Greening The Office
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 by Michelle Trantina
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There are a number of ways to cut back on waste at the office. Here are a few ideas:
Save Energy and Water
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator for short trips to save electricity
• Turn off lights and computer equipment at the end of the day to save energy
• Turn off taps completely to avoid wasting water from dripping taps
Save Paper (saving paper saves energy too)
• Set your printer and photocopier to double-sided to save paper
• Edit documents on your computer to save paper
• Always recycle used paper
Produce Less Waste READ MORE….
Popularity: 20% [?]
Yardwork and Air Pollution
Sunday, May 4th, 2008 by Jason Jacobson
With the days getting longer, many homeowners thoughts turn to the work that waits in their yards. Many people associate air pollution with cars, airplanes, energy-producing facilities, and other large fuel consumers. The small engines used in lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws, and leaf blowers, however, represent a significant source of air pollutants.
Indeed, most small engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. In addition to CO, small engines emit ozone-forming hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Ground-level ozone impairs lung function and contributes to smog formation. According to the Government of Canada, a gasoline-powered lawn mower emits about 48 kilograms of greenhouse gases in one season.
There are ways to help clean the air while maintaining your yard. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Avoid Spills and Overfilling
· Spilling gas and overfilling the tank allow for gas to evaporate
· With evaporation, hydrocarbons are released into the atmosphere
Maintain Equipment
· Change oil and clean or replace air filters regularly
· Use the proper fuel/oil mixture in two-stroke equipment
· Keep blades sharp to improve fuel efficiency
Use Manual Tools:
READ MORE….
Popularity: 29% [?]
Red Dot Program. Say No to Junk Mail.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 by Michelle Trantina
Choose to reduce paper waste and clutter by saying NO to Junk Mail through Canada Post’s eco-friendly Consumer Choice option. Canada Post will honor your request to say no to unaddressed advertising materials.
We are fortunate to live in abundance where many of us have TOO MUCH STUFF! And to keep us buying more stuff, we are inundated with $19 Billion worth of advertising each year.
Much of this advertising is wasteful and irrelevant. Print advertising has a huge environmental footprint and often produces only a 1-2% uptake on the offer.
The good news is we can all say NO! And our collective voices will encourage advertisers to re-evaluate their current marketing strategies and transition into more effective customer-centric community-based initiatives.
Canada Post uses red dots to flag households that have said NO to Junk Mail. The Red Dot Campaign reminds you of your choice to say “NO” to unwanted advertising.
Our collective voice urges advertisers to be mindful of their use of paper in print advertising.
The intention of the Red Dot Campaign is to urge advertisers to re-allocate their advertising investments into socially responsible initiatives.
Launching this successful social marketing campaign proves our point. We are counting on your help to spread the word and make this Red Dot Campaign a success!
Encouraging your friends to exercise their choice to refuse junk mail!
Quoting a Canada Post Jan. 2007 press release,
“Canada Post respects the wishes of consumers who indicate through a self-produced note on their mailbox or mail receptacle, that they do not wish to receive unaddressed material.”
A great campaign to get rid of junkmail and all the unnecessary waste and pollution that comes along with it. If you do not live in Canada look for or encourage a system like this one in your area.
Popularity: 45% [?]
Greening Your Winter Heating Part 2
Thursday, January 24th, 2008 by Michelle Trantina
1. Hot water: Water heating is the third largest energy expense in an average home, typically accounting for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater.
2. Insulate your home : While many new homes are already well insulated, older ones are probably due for a repackaging. Your home’s insulation hot spots are:
• The attic, including the attic door, or hatch cover.
• Under floors, above unheated spaces, around walls in a heated basement or unventilated crawl space, and on the edges of slabs-on-grade.
• Exterior walls, when constructing a new house or remodeling or re-siding your old one.
Before you decide to go about doing it yourself, get a quote from a local contractor to see if that makes sense, or cents. The cost of the insulation material alone might be roughly the same as having someone do the entire job for you. If you’re planning on some serious insulating, make sure to check out Don Vandervort’s HomeTips.
3. Upgrade your furnace: Installing a new furnace can READ MORE….
Popularity: 50% [?]
Greening Your Winter Heating Part 1
Monday, December 17th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
Around the world we spend mega-billions every year on heating our homes. Being conscious of how we heat our homes can make an impact on the environment and save money. This year be sure to green your winter heating by following some of these helpful tips:
1. Seal the leaks: All you need is a tube of exterior silicone caulk or insulation strips, which you can take to your windows, plumbing and wiring holes, doors and fireplace dampers. To find the leaks, light a stick of incense or a candle on a breezy day, close all the windows and doors, and wander around your rooms searching for places toward which the incense smoke drifts.
2. Cover your glass :Installing clear plastic barriers or storm windows on your existing windows can cut heat loss by 25% to 50% by creating an insulating dead-air space inside the window. Storm windows cost about $7.50 to $12.50 per square foot. Exterior storm windows will increase the temperature of the inside window by as much as 1.1°C on a cold day, keeping you more comfortable.
