Honda Hybrid, Electric Car and Green Auto News! FORD will release a variety of electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models over the next three years. Ref-Ford Ford announces range of electric car models.
Now that I have your attention, this Green Tip of the Week is simple… reuse your printer paper. Paper has two sides - use them. I ran into a company recently that has found ways to mitigate their printer/fax paper waste - ConsultOne, LLC. ConsultOne is a healthcare related company, that reviews documentation submitted to insurance companies. You would think that such a company would generate large amounts of paper waste, but they don’t. Here is how they conserve…
Here are 4 ways ConsultOne conserves paper:
Paper-Free Faxing - ConsultOne uses software that allows them to send and recieve faxes without using any paper. These programs convert incoming faxes into attachements to an email. You can view them, save them, forward them as an email, or send to a fax number from your computer — no printing needed.
Printer Paper - Paper has TWO sides. ConsultOne figured this, little known fact, out. Prior to paper being sent to the shredder (more on that next) the paper is simple turned upside-down (”FLIP IT”…get it?) and placed back into the printer. When asked why, Heather stated: ” I wish I could tell you that it was environmentally motivated, but the reality is, it cuts costs”. Whatever the motivation, what a simple way to conserve.
Paper Shredder - After each paper has been “dual-printed” (made that phrase up and am sure it will be a Twitter buzz-word soon) it gets shredded and repurposed. The paper is bundled up and sent to a local shredding company that in-turn creates decorative recycle paper.
Buy Recycled Paper - To complete the circle, ConsultOne buy recycled printer paper.
Video | How to Make Recycled Paper at Home:
Hope you enjoy this video (it is too funny)and get motivated to create your own paper. I save my junk mail (that I haven’t been able to stop) and make paper from it.
Recycled Holiday Cards:
This company is pretty cool. They make recycled holiday cards and other eco-friendly products…check them out!
This week, make a the decision to drink from a better bottle. Ditch the bottles made with polycarbonate. Many water bottles and other hard plastic sport water bottles are made of polycarbonate , which may leach Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like chemical. Why should you choose a better bottle? Here are 4 reasons why:
4 Reasons to Ditch Polycarbonate and Choose a Better Bottle:
BPA has been linked to breast cancer and early puberty. That seems to be a good reason to choose a better bottle than a polycarbonate bottle.
Some have raised concerns about the effect of feminizing hormones on men, such as breast enlargement or dropping semen counts.
Drinking from a better bottle improves the taste of your drinks.
Ditching your polycarbonate bottle for a better bottle is good for the environment.
Welcome2green’s Living Green Tip, this week, is all about recreation. It is summertime; time to relax and enjoy the outdoors with friends. That doesn’t mean that nature must take the brunt of our recreation. There are plenty of green ways to have a great summer. Here are some ideas for motor-less sports you can enjoy this summer:
Let’s start with the basics (for those of you that are more hardcore, I will get to you). Walk. I know that sounds simplistic, but you would be amazed at the recreational opportunities walking presents. Walk in your neighborhood, in a park, along a beach, through the woods, or downtown. Organize walks in your local community, and encourage others to join in this motor-less sport.
Besides being a great green-sport, walking offers many health (physical and mental) benefits. Bob Murray, PhD and Alicia Fortinberry, MS, have created “a variation on a traditional Buddhist walking meditation”. Instructions are as follows:
Before you begin your walk, stand still.
Close your eyes. Take in the sounds that are around you. Be aware of your balance.
Don’t try to stand in any particular way, just let your skeleton and your muscles hold you comfortably. Allow your arms to fall down by your side and let your head sink onto your chest.
Try to be aware of nothing external except the sounds that come to you. Attempt to identify each sound: is it high or low, shrill or mellow, pleasing or grating. Each sound repeats in a different rhythm. Despite the apparent randomness of natural sound there is, in fact, an underlying order to it. There is a pattern in the way birds repeat their calls and echo each other. There is an underlying cadence in the sound of a brook, or a waterfall or the waves on a beach. There is a rhythm in the sound of wind through trees or a field of wheat or tall grass.
