Green, Smarter Holiday Season

Tips and More

RECYCLE YOUR OLD CELLPHONE. Getting a new cell phone for Christmas? Not sure what to do with the old one? Now, you can drop off that old phone at any Staples store, as part of the Sierra Club cell phone recycling program. Each year, 130 million cell phones are thrown out, weighing approximately 65,000 tons. Recycling your old phone prevents hazardous elements like mercury, cadmium and lead from ending up in our landfills.

MAKE YOUR OWN WRAPPING PAPER. Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here's a great chance to get creative! Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section of a newspaper, or children's artwork. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

ADD ORGANIC & LOCAL FOODS TO YOUR HOLIDAY FEAST. Support local family farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste better, you'll be doing your part for the planet too. Looking for an organic turkey or ham for Christmas dinner? Find out where to get local green products in your neighborhood.

STOCKING STUFFERS: TEST YOUR ECO- KNOWLEDGE. do you have a family member who loves the outdoors? Stuff their stockings with Sierra Club Knowledge Cards, which come in a variety of outdoor themes ranging from survival skills to baby animals. Another great stocking stuffer is "guilt-free" chocolate! Give the gift of organic, fair-trade chocolate and you can eat your way to a better planet.

DO A "COOL HOME" TOUR WITH OUR ENERGY-SAVING CHECKLIST. Take a pledge this New Years' to reduce your home energy use by buying energy-efficient light bulbs. Installing only 6 compact fluorescent light bulbs will save the average American family $60 per year. You can also use our handy "Cool Homes" checklist to see what easy things you can do in your home to save energy. If there's a fire in your fireplace this Christmas, turn down that thermostat! Lowering the temperature even five degrees can take 10% off your energy bill.

BUY ENERGY-SAVING "LED" HOLIDAY LIGHTS. Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season! LED lights are available at many major retailers, including Target, CostCo, and Ace Hardware. Additional Link

GET A PESTICIDE-FREE TREE. Demand is on the rise for Christmas trees that are not covered in chemicals; some growers use 40 different pesticides, as well as chemical colorants. The good news is that there are now a number of tree-farms that sell pesticide-free trees, so ask your local Christmas tree seller, or search for an organic tree farm near you.

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE. Ninety-eight percent of Christmas trees were grown on farms, not in forests, so at least it's not as if you're cutting down an ancient tree. Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. While your tree won't fit in the recycling bin with your newspapers and bottles, you can recycle your tree: many cities offer programs to turn your tree to mulch or wood chips. Call (800) CLEANUP or visit www.earth911.org to find the tree-recycling program near you.

DONATE YOUR TIME OR MONEY TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP. Get into the holiday spirit by volunteering! There are countless ways to help improve your community—and the planet—from cleaning up a local river to helping inner city kids experience the outdoors for the first time. Contact your local Sierra Club to find out about volunteer opportunities near you. A donation in honor of a loved one can also be a special holiday gift.

Courtesy of Sierra Club
also: Greensender

Green Thanksgiving

Top Green Thanksgiving Day Tips

By the Numbers

63.3 percent: Percentage of the vote that passed Proposition 2 in California this month, which prohibits the confinement of farm animals—including turkeys—so that they cannot turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs, according to Ballotpedia.

1 pound: Amount of food, per person, that is the recommended serving size of your main course—turkey, tofurky, or whatever you're serving—plus another half-pound for leftovers.

180 degrees: The reading, on your thermometer, that indicates your turkey is done when placed in the thigh; also, be sure the juices should run clear, not red.

496 people: Residents of Turkey, TX, the most populous of the three places in the U.S. named after the bird.

5 ounces: The limit for a standard glass of wine: Men should have no more than two servings per day, and one for women, according to The Wine Institute (though perhaps these standards don't have to apply on Thanksgiving).

87 percent: Percentage of the world's printing and writing papers consumed by industrialized nations, which make up only 20 percent of the world's population.

200: Foods that are threatened by extinction in America.

$6: The cost of a half-pound box of organic arugula delivered to your door from Boxed Greens.

$1.89: The cost of enough organic arugula seed to last the season, from NeSeed.

Take the Nature's Challenge

David Suzuki Nature's Challenge


The Way You get Around!
The Food You Eat!
The Energy You Use!
The Public Action You Take!

