Posts Tagged ‘environmental footprint’

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Challenge Idea: Find News Online Or Swap Paper Editorials Friday, February 26th, 2010 It’s nice to be on the email lists of various bloggers.  Reduce Footprints, which I have mentioned in previous posts, is one of my favorites.  Many of the “green” sites today can have a pompous air, but Reduce Footprints is humbled in its approach.  It provides its readers with a doable weekly challenge cleverly dubbed, Change The World Wednesdays. Last week, I came up with a Challenge idea based on one of Reduce Footprints’ interesting posts.  They liked it so much, they took advantage of it: This week’s challenge was suggested by our bloggy friend Heather, from Earth Promise, after reading Monday’s post on books. I think it’s a fantastic idea! Here’s her challenge: Think of all that we read on a daily basis, whether it be magazines, newspapers, books, etc. I propose that for one week we do not purchase a newspaper, magazine, book, but rather swap with someone or find your news online…… It’s a wonderful challenge! Thanks, Reduce Footprints!  Here are just a smattering of the responses received: • Maurie Kirschner accepted the challenge but then, the current issue of Vegetarian Times came out … and well … she caved! However, she did a few other Eco-friendly activities that day which you can read about HERE.  Maurie says she failed and succeeded, all in less than an hour. I think the successes won! • EcoGrrl  joined us. Once she realized that it took her 10 minutes to get through a $5.00 magazine, she decided to stop buying them. She’s also tired of receiving those unwanted news supplements so she’s calling the Oregonian and asking them to stop delivering them. • Ange  found a blog that swaps magazines. She received two vintage Martha Stewart’s in exchange for a couple of French magazines … and she is offering to swap French magazines with anyone who is interested. How cool is that! She also suggested putting up a sign in a local café to start a book swap club … members swap books and hold occasional meetings to discuss what is being read. Great idea … and sounds like fun! To read all of the fabulous comments and ideas received on Reduce Footprints, click here. Here is a peek at the next Challenge: Let’s jump right into this week’s challenge! We’re going to do one more paper-reducing challenge and then, we’ll move onto something else next week (I can hear you cheering … lol). Here you are:  Receiving and paying paper bills is a lot of paper and a lot of waste … not to mention resources getting the bill to and from one’s home. So, this week sign up to receive at least one paperless bill and pay it online. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact the biller for instructions. Or … If this is something you already do, please write a post about all the benefits of paying bills online. Are you willing to give it a go? Tags: carbon footprint, CFLs, change, changes, climate change, disposal, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-blogger, eco-friendly, energy, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, mercury, nature, organic, recycle, reduce, reduce footprints, reuse Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Special Interview with Nathan Winters – Riding Across America Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 Around Earth Day 2009, Earth Promise conducted a series of interviews asking people from a number of areas questions about the environment, what they are doing to help, their thoughts on the direction government, business and organizations are going in.  For all the Earth Day 2009 interviews along with others since then, click here and enjoy. One of the people we had the privilege to interview was Nathan Winters.  Not an actor, a politician, musician or movie director.  All he did was ride his bicycle across the United States to raise for the Nature Conservancy and increase awareness regarding our environment and the importance of protecting it and caring for it.   To read more about Nathan and his amazing journey, visit his site at www.FollowNathan.org.  Ten months after our first interview and since he has completed his ride, we were able to interview him again and see how the experience was.    Earth Promise: So 4,300 miles later…. First off, it is an amazing accomplishment.  My wife, who is an avid rider, is very jealous!  As a recap, can you tell the readers again about the ride and why you did it? Nathan Winters: During the spring and summer of 2009 I took the notion of riding my bicycle across America. I would travel 4,300 miles over the course of 5 months.  It was done with a very nomadic spirit and documented through social media and a very personal journal. Throughout this journey I carried a piqued curiosity into agriculture, food systems and environmental issues as I conducted a research project. I would stay, meet with and interview a very diverse group of individuals, experts and organizations from various regions across our nation. I engaged with and captured the opinions and thoughts of as many people as possible through in-depth conversations. EP: Tell me about the ride?  