A teacher of ours once said that God talks to you all the time through everything. While you are standing there waiting to begin your walking meditation you might like to imagine that you are listening to the divine, to the voices of God.
You are now ready to begin.
Unlike an aerobic walk, this is a slow, ordinary series of steps based on awareness of your feet as they touch the ground.
Notice the variation in the ground: subtle changes in the level you walk over, in the texture of the surface, in the way your feet roll over stones or roots. Awareness comes as you notice more and more differences in the same path.
You can walk in a circle or in a line. You can go over the same stretch of ground many times–just pacing ten or fifteen steps back and forth–or you can walk for about five minutes before turning back.
Your eyes should be lowered to the ground, just a few steps ahead.
While walking, give attention to the contact of each foot as it touches the surface.
When other things arise in your mind, simply notice what took your attention and gently return your focus to your walking.
Towards the end of the meditation, ask yourself what differences you feel in your body and the way you walk from when you started and from when you last did this.
Kayak! This is an awesome motor-less sport. Paddling.nethas everything you could think of related to kayaking and canoeing. Best of all Paddling.net allows you to search for and locate paddling destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada, click here to give it a try. Check out this video of one groups’ kayaking experience….
Okay, so we have walked and paddled. Let us pick up the speed a bit… go biking! Bike your @$$ off this summer, literally. According to Nutristrategy.com, bicycling can burn up to 1380 calories in one hour. Check out this chart…
Walk, kayak and/or bike this summer as a green alternative to motor sports. Motor-less sports are many, including hiking, windsurfing, surfing, kite boarding, etc. We hope the above suggestions will help jump-start you on a motor-less summer.
Do you have more motor-less sport ideas? Post a comment below and share your idea with others.
Going Green | Green Tip of the Week - May 10, 2009: Plant a Tree
Plant a Tree-
Spring is here (unless you live where I do, then the forecast is for temperatures in the 30’s tonight). This is the perfect time to plant a tree. They take in stuff we don’t like (carbon dioxide) and pump out stuff we do (oxygen) thereby helping our current fights against Global warming!
“Almost everyone knows that trees and other living plants are valuable. They beautify our surroundings, purify our air, act as sound barriers, manufacture precious oxygen, and help us save energy through their cooling shade in summer and their wind reduction in winter.” Says the people at TreesAreGood.com.
How To Plant a Tree:
Choose your tree. You can do this based on aesthetics, or the type of wildlife you want to attract. Some trees attract birds or butterflies. Additionally, you can choose a fruit-baring tree and share your rewards with friends and neighbors.
Select a location to plant your tree. Some things that you want to consider are: (a) The root structure of your tree. Some trees require a lot of room for their roots to spread out and grab hold of the soil for stability. These types of trees should not be planted near septic systems or pools. (b) Underground utilities. Prior to digging the hole for your new tree, be sure that you are not going to damage any underground utilities. Many areas offer a free service that will come out, locate, and mark underground utilities. I suggest you utilize this service, if available, to avoid turning your tree-planting dream into a nightmare. (c) Overhead utilities. As with underground utilities, you want to choose a location free of overhead obstructions. This will allow your tree to grow to it’s full potential for years to come. (d) Give the tree what it needs. Consult with your local nursery or arbor foundation to find out what the best location for your tree will be - sun, shade, north-facing, etc.
Dig a hole. Don’t be lazy here. Make sure that the hole is deep enough to accommodate the root ball and at least two to three times larger diameter. At this point you can add fertilizer.
Plant your tree. Make sure that you place the root ball directly in the center of the hole you have dug, with the top even with ground level. Some professionals recommend that the root ball be slightly higher than ground level to allow for proper drainage. Again, consult your local pros.
