will not only save money, but you will cut down on trips to the store. An even better way is to order supplies online.

2. Reuse and Recycle Packaging- You can go either figure out ways you can reuse packaging in the office or you can recycle the packaging at places that are in your area.

3. Get the Warranty- This way you can get your electronics repaired instead of having to spend more money to buy new products. And lets face it the warranty is probably less money than buying something brand new.

4. Recycle the Scrap- What does this mean? Well I bet you never new that you can recycle staples, paper clips and pretty much anything else around the office that will is attracted to magnets.

5. Refill Your Ink Cartridges- Instead of buying new ones you can just simply refill your ink cartridges. Which is only about 25% of the cost of buying a brand new cartridge.

6. Monitor Paper Usage- Only make copies when necessary, use a removable stick-on label for your fax cover sheets, and set printers/copiers to print on both sides of paper whenever you can.

7. Set up an Office Recycling Program- This way you can recycle left over paper products from lunch, soda cans, water bottles ext. and earn a little cash for the company as well. Who knows maybe you can use the money for a fun activity for the company as a reward.

These are just some simple ways that everyone in your company can pitch in to save money and help out the environment at the same.

Every Day Cutting Back

2008-10-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Cutting back on expenses in today's economy is a smart thing to do. You can start with the coffee you buy everyday on the way to work. Instead of buying one bring coffee from home and just add all of the money you save in one month. Bringing your lunch also saves you money on food and money for gas. Another easy savings is reading the paper online in stead of having it delivered to your house everyday or buying one from a stand.

Another very effective thing is carpooling. Find a fellow employees that live around you and carpool to work; rotate being the driver. This really allows you to cut back on gas and wear and tear on your vehicle.

Companies Going the Extra Mile

2008-10-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

Even though many feel the economy is slowing down some companies are continuing to go the extra mile to make the world a better place. One such company is Toyota who, on Monday, donated 5 of their Prius automobiles and over $600,000 in cash to Yosemite National Park.

YosemiteBlog: “Working as partners with the National Park Service, institutions of higher learning and nonprofits, Toyota’s generous contribution advances leadership and education opportunities to protect and preserve Yosemite National Park,” said Bob Hansen, president, The Yosemite Fund. “The breadth of their contributions provides the resources to inspire new generations to develop an interest in conservation, environmental management and a passion for the outdoors.”

Toyota’s donation will also be used to establish a two-week Executive Leadership Seminar in 2009 designed specifically for experienced professionals in park and protected area land management. Leaders from government, corporate, and non-profit sectors will focus on proactive approaches and strategic leadership for use in complex, real-world land management challenges. This course draws on the University of California’s academic leadership, and pairs it with the unparalleled opportunity for field study and experiential learning in Yosemite National Park.

“The development of environmental education programs is key to preserving our majestic national parks for future generations,” said Bill Duff, Corporate Manager, Environmental Office, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “Toyota is proud to be part of this endeavor through our donation to The Yosemite Fund and Yosemite National Park.”

Photo by Doug Bradley via Flickr.com

Plant a Plant: It might save your life.

2008-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

I came across this article today about house plants and how they can reverse or calm the effects of the VOCs in our homes, rendering our environments less toxic. I found it to be very interesting. I knew plants did invaluable amounts of good, but this I'm not sure I was aware of. It turns out they are “botanical combatants” for each major toxin found in our home. Good Magazine put out a "plants for your health chart" detailing who battles what. Here are just a few: Chrysanthemums will detox the effects of house cleaners, plastics and inks. Peace Lilies will detox the effects of detergents and paints. Spider plants will detox clothes. English Ivy will detox smoke. The list goes on and on.

If you want to read more about this, click here.

If you want to view the plant chart from Good Magazine, click here.

When I was growing up...

2008-09-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why there are so many diseases and overall health issues that weren’t around when our grandparents, or even our parents, were growing up? Do you ever wonder if the plethora of medicines and protective measures that we have available to us are what’s causing all the health issues in the first place? There are more pills and potions out there that cause more damage and side effects than they cure the original problem!! If you ever listen closely to the disclaimers at the end of the commercials, you hear a multitude of side effects. It doesn’t seem worth it to take the pill in the first place!

For example, do you ever wonder why there is so much skin cancer today, with all the protective potions and lotions that are available to us that weren’t available to previous generations? Can you really blame it all on the ozone layer and global warming? Have you ever considered the products (and chemicals) that you are lathering into your skin thats being absorbed into your body? Coincidence? Maybe. But it is a question I have always asked.

So lets take that thought further to the way we clean our homes... We have a larger variety of cleaning products available to us than we have choices in toothpaste (and we have a lot of options when it comes to toothpaste!)!! Do they really work? Or do they cause more problems for us than cleaning solutions (pun intended)?

Some of the most popular products out there have ingredients in them that cause some serious health issues! The VOC levels these products give off are through the roof.

inhabitat.com: Some of the “top-selling” products are the most toxic to us. For example: Lysol Antibacterial Spray, who’s ads encourage parents to spray wherever children are, contains denatured ethanol (which can cause central nervous system depression) and alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, a known pesticide. Wow! Now is that really worth using for a little case of some germs? Kinda harsh don’t you think? The majority of glass cleaners contain glycol ethers that have been shown to cause reproductive effects if exposed to high enough levels. Pledge, the leading wood cleaner, contains silicones, butane gas, and propane. Most air fresheners contain formaldehyde (which is highly toxic and is a known carcinogen) and phenol (a delightful chemical that can cause cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma, and even death). If aware, I think most people would prefer not to expose their children or pets to such harmful chemicals.

You can cut through the marketing by looking for a few obvious things: products that have grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve. Use borax instead of bleach. Also, look for products that are “petroleum free” and avoid products that include phosphates (such as dishwasher soaps). You’ll also want to avoid any furniture polishes or PVC products that include phtalates. A safe general rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce it, don’t use it. If you can’t tell what the active ingredient in a cleaning product is, then you might want to reconsider slathering it all over the house.

These types of products weren’t around in the day our our grandparents, and gosh, neither were these wonderful health issues as common as they are now.... It’s food for thought at the very least anyway.

Do You Bamboo?

