By: Anikka Wattnem
Carbon footprint is definitely one of the latest buzz words in our culture. It’s all over the media and I know that I am suppose to reduce it. But I have to confess that I didn’t know what it meant. I knew that it measures your impact on the environment but I didn’t know how. Simply put, your carbon footprint is a measurement (more likely an estimate) of how much carbon your life produces. The idea is that by releasing carbon you are contributing to green house gas emissions and therefore to global warming. However global warming is just one of the “green issues” we have to be concerned about.
Here are a few sites that will help you estimate your carbon footprint based on things like driving, flying, home size and the number of people you live with. If nothing else it’s a way measure where you are at and how far you have to go in your quest to be green.
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
http://www.pge.com/myhome/environment/calculator/
What is a “carbon footprint?"
Truckin' in the Big Rigs
By: Colleen Heenan
When becoming a conscious environmentalist, it is important to remember more then just reusing bags, taking shorter showers and driving less. It is important to keep your footprint in mind when purchasing anything and everything. From groceries to tennis shoes to the bar of soap in your bathroom, virtually all of your purchases have traveled for some length of time. And most items are shipped crossed country in large trucks. To understand just how many trucks are on the road I went to The Union of Concerned Scientist website and this is what I found:
Of all the global warming causing emissions from America, 25% of them come from transportation alone, and 6% of those come from trucks on the road. Well, 6% does not seem so bad, does it? It seems bad when these trucks have more lenient emission standards then other vehicles that clutter America’s highways. Here is a list, from the UCS, of problems resulting from the lax standards for trucks in America
* one-quarter of smog-causing pollution from highway vehicles
* over half the soot from highway vehicles
* the majority of the cancer threat posed by air pollution in some urban areas
* 6 percent of the nation's global warming pollution
* over one-tenth of America's oil consumption
So, what’s being done about these skewed standards for drivers? Potentially the UCS claims that green technologies combined with advanced emission regulations can cut truck pollution by 90% and can also save on gas. So far no new regulations have been set. So what can you do to reduce your demand on trucks?
Shopping locally you can make a large impact for both the local economy and the environment. From buying produce, meats, and dairy to buying cloths, bags and other household products you can significantly reduce the needs for unnecessary transportation. Also, just by reducing your own demands of you “wants” you can save yourself a load of money and also become a bit greener. If you think shopping less is bad for the economy then just shop smart and get only what you need. Simplicity is bliss!
For more information on truck emissions in the U.S. check out: http://www.ucsusa.org/
Jack-O-Lantern Disposal
Afterwards though, I decided to look up and see just what I, and so many others who are facing the imminent ruin of their jack-o-lanterns in a few short days, should do with these pumpkins who are over-appreciated in the weeks following up to Halloween and then sadly forgotten the rest of the year. Here is what I found.
First off, those pumpkins are pretty amazing things, or I should say, squash-like fruits. A 2004 study found that pumpkins have the ability to clean up toxic substances such as DDT and PCBs from soil. DDT and PCBs were banned in the 1970s in the United States because they are dangerous to mammals (including us!). They accumulate in our bodies and cause all kinds of diseases. There are still hundreds of sites in the United States contaminated by DDT and/or PCBs; even more frightening is the fact that neither toxin is completely banned throughout the rest of the world. Many countries continue to use both.
Pumpkins are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, something that we in the United States may take for granted but which people in other countries are literally dying for. The lack of this vitamin in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South/Central America has been linked with blindness and infant deaths. Pumpkins can be shipped to these people in colder months of the year when other Vitamin A rich fruit such as mangoes are out of season.
So, pumpkins could really help out with the clean-up of toxic sites or saving people’s lives around the world. Perhaps my witch would have been more useful if I had sent it to the EPA or to Africa? Yes, but I don’t think my carved pumpkin would have survived the trip, so what is my next best alternative?
With my research I found that the most environmentally friendly thing to do with your jack-o-lantern’s remains is to throw it into a compost pile outside where it can decompose and add to the nutrients of your yard. Of course, if you live in a city like me you have to do a bit more digging around. I found that Chicago (where I live), accepts pumpkins at all of our recycling centers. So if you live in a city check with your local recycling center to see if you can deposit your pumpkin there.
Some other tips I picked up:
Remember to bake those pumpkin seeds (they can be tasty if you sprinkle them with salt!) so that they are not wasted. If you don’t like the taste (I don’t), let the birds have them. They can be a tasty fall treat for lots of wildlife.