Air Pod Car

The Compressed Air Engines

The fruit of more than ten years of researches, MDI’s mono-energy engines operate on a totally eco-friendly basis using compressed air stored at high pressure.

These engines are used on vehicles designed for urban use, backup generators or industrial tractors. They are particularly tailored for applications where the torque has an importance and when an averagely moderate power is needed.

Together with the zero pollution engines, some other versions having the same technical basis have also been created by MDI, they are known as the dual-energy engines. In the case of dual-energy engines, an energetic adjuvant (petrol, diesel, oil, alcohol or gas) is burned in an external continuous combustion chamber. These dual-energy engines have more range and the amount of toxic gases released is very low.

Motor Development International

Water Sense

SAVE WATER - SAVE MONEY

The average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill. By making just a few simple changes to use water more efficiently, you could save about $170 per year. If all U.S. households installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars per year! Also, when we use water more efficiently, we reduce the need for costly water supply infrastructure investments and new wastewater treatment facilities.

DID YOU KNOW?
Weather-based irrigation controllers can save nearly 24 billion gallons per year across the United States—approximately equal to more than 7,000 hoses constantly running for a full year.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment. Look for the WaterSense label to choose quality, water-efficient products. Many products are available, and don't require a change in your lifestyle. Explore the links below to learn about WaterSense labeled products, saving water, and how businesses and organizations can partner with WaterSense.

Power Savings

The PowerCost Monitor™ is a wireless energy monitor for your home. It can tell you at a glance how much electricity your home is using from moment-to-moment and in total. Why wait for your electricity bill when you can see what you are spending on electricity as you spend it!

Energy Seed from old batteries

Trashing Batteries for Brighter Sidewalks

by Yanko Design

We all know alkaline batteries are really bad for the environment if you don’t dispose of them properly. The right thing to do is send them to special recycling centers but hundreds of tons end up in landfills where their toxic innards seep into the earth. Perhaps a good solution is the Energy Seed, an LED lamp post powered by trashed alkaline batteries.

The idea is to encourage people to throw their batteries away into the Energy Seed. There’s a slot for nearly every size battery. The unit combines any left over juice from all the batteries to power a super efficient LED ring.

Of course once the bins are full, we’re left with the same original problem. Somebody has to collect all those spent batteries and recycle them.

Recycling Plastic - The Numbers revealed

How to Recycle Different Types of Plastic
Adding Up the Numbers When You Recycle Plastic Products and Containers

From About.com

The confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome, as different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others only accept jugs, containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms.

Recycling by the Numbers

The symbol code we’re familiar with—a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows—was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers.

The numbers, which 39 U.S. states now require to be molded or imprinted on all eight-ounce to five-gallon containers that can accept the half-inch minimum-size symbol, identify the type of plastic. According to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade group, the symbols also help recyclers do their jobs more effectively.

Easy Plastics to Recycle
The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles.

Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo and motor oil. Plastic labeled with the number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope. Like plastic designated number 1, it is widely accepted at recycling centers.

Plastics Less Commonly Recycled
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and even some baby bottle nipples, gets number 3. Like numbers 4 (wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene) and 5 (polypropylene containers used in Tupperware, among other products), few municipal recycling centers will accept it due to its very low rate of recyclability.

Another Useful Plastic to Recycle
Number 6 goes on polystyrene (Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing “peanuts” and insulation. It is widely accepted because it can be reprocessed into many items, including cassette tapes and rigid foam insulation.

Hardest Plastics to Recycle
Last, but far from least, are items crafted from various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle and, as such, are seldom collected or recycled. More ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the local waste stream, and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly.

Learn MORE about:

plastic bag recycling
plastic lids
plastic numbers matrix
plastic recycling process
plastic

Rain Water HOG

Catch and Store Your Rainwater!

The rainwater from your roof represents a valuable commodity: with the Rainwater HOG you can catch and store your rainwater for reuse in your garden and even in your house.

Rainwater can be used for drinking, toilet flushing, laundry water and of course for irrigating your garden. Don’t let your rainwater go to waste - the Rainwater HOG is functional, efficient and visually discreet rainwater storage!

The premium of space in modern living has lead Sally Dominguez to design the modular Rainwater HOG. With a capacity of 180L/47 Gallons and measuring just 1800mm x 500mm x 220mm the Rainwater HOG can fit under decks, up against walls and along side passageways.