2008-09-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

While I was at the airport in Philadelphia this past week, I went into one of their many stores to browse around. One of the displays set up had some super cute t-shirts. After taking a closer look, turns out that the shirts were made of 70% bamboo and 30% cotton. I had never seen clothing made of bamboo before. I decided not to buy a t-shirt at the time, but I did buy a nifty bamboo pen (that I love!)

I decided to do some research about bamboo and in what ways it can be utilized. Turns out that using bamboo as a resource is huge right now. It is an extremely rapid growing plant, in some cases growing 3 to 4 feet per day. It also does not need a lot of water to grow (awesome for conservation!) Bamboo has also been reported to have anti-bacterial and deodorizing properties, which means that you might not have to wash the clothes so often. Another plus for water conservation!!

In my search for bamboo products, I came across an article on natural-environment.com about a cell phone made up of bamboo and corn! Only the case is made of bamboo and corn, but who cares! That is so cool!! They say that when you are done using the phone, you just toss the cover into compost and soon a bamboo shoot will be coming out of the ground! Another really cool energy conservation aspect of the phone is that it uses a hand powered charger. Just crank it up and you’re good to go!

I am excited about these new bamboo products, especially the clothing. I can honestly that I will probably be buying a bamboo t-shirt in the near future.

photo by Frederic Poirot

Park(ing) Day - September 19th

2008-09-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Park(ing) Day? Lots of public space is reserved for our cars. Our streets are literally lined with space reserved for cars. There are entire parking lots reserved. This Friday (tomorrow), from 9 am to 5 pm, it all changes.

September 19 is Park(ing) Day 2008 and for this one day, people in cities all over the nation will be turning parking spaces into public parks.

here is a video of last's years Park(ing) Day in NYC

Check out the official site!
Park(ing) Day

When Fashion and Marketing Collide

2008-09-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Vinyl billboards get a second chance at life with Vy & Elle (a play on the word "vinyl"). This company produces handbags, wallets, totes and slings, and many other products that are all made of old vinyl billboards! The straps of the handbags and totes are also recycled - made from old seat belts. This is a great idea for keeping vinyal billboards out of the landfills. They've helped you with your marketing, why not help out with your fashion too?

"Vinyl billboards are used nationwide as temporary banner advertisements and are usually discarded into landfills where they create toxic pollution. Instead, the strength of PVC vinyl makes it an ideal material for reuse. And because of the different images printed on the vinyl, it's even more interesting as a fabric. It offers colorful graphics that take urban art into everyday living. Each bag and accessory item has it's own unique "one of a kind" look without the high designer price. With random colors and designs, every bag made is different, offering a chance to carry a piece of art on a shoulder, in a pocketbook or in the home...So far, we have recycled more than 100 tons of billboard vinyl and this project is helping to reduce waste in our landfills and to encourage recycling programs within the billboard industry." Vy & Elle

You can find other eco friendly products at
uncommon goods
TING London
Pieces of You

Wasted Energy!!

2008-09-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me the energy that is wasted! We have jumped on the "going green" band wagon so much that we will make anything "green" these days - even the things that are meant to kill us to begin with! We now have "green" explosives... This is an oxymoron if I have ever heard one... a "green" bomb?! Who is going to be left to appreciate a "green" bomb after it hits? Is anyone going to say "oh gosh, they bombed us. But thank goodness it's a 'green' bomb. That was nice of them!" What a waste of energy! A bomb's a bomb. We shouldn't waste energy trying to make ourselves feel better that we annihilated a population of people with a "green" bomb.

"Although air quality may not be first and foremost on your mind when there are bombs going off, you’ll be glad to know that scientists are striving for “greener explosives“. Failing to see the inherent irony in an “environmentally friendly” unit of destruction, scientists have gone and developed safer explosives by adding “unique green solvents” and improving the quality and purity of their materials. The resulting explosions may be more stable and precise, but can we really call them “green“?" www.inhabitat.com

To read more on this topic, click on these links
Can Explosives go green?
Less bad bombs still blow

Saving Energy: At what cost?

2008-09-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

There is nothing in life that is black and white - most times there is more grey matter. There is also a time and a place for everything. Is saving energy always a good thing? At what cost are we willing to conserve? What are we willing to sacrifice? Would you continue with energy conservation if it meant wiping out centuries of history? When they tell you to make sacrifices, I don't think this is what anyone had in mind. Just when you think you have it all figured out in your head (and you have that black and white answer), you come across something that makes you stop and think...

good.is : Hasankeyf is a millenia-old city, home to almost every powerful civilization in Mesopotamia’s archaeological record from the Western Roman Empire forward. It has been continuously inhabited until just the past two years. Now it sits in purgatory waiting for its own Great Flood.

The flood waters would come with the construction of the Ilisu dam, one component in a 12-phase energy initiative, the Southern Anatolia Project (Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi, or GAP). The GAP involves damming the Tigris and the Euphrates (an idea originally conceived by ruler Atatürk in the 1930s) to produce “clean” energy, new jobs, irrigation and agroindustry, and with those things, regional economic growth. The first of GAP’s 22 dams was completed in 1987. Ilisu Dam, named for Ilisu town, was conceived in the ’50s and designed by 1982. A master plan for the dam unfolded in the last two decades. Its ETA changes as fickle or anxious investors come and go. In the meantime, the inhabitants in the predominantly Kurdish region that will be submerged upon the dam’s completion are treading water while they await news.

Achieving the energy and development goals of the GAP could help pull Turkey out from under its “developing nation” reputation and into the modern world—maybe even into the E.U. But the cost of progress in the case of Ilisu—drowning myriad priceless archaeological sites and ancient monuments, destroying an ecosystem, and disrupting the lives of tens of thousands of people—reflects the conflicts between development and preservation, energy and environmentalism, modernity and heritage.

A view of the El Rizk mosque, built by the Ayyubids in 1325, in Hasankeyf. Authorities estimate that flood waters from the Ilisu Dam will reach to 3/4 the height of its minaret.

If you want to read more about this, click on these links
Making Waves
Village of the Dammed
Bridging the GAP

Save Money By Doing Simple Things...

2008-09-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

You can start conserving energy and saving money by raising your thermostat in the summer by one to five degrees. In the winter you could lower when your gone and sleep with extra clothes on and blankets.

Always wash your clothes in cold water. Not only because cold water preserves the color but mainly because it is cheaper. When it is time to dry always make sure that you have a pretty full load; because believe it or not the fuller the load is the more you conserve energy.