Try to buy organic if you can. Pumpkins that have been sprayed with chemicals are not as healthy for you or for the environment. These UNnatural pumpkin farms hurt the environment just to make a quick and easy buck at Halloween. Google “organic pumpkin farms” to find local stores where you may purchase healthy safer alternatives.
Overall- Try to remember that your jack-o-lantern serves a higher purpose and should not be wasted after you are finished with it. Follow my advice, not my actions, and recycle that pumpkin!
Car Sharing
By Megan McLaughlin
If you live or work in a city, you may have heard about car shares. There are plenty of ways to save and this is definitely one of them. There are several car sharing groups across the country; from coast to coast and city to city, car sharing is becoming increasingly popular.
Have you thought about trying car sharing? Carsharing.net has some great information about car sharing; the positive effects and the facts. “Car Sharing provides flexible wheels for an urban lifestyle. It's instant-access to a network of cars throughout the city, 24 hours-a-day, and paying-per-trip, without commitment or inconvenience.” Car sharing is designed for people who live in cities that don’t want or need to own a car. It can actually be a burden to own a car in a city; limited parking and the cost of it and the traffic alone are good enough reasons to avoid it completely. “If you drive less than 12,000 km (7,500 miles) a year and you don't need a car for work every day, car sharing will likely save you thousands of dollars a year, give you greater mobility - and actually reduce pollution.” Check out Carsharing.net for reasons to try car sharing.
Philly Car Share, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a non-profit organization, which caters to Philadelphia residents and businesses. At Philly Car Share, users don’t have to pay for the gas, just the rental; as low as $3.90 an hour or $39 a day. With Philly Car Share, you have access to Prius Hybrids, Mini Coopers, BMWs, pick ups, vans and more. Philly Car Share is a great alternative to owning a car in the busy city of Philadelphia.
ZipCar is another car sharing program that you will find in cities across the country. At ZipCar, their vision is, “providing reliable and convenient access to on-demand transportation, complementing other means of mobility.” From Miami to Phoenix, Vancouver and even Toronto, ZipCar provides access to Mini Coopers, VWs, cars that haul and more. ZipCar includes gas, insurance and even reserved parking.
As you can see, there are many advantages to car sharing. If you live in a city, there may be no better choice! If you own a business, try car sharing instead of owning company cars. Even if you don’t live in a city, check these places out; it’s interesting to see the many ways in which people and places are trying to be greener.
Ditching paper…
By: Anikka Wattnem
I have found that at home and at work it seems like a large portion of my waste is paper. Here are a few ideas for reducing your paper use and waste.
1. Cancel your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. The internet is full of free news sources. Your favorite paper is likely available online at little or no cost. Magazines are often full of ads and very poor in content. Once again the internet comes to the rescue
2. Go paperless in your billing. Many companies are offering some kind of option to view and pay your bill online. This often allows you access to the bill sooner since you don’t have to wait for it to come on the mail. If you pay online via direct withdrawal or credit card you save yourself and envelope and stamp as well!
3. Get off those junk mail lists. I have used Catalog Choice (https://www.catalogchoice.org) and it definitely has reduced my junk mail. You do have to go an unsubscribe individually to catalogs but it seems to work well.
4. Think before you print. Do you really need every email your receive? Or recipe that you find that you might try? Save things electronically and only print when necessary.
Green Shoes?
By: Colleen Heenan
Any of my friends would be the first to admit that I am the last person they come to for fashion advice. I am not always the most up to date on newest trends in the fashion world, and I am okay with that. Though, I am perceptive enough to notice an increased trend in green clothing, and in particular “green” shoes.
The most recent incidence I have heard about came from the company Payless. They have signed a contract with eco designer Summer Rayne Oakes whom is producing a line of sustainably made shoes. The shoes are made from Organic hemp, cotton and recycled materials. The main catch for these shoes is that everyone can afford them. They have been estimated to cost around $30-40 and you will see them around spring 2009.
Another company known for their eco promotion of shoes is Planet Shoes.com. They have an entire line called the eco-logical shoe shop where you can choose from a number of brands and styles of shoes that are all made from recycled materials, animal friendly products or manufactured in plants with sustainable intentions. This site has shoes that are a little on the pricey side, but no more then what you would pay for if you bought non-eco friendly shoes from the same company.