What states did you go through? NW: I decided on the northern route in an effort to visit a few states I had not visited prior to this trek. All in all I would touch 14 states including ME,NH, VT, NY, PA, OH, MI, WI, MN, SD, ND , MT , ID, WA EP: On average, how many miles would you ride a day? NW: It varied greatly depending on who and what was in the area. For instance, when I was in the north east I found many of the communities to be fairly close to one another and often rode less than 30 miles in a day. When I was in the plains towns were often 60 miles apart and I had no choice but to ride that distance. For me a great day on the bike was 50 miles followed by good conversation and a cold beer. It is also important to note that given my nomadic spirit I would often times stay within a community for several days. So there were also plenty of times in which I would not be on the bike but rather conducting my research. EP: Tell us about some of the highlights. NW: There are honestly so many of them. I stayed and met with endless types of individuals, families and organizations. For me the biggest highlights were the times I spent on the farm. I stayed on a variety of types of farming and practices that truly allowed me to get a strong understanding for what was going on with agriculture, food and how politics, science and marketing were shaping the food chain. I can hardly describe to you how vastly different having lunch with an Amish family in comparison to doing shots of crown royal in a honky tonk with a cattle rancher. EP: See some odd things along the way? NW: There was certainly more than enough interesting encounters with people along the way. I think most of the “odd” things I had witnessed were the homemade signs that people made and planted in their front lawn. You would be surprised what people are willing to share and illustrate with a piece of plywood and a can of spray paint. EP: You did this to raise money and awareness for the Nature Conservancy.  Was this a success? NW: It was a success. All of the donations were very much appreciated, collected through First Giving and went directly to the nature Conservancy. I didn’t have to handle any of the monetary responsibilities. In my eyes, giving a few thousand dollars to an organization that does wonderful work protecting the worlds ecosystems was a huge success. EP: What were some of the key concerns that people discussed as it relates to the environment? NW: I think that the major concern at this point is finding ways to go beyond the things we do in our daily life such as recycling and composting. While these small steps are helping us move forward in our daily lives the reality is that we need to change an entire paradigm in terms of the way we operate on a global scale. Many of the experts that I met with were not afraid to speak of a small window of just a few short decades before we start dealing with the consequences. That to me is alarming. EP: Any conversations really stand out? NW: So many of them touched, and influenced me. My greatest inspiration came from a man by the name of Greg David in Jefferson, Wisconsin who spoke about things I had never considered prior such as restorative agriculture and social capital. I left that visit knowing and believing that we need to put the ethics back into capitalism, create ecological capital, perform honest accounting in regards to the cost of production of goods and get involved as a community to build social capital. These are the things I now hold true to my values and hope to see become a reality as our nation and world moves forward. EP: Thinking of the environment and how people care about it, did you see differences as you went across the country?  Where were some of the most environmentally conscious people you encountered? NW: Naturally, you are going to see a wide variation in the mindsets as you move across America. One thing that I found to be consistent was the influence of academia surrounding these communities. It was very interesting to see the influence in how these places developed socially, politically and economically. I witnessed a lot more compassion for mother earth and a desire for local and sustainable agriculture. These areas are places such as Burlington, VT, Ithaca, NY, Ann Arbor, MI and Missoula MT to name a few. These folks are what I would consider to be on the “tip of the antenna”. Please don’t get me wrong however. I found many hidden gems in all of the communities I visited from coast to coast. EP: I loved following your progress as you did it and the TwitPics you posted.  Is there a place where all of these can be viewed? NW: The majority of the content is online at http://www.follownathan.org While I have a plethora of content that I need to add to my current platform there is more than enough on my website to keep one busy. EP: Now that the ride is over, any next steps relating to this ride? NW: I have decided to write all of this down and compile a book. I started my manuscript and I am well over halfway. This is an excellent way for me to not only share my experiences and what I learned but also a tremendous way for me to relive my journey every day. I am currently working diligently to seek out a potential publisher that would be willing to share this Endeavour with me. I am also looking into creating an innovative digital book format that would incorporate all of my video, photos and audio, giving readers the full experience from the convenience of their own home. Lately I have been participating in various press opportunities and engaging online through social media in an effort to bridge gaps between those with a difference in opinions or outlooks. EP: I asked you this before your ride and definitely interested in the answer.  