Home for the Holidays
Everyone loves to give and receive gifts, but wrapping paper is not environmentally friendly. Americans spend over $2.5 billion dollars every year on wrapping paper. Stop buying non recyclable wrapping paper printed with petroleum based inks and dyes. There are many options for wrapping paper made from recycled paper free of petroleum based inks. Better yet, wrap your gifts in newspaper or use reusable gifts bags.
Greeting cards are another environmental killer. Over 300,000 trees are harvested each year just to make greeting cards. Send an eCard instead, they’re free and don’t harm the environment. Visit www.hallmark.com to learn more about sending free eCards.
REUSABLE GIFT BAGS
Gift bags are a great way reuse paper and save money. Look for gift bags made from recycled paper, they are cheaper and can be used over and over again. If someone gives you a gift in a gift bag, keep it and use it next time you give someone a gift.
THE FACTS
Americans spend over $2.5 billion dollars every year on wrapping paper.
Hanging Your Clothes
Wire hangers are something no one thinks about very often, but the are expensive to make and are often thrown away after only one use. Plastic hangers are even worse, especially for the environment. Luckily today we have a choice. EcoHangers are a new product made from 100% recycled paper and are 100% recyclable. No new trees are used in making them. Unlike wire hangers, EcoHangers are made from a renewable resource. One that is not depleted when used by people. In addition, unlike the cheap wire hangers made outside of the United States in low wage factories, EcoHangers are made in EPA regulated plants here in the USA. And those plants conform to OSHA and EPA carbon emission standards as well as wastewater discharge standards.
To learn more or purchase EcoHangers for your home visit www.hangernetwork.com.
THE FACTS
Eco Hangers are a new product made from 100% recycled paper and are 100% recyclable.
Grow A Garden
There are few things more rewarding than consuming home grown vegetables from your own garden. Starting your own garden is fun, inexpensive, and can provide more food than you probably realize. Why would it be good for the environment? Normally food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches your plate. That’s a lot of CO2 released into the atmosphere, not to mention the fossil fuel consumption on pesticides, farming, processing, cold storage, and packaging.
Having your own garden can save you a lot of money on food as well. A pack of tomato seeds costs around $3, the same as a pound of tomatoes at the grocery store. The difference is the seeds will provide you with tomatoes all summer long. Sure it might not be possible to grow all your own produce year round, but even if its just for the summer then every little bit of that will help.
THE FACTS
On average, produce travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches your plate.
Spend Some Time Outdoors
The Great Outdoors… there’s no better feeling than being outside on a beautiful sunny day. Nearly one-third of our country is owned by the government or managed by various agencies for public use. Instead of going for a Sunday drive, plan a hike or picnic in a local preserve. Pick up any garbage you might see and help clean up your community. Not only will you feel better but you’ll be cleaning up the environment at the same time.
Learn more about government managed parks near you by visiting www.publiclands.org.
THE FACTS
Nearly one-third of our country is owned by the government or managed by various agencies for public use.
Green Community
To help green your community, you first need to be part of it. Start talking to your neighbors, find out what’s going on around you, and get involved. It sounds obvious, but busy days often don’t include time for keeping in touch with the community. People are increasingly curious about living ‘green.’ If you bike to work, compost, or buy organic, tell people why. If people are interested in trying it themselves, show them how. You could even take it a step further and organize educational evenings such as film screenings, workshops, or discussion groups.
JOIN THE CAUSE
Why not find out about environmental groups in your area? Many national conservation groups have local chapters — the Sierra Club’s website offers a local ‘zoomer’ for US residents to find out what’s going on in their area. Increasingly, there are specialist local groups dedicating themselves to specific aspects of sustainability. But you shouldn’t just think in terms of green clubs. As sustainability goes mainstream, more and more local organizations are including environmentalism as part of their focus. So if you’re a member of a faith group, a parent-teacher committee, or even a sports club, why not look at steps that you can take together. From energy efficiency measures to local community action, there are countless ways to get your fellow club or congregation members involved.
GO POLITICAL
National and international politics can be frustrating. How can you influence the massive institutions that wield the power? Local politics can be much less intimidating. It’s a whole lot easier to make connections, exert pressure, and get involved when you live among the people you are trying to influence. Whether you’re campaigning against unwelcome development or seeking to influence local policy in a more positive direction it is vital that you make your voice heard. And don’t forget that environmental ills often fall disproportionately on the poor and marginalized. Check out environmental justice organizations like Environmental Community Action for ways to make your community better, greener, and fairer.
THE FACTS
To help green your community, you first need to be part of it. Start talking to your neighbors, find out what’s going on around you, and get involved.
Fill Your Fridge
Keeping your refrigerator full, but not to the point of overstuffing, will allow it to run at max capacity. To help retain cold temperatures when the fridge and freezer are less full, place glass or ceramic pitchers of water in their compartments. Like using ice in a picnic cooler, this will insulate the interior and keep it cold. Refrigerators and freezers account for about a sixth of all electricity use in a typical American home, and they use more electricity than any other single household appliance.
ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES
Along with the Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created ENERGY STAR appliances to help consumers identify energy efficient products. These products are clearly marked with a blue and white ENERGY STAR label, and range anywhere from DVD players to refrigerators. In 2006, Americans saved $14 billion on their utility bills and avoided green house gas emissions equivalent to those from $25 million cars by using ENERGY STAR appliances.
THE FACTS
Food retains cold better than air does, so a full refrigerator works less to keep cool than one that is practically empty.
Fireplaces and Bon Fires
Its hard to fine someone that doesn’t enjoy a nice fire from time to time, especially in the winter. Unfortunately, when you burn wood in your fireplace you’re emitting CO2 into the atmosphere, which is the root of the global warming problem. They also release a fair amount of soot and other particulates, which also contribute to air pollution. The worst part is, despite the cozy fire that warms you when you sit close to it, a conventional fireplace actually tends to cause your house to LOSE heat, because it sucks in room air and sends it up the chimney — air that has already been warmed by the house most likely thorough a gas heating system. So in effect the fireplace increases your heating bill and the attendant consumption of fuel by the utility supplying your heat.
GAS FIREPLACES
Natural gas fireplaces aren’t great for the environment either because you’re burning unnecessary natural gas, but they a better environmental choice than wood burning fireplaces. Natural gas fireplaces are cleaner and easier to use. Most come with an on/off switch similar to a light switch. As easy as a natural gas fireplace is for you, it’s also easier on the environment. With no smoke going up the chimney from burning wood and no ashes, lingering embers or particulates going into the air, natural gas fireplaces are the safer choice for you and the environment.
THE FACTS
When you burn wood in your fireplace, you’re emitting CO2 into the atmosphere which is the root of the global warming problem.
Plants and Herbs
Planting some plants and herbs around your home is great way to improve your environmental footprint. Growing plants indoors helps clean the air inside our homes as they absorb toxins and help to create a calm environment. You don’t need to have a garden or conservatory for herbs and plants as there are plenty of species that grow easily indoors throughout the year. When you grow your own herbs, you also save money on buying them.
CARING FOR YOUR PLANTS
Maintenance
• Like temperatures ranging from 18-24°C.
• Don’t like to be too close to the window, radiators or vents because blasts of hot or cold air are not good for them.
• Need good air circulation and the right amount of light according to their species.
• Need air humidity between 35-65 percent. The best way to keep a plant moist is by regularly misting its leaves, as well as grouping plants together or standing the plants on pebbles.
• Water your plants according to their species and less in the winter as they need a rest period.
• Water your plant when it needs it, not as a matter of routine. If you’re not sure if the plant needs watering by touching its soil, leave it.
• Signs of over watering are yellow leaves, poor growth, rotten patches and mouldy flowers.
• Signs of under watering are soil that doesn’t drain, leaves wilt and curl, leaves become brown and dried.
• Feed your plant with fertilizer in its growing period to boost its minerals – usually six to eight weeks after purchase or repotting.
• Cleaning the leaves of dust is also important as dust blocks the leaf pores.
• Potting on means moving plants to a larger pot in their growing period and is necessary for some plants such as ferns. This shouldn’t be done if the plant is resting as no new roots will grow.
• Repotting a plant usually occurs in spring to add fresh potting mixture, but is not necessary for all plants.
• Monitor plants for pests and disease. Treat immediately if affected.
THE FACTS
Fuel Economy
Nothing contributes more to global warming that CO2 emissions from our vehicles. Americans love their cars, and today they are bigger and faster than they’ve ever been. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 241 million cars and trucks on the road in the United States, 53% of which are trucks, vans, SUVs, or minivans. The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.
The impact this has on our planet is immeasurable. According to the United Nations Human Development Report released in November 2007, the automobile sector accounts for 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Greenhouse Gas emissions are what cause global warming and put our planet, our futures, and the life’s of our children in great danger. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which you both electric power and fuel.
Solution? The solution is to change what you drive and how you drive. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which you both electric power and fuel.
HYBRID CARS
A Hybrid car runs on gas AND an electric battery. They work together so the car gets very high fuel economy. The battery powers the car at slower speeds, and the gas engine powers the car at higher speeds or in times of acceleration. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets 45 mpg city and the Toyota Prius Hybrid gets 48 mpg city! Are they more expensive? At the moment yes but… the government offers tax credits at the state and national levels for people who buy hybrid cars. Those tax credits along with the savings on fuel recoup those high costs in less than two years.
ELECTRIC CARS
Automakers, such as General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp, are planning to bring rechargeable vehicles to the market as early as 2010. But speakers at the Plug-In 2008 conference say it will take much longer for them to arrive in mass numbers, due in part to a current lack of large-battery manufacturing capacity. Auto and battery companies are still working on the lithium-ion battery technology needed for the cars, and on how to link the battery packs to the vehicles. Since most electric cars will likely be charged during off-peak electric use times, utilities should have no problem generating enough electricity. But since people with the means to buy electric cars likely will live in the same areas, utilities worry about stress on their distribution systems. The good news is once electric cars are readily available, its much easier to generate electrical power from renewable sources. So if we all drive electric cars that consume electrical power generated from wind, solar, and geothermal sources then we’ll be on the right track.
THE FACTS
The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.