When using lighting, you should use energy efficient bulbs; they reduce electricity up to 75 percent and last much longer. When using a might light, make sure to use the one that automatically shuts off during the day.

One thing that the most of us can all do is slow down when driving. By slowing down you can save money on gas. The faster you go the more your mileage decreases. A few things that can work to your advantage are getting your oil change regularly and using cruise control. Clean oil reduces friction and helps improve the fuel's economy.

Recycling Your Old Magazines

2008-09-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I never know what to do with my old magazines when I am done with them. They usually end up lying around collecting dust until I get sick of them and end up throwing them away. Well not anymore, magazines in fact can be recycled.
Different ways to do this are by dropping them off at local doctor offices or taking them to different establishments that could reuse them, you or your kids can use them for different work or school projects, or you can shred them and use them as filler paper. Another way is by simple recycling them. Recycled magazines can be made into different paper products such as newsprint, tissuepaper, boxboard and writing and printing paper.
I don't know about you but it is nice to know that I can do something with my old magazines after I am done with them besides just throwing them away.

A little bit goes a long way...

2008-09-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with saving water and the many water efficient devices that are available to us. For most of us, the concept of saving water has been embedded into us from an early age. “turn the water off when you brush your teeth,” and other phrases, are all ones we are use to hearing from our mothers. But, while you are turning off the water while you brush your teeth and waiting to do your laundry till midnight when its considered “off peak” hours, have you considered what chemicals you are mixing with all that precious water, that’s undoing all that hard water saving work?

When you’re washing those clothes at midnight, are you using biodegradable detergents and softeners that use plant oils? Or dryer cloths that don’t contain animal tallow? Thats some pretty dirty stuff to be put around your body let alone in our water!

What about when you’re washing your hands throughout the day? Are you using a non-toxic, triosan-free soap? If your not, you’re not only dirtying up our water, but you’re killing all the aquatic and plant life that it comes in contact with after it leaves your sink. “Soap's job is to clean. Not kill. So why do so many brag about their 99.99% death rate? if microbes can't take it, what makes you think your hands can?” - method. When you use the oh-so popular hand sanitizers that are out there, what are you using? Most of the leading brands carry harmful chemicals that are toxic to you let alone our water!

When you’re cleaning your kitchen and your bathroom, what are you using? You use a lot of water with all those products... Are you sure they are not contaminating while your cleaning? If you can’t understand half of the ingredients on the label, and if it says harmful if digested, keep out of reach from children, than it’s probably not good for the water either... We should be using biodegradable, bleach-free products.

What about washing dishes? Have you thought about what your soap is leaving behind and contaminating the water, let alone your food? If you spend the extra money to eat organic foods, you might as well save it. If you aren’t using a biodegradable, phosphate-free dishwasher detergent, than all those chemicals that you were trying so hard to avoid have just made their way back up onto your dinner plate.

As we grow into a more “green” conscience society, there are more and more product lines becoming available to us to assist us in detoxing our homes (and water!). One of the fastest growing and leading brands out there today, is Method. Not only are they selling environmentally safe products, but they have started a movement called “people against dirty.” Method has acquired a faithful following of product users like kids to the neighborhood ice cream truck! Other major brands have quickly tried to follow suit with providing environmentally safe products but have a while to go before they start nipping at Method’s heals. If you haven’t heard of Method, or tried their products, check them out. They have recently published a book called “Squeaky Green” that spills the beans on all the dirty little secrets hiding in your home. You can find Method at Target and other major retailers. You can also check them out online at methodhome.com

GM Plants Going 'Landfill Free' by 2010

2008-09-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Many businesses are realizing that to compete in today's environmentally aware marketplace they need to be "green". One of latest of these companies "going green" is none other than General Motors, manufacturers of the Chevrolet and GMC line of automobiles, who have vowed to make more than half of their manufacturing plants "Landfill Free" by 2010.

Free Press: "GM said Friday it has added 33 plants to its list of "landfill-free" plants, bringing the total to 43.

And by 2010 GM is aiming to achieve landfill-free status at more than 80, or half, of its manufacturing plants.

GM defines "landfill-free" as reusing or recycling 96% or more of the waste generated by the manufacturing process.

"As a result of our global efforts, recycled metal scrap sales are approaching $1 billion in annual revenue," said John Buttermore, vice president GM Powertrain.

GM will also generate about $16 million in revenue in North America, he said, from recycled wood, cardboard, plastic and oil.

"So in additional to being environmentally responsible, there is a bottom-line benefit to our recycling efforts," Buttermore said."

Water Agencies Getting Serious About Conservation

2008-09-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

With California in the grips of one of the worst droughts in state history, Water Agencies are taking a tough stance with water wasters.

SignOnSanDiego.com: "Since November, Bill Stephens and his fellow water cops have issued more than 450 warnings and tickets to water wasters in Riverside County. They've targeted commercial, industrial and institutional customers in the Eastern Municipal Water District from Moreno Valley to Temecula.

This month, Stephens started to cite residents for excessively using water. After two warnings, homeowners will be fined $100 or more.

“You see a lot of waste. You just see it everywhere,” Stephens said.

He mainly writes citations when water is streaming off landscaped areas or sprinklers are spraying onto pavement.

Water cops are the way Eastern, California's fifth-largest water district, is emphasizing the statewide drought. There are few equivalent programs in San Diego County, where officials are relying almost entirely on voluntary conservation despite some calls for mandates.

One exception is the Padre Dam Municipal Water District in Santee, whose employees recently were deputized to report water misuse, including irrigating between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Violators are sent a warning, and repeat problems can result in fines of $75 or more.

“It's time to get serious,” said Mike Uhrhammer, spokesman for the Padre Dam district.

The odds are increasing that similar restrictions and enforcement measures will become the norm throughout California next year. Water levels of major Northern California reservoirs that also supply Southern California are dropping dangerously low: the Folsom, Shasta and Oroville lakes are one-third full. Last winter's snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada were meager and there wasn't much rainfall.

Next year “could be the worst drought in California history,” Lester Snow, the state's water chief, said at a recent hearing in Fresno.

Sacramento-area districts have tried several tactics. One has adopted an odd-even daily outdoor watering schedule, another shuts off deliveries to farmers and ranchers three days a week and a third adds a surcharge to the bills of customers who haven't met its conservation standard.