How did you get home?  Assuming it was a little quicker than the trip out west! NW: I did in fact take an emotionally draining flight back from Seattle where I was greeted by amazing friends and followers alike. It was odd to think that I could bike for 5 months from one end of the country to the other only to fly home in 5 hours. EP: Any future rides planned?  Europe?  NW: I would always be on the lookout for another @follownathan journey. EP: What is the one key message that you wanted to pass along to the people you encountered on this trip as well as moving forward? NW: This is an amazing country with wonderful people who want to make this planet a better place. Please remember that it is not about you and it is not about me. It is about all of us and the tide is turning. EP: Thank you very much.  Please keep us posted on your future plans. Tags: biking, change, changes, climate change, conservation, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, follaw nathan, follownathan, global warming, green, green changes, green interviews, green living, interviews, Nathan Winters, nature, nature conservancy Posted in interviews | No Comments »

A Question For You Thursday, February 11th, 2010 Earth Promise would like to hear from you: “What do you do on a daily basis to help eliminate waste and to protect your environment?” Tags: change, changes, climate change, earth promise, earthpromise, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green living, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, the onion, water bottles Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Coffee: Not Just For A Jolt Anymore Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 There is nothing more satisfying than finding new ways to use everyday products.  I try to think about the items I use on a daily basis that are then tossed away.  We need change our ways of thinking about what is truly waste, and what doesn’t need to be deemed as such.  I’ll start with my early morning routine:  after my pre-sunrise workout, I head home for my morning jolt of caffeine.  Ahhhh, coffee.  Nothing like the feeling of that first sip of hot coffee being fed into my bloodstream!  But what to do with the remains? Now there is a product that can have many lives.  Daily, I take my coffee grounds and dump them into my bushes and flower pots. ( I used to attempt to throw my grounds into the trash, but much of it would end up on the floor.)  As I was looking for other coffee grounds uses, I came across,  My Zero Waste, where they suggest how to reuse these precious dark brown granules.  Here’s a sampling of their fabulously handy ideas: • Eco exfoliant Used coffee grounds are a great natural exfoliant for the skin! Simply apply, massage onto the skin and rinse. • Because you’re worth it Who’d have thought it? Coffee actually makes a great hair rinse! If you have darker hair, use leftover coffee as a final hair rinse to add super shine. • Slugs and snails Used coffee grounds can you help keep bugs at bay by acting as a repellent for snails and slugs. • Furniture care Now you see it…now you don’t – remove small scratches on furniture with wet coffee grounds. To read the blog in its entirety, click here. If your daily pot of coffee doesn’t produce enough grounds to fill your garden to your liking, stop by your local Whole Foods where they (may) offer free bagged coffee grounds to take!   DIY Life recommends: “You can make brown dye for clothing, paper, or even eggs for Easter by steeping grounds in hot water. To find out how to dye your clothing, read this” Essortment.com suggests: Make some fun play dough for your kids out of those old coffee grounds. Just mix a couple of cups of dried coffee grounds with a half a cup of salt and 1 to 2 cups of corn meal. Add in enough warm water to get the dough to the consistency you like. Kids will like the different texture and they can model it just like clay. Rid your pets of fleas with old coffee grounds. Shampoo your dog or cat as usual and when they are wet rub their fur down thoroughly with coffee grounds. Massage the coffee grounds all the way to their skin and work them in. Rinse the coffee grounds away and your pet’s fur will be soft and clean and the fleas will disappear. Eureka Alert wrote back in 2008, “Researchers in Nevada are reporting that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering cars and trucks.” Tags: biofuel, change, changes, climate change, coffee, coffee grounds, compost, earth promise, earthpromise, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green living, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, waste, zero-waste Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be? Thursday, January 21st, 2010 We usually do not simply copy and paste an article at the Earth Promise blog but today has to be an exception.  