Deforestation
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has resulted in the reduction of indigenous forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Indigenous forests now cover 21% of the earth’s land surface.
The biggest concern is the rate at which deforestation is occurring. Currently, 12 million acres of forests are cleared annually. Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. At this rate all moist tropical forest could be lost by the year 2050, except for isolated areas in Amazonia, the Zaire basin, as well as a few protected areas within reserves and parks. Some countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical forests by the year 2010 if no conservation steps are taken.
Solution? The solution is for all of us to cut down on our use of papers products. We need to stop printing everything. We need to start using recycled paper whenever possible. We need start paying our bills online and receiving statements via email. We need to start bringing our own grocery bags to the store instead of using paper ones. We need to start consuming shade grown coffee only. We need to start building our homes with recycled materials. We need to start planting trees instead of cutting them down. We need to start right now…
THE FACTS
Currently, 12 million acres of forests are cleared annually.
Green Your Home Decor
The biggest issue with today’s furniture is that it contains PBDE, legally required flame retardants, that can cause many health problems. The best thing you can do is buy furniture made from sustainable materials, meaning materials made from reclaimed, responsibly harvested, or renewable sources. We spend over $70 billion dollars a year on new furniture, so its time to start being responsible about what we buy.
The next time you buy furniture look for furniture certified by GreenGuard, an independent certification system for furniture with low levels of toxic emissions.
THE FACTS
Americans spend over $70 billion dollars a year on new furniture.
Green Your Computer
In the last 15 years nothing has changed the way we communicate more than the computer. The information age is upon us which means we are using more electrical devices than ever before. Every computer, cell phone and iPod in the country draws electrical power. The biggest energy hog of them all is the computer. The reason is people leave their computers on constantly, even when they are not being used. According to a recent study, if every American turned off their computer and monitor every night we would avoid emitting 8 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
Solution? The solution is to adjust the Power Options on your computer to reduce the amount of power your computer draws when you are not using it. Your computer has the ability to adjust itself into a “low power mode” very similar to hibernation. Adjusting your Power Options can reduce the amount of energy your computer normally uses by 75%. (SEE BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS). The other option is to simply turn off your computer when you’re not using it.
ADJUSTING YOUR POWER OPTION SETTINGS
To adjust your Power Settings, click Start>Control Power>Power Options. Once the Power Options dialogue box appears, choose the “Power Saver” option and click OK, its that easy. Do it now!
THE FACTS
If every American turned off their computer and monitor every night we would avoid emitting 8 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
Green Commuting
In today’s world commuting to work makes up a large part of the the time we spend in our vehicles. Amazing, 91% of Americans commute to work alone, averaging 30 miles per round-trip. Although its not always possible to do it any other way, there’s one great way to reduce your commuting — work from home! If we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
Here are a few great ideas to help reduce your carbon footprint:
BIKE TO WORK
A great way to save money, be healthy, and help the environment is to ride a bike. 40% of all car trips made in the United States are under 2 miles, which could easily be done on a bike. There are many options when purchasing a bike. Two great commuting style bikes are Elektra Amsterdam and the Trek Lime. The Amsterdam is only around $500, has a chain guard to protect your clothing, a luggage rack in the rear, and a headlight in front that is powered by your pedaling. The Trek Lime is around $600, has automatic shifting and a seat trunk that locks. Mountain bikes are more rugged and heavier, whereas “road” bikes are easier to ride but more fragile and more expensive.
CARPOOLING
Almost every town has a carpooling community of some type. A few great online sites for carpooling are www.erideshare.com and www.carpoolworld.com.
USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Using public transportation is a cheap easy way to cut down on you driving. Its not always possible or desirable but if you try to use public transportation once a week it can really cut down your carbon footprint.
WORK FROM HOME
Ok this might not always be possible but ask your boss or inform your employees that working from home one day a week is the new green trend. With the advancement of online meeting software the need to spend time in a conference room or traveling to out of town meetings is becoming less significant. Remember, if we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
WALK TO WORK
Again, this might not always be possible but if you live in urban environment and you can walk to work then why not. You’ll save money on gas and parking, and help the environment.
THE FACTS
91% of Americans commute to work alone, averaging 30 miles per round-trip. If we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
Green Your Laundry
Environmentally Friendly Laundry involves the use of high efficiency washing machines, environmentally friendly detergent, and cold water. A conventional washing machines uses a lot of water for every use, most of which is wasted. Detergents are very toxic, and those toxins eventually make their way into our water supply.
HIGH EFFICIENCY WASHING MACHINES
High efficiency washing machines are usually front loading. Top-loading, vertical-axis washers are basically an automated washtub, filling with water to wet all the clothing and swishing it about in detergent. Front-loading, horizontal-axis types partially fill with water and whip the clothes through, like a mill wheel in a stream. They’re actually gentler on fabrics, quieter, and, from my experience, do use far less detergent. And yes, they can hold just as many clothes as your old machine.
DETERGENTS
Laundry detergents are very toxic and end up polluting our waterways. Conventional laundry detergent is petroleum based, which is a non renewable fossil fuel. If every household in the United States replaced just one bottle of petroleum based liquid detergent with a vegetable based product, we could save 460,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 27,000 homes for a year!
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has been a major catalyst in the green detergent revolution, the article states. Using its purchasing power as the world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart launched an environmental initiative last October to encourage its suppliers to manufacture more environmentally friendly laundry detergents.
COLD WATER
One mistake people make is washing their clothes in hot water when it isn’t necessary. Today washing machines and detergents do not need hot water to clean your clothes. Dark colors should always be washed in cold water, and white clothes in cold or warm. Hot water is never necessary and wastes the natural gas used to heat that water which is harmful to the environment.