As of Friday, homeowners and businesses in Folsom, along the American River, are allowed to irrigate landscaping only on specified days and never between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently signed an ordinance that doubles fines and prohibits watering lawns between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“We are stating unequivocally to all residents that anyone wasting our most precious resource will pay the price,” Villaraigosa said."

Photo by Dvaires via Flickr.

Discover the Delta

2008-09-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ever considered where your water comes from? (No, I’m not talking about the tap). It’s a pretty important resource, wouldn’t you agree? California has a long history of moving water from where it falls to where it’s needed. The hub of California’s water system is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. Water is pumped out of the Delta and sent to Southern California to supply the needs of about 23 million people.

Discover the Delta Foundation is hoping to educate Californians about one of their main water sources. The nonprofit foundation has plans to build a 7,728 square foot information center where visitors will be able to learn about the geography and history of the Delta, as well as local hot spots for bird-watching, kayaking, wine tasting, or whatever interests them. The Information Center hopes to help people understand the region better and in the process, create a sense of value.

Maybe you’ve been following all the water talk in California, maybe not. There’s been a lot of discussion regarding Delta levees, more specifically, the possibility of failure of these levees in the event of an earthquake or flood. One of the hottest debates in California right now is in regard to construction of a canal that would deliver water around the Delta, instead of pumping water from the Delta. Depending upon how you see the Delta may have an impact on what you think about the canal.

For more information visit the Discover the Delta Foundation website at www.discoverthedelta.org

Boston Turns Off the Lights to Save Energy

2008-09-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Boston has long been the home for revolutionary ideas in this country so it's no surprise that it would be one of the first major metropolitan cities to break new ground in energy conservation. How are they doing it? By turning off the lights.

Boston.com: Property owners, acting at the request of Mayor Thomas M. Menino, have agreed to shut off the lights at 34 skyscrapers from the Back Bay to the South Boston waterfront - a move that will save about 25 percent in energy used for lighting. The pilot program - which involves extinguishing the lights above the 30th floor between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. - will continue through Oct. 31, but city officials said they expect to make it a permanent program at all high-rise buildings.
"If you drive around the city at night, you see a lot of wasted energy with lights being kept on late into the evening," said James Hunt, Menino's chief of environment and energy. "We're trying to target the tallest buildings and reduce unnecessary electricity use."
The initiative, by far Boston's most aggressive effort to reduce energy use, comes as cities around the world have tried to raise environmental awareness by turning off the lights for one hour on a designated night. Boston could become the first city to keep them off year-round, if the program catches on the way officials hope.
The effort, dubbed Lights Out Boston, comes as Menino prepares to host a national green building conference in November, when more than 25,000 people will flock to Boston to discuss cutting-edge environmental policies. In 2007, the mayor set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 and to cut them 80 percent by 2050. Reducing lighting in buildings also reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, associated with the production of electricity.

Photo by Eric Hill via Flickr.

Eco Friendly Paper Doesn't Require Trees

2008-09-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Very soon you'll notice a change in the paper you're using, or maybe you won't. That's because some industrious Canadian manufacturers have developed paper made, not from wood, but from wheat straw.

The straw used in the paper is the refuse from grain production and makes a product that's nearly indistinguishable from traditional paper made of wood pulp.

WorldChanging.com: Indistinguishable from regular wood-pulp paper, printed products made of a percentage of wheat straw are notable not for their tactile qualities, but for their sustainability implications. As agricultural waste, wheat straw is perennially renewable so long as people farm. As a product, monetizeable wheat straw provides a diversified income stream for farmers. As a source of paper fibre, it takes pressure off the forests that traditionally supply pulp, and the species that inhabit them.

Photo by Bernat Casero via Flickr.com.

What are you willing to give up?

2008-09-04T10:58:00.001-07:00

So, I'm searching the internet looking for interesting news and such when I come across an article from Newsweek.com titled The Tradeoffs of Going Green. It's a fairly decent article mentioning what a wealthy couple gave up to 'Go Green'.

It really made me start thinking about what I would give up? Michael Hoffman, this wealthy coal-fired power plant (click here to see an example of how a coal-fired power plant operates) owner, sold his company to help 'Go Green'. I can't even shorten my showers. I do own an Oxygenic's showerhead (the best high efficiency showerhead on the market, I might add ;~) ), but how much more water could I really be saving if I shortened my showers?

Of course the story isn't just about what this couple gave up. It is about what we would all have to give up or trade to 'Go Green'. It will be tough for all of us if we really want to go the distance. I would rather fight the good fight, then wake up one day and the world I know is no more...

Paper That Isn't Recyclable

2008-09-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Most people think that when you recycle something, 100% of the time it is recycled; that is not true. If one thing is contaminated in a bag of recyclables; the entire bag will not be recycled and it will end up in a land fill.

paper is recycled by mixing shredded fibers in with water to make new pulp. One major contaminate is oil. I'm sure everyone has heard water and oil don't mix. If you recycle something with oil in it, you will get new paper with oil stains. Perfect example is a pizza box. Most people see the cardboard box and think it's recyclable but the fact of the matter is, that it's not recyclable because of all of the oil that has absorbed into the box. So instead of contaminating all of the recyclables just throw it in the garbage.

Paper that has previously been wet is also not recyclable. The reason being is the exposure to water shortens that papers fibers; making it much less valuable. A good example of wet paper would be newspaper. If it was left in the rain or thrown on the dewy grass; it is no longer recyclable; and is now just garbage.

When recycling paper products, you don't have to bother with the staples, paperclips or even adhesive envelopes.

HP Gets It Done With Innovative Packaging

2008-09-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

As companies look for innovative ways to reduce packaging and freight costs, HP has emerged as one of the leaders. Building on its early adoption this past April of the US EPA's SmartWay program to utilize fuel efficient transportation for some of its products, HP is venturing into new packaging ideas with the release of its Pavilion dv6929 laptop.

Not only will this product do away with individual boxes and conventional packaging, it will be sold in a reusable Messenger Bag made by HP from 100 percent recycled materials. This product/packaging combo won the Walmart Home Entertainment Design Challenge by successfully reducing its packaging by 97 percent while also conserving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions. Walmart estimates that the configuration will reduce their shipping needs by 25% on this product, or the equivalent of removing one out of every four trucks previously needed to deliver the notebooks to Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations around the country.

Examples like this will hopefully lead to more creative ideas and broader adoption of new practices that will serve the environment as well as the bottom line - all while showing a 'can-do' attitude on improving our planet.