The Onion posted a story that fits in perfectly with what Earth Promise is about.  Yes your little action does make a difference.  Thanks to the Onion for this one.  Enjoy!   ‘How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?’ 30 Million People Wonder WASHINGTON—Wishing to dispose of the empty plastic container, and failing to spot a recycling bin nearby, an estimated 30 million Americans asked themselves Monday how bad throwing away a single bottle of water could really be. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” thought Maine native Sheila Hodge, echoing the exact sentiments of Chicago-area resident Phillip Ragowski, recent Florida transplant Margaret Lowery, and Kansas City business owner Brian McMillan, as they tossed the polyethylene terephthalate object into an awaiting trash can. “It’s just one bottle. And I’m usually pretty good about this sort of thing.” “Not a big deal,” continued roughly one-tenth of the nation’s population. According to the inner monologue of millions upon millions of citizens, while not necessarily ideal, throwing away one empty bottle probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference, and could even be forgiven, considering how long they had been carrying it around with them, the time that could be saved by just tossing it out right here, and the fact that they had bicycled to work once last July. In addition, pretty much the entire states of Missouri and New Mexico calmly reassured themselves Monday that they definitely knew better than to do something like this, but admitted that hey, nobody is perfect, and at least they weren’t still using those horrible aerosol cans, or just throwing garbage directly on the ground. All agreed that disposing of what would eventually amount to 50 tons of thermoplastic polymer resin wasn’t the end of the world. “It’s not like I don’t care, because I do, and most of the time I don’t even buy bottled water,” thought Missouri school teacher Heather Delamere, the 450,000th caring and progressive individual to have done so that morning, and the 850,000th to have purchased the environmentally damaging vessel due to being thirsty, in a huge rush, and away from home. “It’s really not worth beating myself up over.” “What’s one little bottle in the grand scheme of things, you know?” added each and every single one of them. Monday’s plastic-bottle-related dilemma wasn’t the only environmental quandary facing millions of citizens across the country. An estimated 20 million men and women wondered how wasteful leaving a single lightbulb on all night really was, while more than 40 million Americans asked themselves if anyone would actually notice if they just turned up the heat a few degrees instead of walking all the way downstairs and getting another blanket. Likewise, had they not been so tired, and busy, and stressed, citizens making up the equivalent of three major metropolitan areas told reporters that they probably wouldn’t have driven their minivans down to the corner store. “Relax,” thousands upon thousands of Americans quietly whispered to themselves as they tossed two articles of clothing into an empty washing machine and turned it on. “What are you so worried about?”  http://www.theonion.com/content/news/how_bad_for_the_environment_can Tags: change, changes, climate change, earth promise, earthpromise, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green living, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, the onion, water bottles Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Waste-Free Lunch Gift Ideas With A 15% Coupon Monday, December 7th, 2009 Kids and their parents are becoming more aware of the amount of waste produced via school lunches. My daughters’ school has set up recycling bins in the cafeteria for water bottles.  There are even Terracycle  bins accessible so the children can keep chip bags, cookie wrappers and juice pouches out of the landfills.  A big challenge with many school’s are the polystyrene lunch trays. They are damaging to the Earth since they are made from oil, and when they are thrown away, they usually end up in landfills. Some schools may recycle these trays, but then they are made into other products that end up getting tossed into landfills anyway. Let’s think about the amount of school children who bring their lunches to school.  The magnitude of waste can be staggering.  According to Kids Konserve, an informational website dedicated to waste-free lunch kits and other reusable products: • Children’s lunches create 3.5 billion pounds of garbage each year • 18,760 pounds of trash is generated annually from one average elementary school • 80% of the 31 billion single serving plastic water bottles Americans use each year end up in landfills • It takes a 15 year old tree to produce 700 brown paper bags Below is an impressive list from KidsKonserve  containing useful and eco-friendly gifts for those lunch toting children (and adults, too!).  Be sure to visit their site as it is filled with other reusable products to purchase, educational facts about plastics , and contests for kids. For our special Earth Promise readers, Kids Konserve has set up a 15% coupon code “promise” valid until 12/31/09.   Think Non-Toxic and Sustainable For All Holiday Gifts this Season!   Put meaning in the greening this holiday season.  