And for the runners out there, the shoe company Brookes has created a shoe where the midsole can break down more easily in landfills. They are called BioMoGo midsoles and are made of natural, non-toxic materials that increase the rate of biodegradation by encouraging anaerobic microbes to breakdown the midsole. The company claims that they will save 30 million pounds of landfill waste over the next 20 years. Since a normal midsole can take over 1,000 years to breakdown these BioMoGo’s claims to only take 20 years.
What about your used, old, worn down tennis shoes, what to do with them? Well the shoe company Nike started a shoe recycling program almost twenty years ago called Reuse-A-Shoe. This program takes shoes, of any brand, and recycles its materials into athletic materials such as basketball courts, tennis courts and running tracks for people around the world. Since the start of this program, Nike has recycled over 21 million pairs of athletic shoes and mad more then 265 sport surfaces.
Since our feet is what connects us to this earth, I think it is important to put a sustainable barrier between the two, if any. Check out these websites and see if any styles or philosophies catch your fashionable eye.
Genetically Modified Food...Good or Bad?
By: Sandra Stoner
We’re used to seeing labels such as Organic or USDA Approved on our grocery products, but we have yet to see a product labeled as Genetically Modified. That must mean that so far we have been eating only natural fruits and veggies, right?
Wrong. Current official policy rules that our genetically modified foods do not have to be labeled for consumers in the American market. So you have probably eaten your fair share of genetically modified tomatoes, apples, and corn.
So are GMOs good, or are they bad? The debate has raged for almost a decade and still policy makers have not come to an agreement, but what about average people like us? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could decide at the grocery store whether or not we want to buy a natural potato or a genetically modified one?
Ah it would be nice…too bad even labeling of the products has erupted into its own debate, with organizations such as The Campaign (http://www.thecampaign.org/) and Food for Thought (http://www.saynotogmos.org/) crying for labels and the food industry arguing that labeling could mislead consumers to believe that GMOs are unhealthy.
Personally, I think that the food industry should attach those labels. Consumers already know that cheesecakes contain One Trillion calories (figure hugely exaggerated), and yet we buy them anyways. Of course, it is true that certain customers may decide not to purchase products that contain GMOs, but that is a decision that should be left to the consumer, not the food industry.
Just in case we are ever trusted to make our own decisions concerning GMOs, I thought I would provide a few websites and articles representing each side of the debate for those interested.
For GMOs: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/home/
http://www.gmofoodforthought.com/2006/02/farming_organizations_and_othe.html
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo7.htm
Against GMOs: http://www.thecampaign.org/
http://www.saynotogmos.org/
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/706/36663
Power to the Green People
According to Green-e, a nationwide program for renewable resources, “98 percent of electricity in the United States comes from non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.” Luckily, people are beginning to realize the strong impact our consumption is having on our environment and are now searching for solutions. Everyday we are developing new ways to conserve, but energy conservation is a hot topic and some large companies and even small businesses are turning to green energy sources; promoting awareness and greening our future.
When you think of efficient ways to create and supply energy, many simply think of solar power. However, some newer, lesser known concepts are becoming much more prominent; This Michigan based program, for instance, is drawing their energy from wind and biomass, “reducing air pollution, preserving the environment, and fueling the state’s economy.” DTE Energy offers, “Kilowatt-Hour Block Enrollment plans.” Subscribing customers can pay small, monthly installments in addition to their current electric bill, allowing part of the resources that provide their home or business with energy, to be from renewable resources.
Making a Green Move
By: Anikka Wattnem
Moving is honestly an activity I can say that I dread. As I prepare for my 4th move in the past 2 years I can’t help but think of how to make it more economical and yet green at the same time.
Depending on where you are in the moving process you may have time to think about getting rid of local stuff. There are the typical options of Goodwill, EBay and Craigslist but I’d like to share a favorite of mine that stems from the green movement. It’s called Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) and it allows you to give away items to people in your local community. Each community has its own email listserv that allows people to communicate things they are offering and things that they want. Use common sense with regards to safety. However this can be an excellent way to shed excess belongs and potentially find new ones in your (new) community. From my experience it is a great community of people willing to help each other out with items for free. Just remember to keep your personal safety in mind when giving away or picking up items!
When you are in the actual moving process, think about the physical garbage produced by packing up your stuff.