Turning Waste Into Gas, Oil or Energy

2008-09-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was on the Environmental News Network website, when I came across an article stating that there is a tofu factory in Indonesia where they are turning the waste from tofu into energy. This got me to thinking, what other random things can be turned into gas, oil or energy?

In 2007 Popular Science had a "Best of What's New in 2007" and one of the inventors featured was a man named Frank Pringle. He has found a way to take random things such as a piece of tire, a rock, or a plastic cup and make natural gas and oil from them by using a microwave emitter. The article says that you can do this with anything that is made at hydrocarbons, which is almost everything.

It is really interesting to find out that pretty much everything around you can be turned into gas, oil or energy.

Is Global Warming Causing More Hurricanes?

2008-08-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ), the answer is "No."

I found an article at National Geographic, in which NOAA has stated that Global Warming will actually decrease the amount of hurricanes and tropical storms. They say that this theory will always be something that is up to debate. In 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit, along with 27 other tropical storms that year, the debate about Global Warming really took off. However, NOAA's studies show that by the year 2060, these storms will be reduced by 18%. The drawback to that, is that when a hurricane or tropical storm does in fact hit, "hurricane winds could increase by about 2 percent, and rainfall within 30 miles (48 kilometers) of a hurricane's center could increase by 37 percent."

I started thinking about all of this when I first heard about Gustav (which has now officially become a hurricane), that is happening in Jamaica right now and making its way towards the Gulf of Mexico. I still don't know who to believe on whether global warming is increasing these storms, but I do agree that it will be debated for a long time to come.

2008-08-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

When rain or garden hose and sprinkler water flows into the gutter, it carries all pollutants along with it into the Storm drain, Usually the pollutants are motor oil, pesticides, fertilizers, grass clippings, paint and pet waste. Usually whatever flows into a storm drain, flows directly into our local creeks and lakes; ending in our ocean. This is a bad thing because the polluted water is harmful to humans as well as wildlife.

* Motor oil is never to be put in the trash or poured on the ground. It is recyclable so you can take it to any auto store and they will dispose of it for you.

* The pesticides that are washed off of your lawn are toxic to our environment. In most cases these pesticides are lethal to living creatures. The best way to go is using non-toxic pesticides.

* After your done painting and it is time to wash off your paint brushes, if your using a latex water based paint, you can wash your brush right there in the kitchen sink. However if you are using oil based paints, you must clean your brushes in a container with solvent. After you are finished washing them you can dispose of the liquids by taking them to a household hazardous waste center.

* Pet waste is harmful because it contains a bacteria that can easily spread disease. The proper way to dispose of it, is to seal it in a plastic bag and put it in the trash. Do not hose it off into the storm drain.

* When disposing of your yard clippings, you can either leave the clippings ion the lawn or composite them. By leaving them on the lawn, you actually reduce water loss and the need for fertilizer. When using the composting method, nature allows your green waste to be broken down back into the earth.

Teacher Enforces Awareness on Alternative Energies

2008-08-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ben Vander Heiden a teacher at Woodbridge Elementary School in Lodi, CA was mentioned in a recent article posted on recordnet.com for his teaching efforts towards alternative energy awareness. Ben has been taking the extra effort to show his students how important our environment is by focusing his science lessons on alternative energy over the past several years. Every year Ben's students participate in the annual Solar Olympics submitting class inventions. The article is located on recordnet.com and is worth taking the time out to read it over. The responses from the students show how early education on energy and water efficiency can help improve the future of our environment.

Search the Internet and Save the Rain Forest

2008-08-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

How many times a day do you use Google to search for stuff? 10? 20? 100 maybe? Now think what would happen if every time you searched with Google you saved part of the rain forest. Wouldn't that be cool? That's exactly the idea some creative developers had when they came up with Forestle (Forest + Google).

Forestle uses Google's Adsense for publishers to generate revenue. Translation: every time you click a sponsored ad (just like millions of people do on websites everyday) the proceeds (minus operating costs of course) are given to The Nature Conservancy to use to purchase acres of rain forest land as part of their Adopt an Acre program.

Not a bad deal. Looks like a "win-win" to me. So go ahead, start searching. Don't forget to spread the word. The more people using Forestle the more rain forest can be saved.

Click here to search on Forestle

Photo by Christoph Diewald via Flickr.

Two Deals For Renewable Power

2008-08-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

I was researching last week and came across two articles, one was regarding PG&E's plans to buy 800 megawatts of solar power, the other was Southern California Edison just signed a 20-year contract for 909 megawatts of wind power. I believe that both of this companies are doing this in an effort to meet the state's renewable portfolio standard.

For SCE it will provide more than 10% of its renewable power. As for the PG&E's plans it should provide electricity to at least 239,000 homes and hopeful that it would increase their renewable energy to 24% by 2013. Since they are required to have at least 20% of their electricity come from renewable energy sources by the year 2010, these two deals should help them reach that goal.

Tommy Lee and Ludacris Duke It Out to Prove Who is the Most Green

2008-08-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

So what happens when you take a famous rock star and pit him against one of the top rappers in a battle to see who can be the most green? Well to find out you need to be watching Battleground Earth on Planet Green (part of the Discovery Channel Networks) where rocker Tommy Lee is battling Ludacris to see who is the most green.

Ludacris Accepts The 'Battleground Earth' Challenge @ Yahoo! Video

I've seen several of these episodes and it's a great show. Every episode features an assignment they must complete. Along they way they pull in celebrities and friends to help out. Each show features a different way you can be green.

To check it out go to channelfinder.net or check with your local cable or satellite provider to find out where you can find Planet Green then follow along as Tommy Lee and Ludacris prank, tease and taunt each other while helping spread the word that "little changes add up to big savings".

Eco-Unfriendly Paint

2008-08-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that paint is the most hazardous household waste across the country. Before painting anything you should always measure the area you are going to paint. you should do that not only to save money but most importantly you won't have excessive paint lying around. It is known that generally one gallon will cover approximately 400 sq. ft.

The reason for Eco friendly paint is because indoor air is one of the five leading health risks that Americans face. Hazardous paints have something in it called Volatile Organic Compounds; also known as VOCs. These can and will add release low-level toxins into the air you breath.