Regional Resource

Blade...your ride

BLADE attaches to your tailpipe and reduces emissions of CO2 and toxic particulate material, and it improves fuel economy to save you hundreds of dollars per year on gas. It’s good for you because it saves you money on gas; and it's good for the environment, which is good for all of us.

Solar/Wind Portable Generator

When wisdom meets innovation!

The Solar Stik™ is a revolutionary power generator that can be used in a wide range of applications

IKE aftermath from Houston Rice Village area

The Southgate neighborhood in Houston did survive well Hurricane IKE, with tree debris and some power outages. The peak of the Hurricane was around 2am between Friday and Saturday.

The New Honda Insight

"The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the US and remains a symbol of Honda's commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency," said Takeo Fukui, Honda CEO. "This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value." MORE

Organic Wine - Revealed

from Organic Consumers Association

There is a lot of interest and a lot of confusion about organic wine these days. The interest stems from the increasing presence of wines with organic claims on store shelves and from wine consumers who want organic alternatives to conventional wines. Most of the confusion has to do with the labeling of these organic wines. MORE

Organic wine contains 100% organically grown grapes, without added sulfites (a preservative in some wines that can cause allergic reactions). Look for the USDA Organic seal. Most organic wine is made in the United States and has a short shelf life.
Made with organic grapes means the wine's made from 100% organic grapes and may contain added sulfites (but fewer added sulfites than conventional wine). No USDA Organic seal here; due to added sulfites, they can last as long as their conventional counterparts.
Biodynamic means the wine was holistically produced with consideration for the local ecosystem, soil, and even phases of the moon (but isn't necessarily certified organic).
Vegan doesn't mean that it's organic or eco, but it does mean it's free of animal by-products used in filtering and clarifying such as casein (milk protein that makes the wine taste softer), egg whites (to brighten the wine), gelatin (used to downplay bitterness), and isinglass (a fish-based clarifier). Vegan wines are clarified with bentonite clay.

ZipCar coming to Houston

from Houston Business Journal

A new environmentally friendly alternative will have Rice University students “zipping” to campus.

The university has signed a contract with Cambridge, Mass.-based Zipcar, a car-sharing service, to make carpooling available to students, faculty and staff.

The deal marks Zipcar’s entrance into the Houston market. The company currently operates similar programs in more than 50 cities.

As part of the deal, two self-service Zipcars — a Toyota Prius and Volvo S40 — will be available to those who purchase a Zipcar membership. The cars will be located in the parking lot near Baker College. Gas, maintenance, insurance and reserved parking are included in the hourly and daily rates.

A Zipcar membership costs $35, and access to the vehicles costs $7 per hour or $60 per day. Any member 21 years of age and older also has access to Zipcar’s network of more than 5,500 vehicles throughout the U.K. and North America.

Learn More

Healthy Child Healthy World

Healthy Child Healthy World is dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures. We educate parents, support protective policies, and engage communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

http://healthychild.org/

Rethink! Reuse

Planet Reuse

Planet Reuse is the world's first website that connects buyers and seller of reused and reclaimed construction materials and equipment from around the world and allows them to purchase products online.

Freeing Intellectual Property for the Good of the Planet

With the launch of the Eco-Patent Commons earlier this week, four companies -- IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes and Sony -- joined with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development to do something almost unprecedented: they agreed to relinquish their control over inventions that could benefit the planet in order to spur innovation for the greater good.

Source: GreenBiz Radio

Water Footprint Calculator

Do you know how much water you really use?

http://www.h2oconserve.org/

New Energy Uses for Asphalt

SCHARWOUDE, Netherlands—
A Dutch company (Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV, Civil Engineering) has developed a system to siphon heat from roads and parking lots to heat homes and offices. The Road Energy System is being used throughout the country. Energy collected from a 200 yd (183 m) stretch of road and a small parking lot helps heat a 70-unit, four-story apartment building. A 160,000 ft2 (15 000 m2) industrial park is kept warm in winter with the help of heat stored during the summer from 36,000 ft2 (3300 m2) of pavement. The absorption of solar energy by pavement creates an energy source that can be used despite the normally cloudy Dutch skies.