For us, we have not bought a single packing material for our move. We’ve used laundry baskets, plastic bins and cardboard boxes we’ve saved from large purchases to pack our items. Since we have the fortune of having both our residences for several overlapping weeks we are using this time to haul stuff over to the new place, unpack it and then bring the various containers back. This saves us money and saves trees. Another option to using boxes is to use bins. There are sites on the internet where you can rent bins or you can also buy them. With either of these methods you can always pass along the containers to a family member or friend! In an ideal world I can picture organizations (maybe groups within places of worship) buying reusable bins and loaning them out either for free or a very small fee. It would save so many trees!
Unfortunately I can’t recommend one specific “green” moving company but I encourage you to be cautious and to do your research. I was disgusted to find a company that called themselves green but mentioned they’d shrink wrap your furniture. They didn’t say they’d be reusing or even recycling that shrink wrap. This serves as a reminder to look past a company’s name or even one really valuable “green” service they provide. There are many different factors to take into consideration. Questions you might ask are:
What kind of fuel do you use? What kind of gas mileage does the vehicle get? Do you offer any options to share your large moving vehicle with another perosn/family in the event my stuff does not fill the van? What kind of materials will you pack my belongings with? What will you do with the materials when I am done with them?
Making a move “green” doesn’t have to add extra cost or stress. You just have to be conscious about the decisions you are making!
Green House
By: Megan McLaughlin
There are several ways to green your home, but have you ever thought of how you can green the way you clean? The next time you walk into a grocery store, you are bound to see some of these products taking over the household cleaner section. These products won’t make cleaning any less of a chore, but they will certainly keep you, and the environment, a little bit healthier.
Clorox is now offering alternative cleaning products; Green Works Cleaners. With these cleaners, Clorox has developed a standard; all of the Green Works Cleaners, “must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals.” (Petrochemicals are “chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin.”)
In this line of natural products, Clorox has created natural toilet bowl cleaner, glass and surface cleaner, and dishwashing liquid to name a few. They are even offering an all-purpose cleaner. Green Works All Purpose Cleaner is all-natural and has the Clorox name behind it. On the Green Works Cleaners site, you can see the good things each product contains and the bad things they have left out.
After trying some of these new, natural products, you may want to round out you’re your green cleaning experience by taking a look at this guide; Green Clean. This site points out some interesting facts about chemicals, cleaning, and the environment. Some of these facts are highlights from the Green Clean book, a guide that offers cleaning alternatives. The book is, “the definitive, step-by-step guide to cleaning better while using nontoxic, eco-friendly products.” Use this site for quick cleaning tips, or if that’s not enough, purchase the Green Clean book to have the guide on hand at all times.
These products and this guide will serve as great tools to help you start changing the way you clean. Next time you run out of all-purpose cleaner or toilet bowl cleaner, why not consider some of these products and tips? You may be pleasantly surprised and you’ll definitely be one step closer to being a little greener.
A Green Halloween
By: Sandra Stoner
Boo! In a little less than 3 weeks witches, ghosts, and princesses will be trick-or-treating in neighborhoods throughout the country and college students everywhere will be going out for a FRIDAY NIGHT Halloween. This spooky event traditionally calls for many important decisions to be made concerning things such as costume ideas and celebration locations; but this year let’s also pause to think a moment about the impact of Halloween on the environment.
Regardless of whether you want to be a nurse, football player, or Sarah Palin, try skipping your local Halloween costume store and opt instead for an original home-made costume. Those costumes that are bought every year at Walmart are usually made of plastic which are not easily biodegradable. And let’s face it, that Darth Vader cape that ripped three Halloween’s ago while you were out was most likely the result of the costume’s poor quality, not your outrageous strength every time you whipped it around your face.
Halloween costumes that are bought in a store, worn for one night and then quickly discarded, are wasteful for our planet. No one wants to think about the fact that the production of their devil costume released carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals into our atmosphere and will likely waste away in a landfill for the rest of eternity, but nonetheless this is what will happen. You may think that this hardly matters, but remember that almost everyone under the age of 14 in the United States is wearing one, as are many college students and embarrassing dads; this means a lot of people, and thus a lot of costumes, are carelessly contributing to environmental degradation every year.
So for this Halloween let’s prepare with an environmental twist. Hundreds of people are already planning and have set up a website dedicated entirely to a “Green Halloween.”