When buying paint try and get a recycled latex paint. This non harmful paint is usually just re blended or reprocessed back in with new paint. This is good to do because you are proliferating the paint recycling market.

When storing paint, cover it with plastic wrap and then put the lid on it. Always store in moderate temperature away from children and pets. Always try reusing your paint or give it to someone else to use. If you do decide to dispose of paint always use a metal recycling program.

Sun Exposure: A Scary Thought

2008-08-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, I have 20 days until I leave for my cruise to the Caribbean. I am slightly nervous about the sun exposure, because to be honest... my legs have not seen the sun in a good three or four years. How scary is that?!? I know that I am going to need an exceptionally awesome sunscreen, but which one is going to protect my sensitive skin the most from harmful UV rays? I came across a website called SkinDeep, which is run by the Environmental Networking Group. On their site, I came across a section on sunscreen. It has a list of the top 10 best sunscreens, along with field that you can search for certain brand names. Most of the names on the top 10, I did not recognize. I decided to do a search for some of the more popular name brands that are available in local drug stores (i.e. Banana Boat). I was shocked to see that the lowest risk of hazard score was a 3. The sad part is that only 6 of their 41 products have the 3 ranking. The majority of them have a ranking of 7, which is considered to be a high hazard risk.

I even decided to check out my daily moisturizer that has SPF 15 protection in it. I was amazed to see a full ranking on the specific moisturizer with UVA and UVB ratings. It had listings of what ingredients in the product could be harmful and why. It was awesome to find all this information out! I will definitely be using that site in the future to find out which products are going to protect my skin the best. I personally want as little age spots and skin cancer as possible. I know our grandparents and even our parents generation could not really avoid the sun exposure because there was little education available to them and they just did not know better. In these times, we have so much knowledge about harmful things that we are exposed to daily, in order to protect ourselves. So get out there and buy some SUNSCREEN!

Green Your Pet

2008-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Those of us that have pets probably never really thought that there were ways that we could green up our pet, but it is a great idea especially since they use this earth also. There are several things that you can do in order to green up you pet, the general ones are to adopt from any local shelter, spay or neuter your pet in order to control the pet population, pick up after them when you take your pets on walks. Some things that people wouldn't normally think of are to feed your pet natural and organic pet foods, buy them toys made from recycled materials and use natural pet care products.
There are also several websites where you can get green pet care products, which not only will the environment thank you, but your pet will as well.

Greening Your Commute With 5 Simple Steps

2008-08-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

The 5 steps that I am about to list really can help the impact on our environment.

1. Morning Cup of Coffee
Most people buy coffee in the morning and it comes in a disposable paper cup. If you were to buy a stainless steal or even plastic coffee cup and reuse it, you would be cutting back on the disposable trash, the mess in your car and if you buy coffee and have them put it in your own cup; they give you a discount.

2. Driving Smart
The way you drive definitely has an affect on the outcome and longevity of your car. Driving below the speed limit is always your best bet.

3. Smart Parking
When you commute, your car sits all day outside. This can affect your car by using your air conditioning or your heater on the way home. Also leaving your vehicle in the sun all day can cause interior and exterior damage.

4. Lunch Time
When working you should pack a healthy lunch. By doing this you can save money, wear and tear on your car and pass on eating fast food. Also pack your food in reusable plastic containers to reduce money and waste.

5. Telecommuting
If you work for a large company, usually 100 people or more; sometimes employers like to have one day of telecommuting; where you work from home. By working from home you cut down on carbon foot prints, gas, money and the use of your car.

Tahoe Environmental Research Center

2008-08-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

After my last post "Keep Tahoe Blue" I continued to read articles online that referenced different sources trying to help the environment in Lake Tahoe. One of those sources is the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. The research center even references the Asian Clam on their website (referenced in my last post), which has been confirmed a threat to the lakes emerald blue color. However, controversial to this fact the research has also concluded recently that the lakes clarity has improved since 2001. So maybe some of the "Keep Tahoe Blue" initiatives have been helping over the last 7 years?!? Regardless as to the reason for the clarity in the lake, it's pleasant to know the environment hasn't completely given up on us.

The Tahoe Environment Research Center also received a platinum LEED Certificate for their building located in Incline Village on the North East side of the lake. The building houses the UC Davis research laboratories and also a free public education center.

Next time you visit the Sierras you should stop by the center and show your support.

Olympics: Green in Beijing?

2008-08-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

With the Olympics going on in full force right now, I started thinking about all those people and all those buildings. This wonderful event that brings all countries of the world together, may be good for our spirits, but can not be good for our environment. Below is a link to an article I found at the Huffington Post regarding what China had prepared for to accommodate at these 2008 Summer Olympic games. Did they succeed? Sort of...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/08/beijings-green-olympics-h_n_117746.html

Keep Tahoe Blue

2008-08-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

We've all seen the bumper stickers "Keep Tahoe Blue". Why the stickers you may ask? Well if you have ever visited Lake Tahoe you would know the famous emerald blue color of the lake makes people fall in love with the place. The cause behind the bumper sticker is to support keeping the lake from losing it's emerald blue color. Our environmental choices as well as animal and plant species invading the lake could one day change the color to a muddy brown. Just within the last two years scientists have discovered an Asian Clam and algae from the genus Zygnema. These two species are new developments in the lake that could change our once famous Lake Tahoe into a muddy colored swamp similar to other Sierra lakes.
The algae is said to be caused from fecal flowing into Marla Bay located on the southwestern shore of the lake. The Zygnema algae is not unusual to see every year, but the algae normally disappears. This summer is the first time the algae has stayed around the shoreline.
The Asian Clams have been around since 2002, as referenced in an article on the Tahoe Daily Tribune "Marla Bay algae invasion is a mystery". Tahoe researchers and conservationist are attempting to build a vessel that could possibly remove the clams from the lake. Hopefully this vessel will be in action soon enough to remove the clams and relocate them to a new habitat.

Information below on how you can help:

On the www.keeptahoeblue.org website they have a take action portion that lists out 10 things we can do to prevent the lake from losing it's emerald blue color. Check out the link below.

10 things you can do

They even have a support link where you are able to make donations to the cause.

Donations

Add a bumper sticker to support the cause or even a new license plate to your car.

Bumper stickers and license plates

Be sure to be kind to the environment when you visit Lake Tahoe. We don't want to be apart of the history that changes the beautiful emerald blue color to muddy brown.

How recycling is benefical to our economy!