Want to make this a truly eco-friendly holiday for your family and friends?  Our Kids Konserve’s gift guide features the season’s best non-toxic and sustainable gifts.  Whether you are the green guru of the house, or you’re struggling to find a gift for one, you’ll find selections that you can be proud to give.    Hostess & Teacher Gifts:  Thinking about what to give to the hostess of the party, your child’s teacher, hairdresser, neighbor gift, what to bring to the cookie/gift exchange….  Tired of giving out candles?  Here are some great ideas hanging from the tree (below) at great prices.   As seen in Entrepreneur Magazine: The Greening of Lunch/Greening of Holidays                                            The Kids Konserve 2009 Gift Guide – 12 Earth Friendly Holiday Solutions    1. Set of 304 Food Grade Leak-Proof Stainless Steel Containers for life. 2.  Reusable Party Pak for the Classroom.  Take the trash out of the bash! 3.   Nesting Trio Leak-Proof Stainless Steel Containers, all the right sizes                     and easy to store! 4.  Cotton Napkins – Save a tree and use these at your family dinners. Pick                      from squiggle, caterpillar, or butterfly patterns. 5.  Food Kozies - The reusable wrap for homemade cookies, peanut brittle,                      or brownies. 6.  Waste-Free Lunch Kits – Give a Kid a Kit (choose your style, pattern, or                      create your own). 7. Bottles – No Liners! Non-Toxic Stainless Steel bottles.  One for everyone in the                      family. 8.  Minis – From nuts to jelly beans, you can always find something to put in these! 9.  Drawstring bags – Great gift wrap, for a bottle of wine or on the go snacks, or                      a great anytime bag. 10.  Snack Paks - Perfect for light lunches and on the go snacks. 11.   Green Cleaning – Greenwood Naturals!  Biodegradable and Non-Toxic! 12.  12 oz. Insulated Thermos - Going beyond the Sandwich! Endless options! Kids Konserve featured on View from the Bay!   Kids Konserve wishes you a very Happy, Green, and Eco-Friendly Holiday! www.kidskonserve.com Don’t forget the generous 15% coupon! Be sure to type in “promise” when it asks for the coupon code. Tags: carbon footprint, change, change the world, changes, children, climate change, disposal, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-blogger, eco-friendly, energy, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, kids, landfills, lunch trays, nature, organic, recycle, reduce, reduce footprints, reuse, school, school lunches, Terracycle, waste, waste-free lunch kits Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Water Saving Trends Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 I came across the blog, Pays To Live Green ,via a top 10 favorite of mine, Reduce Footprints .  Pays To Live Green’s “major aspect (is) to focus on different ways you can save money by going ‘green’”.  One of my green pearls of wisdom that I share with friends about making an Earth Promise  is to plug the drain in the tub before turning on the water instead of waiting for it to get warm.  A very simple task that we take for granted.  Just think of the wasted water spiraling down the drain; and just so our bath gets warmer a bit quicker?  Yesterday, Pays To Live Green  posted, “Save Water While Waiting For It To Warm” which focuses on wasted water when waiting for the shower water to warm. Why does it take so long? There are three main reasons why it takes longer to get warm water in certain households: • Distance of Water Heater: This reason makes complete sense as the farther the water heater is from a faucet, the longer warm water will take to reach it. • Diameter of Pipes: Smaller pipes mean that less water has to flow to faucets.  This means that less water has to be heated and therefore it will arrive much faster. • Flow Rate: Since less water is delivered using low-flow showerheads and faucets, more cold water is sitting in the pipes.  This cold water will take longer to flush out before warm water can arrive. The latest trend in household construction is to make larger pipes and to use lower flow rate faucets and showerheads.  This combination delivers hot water the slowest.  In some situations, it can take as long as a few minutes. To read the post in its entirety, click here. Here are some other quick water saving tips: Try not to pre-rinse dishes before placing in dishwasher unless necessary Turn water off while brushing teeth Shave while in shower; or don’t shave as often Get low-flush toilet installed and cut down on the excessive toilet flushing: If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.   Tags: carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, earth, earth 911, earth promise, earth share, earthkeepers, earthpromise, eco-friendly, eco-products, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global, global warming, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, green vacations, local produce, money, money saving tips, Pays to Live Green, planet green, recipes, recycle, reduce, reduce footprints, reuse, sustainable Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