Check it out at:
http://www.greenhalloween.org/content.php?page=costumes
This site lists green costume ideas as well as provides links to Halloween stores that stock environmentally friendly costumes.
If you want to make sure these home-made costumes look hot enough, check out the following website for some of the best home-made costumes out there:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycled-halloween-costumes-470708
Lastly, try to refrain from using an entire bottle of hairspray to complete your recycled costume on Halloween night. Not only is hairspray bad for our environment, but it is also a really unhealthy habit. This article is a great reminder of the harmful chemicals in hairspray and also offers some other products that will cement your hair into a witches nest rather nicely:
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/146/1/Hair-products-and-the-environment.html
So have fun piecing together the scariest, most original costume out there, and if you care to share (or just brag about your awesome idea), please do!
Trash Talk
By: Colleen Heenan
This weekend, an article in the Washington Post’s Eco-wise section was talking trash. No, not the political trash talking we have been use to hearing for the last few months, but actual talk about trash. Human produced garbage to be exact! How much we make, where we put it and how long it stays around are all factors when thinking about the detrimental effects of our waste making. Here are some facts and suggestions about the garbage in America.
It has been claimed that American alone produces 250 million tons of trash per year. Most of that garbage ends up in landfills. And landfills are by no means the best way to breakdown our garbage. Because the landfills trap the garbage with caps, to reduce leakage and cover the awful smell, little air and water are added into the mix. The air and water helps naturally breakdown materials and when it lacks these elements, double breakdown time can occur. This results in our trash sticking around much longer then necessary.
One relevant issue with landfills is that they happen to be one of the largest producers of Methane gas. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases that affect our atmosphere. Along with methane, carbon dioxide and other toxic gases that are also emitted into the air.
Another issue with landfills is they can leak. These leaks in landfill linings cause pesticide and other wastes to contaminate nearby ground water, resulting in unhealthy drinking water or runoff into nearby streams.
But have no fear, suggestions are here!!!
Think of the three R’s when shopping, consuming and throwing away. Some bags and containers can be reused several times. Be a smart shopper; buy what you need from local farmers markets where you can bring reusable bags, also buy in bulk like your grains and other non-perishable items to reduce excess plastic containers for individual items. Buy only what you need, consuming less in general is better for your pocket book. And after your containers and bags are reused to their fullest extent- Recycle them! The benefits of recycling far outweigh the costs. Yes, it is costly and recycling can produce by-products, but when you can reuse materials and reduce the amount of “virgin” material being used you are helping reduce a n overall demand on packaged materials
Compost your food and lawn leftovers. Food consists of a quarter of the garbage filling up our landfills. Help reduce that number by composting your fruit, veggies, grains and yard scraps in a backyard bin or open pile. You can use this material as fertilizer for your gardens and lawns. If this suggestion may be a bit far fetched for those city dwellers, then you can check out if your community does yard waste collection and for the food scraps check out indoor worm bins.
Dispose of electronics responsibly. Our government offers options to disposal of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices in a more responsible way. These electronics are known for leaking dangerous materials from landfills and by properly disposing of them can prevent such leakage. Check out these web sites for E-cycling near you http://www.earth911.org or http://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd.
For more information about landfills check out these sites: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100902879.html
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Statistics.htm
Photo credit: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/evans391/architecture/landfill.jpg
Bottled Water: a Product or a Resource?
By Colleen Heenan
The Great Lake States, which surround the world’s largest source of fresh water resources, have lost the battle against bottled water manufactures. Fighting to stop the profit from a natural resource being sold, legislators and environmentalist are working to keep the great lakes water were it is.
In Chicago, a 10 year fight to stop the wholesale of bottled water from the great lake regions aquifers ended with a sad decision from Congress. A legislative loophole allows companies to sell bottled water in containers with less than 5.7 gallons of water per container. Because of this loophole, many bottling companies in the area have set up shop and are depleting the resources.
Companies such as Nestle Waters, claim that they are being picked on because other beverage distributors are selling their products that use great lakes water in the process. They feel that because they use less water and plastic while manufacturing (versus soda or beer manufacturing) and that water is healthy and essential, they are doing less harm in marketing their product. They feel they deserve the same laws as other beverage distributors which they have been granted.