2008-08-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Energy plays a big role in producing many of the products that we constantly on a daily basis. When making products from recycled goods, it takes less energy to do so. Not only does recycling take less energy it also preserves our environment and it's natural resources.
Believe it or not out of all of the water we have here on earth, only a small portion of it is suitable to drink. The less conserved the water is, the more valuable it is to us. When we dispose of water we have to be careful not to contaminate it. Just a neat little fact; if one gallon of car motor oil is disposed improperly it can contaminate approximately one million gallons of clean water.

Recycling Cell Phones

2008-08-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Until a few days ago I was not aware that throwing away your old cell phones could be hazardous to the environment by contaminating soil or water. While doing further research, I found that you can recycle your unused cell phones. Under my favorite links on the getwise blog page, I went to the Earth 911 link and at the top of their home page if you put in your city/state or your zip code you can see a list of all the places in your area that you can take your old, unused cell phones to and they will recycle them for you. I encourage everyone to check it out and if you have any cell phones just lying around to recycle them.

Find Lowest Gas Prices

2008-07-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Searching the internet I came across a website that gives you (almost) up to date gas prices for your area! Check it out. It's called Gasbuddy.com. Not only does it give you the up to date gas price in your area, but actual prices at different gas stations and what the national average for gas prices is.

CFL Controversy

2008-07-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

So it seems to be that CFLs are becoming the talk of the town lately. I have heard from many opinionated consumers lately, mostly about their complaints. I've decided to open it up here and give a few responses. Please feel free to respond.

Argument #1: I wouldn't put anything with mercury anywhere near my child.
Response: I realize that CFLs have mercury. Saying that, is it enough mercury to actually harm someone? I know it can harm the environment and pollute our water, but is it lethal? People are acting like they have to burn down their home if one breaks. Let me ask you this, if you break a glass in the kitchen do you continue to let your kids play in it? NO, you clear the room, you carefully sweep up the glass, maybe use some tape to clean up small shards, and you probably do this a couple of times just to make sure, right? Believe it or not these steps are very similar to cleaning up a CFL. So to me it's just really common sense. I realize you do have to be a little more careful when disposing of the CFL and it's parts, but isn't it worth it? And anyways, when was the last time you broke a light bulb? Just be a little more careful people.

Argument #2: The businesses selling these CFLs are being completely irresponsible in not advertising the safe disposal of light bulbs.
Really? Check out this site. They list the dangers on the home page. Maybe not all manufacturers do so, but many are responsible business owners and do. So instead of boycotting the entire industry, support those that care about your family and the community.

Here is a website that tells you how to dispose of and clean up mercury.

Recycle Your Old CFL's

2008-07-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was at Home Depot picking up a few items for home improvement. While I was checking out, I noticed a sign that read, "Recycle your CFL's here!". I hadn't given much thought how to dispose of the bulbs, because I haven't yet had to replace any of my CFL's (compact florescent bulbs). It is something to think about though...CFL's contain a small amount of mercury, and mercury isn't something that should be disposed of in the trash can. CFL's should be properly disposed of once they burn out.

Here's a list of ways you can recycle your old CFL's:
(For the complete article on recycling CFL's, visit lighterfootstep.com)

Your Local Garbage Service -Check to see if they have a recycling service for CFL's

The Federal/Local Government -Call or visit their website to get information on local drop-off locations

Retailers -Some have "take-back" programs, such as Home Depot

Earth 911 -Use this resource to find a recycling center in your area

Commercial Services -There are some businesses that recycle your bulbs for a fee

Storage -Until you can find a recycling option that works for you, store them

5 ways to green your Wardrobe

2008-07-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Below are some ways to add green to your everyday life in your Wardrobe

1. Shop with a plan

When you bring an article of clothing into your life, it’s kind of like adopting a dog or cat. That cute little number has to have a place in your wardrobe, and you’re agreeing to provide for and give it the longest possible life with you. Abandoning the impulse buy may sound boring, but how exciting is a closet full of stuff that doesn’t work? In the long run, knowing what you're looking for before you shop will save time and eliminate clutter. You'll get more use out of a piece that looks and feels great: What colors work for you? What fits work the best? How will the piece get along with everything else in the closet? If the answer to "Will I still want to wear this rhinestone-studded bustier in two years?" or “Can I eventually find a way to use it in a craft project?” is no, skip it.

2. Love your duds

Whatever you've chosen, take good care of it. When you get home, change out of work gear and into your famous dressing gown or leisure suit. Don’t cook or check the tire pressure in clothes you want to wear in public. Learn how to sew a button back on, or how to coax a nimble friend into doing it for you. Get the name of a local tailor or seamstress for major repairs or alterations.

3. Don't go dry

Though the industry has improved much since 1992, there is still a high likelihood that your trusty corner cleaner uses perc (tetrachloroethylene), a known carcinogen. See if there is a local green cleaner employing "wet cleaning" or liquid CO2 techniques. Many articles whose tags ask for the dry clean treatment can actually be hand washed, especially silk, wool and linen.

4. Buy vintage or used

People unload clothes for all types of reasons, and you know that adage about trash and treasure. From Oscar-worthy vintage dresses to Freecycled denim, you can likely find the piece you’re looking for second hand. You’ll be giving a cast-off garment a second life, and possibly supporting charitable work in the process.

5. Wash well

Washing wreaks the most havoc of all. It requires lots of water and energy, so only do it when you absolutely need to and have a full laundry load. Turn articles inside out and use the lowest temp possible. If you know you glowed all over a piece, make a thin salt paste and soak the affected fabric for a half hour before washing. Choose phosphate-free and biodegradable detergents and line dry as much as possible. Treat stains quickly with nontoxic removers. If you’re buying a new washing machine, look for one with an Energy Star label.

To learn more on Greening your wardrobe go to

Saving Gas

2008-07-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Some states are taking a different approach to help save gasoline, they're switching to a 4 day work week.

News10: Next month Utah will become the first state in the nation to mandate four-day work weeks for most employees.

Nearly 17,000 state workers will change their schedules to work 10 hours a day, four days a week.

"It's good on all kinds of grounds," said Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah. "It's good for the environment, it's good for energy efficiency, it's good for customer service ... and it's good for our employees as well."

Due to extreme heat: Help Conserve Energy!

