Now that you got that new gadget for Christmas...

So Santa got you what you wanted this Christmas.  He got you the latest notebook, or the newest and most energy-efficient refrigerator. Before you kick those old electronics and/or appliances to the curb, check out these resources first.  

HP Consumer Buyback and Planet Partners Recycling Program

Best Buy Greener Together

Earth911

EPA's eCycling Program

Ebay's EZtradein.com

Gcycle

Remember, we only have one Earth.  Each decision we make can impact the planet in a positive way if we only stop to think before we throw away.  

Eco News

From the Nov./Dec. 2008 E: The Environmental Magazine - 

Save money on gas and reduce carbon emissions by carpooling. Some web sites with free resources to check out: 

Carpool CREW: Matches people based on many criteria.

DivideTheRide: People can organize carpool calendars with people they know.

eRideShare: Connects commuters traveling in the same direction.

If you are a Facebook addict, and many are, check out their Carpool application.

Real Christmas trees are actually better for the environment: Artificial trees are likely to be from China and contain both lead and PVC, and can even cause an allergic reaction.  Real pine trees are crops. When farmers cut down a tree, they plant a new one.  And if you can find a local tree farm that does not use chemical pesticides, so much the better.  After Christmas, recycle your tree or even plant it in a barrel for next year. 

From the November 2008 Body + Soul magazine -  

In 7,100 US communities, residents can no longer afford to ignore their eco-footprint.  The waste-reduction program known as Pay-As-You-Throw has helped to eliminate from 4.6 to 8.3 million tons of solid waste each year.  PAYT programs lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as well-up to 3.8 million metric tons of carbon equivalents annually-as a result of lower overall processing costs.  To find out more, visit the EPA's web site.  

Ways to reduce your solid waste: Recycle, Compost, Buy Used or Barter for things you need.

Something stinky lurking in those air fresheners: For the estimated 75% of American households using air fresheners, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 12 out of 14 common air fresheners (including those marked "all natural" or "unscented") contained hormone-disrupting chemicals.  

For a more natural breath of fresh air, try opening your windows.  Or try an essential-oil spray you can make yourself by combining 30-40 drops of up to 3 different oils with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle and shake well before use.  

Stationery you can feel good writing home about:

Crane & Co. uses textile waste for its 100% cotton stationery and note cards. 

Smock uses sustainable bamboo paper printed with vegetable, low-VOC inks for its letterpress stationery.

Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company uses elephant dung to create stationery sets and notebooks.

A company can begin to green their operations today with no capital investment

This is an article I wrote for the website (www.emqus.com) where I work.  I really liked it, and I wanted to put it in my blog too.  It is amazingly simple to start greening a company.  And little steps that can be taken now with no cost whatsoever can turn into bigger steps that cost money in the beginning, but pay for themselves and then start saving the company money in the long-term.  

There are a lot of ways a company can go green.  Most of them require an initial investment.  A company could buy newer, more energy-efficient IT infrastructure, invest in CFL or LED lighting, invest in power management software or consolidate servers to ensure that they are running at their maximum capacity.  

All of these things net a positive return on the initial investment, but they do require an initial outlay of cash.  If an organization that wants to go green simply cannot find any money in the budget to begin the process, here are some things that they can do today to help the environment and their bottom-line at no cost.  

1) Turn computers off at the end of the day.  Leaving PCs on all night wastes energy, costs organizations millions in electricity costs and contributes to carbon emissions.

2) The last person to leave any room, be it the server room, the conference room or their office, should be responsible for turning off the lights.  Using less electricity means emitting less carbon, but it also means a smaller electric bill.

3) Think before printing anything.  Can it simply be saved in a folder? Made into a PDF?  Paper comes from trees, and the fewer trees we have, the less carbon dioxide they are scrubbing from the atmosphere.

4) Reuse paper from printers, copiers and fax machines.  Often, documents print incorrectly or a document is put in the copier upside down.  Reuse that paper.  Simply put it back.  In addition, if a hard copy of a document is necessary, but it is for internal use only, why not print it on remnant paper?  Turn that unwanted document over and print on the other side.

5) Recycle.  This does take a little effort, but really, how hard is it to have a few bins around the office where people can put paper, plastic, aluminum, batteries and even printer cartridges?  If an organization makes it standard procedure to recycle, then it will just become second-nature for people to do it. 

6) Encourage people to bring in unwanted coffee mugs, dishware and cutlery for the office kitchen instead of buying one-use paper, plastic and styrofoam products.  

These are just a few of the ways that companies can go green at no cost.  This is not an exhaustive list.  The possibilities are endless. Get employees excited about being green.  Have a brainstorming session and ask everyone for their input.  Each organization has an opportunity to make an investment in the future with no money down.  