Since America is a free-market, the laws for exporting products are protected. There are also laws protecting natural resources, such as water in its pristine state, from being moved to other “water-needy states”. This means as long as bottling companies sell products in containers less than 5.7 gallons, the water resources are not protected by the natural resource protection law.
The ultimate issue here is that residents are noticing declines in their nearby rivers with a reported 7% of local water being absorbed by the Nestle Company. A depleting water source in rivers and aquifers leads to a decline in the Great Lakes Water table. The Nestle Water Company and the hundreds of other beverage distributors using Great Lakes waters are contributing to the decline in the Great Lakes water and making a profit off a non-renewable natural resource.
As consumers we can reduce the demands for bottled water (and perhaps for bottled soda and beer) until more can be done to close this loophole. The convenience of bottled water should not outweigh the loss of our most precious and essential natural resource.
Food Miles
By Sandra Stoner
WARNINGS: The carrot you are about to bite into has traveled to more places than you have. The ketchup you are about to squeeze onto your hot dog has been transported through 52 locations.
SYMPTOMS: The food you and your family eat is responsible for producing about 8 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Yes, we normally just assume that our meals have been picked or processed in one location and then shipped to our local Supermarket, but alas, this is not true. Our food products have become respectively well-traveled throughout the years especially with the advent of globalization. Take for example carrots grown and cultivated 150 miles north of New York City. To be consumed in the New York Public School System, these carrots travel to either Vermont or Michigan to be sliced appropriately, and then are shipped back to the city. Make sense? Hardly.
At least the New York carrots stay in the country. Norwegian fishermen catch cod. They send the cod to China to be filleted. China sends the cod back to Norway to be eaten. In effect, these cod travel over 9,000 miles roundtrip simply to be eaten in the country in which they were caught!
Even more preposterous, the United Kingdom exported over 33 million gallons of liquid milk in 1997 and then turned around and imported over 71 million gallons of it the same year. Even a child can see that this is unreasonable.
These unnecessary and wasteful “food miles,” as they are called in scholarly circles, are hugely dependent on fossil fuels. And when there is a crisis, or when the cost of oil rises, the cost of food necessarily rises as well. Thus explains those items in your grocery store that have quietly and swiftly increased their prices over the past year.
So what can you do to stop individually contributing 2 tons of CO2 emissions per year just by biting into that cheeseburger? Buy local or organic products that have not been transported pointlessly around the globe. Go to your local Farmer’s Market or Green Market to buy healthy alternatives to the passport-holding groceries in your Supermarket.
Check out this website to find a local market near you: http://www.localharvest.org/
If this short blog didn’t fulfill your questions about food miles, check out these websites for more: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/ http://attra.ncat.org/farm_energy/food_miles.html http://www.gdrc.org/uem/footprints/food-miles.html
Research Taken From:
Church, Norman. “Why Our Food is So Dependent on Oil.” April 2, 2005.
McWilliams, James E. “Food That Travels Well.” The New York Times August 6, 2007. Rosenthal, Elisabeth. “Environmental Cost of Shipping Groceries Around the World.” New York Times. April 26, 2008.
Severson, Kim. “Local Carrots With a Side of Red Tape.” The New York Times October 17, 2007
Reusable Bags; Going beyond the Grocery Store
By Megan McLaughlin
It may seem like a fad, but if you can stand to look past the hype, reusable bags are a practical way to save money and the environment. Using “green bags” or recyclable totes at the grocery store is a great way to conserve and save, but the next step is to take this concept and use it in many ways. In addition, you may want to consider some other reusable containers such as lunch bags, snack containers, and to go mugs or thermoses.
Lunch bags may seem tacky but they are really a great green solution. If you want to make a big difference, stop buying brown paper bags and just use a lunch tote. It’s one of the first steps in greening your daily routine. You take a lunch to work or school everyday, so why not make this another way to conserve?
Add a snack container to compliment your lunch bag. These “Twin Packs” are great! Take 2 snacks in one container…a little bit of sweet, a little bit of salty, or take out the divider and use the container for one snack. They are inexpensive and actually kind of fun.
Finally, top it off with a travel mug! Travel mugs are great for a number of reasons; for one, they make things more affordable in life. Using a travel mug will get you in the habit of making your own coffee in the morning instead of buying it from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks everyday (which can get quite expensive)! Save yourself some extra cash and keep your coffee warmer, for longer in an insulated travel mug.
