This link has 5 great, simple ways to green your day off. I’ll elaborate just a smidgen on each below, but do read this great, full of ideas, short article too:

1.     Ride your bike –

a.     If biking is out of the question for you, then take a walk! Walking is great exercise, doesn’t burn fossil fuels and fun for everyone… especially if you visit one of our beautiful preserves and bird or butterfly watch- ‘tis the season for all sorts of wildlife out and about looking for food, mates and nesting areas. (p.s. info about biking to work will be out soon. We’re participating in Bike to Work week and will have biking buddies, safe route maps and meet up places for group ride-ins. Email me if you’re interested!)

2.     Green up your BBQ –

a.     When thinking about what to grill or serve, go for organic and/or locally produced foods. And when serving it up, choose reusable, washable dishes and silverware…or at least recyclable and make sure it gets recycled!

3.     Clean up…DIY style –

a.     Did you see Tommy and Maura make all those wonderful recipes for household cleaners during Earth Week? What a great video! If you missed it we’ll let you know when it’s posted. In the meantime, check the link above for quick recipes that are cheap, safe and effective too!

4.     Take out the recycling –

a.     I was visiting a class yesterday to talk about sustainability and one student said “some ‘things’ are just not recyclable.” To which I replied, nonsense! Someone either just hasn’t come up with a use/commodity for those “things” or you just haven’t found the spot that does collect it. So, when you are looking at that “thing” that is no longer of use to you, consider it. Is it recyclable? Does someone reclaim it somewhere (ex batteries may not go in your curbside, but you can take them to Staples…same with expired CFL bulbs). If no one takes it, what can you do with it? Make something new, repurpose it, donate it?

5.     Pay Tribute –

a.     Remember this holiday is to honor those that have fallen so we may live freely! Freely with equality and access to fair civil, social, economic and environmental securities. Remember to honor them in some way this weekend. The link has some neat ideas.

Have a safe, green holiday!

One of my pet peeves is drinking bottled water.  The bottles are made from oil, thus furthering our reliance on those non-renewable fossil fuels.  Bottled water is a hazard to our health: carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting toxins leach from the plastic into that expensive water and filtration standards are low to none at all.  In the bigger picture, the toxins from the plastic leaches into our ground water providing us with a second hit, not to mention the all of the other organisms that are also hit with the unpleasant and toxic exposure to our bottled water habit.  Check out this town that has become part of my dreams by banning bottled water all together.  The bottled water industry is even looking to sue the town over this.  http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/concord_ma_to_be_first_us_town_to_ban_bottled_water.php?campaign=weekly_nl

Mother Jones has a short article on their site that lists 10 “green” iphone apps. I know that not everyone has an iphone, but this is an example of how having information in hand, at the point of need, helps us to make informed decisions. These apps are a way to conjure up immediate info to use. Now, we may have to explore where the apps get their info, but, you know, it is good that someone is working to do this.

Click here to visit this site: http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/01/econundrum-10-eco-apps-your-iphone

Don’t know what to do with those old electronics?  Check out this website http://recycle4cash.cexchange.com/online/Home/index.rails.  You can recycle those electronics and make a little cash.  Good deal for you and the environment.

Today, we had a Green Team meeting. (The Green Team is the advisory committee for our college’s sustainability initiative.) We discussed the “single stream” recycling program that our college uses. Which got me asking, what is single stream recycling? This YouTube video explains. I thought I’d share:

These homes are upcycled, meaning objects are reused for a different purpose instead of being thrown into a landfill.  Phoenix Commotion, the company founded by Dan Philips in East Town, Texas, doesn’t just build homes for customers, but requires that the customers participate in the building process to take early ownership and feel the investment.  The town has even supported Dan by creating a center for the drop off of construction waste, which will then be turned into beautiful homes.  You might think the houses are junk (well they are literally), but Dan has become a master builder who meets all building codes.  Check these beauties out! http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/09/02/garden/20090903-recycled-slideshow_index.html

Article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/garden/03recycle.html?_r=1

US EPA is launching National Cell Phone Recycling Week as part of its efforts to celebrate Earth Day the entire month of April. The week, which runs from April 6th through April 12th, is a joint effort between EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program and leading cell phone manufacturers, retailers and service providers to increase national awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling. To celebrate National Cell Phone Recycling Week, Plug-In partners across the country, including AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, are introducing a series of in-store promotions, contests, and giveaways.  The partners will provide in-store and online recycling opportunities for consumers. Plug-In To eCycling is a voluntary partnership between EPA and electronics manufacturers, retailers, and service providers to offer consumers more opportunities to donate or recycle their used electronics.  In 2007, as part of their commitment to the program, retailers and electronics manufacturers voluntarily recycled more than 47 million pounds of electronics, mostly computers and televisions. Information about EPA’s Plug-In to eCycling program:  http://www.epa.gov/plugin Information about cell phone recycling:  http://www.epa.gov/cellphones 

I remember back about 15 years ago, I thought, “who in the world would actually pay for bottled water when you can get it for free from the tap?” Then, a decade later, I would buy cases of bottled water without thinking about it. Now, I won’t buy bottled water because we are up to our eye balls in plastic bottles, not to mention that they are petroleum products. Well, I thought I’d pass along this article, Washington University Ban on Water Bottles, that talks about the growing movement to ban bottled water on college campuses. More and more people are standing up and saying that the leftover bottles are really a problem, and the easiest way to solve this problem is to get rid of the bottles.

With this time of year comes large gatherings of family and friends - and even larger meals.  Arm yourself with some healthy options for storing leftovers.  First think of the environment by not using plastic bags that are often single use or those disposable plastic containers.  Instead, think about using a recyclable container that is not only good for the environment, but good for your health too.  Use glass and ceramic that do not leach the unwanted toxins like hormone disrupting phthalates that leach from plastic bags or containers when they are heated.

Did you know that it takes over 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose and even then it is broken down into small chemicals that travel through the ecosystem and back into us.

 If you use the Internet to look up business or personal phone numbers and no longer want to receive paper phone books, click on the link below to opt out.  It will save a ton of paper from having to be printed and recycled.  Paper can not be recycled more than about seven times before the fibers become so short they are useless in paper making.

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/