Water, water, water. Initially, your tree will require liberal watering to help prevent shock. One great tip is to take a bucket with you into the shower, set it on the floor of the shower, and collect the water that would normally be waited. Now you can use this water to water your new tree…very green!
Place mulch, or your own homemade compost, around the base of the tree. This will help to prevent water evaporation and give your tree much needed nutrients.
Enjoy your tree!
Think that you can’t afford to buy trees? Check this out, The Arbor Day Foundation will give you ten free trees when you sing up for a membership.
“Choose 10 trees that grow well where you live, and we’ll send them to you to plant in your yard. You can also choose to send these trees directly to someone else.” Click here for details.
If the benefits of plating a tree sound appealing to you, but you have no time or space to do it, check out…
To help you plant and care for your tree in an earth-friendly, organic way try…
Here are some additional eco-friendly products to help you enjoy your garden…
As warm weather arrives, so do pests of all kinds. No one wants to see roaches running across the kitchen floor, ants in the pantry, or rodents in their garbage. Here are some green pest control tips to help you rid your home of pests while protecting the environment.
Before reaching for pesticides, try these green alternatives.
First, remove the things that attract pests. Keeping a clean home can reduce pests and illness. Keep your kitchen counters clear of food scraps. Every night, clean up the kitchen. Scraps of food, dirty dishes, and standing water are all things that can attract unwanted guests. Try these eco-friendly cleaning products to help with the task:
Next, put the dishes in the dishwasher. Soaking dishes serves as a water source that is attractive to unwanted pests. Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany determined that a dishwasher not only cleans dishes better than hand-washing, but saves energy and time too. Do you still have pests? Here are some eco-friendly alternatives to pesticides:
Get ants where they live. Follow the ant trail to their source. Sprinkle some chili pepper, borax, or dried peppermint; these eco-friendly products have proven to be a green way to steer ants away from your home.
Roaches- Combine equal parts borax, sugar, and flower and sprinkle the mixture behind light switches, behind cabinets, under sinks, and any other infested areas. This green alternative to pesticides can prove to be very effective.
Moths and other pests can be controlled with ceder chips.
Clean away dust mites. Vacuuming is the first line of defense against dust mites. If you find you have dust mites in your bedding, wash the bedding regularly with these eco-friendly laundry detergents:
Keeping a clean home can help to keep the earth and your family healthy this summer. If you have tried these green home remedies and still find yourself faceing insect infestation, try these all natural pesticides:
Going Green | Green Tip of The Week: April 20, 2009
Become an Antique Collector -
That sounds better than “Become a Dumpster Diver”, right? Still, the green-premise is the same; why purchase new items, that require energy and resources to produce, when there are quality used items available?
Furniture-Some of my favorite furniture pieces have come from antique or resale/consignment shops. This green tip is not one of sacrifice. Conversely, antique items can be of high quality. Give it a try; the next time you are in the market for a piece of furniture, go to your local antique shop, consignment shop, charity resale store, or online listings.
Clothing-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - this tip hits all three. Reduce your wardrobe by going through and weeding out the items you no longer wear; donate those items to a local charity for reuse; then, purchase recycled clothes from an area thrift shop.
Retro is in. Why go out and buy a reproduction when you can have an original? Thrift-Shops around the world are stuffed with name-brand, quality items.
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Books-The obvious answer here is to go to the library. Though, for millions of students, this option is not available. Many professors require that the student have available to them the assigned text books. Students are obligated to purchase text books. These can be found used as well. Not only does this help the environment, it helps the pocket book. Used text books can be found at great discount compared to a new ones.
Eco-friendly Grocery List - Next time you need to make a grocery list, try this: Grab your cell phone instead of a piece of paper. Almost everyone has a cell phone. It seems recently the owners of cell phones and computers are younger than ever. You may have seen the PC ads on TV - “I am 8 years old and I’m a PC”.