How To Spend Your Green When You Travel Green Monday, November 30th, 2009 This past Friday, a.k.a., Black Friday was the traditional start of in-store holiday shopping.  If you were one who ventured out the day after Thanksgiving, you are one brave soul!  For the mall-loathing, dedicated on-line shoppers, today is becoming yet another traditional shopping day—Cyber Monday.  Whether you decided to stay home today and find the best on-line deals or take various breaks throughout your work day, Cyber Monday is no doubt more up my alley! Before you visit the shopping sites, though, it would be wise to be well-informed about the gifts you plan to purchase.  Practical Travel Gear offers reviews of truly affordable, useful eco-products.  One handy item, Light for Life, is a convenient little travel gadget that “takes a tiny amount of electricity and turns it into hours of light. What makes this 5.11 Tactical  really special is that it charges up in just 90 seconds—in your car!”  Although it has many uses, Light For Life is perfect for those considerate individuals who stay up a bit later in the hotel room reading.  Practical Travel Gear also has a post reviewing the “5 Things I Always Pack”  which reviews functional and affordable products.  Do you pack an extra reusable tote for your vacation purchases?   How about a lightweight towel? The Cruising Caddy Water Bottle Carrier is the ideal bring along since many of us are used to having our water bottle in tow.  Now you can take photos or take a walking tour with that ubiquitous drinking vessel.  According to Tim Leffel,  the travel gear extraordinaire:  “The tourist and the water bottle are now joined as one. So if you’re going to carry one of these around all day every day on your trip, why not make it work for you?  That’s the idea behind the Cruising Caddy, a water bottle holder that goes beyond double-duty. It’s got an open pocket with elastic on one side to hold items that aren’t valuable, a Velcro closure one on the other side to hold things you can’t lose, a hidden smaller pocket inside that, and a metal carabiner clip on the side to hold your keys or to clip the whole thing to a belt loop. Oh, and it holds a water bottle—up to 1.5 liters. There’s even a water bottle cooler sleeve included that you can wrap around to keep the bottle cold longer or keep your hands dry.” Check out the other earth-friendly product reviews that are easy additions to your travels and help you leave a smaller footprint.  Since many people are seriously prioritizing their gift funds, some may opt out of tangible gifts this year and spend their money of some great green vacations.  I highly reccommend visiting Perceptive Travel  when deciding on your destination.  Perceptive Travel “is an online travel magazine that is home to interesting and award-winning stories from some of the best travel writers on the planet. It wins top awards on a regular basis and is a staple of “best travel writing” anthologies.”  If you covet authentic travel tales and unique destination ideas without the commercialism, Perceptive Travel is for you. Be sure to also visit the Earth Promise store for other great gift ideas!! Tags: black friday, carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, cyber monday, earth, earth 911, earth promise, earth share, earthkeepers, earthpromise, eco-friendly, eco-products, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global, global warming, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, green vacations, local produce, nutritious family, on-line deals, perceptive travel, planet green, practical travel gear, recipes, recycle, reduce, reusable bags, reuse, sustainable, thanks, travel, travel gear Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

An Eye-Opening Experiment Friday, November 20th, 2009 Being that I live in south Florida, just a few miles away from the beach, finding The Daily Ocean blog  hits home.  I take full advantage of my coastal proximity and use the beach as nature’s playground for my girls and a place of solace when I need a fix.  Just this past September 19th , my family and I partook in the International Coastal Cleanup.  Although my girls were initially not overjoyed to be picking up “garbage”  on an early Saturday morning, seeing, collecting, and documenting the abundance of plastic and trash for ourselves reminded us that the problem is real, not just something we hear and read about, and the solution is up to us. Sara Bayles, ceramics teacher in Santa Monica, California, is the author of The Daily Ocean.  This blog was born from a personal question: “I asked myself this question – How many pounds of trash could I collect from the beach if I did it for one year?”  Sara is realistic: she plans to pick-up beach trash for 365 non-consecutive days. Her latest post  from November 15, 2009 marks Day 75.  Kudos to you, Sara!  To date, she has personally collected 341.03 pounds of trash.  The Daily Ocean is adorned with photos of Sara’s finds (some of which are quite gruesome) and also sprinkled with scientific information such as ocean acidification.  It is unlikely not to get inspired by visiting The Daily Ocean.  I plan to keep some large garbage bags and rubber gloves handy in my beach bag!  Thanks for the inspiration, Sara! Tags: agents, carbon footprint, change, changes, clean water, climate change, earth, earth promise, earthkeepers, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, garbage, global, global warming, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, international coastal cleanup, ocean, ocean habitats, organic, recycle, reduce, reuse, Sara Bayles, swim, the daily ocean, trash, water pollution Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

