06.11.08
Posted in home & garden, recycling, habitat at 1:50 pm by greengirl
I was just floating around Gmail and came across this awesome tile site via their weblinks. They’ve got eco-friendly tile, including cork, pebble mosaics and recycled glass. The cork is recycled from the stopper industry’s byproduct (think: the end of wine corks). Modwalls.com also supports some great causes.
Cork is a particularly good substance to use in construction. According to the Rainforest Alliance, “cork oak forests are one of the most sustainable natural systems, and supports one of the highest levels of biodiversity among European forests.” Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. It’s harvested every 10 years or so, and harvesting it doesn’t hurt the tree.
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06.07.08
Posted in ecotravel, weekend census at 7:43 am by greengirl
For the few of you that can afford traveling with gas prices being what they are, a series of links on green hotels:
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06.05.08
Posted in energy, global warming at 10:10 am by greengirl
You’ve probably seen those vaguely unsettling commercials with Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich or Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson sitting on a couch in some outdoor setting. Weird as those may be (and they sure work to get my attention), they represent a cool organization. The We Campaign is part of the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit started by Al Gore. They’re trying to raise awareness about global warming and climate change, convincing people one at a time of the scientific truth of this issue. They’ve got some great tips about what you can do to minimize your personal impact.
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06.03.08
Posted in recycling at 7:28 am by greengirl
As I was just about to throw my empty prescription bottle in the recycling bin, and being very grateful that my city takes no. 5 plastics, I wondered what options there are for cities that don’t accept anything but a no. 1 or 2 plastic. I did some checking, and there aren’t tons of options, but there are a few. Apparently, many pharmacies won’t take them because after too many reuses, the child-proof ability of the caps begins to break down. (Don’t they know that kids are the only ones who can get those things open?)
Some veterinary clinics and animal shelters reuse the bottles for giving out doses of medication to furry patients, so check with your local vet clinics. Or, you could send them to Jacob Willard in West Virginia for his 4H project. If you have a plastic lumber manufacturer near you, they’ll take most types of plastics. Everyone has thought of using them to keep screws, craft supplies, etc (after thoroughly washing, of course), but one of the coolest reuse ideas I found is to keep plants watered by punching a hole in the bottom, burying it in the dirt and watering.
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06.01.08
Posted in organic, pollution, weekend census, shopping at 11:03 am by greengirl
In honor of spring cleaning, websites that sell green alternatives to common household cleaners:
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05.30.08
Posted in education, recycling, pollution at 8:10 am by greengirl
The blog associated with the method line of products recently posted about an incredible art installation in Sao Paolo. Sao Paolo is home to the Tiete River, one of the most polluted waterways in the world. The artist, Eduardo Srur, has created an installation of 40′ long (huge!) plastic PET bottles along the embankments of the Tiete River to raise awareness of pollution and the need for recycling. They’re lit from within and look darn cool in the nighttime shots. I recommend checking out his ‘Art’ link - he’s got some amazing, larger-than-life stuff.
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05.29.08
Posted in health, organic, shopping at 7:35 am by greengirl
A new study in the UK just revealed something that many of us already suspected: organic milk from cows allowed to graze freely on grass is healthier than traditional milk. The study found that organic milk contains 67% more vitamins and antioxidants than traditional milk. It also contains 60% more of the healthy fatty acid CLA9, which has been shown to shrink tumors. Organically farmed cows get more than 80% of their diet from grazing on grass, as compared to 37% for cows raised to produce ‘ordinary’ milk.
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05.28.08
Posted in home & garden, weddings, shopping at 7:19 am by greengirl
I recently finished the food chapter of the book I’m writing on Eco-weddings. It includes information on why it matters to eat lower on the food chain, eat organic and eat locally grown products. I thought I’d post the section on eating locally here:
Your food travels an average of 1,300 to 1,500 miles (depending on the literature) before it reaches your local supermarket. Just think of how much fuel is used to drive a truck that far. Buying locally ensures that more of your dollar goes to the farmer. Local farmers will keep about $0.90 of each dollar you spend. Food that is shipped across the country has money going to marketing, distribution and the parent corporation, leaving the original farmer with $0.21 of that dollar you spent. Local produce needs to be sprayed with far fewer chemicals to keep it looking fresh for the 24 hours it travels to your kitchen. When food is shipped long distances, growers have to focus on growing varieties that will maintain their color over distance, which usually involves losing taste and gaining preservatives. Local farmers can work with heirloom varieties and select for taste instead of shelf life.
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05.27.08
Posted in home & garden, pollution, global warming at 7:16 am by greengirl
I subscribe to a great newsletter from Ideal Bite, and they send me little green tidbits every day. One of the most interesting that they sent, back at the beginning of the mowing season, is one about renting a goat to mow your lawn. Since I have wicked allergies to cut grass, I thought this sounded like the coolest idea. Only eleven states currently participate in the Goat Rental Directory, and I’m not entirely sure that all the links are accurate. But, if you know someone with a goat (hey! I do!), then borrow the goat for a while - the goat will get to eat, and you’ll have a nice lawn and neighbors that think you’re a little weird.
As far as ecological benefits, goats will eat thistles and even poison ivy, so you won’t have to suit up to mow the lawn or spray those horrible pesticides. And, you may be surprised to learn that running your gas-powered lawnmower for one hour produces as much air pollution as driving a car 100 miles, and the air pollution from the 20 million small engines sold yearly contribute one tenth of the mobile-source hydrocarbon emissions. The EPA states that grass-cutting folks spill more than 17 million gallons of fuel yearly, more than that spilled by the Exxon Valdez in the Gulf of Alaska. There’s even a handy calculator to find out how much pollution your lawnmower produces.
So, if you don’t know anyone with a goat and have no goat rental nearby, consider an electric, or even better, a reel mower. They’re cheaper than a gas-powered mower and much gentler on the environment in many ways.
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05.26.08
Posted in health, ecotravel, pollution, global warming at 8:13 am by greengirl
Since I now live in a warmer climate, I’ve been riding my bike to work on the non-rainy days for about three months. (Unfortunately, since it’s a warmer climate, the temperature is now - mid-May - at the intolerable stage to my frigid northern blood.) My round trip to work is about 3 miles, so it takes me about 20 minutes on my bike, including unlocking and locking the bike, walking from bike rack to door, etc. Given that it takes me 10 minutes in my car, it’s not really a big time suck.
I had originally considered what I was saving in terms of gas and carbon emissions, but the Commute Solutions website has a nifty calculator that reveals all sorts of other costs, like water pollution and wear on your vehicle. So, according to their calculations, I’m saving $3.39 each time I ride my bike to work. Assuming that I’ve riden an average of two days per week for the last three months, I’ve saved $81.36 by riding my bike. I get another figure - $2.19 per day - using the SmartTrips calculator, but I get the impression they’re not adding in as many factors as Commute Solutions. Their calculator also reveals that I’m reducing my carbon footprint by 0.15 pounds each day I ride.
Overall, according to suite101.com, a bike can travel 960 miles on the equivalent energy of one gallon of gas (I’m guessing this accounts for food used for the bicyclist’s energy). Is your car’s gas mileage 960 miles a gallon? If so, where can I buy your car?! With gas prices climbing, more and more people will be biking, so even if you’re not a cyclist, keep your eyes out for them and respect their rights. And this post would not be complete without a mention of BRASS - Baton Rouge Advocate for Safer Streets - who hosted a wonderful (if overly hot) bike tour of cemetaries this past weekend. Kudos to them for all their efforts!
(And I’m back, after an overly long and mysterious absence!)
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