Most cell phones offer you the ability to make notes. If your not sure that your phone has this feature, just ask your tween. The green thing to do; put the grocery list on your cell phone. This reduces the amount of paper you use. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Let Someone Else Pay Your Bills - Most banks, even very small ones, offer online banking; take advantage of it. They are easy to use and eco-friendly. Just sign in, tell them who you want to pay and how much, and they do the rest.
Email Me - Millions of people keep in touch with frineds via email, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and more - very green! Why not do business the same? Many companies will happily send you paperless bills, invoices, advertisements, and other communications via email. To avoid clutter, set up a seperate email account for this purpose; I check mine three times a week and clean out the junk.
Green Finances - Are you still tracking your income and expences in a ledger (made of recycled productS)? Use the computer. There are many green options: use a spreadsheet program, try commercial bookkeeping software, some banks offer an online program, and more.
Paint Your File Cabinet Green - We all have stuff in files that we probably do not need. Go through your personal files and recycle what you don’t need. Another green strategy is to scan documents to be stored digitaly and recycle the originals.
Eco-Clean - Try eco-friendly cleaning products. Here are some examples:
Or, if you are feeling ambitious (or want a summer science project to do with your kids), try making your own with this recipe from grouprecipes.com:
Ingredients:
Distilled White Vinegar
Water
Essential Oil of your choice (optional)
Directions:
Get an empty spray bottle (I just re-used an old one)
Fill it half way with vinegar
Top off with water
Add several drops of your favorite essential oil, if desired.
Strong aromas like peppermint or trea tree oil work well.
Research has shown that washing dishes in the dishwasher has less an impact on the environment than does washing by hand. With that said, here are some tips for using the dishwasher, as well as washing by hand, that are easy to implement, will help reduce the impact on the environment, and save you little cash.
Dishwasher:
Scrape the plate. - Do not wash your dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. This process uses twice the water. Most people leave the water running during this pre-rinse process wasteing a lot of water. In addition, hot water is commonly used to pre-rinse dishes; using energy and leaving less hot water for the dishwasher to do its job. Simply scrape large items off plates.
All Aboard? - Only run your dishwasher when it is full. Running the dishwasher half-full wastes water and energy.
Drip Dry - Try truning off the heat dry option. Let the dishes sit in the dishwasher overnight (you, of course, will be doing more important things; like sleeping!) and the dishes will be dry in the morning.
No Free Rides - If a dish does not come clean the first time around, don’t leave it in the dishwasher for a second-go-round. This dish needs a more personal approach.
If a dishwasher is not an option, or come in the form of your spouse or child, there are still techniques that reduce water and energy consumption. Here are a few.
Washing by Hand:
Scrape the Plate - Look familiar? It really helps. The food can be scraped into the trash, or even better, a compost pile if applicable.
Hot and Cold - Fill one side of the sink with hot water and soap for washing. Fill the other side of the sink with cold water for rinsing. Simply wash the dishes in the hot water and then dip to rinse in the cold side; this reduces running water. In addition, this process reduces the enrgy used to produce hot water for both washing and drying.
Air Dry - When the process of washing and drying is complete, set the dishes on a drying rack. This is my favorite tip because it means I don’t have to use my energy towel drying dishes. There are other reasons that air drying is better that towel drying. From a sanitary perspective, it is better to let your dishes air dry rather, than run the risk of cross-contamination from towel drying. Many health departments to not allow towel drying in public eating venues for this reason. In addition, we use less towels when we utilize a drying rack, thus reducing laundry loads.
Sustainability means making a conscience decision with a new set of values. It means understanding that there’s a large amount of things you can do to protect the environment and help preserve it for future generations, while providing for yourself today.
Sustainable living allows for the support of communities without risking the environment. It is not just for governments and large corporations, conversely; individual effort is paramount.
Air, water, and land are all impacted by the actions of humans, but the impact of these actions can be mitigated in a way that they do not cause as much damage to the earth.
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! This is an awesome motor-less sport. 