Tips for saving on winter energy costs

Believe it or not, these tips came from a bank e-mail newsletter.  I thought they were useful, and who doesn't want to save some money?  

• Replacing or cleaning old furnace filters can reduce dust and save 5% in heating costs.
  
• Opening up drapes and blinds on windows with a southern exposure lets the sun in, heating your home for free.
  
• Fireplaces pull heated air out of your house so use it sparingly and be sure the damper is closed when it's not in use.
  
• Moister air feels warmer, so by using a humidifier, you can set your thermostat lower to help you save money.
  
• If you want to know if your doors have air leaks, there is an easy way to do it yourself--no expert needed.  Simply place a piece of paper between the door and frame and shut the door. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you should weather-strip around the door.

Here are some money-saving tips that I have learned from living in Chicago, which gets very cold in the winter.  

• Always wear socks on your feet, especially if you have tile or hardwood floors.  Cold feet make you feel colder.
  
• Put lots of blankets on the bed.  You are going to be asleep anyway, so why not pile on the blankets and turn the thermostat down.
  
• Wear a robe/sweater around the house.  You wear more clothes outside when it is cold, so why not add an extra layer of warmth inside too.
  
• Drink lots of warm beverages--hot cider, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, warm milk.  Keeping your insides warm will help you feel warmer.
• If you live in an apartment, put plastic over your windows to keep the cold air out and the warm air in.
• Live in an apartment/house that is just the right size for you. If you don't have a lot of empty space, your home will feel warmer with less heat. 
• Get an apartment with radiator heat.  You will not be paying an enormous gas bill in the winter.   

Finding a mattress that is good for you and the environment

From the October 2008 issue of Body + Soul, there is an article on finding an eco-friendly mattress.   However, these sites offer more than just mattresses.  And beware of the cost of organic and all-natural bedding, because it is prohibitively expensive for many people, especially in challenging economic times such as these.  Try acquiring a piece or two at a time. 

Innerspring Mattresses

Lifekind, Nautral Rubber/Innerspring Combination Mattress

Good Night Naturals, The Dream

Solid Foam Mattresses

Green Sleep, Vimala Sleep System

Savvy Rest, Organic Tranquility

Simmons, Natural Care

Mattress Toppers

Furnature, Natural Rubber Topper

Vivetique, Wool Topper

Eco News

www.sustainabletable.org  provides a wallet-sized cheat sheet to take with you to the grocery store or farmers market, with a list of questions to ask about meat and dairy products.

www.centerforfoodsafety.org  provides a ready-to-send electronic form letter you can send to your elected officials and the FDA concerning food safety with the click of a button.

Sears.com and VenJuvo.com launched the Trade4Credit online program giving customers Sears store credit in exchange for unwanted electronics, including first generation Apple iPhones, digital cameras, digital camcorders, MP3 players, GPS systems, gaming systems, or any pre-owned electronics that are determined to still have value.  In addition, the Trade4Credit program offers participants free recycling and free shipping.

In praise of a vegetarian diet, or at least cutting back on meat consumption.  According to an article in E: The Environmental Magazine entitled "The Meat of the Matter"   

• "If all the grain currently used to feed livestock in the US was consumed directly by people, the number who could be fed is nearly 800 million."
  
• "The methane that cattle and their manure produce has a global warming effect equal to that of 33 million automobiles," the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports in its book Six Arguments for a Greener Diet. 
  
• Raising livestock for human consumption occupies 26% of the ice- and water-free surface of the planet, and the area devoted to feed these animals amounts to 33% of arable land.
• Livestock production consumes 8% of the world's water, causes 55% of land erosion and sediment, uses 37% of all pesticides, directly or indirectly results in 50% of all antibiotic use, and dumps a third of all nitrogen and phosphorous into our fresh water supplies.

Eco-Guilt

I left the house on Friday morning to get a cup of coffee at a great local place called Metropolis, and I did not take my stainless steel coffee mug.  I was so mad at myself.  Any time I forget my mug, get my leftovers in a styrofoam container, forget my canvas bags when I go to the grocery store, I feel guilty.  Really guilty, as in single-handedly feeling responsible for the demise of the planet guilty.  I can't help it.  

Even now, as I look around my living room, I see a lot of things that are unnecessary.  We are such a materialistic society, and even though people are now beginning to feel the effects of over-consumption, we still consume A LOT.  We use a disproportionate amount of resources in this country.  We take our lives for granted, but there is a reckoning that awaits us.  And it is going to be much sooner than people like to think.  Water shortages and food shortages and severe weather and ever-increasingly energy-intensive endeavors to extract resources are all a reality today.  

I should feel eco-guilt.  More people should feel it.  If we aren't going to do the right thing because we should maybe we WILL do it if we feel guilty enough.