How To Throw a Sustainable Thanksgiving Monday, November 16th, 2009 What will you be thankful for this Thanksgiving?  Family, friends and health always seem to top the list.  Reducing your impact on the environment and educating others by example is definitely something to be thankful for!  Here are some great tips (I have gathered from various sites) to lessen your impact.  As you know, holiday time can create an abundance of waste and therefore a larger footprint.  Did you know that according to RecycleWorks,  “From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons – it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills.”  If you have any other ideas that are not listed below, leave us a comment and share the knowledge! From Planet Green: Clean house Maybe you’re doing it, maybe you have help. Either way, using non-toxic cleaners can make your house sparkle without chemicals. Run out of sink or tub scrub? Mix up some baking soda and water (here’s a recipe we like). Wondering how to get your windows squeaky clean? Try vinegar and newspaper. These household staples really work-and you won’t run the risk of inciting a synthetic-fragrance induced allergy attack in your guests. EarthShare.org has great transportation tips: Holidays are the most traveled days of the year, and many of us find ourselves stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic when we’d rather be home and having second helpings of the feast. Whether you’re just heading to a friend’s house for dessert or traveling across the country to see your family, here are a few ideas to help you save money and travel efficiently. About.com :  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle To make your Thanksgiving celebration as eco-friendly as possible, start with the three Rs of conservation: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only as much as you need and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled. Carry reusable bags when you do your shopping, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again. Recycle paper, and all plastic, glass and aluminum containers. If you don’t already have a compost bin, use your Thanksgiving fruit and vegetable trimmings to start one. The compost will enrich the soil in your garden next spring.   The Big Green Purse: Turn down the heat. If all your holiday cooking doesn’t heat up your house, your guests will. Turn your thermostat down 3-5 degrees – no one will notice the difference. Earth 911 : When shopping for your Thanksgiving meal, keep two words in mind: organic and local. These keywords will guarantee a fresher, more nutritious meal. If you buy local, not only can you enjoy fresh food, but you will also support your local economy. Check for farmers’ markets, family farms, community-supported agriculture programs and U-Pick options in your area for the freshest produce, eggs, dairy and grass-fed meat. Also, consider buying organic wines to be more eco-conscious without sacrificing quality or taste.   UC San Diego Sustainability Solutions Institute: Stuff the fake stuffing, use bread instead! Stuffing may not have been served at the first Thanksgiving but it has certainly become an American favorite during the holiday season. These days, boxed stuffing seems to look more like cardboard than food. With tons of packaging, preservatives and additives, skipping the boxed stuffing is a great way to cool down your feast. Stuffing is a creative way to use up leftovers like vegetables and fruits from your fridge, and will be especially flavorful made with a loaf of bread from the local bakery.   Suite101.com Donate leftover food to a shelter or a food bank; call before your party to arrange pickup or delivery. Ask if they could also use your leftover decorations, gift boxes or bags, or recycled wrapping paper. Or, give leftover food to your party guests.   Looking for a few sites to find just the right recipes?  Here are some of my personal favorites that will permit you to celebrate your local farmers and allow you to celebrate the glory of real good food! NutritiousFamily The Daily Green Vegan.com  There are so many more ideas available so that you can throw a sustainable Thanksgiving feast.  We’d love to hear from you and how about sharing your favorite local produce recipe? Tags: about.com, carbon footprint, cardboard boxes, change, changes, climate change, donate, earth, earth 911, earth promise, earth share, earthkeepers, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global, global warming, global water crisis, green, green challenge, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, local produce, nutritious family, organic, planet green, recipes, recycle, recycle works, reduce, reuse, sustainable, thanks, thanksgiving, thanksgiving ideas, thanksgiving recipes, the big green purse, waste Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

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