Still not convinced? At least try to go green at the grocery store by purchasing a practical, inexpensive (and I mean under $1!), reusable bag. You can use this site to get ideas about how you can go green with bags, but my ultimate recommendation is to buy reusable bags at your local grocery store because they are so cheap! These Target bags are only $.99 each!
So the lesson learned here is that going green with reusable bags and other containers is not only a great way to conserve, its also a wonderful way to save your money. You can’t really argue with that!
To Drive or Not to Drive?
By Sandra Stoner
I’m so tired of hearing the complaints about the price of gas in the States. I’m even too annoyed to mention anymore that the price of one liter of ‘petrol’ in Europe has been about the equivalent of $5 for years. So when my sister called me last week from North Carolina and told me she had a story about gas to tell I regrettably agreed to listen. (Just as I’m sure you’re regrettably reading yet another blog post about this very subject). Luckily for me though, my sister’s gas story meandered a bit off the ordinary path.
Her story was this: For the past week in Cullowhee, NC, a little town nestled underneath the Great Smoky Mountains, there has been no gas for sale. Police cars had lined the stations a week ago, rationing off the last gallons to customers who waited in line for hours. My sister herself waited 2 hours at 1am in the morning to get her $20 limit.
Sister: “Sandra, now my tank is on E!”
Me: “So, don’t drive.”
Sister: “But I have to get places. I have to go to Wal-Mart…to class.”
Me: “Walk. Bike. Carpool”
Sister: “But driving is so much easier!”
Her point is true. It is easier to take our gas-guzzling car. But it’s not healthier. It’s not cheaper. It’s not safer. It’s not better for the environment. It’s not worth it.
Ah, so you say. “Obviously I want to cut out much of my wasteful driving.” Easier said than done. Those statements look good on paper, but in real life they are extremely hard to carry on. We all may want to drive less, but when we’re running 10 minutes late to class or work we do not hesitate to jump in the car and turn the key.
Our real focus then needs to be how to change not our individual habits, but our society’s insistence that convenience overrules everything else. This is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish and if any of you have any ideas on how to accomplish it, please feel free to share.
Realistically speaking though, we may never be able to change our fast way of life. So invest in an automobile that is healthier, that is cheaper, that is safer, that is better for the environment. Buy a hybrid (http://www.hybridcars.com/). Or an electric car (http://www.gas2.org/). Or a flexifuel.
And as for now, enjoy the fact that you have the ability to walk or ride your bike around campus, as you hopefully have the possibility of being excluded from conversations of just how high gas prices are.
As a side note, check out these other modes of transportation before you drive home for fall break!
http://www.amtrak.com/
http://www.metrabus.com/
http://www.greyhound.com/
Green Machines
By Megan McLaughlin
When you’re shopping around for a new car, there are many things to consider. One of the best ways to go green is by carefully choosing your vehicle. Everyone has a list of “must-haves” during a new car search, but one of the most important things to consider is fuel efficiency.
Some factors to consider when looking for a new car are size and need. You should try to identify what you will primarily be using the vehicle for; do you commute to work? Do you use your vehicle for your business? Or do you occasionally need to use your car to run errands around town? These are questions you need to ask yourself.
If you use your car for a long commute to work, or even if you only use your vehicle sparingly, you may want to consider one of the smallest and most fuel efficient vehicles; the Smart Fortwo Coupe. With an annual petroleum consumption of less than 10 barrels a year and an average of 38 MPG, you can’t go wrong. The size is perfect if you are simply transporting yourself to and from work or around town on occasion.
If you are looking for a car with plenty of space, I’d recommend the Honda Fit, my personal favorite; I own one! The Fit maximizes its space while maintaining a small and versatile body. Ranking #2 in affordable small cars by U.S. News and getting more than 28 MPG, this new Honda may be the perfect Fit for you, too! Check out these pictures and specs:
Check out the great use of space and the specs: Honda Fit
Look how much space this car creates!
If you’re using your car for a long commute, driving around town, and looking for a lot of space in a vehicle, you may want to consider the best of both worlds; a hybrid. You really can’t go wrong with one of these! Currently, the Toyota Prius Hybrid is considered to be the most fuel efficient car. The Prius maximizes its space and it’s MPG; 45 – 48 MPG is simply amazing!
This list of the most fuel efficient cars may help you in making your decision.
No matter what your choice is, if you’re looking for a new car, choose to go green!
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