THE FACTS
An older top-loading washers use about 40 gallons of water per load. New efficient, front-loading machines use 16 to 25 gallons per load.
Carbon Offset
Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to participate in solutions to global warming. The basic idea of a carbon offset is to figure out your personal contribution level to the global warming problem from such activities as driving, flying, or home energy use. This contribution is called a carbon footprint. This term is named after carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas. You can aim to balance out your carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets. The offset purchase funds reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, which produce clean energy. As more clean energy is produced, this displaces energy being created from fossil fuels. By funding these reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, you balance out, or offset, your own impact by an equivalent amount. Carbon offsets help you to take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of your activities.
CHOOSING A CARBON OFFSET
Seeking a quality carbon offset? A quality offset is determined by the third-party certification backing it. There are several standards to look out for including the Voluntary Carbon Standard, VER+, WWF Gold Standard, Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard, Green-e, Environmental Resources Trust. It is also now possible to buy Certified Emission Reduction (CERs) from certain retailers. These are offsets derived from projects which are approved and monitored under the United Nation’s Clean Development Mechanism. Buying offsets with these certifications helps to ensure your offset is real, verified, additional, and meet the most rigorous standards and are backed by leading organizations. Beware of any offset that does not meet any standard at all.
THE FACTS
Carbon Offset programs fund reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, which produce clean energy.
Carbon Footprint
Our carbon footprint is the estimated carbon dioxide emission from our day to day activities. Every time we drive, fly, run appliances at home and keep our houses lighted, warm, and cool, we emit carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere and causes global warming. Be part of the solution and offset your emissions! Carbon offsets are an easy and affordable way to compensate for our contribution to climate change. They are a critical piece of the solution to global warming because they push investments into new technologies and programs that make a difference today.
Take the first step, and calculate your carbon footprint. Once you’ve calculated your footprint, try and change your daily activities to reduce your score.
CARBON OFFSET
Carbon offsets are becoming an increasingly popular way for individuals and businesses to participate in solutions to global warming. The basic idea of a carbon offset is to figure out your personal contribution level to the global warming problem from such activities as driving, flying, or home energy use. This contribution is called a carbon footprint. This term is named after carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas. You can aim to balance out your carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets. The offset purchase funds reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, which produce clean energy. As more clean energy is produced, this displaces energy being created from fossil fuels. By funding these reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, you balance out, or offset, your own impact by an equivalent amount. Carbon offsets help you to take personal responsibility for the environmental consequences of your activities.
THE FACTS
Tax deductible donations contribute to the development of new technologies and alternative energy that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Car Maintenance
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
With fuel prices at an all time high, every little thing you can do to help your fuel efficiency is worth it. No matter what kind of car you drive, there are many simple things you can do to your vehicle to save money and help the environment. Sure there are hybrid cars and vehicles with high fuel economy, but there are many other maintenance procedures that can help your car run at its highest efficiency.
INFLATE YOUR TIRES
Every tire on every vehicle has a recommended PSI pressure rating. This PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) rating is the ideal pressure that a tire should be inflated. Keeping your tires at this recommended PSI rating will help your vehicle get the best possible fuel economy possible. Under inflated tires can slow the car down and decease fuel efficiency.
LOSE THE WEIGHT
Don’t keep unnecessary weight in your trunk or cargo area of your vehicle. The more weight your carrying the around the less your fuel efficiency.
CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTER
One thing that definitely increases fuel economy is having a clean air filter. An engine needs oxygen to run, so the harder it needs to work due to a dirty filter the less your fuel economy. Replacing an air filter is part of a standard oil change an any local oil change facility. Air filters are also very easy to replace, and can by purchased at any auto parts store.
SLOW DOWN!
Aggressive acceleration and braking can reduce your fuel efficiency by a third. Driving over 60 mph can cost you 20 cents per gallon of gas for every 5 mph increase. With fuel prices at a all time high, it makes sense to take is easy and slow down!
THE FACTS
Keeping your tires at this recommended PSI rating will help your vehicle get the best possible fuel economy possible. Under inflated tires can slow the car down and decease fuel efficiency.
Get Rid of Junk Mail
For me, there’s nothing more irritating than junk mail. Its like someone mails you a bunch of trash everyday so I can throw it away for them. According to Catalog Choices, 8 million trees are deforested every year to provide paper for junk mail, most of which goes unread. The average person receives 40 pounds of junk mail a year, all of which is transported via plane and truck filling our atmosphere with CO2. Whether you read them or not, at least recycle the paper!
OPT OUT OF JUNK MAIL
Fortunately there’s something you can do to rid yourself of junk mail. A great online resource is www.donotmail.org, click and follow the steps to remove yourself from mailing lists. Many catalog mailers use a database system called Abacus. Go to www.abacus-us.com and click on “Consumer Opt-Out” to take your name off those mailing lists. You can also call, 888-5OPTOUT to remove your name from other types of junk mailing lists.
THE FACTS
8 million trees are deforested every year to provide paper for junk mail, most of which goes unread.
Shop Online and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Whether you’re shopping for clothing or groceries, nothing is easier than shopping online. It saves you time and money, and helps the environment by keeping your vehicle off the road. Peapod is an online grocery store that gives you the ability to buy all of your groceries online. They are delivered right to your door and their prices are cheaper than a normal grocery store on average. There isn’t much you can’t buy online these days so leave the car in the garage and shop online.
THE FACTS
According to the latest Nielsen Global Online Survey on Internet shopping habits, more than 85% of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase, increasing the market for online shopping by 40% in the past two years!
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