2008-07-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

This week it is estimated that the weather will reach somewhere in (or above) the 110* degree range. Yuck! California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) is asking people to conserve energy today.

"Cal ISO suggested to use less electricity during the peak hours between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and to set home thermostats to 78 degrees or higher. Also, avoid using large appliances that require more energy." -KCRA.com

Here are some tips to help you stay cool and save energy.

*Close your drapes or shades. Windows are one of the largest sources of heat gain in your home. Although not as effective as exterior shading, keeping your drapes and shades closed during the day helps keep unwanted heat out of your home.

*Use ceiling fans wisely. Ceiling fans create enough air movement in a room to make it feel cooler by four degrees or more.

*Ventilate when it's cool outside. Most areas of California have cool, dry nights even after the hottest days. Cut your cooling costs by opening windows when it's cooler outside than inside. In the morning, close up the house to trap the coolness inside.

*Replace your air conditioning filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the coil in your air conditioner to freeze up significantly increasing energy use. Saving up to 5% of cooling costs.

Here is an additional list of "Powerful Habits", things you can do to help conserve energy.

After all of your energy saving hard work, treat yourself to some ice cream...just don't let it melt on you!

(photo by: MegandDavid via Flickr.com)

Alice in Chains want my cell phone?

2008-07-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

So I was looking at updates, news, anything interesting on one of my favorite bands (Alice in Chains) the other day and came across this program they are doing. In short, they are having people send in their old cell phones which earns them "swag bucks" which is currency that you can use on their website for all kinds of merchandise. Click the link for details.

http://searchwithaliceinchains.prodege.com/?cmd=sb-prizes

Hypermiling

2008-07-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is a new term for me!

Hypermilers are drivers who exceed the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimated fuel efficiency on their vehicles by modifying their driving habits.

This last weekend I happen use some of these techniques myself on the way back from Tahoe without even knowing it. The one habit that seems to save money on gas and speeding tickets is the cruise control method. I was able to hit cruise control on east bound Hwy 80 in Sacramento all the way to Hwy 99 in Stockton.....that is until someone cut me off.

It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive from North Shore Lake Tahoe to Modesto going 70 mph almost the entire way. So not only was I stopping myself from getting a speeding ticket (which was my first intention) I was saving fuel and money. The exact same trip has taken me three or more hours and I was proud to say I did it in less time while maintaining only 5 mph above the speed limit. (Traffic has a huge influence on this timing, but it's at least possible.)

Some would call my Yukon a gas guzzling vehicle, but if I can make it a habit to start using some of the Hypermiler's techniques I won't need to trade my vehicle in for a more efficient model. (-:

Below are some more sources to help you become a hypermiler yourself!

Article:
KCRA 3 News

Website:
www.hypermiling.com

Tips:
*Roll up your windows.
*Recirculate your cold air from the AC and turn your AC off.
*Hit cruise control as much as possible.
*Accelerate slowly.

Don't Let Gas Prices Get You Down

2008-07-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Gas prices got you down? Here's some helpful tips that can put a smile back on your face and make your life a little greener in the process.

Rely on public transportation, walking, and bicycling to commute to work, run errands, and visit friends.

Find a buddy to commute with. Try posting a note at work or on a community bulletin board.

Condense your errands into one car trip per week. Try buying more in one trip instead of making many small trips.

Get rid of your old gas guzzling SUV and get the most fuel efficient car that meets your needs, which might be a hybrid or bio-diesel car.

National Downshifting Week

2008-07-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's time to slow down America and join in National Down shifting Week July 7th through 13th. What do we mean by "down shifting" you ask? We mean slow down, smell the flowers, enjoy a simpler, greener way of life.

Here are some tips on how you can take your life out of high gear.

Downshiftingweek.com:Here are a few 'expanded' explanations of some of the actions suggested in our 3 lists.

If you are serious about your intentions to slow down and green up, take a few unhurried moments to read through it and you will stand a far higher chance of achieving long term success.

1) Analyze your time and finance budgets.

2) Cut up a credit card.

3) Donate a bag of clothes, toys or useful items to a local charity shop, refuge or recycling center, or Free cycle them.

4) List your usual weekly purchases and eliminate 3 non-essential items.

5) Plant something in the garden to cultivate and eat and start a compost heap.

6) Cook a meal using seasonal, local ingredients, preferably organic.

7) Enjoy the enormous benefits of keeping a few chickens, preferably ex-battery.

8) Hand-make a simple card for the next birthday or event on your calendar.

9) Tonight, turn the television off, switch the radio on and play a few games and talk.

10) Book a half-day off work to spend entirely with someone you love.

For more information and tips on how you can put your life in low gear check out Down shifting Week.com, Conscious Consuming.org or the Discovery Channels Planet Green.

New Rules Coming for Green Buildings

2008-07-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Starting in January builders hoping to get their homes and offices certified "green" will have new standards to meet after the U.S. Green Building Council changed its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process.

Washington Business Journal More than 1,500 buildings have received LEED certification since the program was introduced in 2000, and more than 11,000 are seeking it.

In those eight years, the USGBC has changed the way architects, contractors and developers design and construct buildings. Even structures that don't pursue LEED certification are increasingly incorporating sustainable practices. Such steps include increased energy efficiency, daylighting, recycling materials, non-polluting carpet and paint, and low-flow water fixtures and toilets.

"The USGBC's mission is to transform the marketplace, and we've seen a tremendous amount of success in a short time," said Anne Jackson, an associate at architecture firm Perkins+Will.

LEED certifications are available in eight categories: new construction, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and shell, retail, schools, health care and homes. Another category, for neighborhood developments, is in the pilot stage.

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Points are awarded for specific practices in each area and are verified by an independent third party. Depending on the number of points earned, a building is awarded a certified, silver, gold or platinum ranking.

LEED 2009 will reorganize the commercial rating systems by consolidating, aligning and updating them into one system that's "simpler and more elegant and committed to continuous improvement," said USGBC spokeswoman Ashley Katz.

Points will be allocated differently and reweighed, and the entire process will be flexible to adapt to changing technology, account for regional differences and encourage innovation.

"These changes -- giving LEED an umbrella rating system -- will streamline the process and make it less confusing, especially for non-practitioners," Jackson said.

The certification process has been criticized for being too rigid, cumbersome and demanding, for being too costly, and for awarding points illogically. A common example is that installing a bike rack gets one point, as does installing a costly HVAC system.