Source: AP

Climate Counts

Climate Counts is a collaborative effort to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change. We are a nonprofit organization funded by Stonyfield Farm, Inc. and launched in collaboration with Clean Air-Cool Planet.

As a consumer, you have real power. USE IT.

The Spirit of Now

Main Page
World Clock
The crisis facing humanity today is, at its root, a crisis of consciousness. We are being called to put into practice the perennial wisdom of the ages... This site is offered as a stepping stone in that direction.

People power to warm new building in Stockholm

Body heat rising from the head of an athlete. A project from the Swedish state-held property administration company Jernhuset is planning to use the body heat from hundreds of thousands of people who pass through the Stockholm Central Station each day, to heat a new office building nearby.

"So many people go through the Central Station ... We want to harness some of the warmth they produce to help heat the new building," Karl Sundholm, of the Swedish state-held property administration company Jernhuset, told AFP.

Some 250,000 people pass through the station each day, rushing to catch trains and subways or simply visit the many shops and stores inside. "All people produce heat, and that heat is in fact fairly difficult to get rid of. Instead of opening windows and letting all that heat go to waste we want to harness it through the ventilation system," Sundholm said. He said the body heat would warm up water that in turn would be pumped through pipes over to the new office building, which will also house a small hotel and a few shops and is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2010. "This is old technology, but used in a new way. It's just pipes, water and pumps, but we haven't heard of anyone else using this technology in this way before," he said, adding that Jernhuset expects the system to bring down heating costs in the building by up to 20 percent. Installing the heating system is not expected to be complicated or very costly, Sundholm said, pointing out that laying the necessary pumps and underground pipes might cost a some 200,000 kronor (21,200 euros, 31,200 dollars). "For a large building expected to cost several hundred million kronor to build, that's not that much," he said.

Source: Physorg.com

China announces plastic bag ban

China announces plastic bag ban

The Chinese government says it is banning shops from handing out free plastic bags from June this year, in a bid to curb pollution.
Production of ultra-thin plastic bags will also be banned, the State Council said in a statement.
Instead, people will be encouraged to use baskets or reusable cloth bags for their shopping, the council said.
The move comes amid growing concern about pollution and environmental degradation in China.
China was using huge quantities of plastic bags each year, the State Council, China's cabinet, said in its directive, posted on the main government website.
"Plastic shopping bags, due to reasons such as excessive use and inefficient recycling, have caused serious energy and resources waste and environment pollution," it said.

Easily discarded

Of particular concern were cheap, flimsy bags that many shopkeepers routinely handed out to customers.
"The super-thin bags have especially become a main source of plastic pollution as they are easy to break and thus disposed of carelessly," the statement said.
Shops that violated the new rules could be fined or have their goods confiscated, it said.
The council also called for greater recycling efforts from rubbish collectors, and suggested financial authorities should consider higher taxes on the production and sale of plastic bags.
In recent years, China's rapid development has triggered concerns over pollution and use of resources.
But correspondents say that there is a growing awareness that more needs to be done to protect the environment.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7178287.stm

Published: 2008/01/09 07:38:14 GMT

How Green is your candidate?

http://grist.org/feature/2007/07/06/candidates/

Interviews and info on the presidential candidates' energy plans and environmental positions

Presidential Candidates Weigh In on Climate Change

Historically, environmental issues have taken a back seat in national elections. But that appears to be changing. Climate change is moving to the front burner for many of the candidates vying for the Democratic and Republican nominations in 2008. The new awareness results from several factors: A growing consensus among Americans on the left and right that global warming issues must be addressed; concern over imported oil from the Middle East; and the newfound muscle of California's eco-voters, thanks to their state's early primary next year.

Link to complete NPR story

Construction Carbon Calculator

http://buildcarbonneutral.org/

The Construction Carbon Calculator helps developers, builders, architects and land planners approximate the net embodied carbon of a project's structures and site.

Constructing new buildings and sites with the least possible environmental impact involves three important steps: reduce, renew and offset. Offsetting means calculating the project's carbon footprint so it can be balanced by funding resources or activities like renewable energy and land protection — resources that benefit and protect the planet.
This tool estimates the embodied energy and subsequent carbon amounts released during construction. The measurements account for building materials, processes and carbon released due to ecosystem degradation or sequestered through landscape installation or restoration.