3. Spread the heat : MORE….
Popularity: 56% [?]
Official Day of Action on Climate Change December 8
Friday, December 7th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
Tomorrow (Saturday, December 8, 2007) is the Official Day of Action on Climate Change and events and demonstrations to support action on climate change will be taking place all day across the world. These have been planned to coincide with the UN Climate Talks in Bali.
For more information check out:
http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/
Popularity: 55% [?]
How To Avoid Buying “Greenwashed” Products
Thursday, November 29th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
“Green-wash” (verb) - the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Before you buy, be sure to ask yourself these questions:
1) What type of environmental claim is being made?
Is the manufacturer making a single or multi-attribute environmental claim? While valuable, single-attribute claims do not address other potential important human health and environmental issues. Environmental leadership standards such as EcoLogo and Green Seal examine all of the relevant environment impacts of a product category along with the products currently available in the market when developing a standard.
2) Is a copy of the environmental standard or testing protocol available for review?
If a manufacturer cannot or refuses to provide a copy of the environmental standard or testing protocol, one might suspect that the claim is only a marketing ploy. When they do provide a copy of the standard review it carefully and ensure that it:
* References appropriate national or international environmental and performance standards and that these:
* Have a clear, consistent meaning (e.g. anyone should be able to read it, interpret it and know how to evaluate products against it)
* Are verifiable, in other words different reviewers would likely reach the same conclusion about whether a product meets the standard or not
* Multi-attribute standards should be based on the entire lifecycle of the products from raw material extraction, manufacture, use and disposal
3) How was the environmental standard or testing protocol developed?
It is preferable that standards and testing protocols be developed in an open, public, transparent process. The standards setting organization should make records of the standards development process available for review.
4) Who developed the environmental standard or testing protocol?
The most trusted standards are those developed in a consensus-based process by broad stakeholders groups. Standards MORE….
Popularity: 39% [?]
Green Living - World Car Free Day - September 22nd
Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
September 22nd is annual world car-free day. Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections and neighborhood blocks to remind the world that we don’t have to accept our car-dominated society. It’s a perfect day for us to imagine what our cities might look like, feel like and sound like without cars.
1) Walk -there are many benefits to be gained from walking. These can include more energy,
deeper and more satisfying sleep, stronger leg muscles, more low impact than running, lower body fat, higher metabolic rate, and reduced stress. It is also a great opportunity to share conversation with friends and family and breathe the fresh air.
2) Bike- In addition to the many health benefits, cycling has a lower cost per mile than any other form of transportation (except walking), both for society and for the user. When the cost of travel is calculated into the speed equation, a bicycle ends up being faster than an automobile under most conditions. Further, the impact of cycling on other living creatures and on the ecological balance is small. A bicycle uses only a tiny amount of oil. The amount of steel and other materials in its construction is less than two percent of that found in a small car. A bicycle burns no fossil fuels: a bike that replaces an automobile for all travel is equal to the planting of 170 trees. Check out bike routes in your area!
3)Take public transit - A study commissioned by the Canadian federal government shows it would cost Canadians 50 percent more to meet new travel demands by car than it would by public transit. Taking public transportation is cheaper than paying for gas. Also, it is safer and much less stressful than driving (think traffic, construction etc.). It’s also an opportunity to meet someone new.
4) Stay at home – Postpone all the errands that you “have to do” until the next day and spend some quality time with those most important to you.
5) Be Creative- Don’t be afraid to try something new- rollerblade, skateboard or take a pogo stick! (if you choose to be adventurous remember to wear a helmet).
Popularity: 63% [?]
Global Mala Project - 108 Minutes of Yoga
Monday, September 17th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
On September 21st - 23rd, more then 35 countries, hundreds of yoga studios and thousands of yoga practitioners worldwide will gather as a part of the Global Mala Project.
The global collective, from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv, London to Cape Town, Sydney to the hub event in Los Angeles will form a “mala around the earth”. Join this worldwide community with fundraising celebrations to raise awareness and funds for some of the most essential issues of our times. Breathe the change you want to envision in the world!
Global Mala will unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 21st and 22nd, Fall Equinox as the yoga world’s offering to further the UN International Peace Day.
The largest unified worldwide yoga event, dedicated to positive change, in the history of the planet. Fundraising celebrations will consist of meditation, yoga, music and dance, with paradigm shifting speakers, workshops and educational programs. Yoga centers and like minded organizations will experience the power of collective consciousness by creating a Peace Wave around the world.
Popularity: 85% [?]
Sustainable Clothes Shopping
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
• Think about where your clothes come from. Clothing made under fair-wage and labour practices will usually advertise it.
• Wear organic. Though cotton is marketed as clean, fresh, and natural, conventional varieties are anything but. It takes a third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides READ MORE…
Popularity: 53% [?]
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