Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Got Global Warming/Climate Change? (Hint: Think "Superstorm Sandy")
Got Global Warming/Global Climate Change? - No?
Well, O.K.. Then, how 'bout - Now?
For The Pro-Extinction (as long as it's profitable) few still clinging to what is either: A.) An utterly irrational, Or B.) A 'greed-over-green' rejection of the globally-acknowledged, decades-of-scientific-research-based FACT that is 'Human-Caused Global Warming/Climate Change' (That white-knuckled, rigor mortis-like grip of theirs is so cute!)...
I offer the undeniable, irrefutable evidence that is Hurricane Sandy (aka "The Frankenstorm") (aka "The Perfect Storm").
If you share in that particular core-belief held by Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans about the federal government being too "nanny-like"; about large - yet vital - federal agencies such as FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) being overdue for huge budget cuts; about how the states should shoulder the majority of control over and responsibility for what happens within their borders...
... I humbly encourage you to share those beliefs with any of the Governors, Mayors and residents of the cities and states who - in the aftermath of Sandy - are facing an unknown number of days without electricity; widespread flood-damage; a small fraction of functional transportation system; downed trees; downed power-lines; wayward, damaged and/or totaled automobiles; heavily-burdened first-responders; etc. (*Reminder: Get those earthquake/emergency/disaster survival kits together - Now!) Of course, those in charge are already working out the details of a variety of plans/projects and will - hopefully - soon initiate those complex, extensive and expensive clean-ups, repairs, construction projects whilst also figuring out who - exactly - is going to foot the bills for all of the above. In addition, they must do this whilst keeping the real threat of inevitable "super-storms" yet to be in mind... spurring research and development of newly-informed, storm-ready changes to traditional - and now outdated/problematic - practices (such as relocating back-up generators from what are now recognized as flood-vulnerable basements) and all other challenges yet to face them in the wide and destructive wake of Hurricane Sandy.
*Sandy may have been the first such Super-Storm... but, she's definitely not the last.
Kill The Oil-Addiction - Now. (Before it kills us.)
Monday, January 19, 2009
If It Walks Like A Duck... Then, No... I'm Not Looking For Pot.
One of many great advantages I've discovered about Blogging:
An acute case of laryngitis doesn't have any deleterious effect.
Ahh... Life in the microcosm that is Haight Street...
In the wee hours of last night... or perhaps it was later (earlier?) than that...
And, I am startled to semi-consciousness by an all to familiar CRRAASSHH!... Preceded by a nanosecond by the screech of wheels... and followed by the scraping SSMMAACCKK! sound of bare metal impacting the concrete of the sidewalk and accompanied by the multiple notes of the widely-scattered tinkling of now-exploded and jagged shards of glass.
No. It wasn't what you might think. There was - thankfully - no car/bus/motor- or bicycle accident. (Though there have been plenty of those.)
No, these were the sounds of a late-night, beer-buoyed, independent, glass bottle recycler's overloaded metal shopping cart suddenly (and very loudly) biting the dust and spewing its bounty of bottles - now in the form of jagged chunks, shiny shards and tiny slivers - across a wide swath of both sidewalk and street.
Previous experience has taught me to already know what was coming next... The explosive SSCCRR-BBLLAAMM! which would smash through the quiet - amplified by the soundwaves bouncing off of the the buildings - every time a late-night delivery truck, N-Owl Muni bus or slow-cruising taxicab determinedly stalking its prey - rolled a heavy, black tire (or two) over the larger chunks of glass. This was because the passing pissed person - who only moments earlier would have done whatever he deemed necessary to protect the catch in his cart from any would-be marauders - now couldn't be bothered to pick up the pieces. No, the broken bottles were now so much spilled milk. And now? Now, he had to put pedal to metal and work to replace the loss. So, off he went... with the rattling and clinking of his now much more-manageable shopping cart of bouncing bottles trailing off as he searched for more treasure.
As someone with a canine companion, I cringe whenever I hear these sounds.
It boggles the mind how many otherwise seemingly coherent/fully-functioning people apparently see no problem with dropping/throwing/breaking bottles on our sidewalks and in our Parks... and then... nothing - they just depart for whatever it is that their mysterious thought processes proclaim is 'important', 'worthwhile' or simply 'fun'... and - without any misgivings - they abandon their contribution to the community: jagged chunks, many-pointed pieces and razor-sharp slivers scattered across the ground we all walk on. All of us. Some with two feet - usually with shoes on, but not always... some can't afford them. Some with four feet... well, Paws, actually - almost exclusively without shoes. No Nikes... Just pads of soft skin and tufts of fine fur... Nothing that - in any way - is able to cross paths with broken glass and... forget walking away the 'winner'... in fact, in many cases you can forget walking away altogether!
In spite of my constant vigilance when out with my dog... Jessi has stepped on broken glass at least three times. When it happens, she instantly starts favoring a paw. Since she's a bouncy one, depending upon her level of pain, it can be hard to tell if something's happened or not. If she's in acute pain, she'll stop doing doggy things and stop walking - other than coming to me, leaning against my legs and not moving. If I even have an inkling that something's up - I'll immediately stop, kneel next to her, lift each paw and carefully and gently check each pad and in between... twice.
On two occasions, I was able to remove the painfully paw-piercing piece. The third time, we were four blocks away from home and, suddenly Jessi pressed against me and wouldn't budge. She maintained a look directly into my eyes - something she NEVER does - and I knew. I checked her paws twice... nothing. I stood up and... Jessi wouldn't budge. I checked her paws again - this time with a flashlight - and found a small hole with a ring of blood around it. Whatever she had stepped on had pierced the skin pad, gone into it and disappeared. No wonder she wouldn't move.
If you've ever stepped on a piece of glass/a sliver of wood/a toothpick or anything sharp and felt it slice open and tear into the tender skin on the sole of your foot... you might empathize. And, hopefully, you would never be so heartless as to leave anything so menacing in your wake (Especially in Parks, where such hazards are multiplied as they are then hidden by dirt and grass.).
But, I digress.
The whole jacknifed shopping cart, bottle spillage and the menacing mess left behind had an encore performance earlier this evening - different cart, more bottles, more foot-flaying flotsam left behind. Although - to the careening cart-driver's credit - he did make an effort to pick up some of the bigger chunks of glass. Unfortunately, he then tossed them on top of the bottles remaining in the cart, where they shattered even more, and the shards and slivers rained back out through the ribs of the cart. Pure Genius.
With this menacing, if not colorful mess growing, I grabbed a broom, dustpan and paper bag. Passers-by had a variety of reactions to me. Some looked confused. Some looked amused. (Most of these appeared to be shoppers, diners, couples, groups of friends.) Passing cars slowed to a crawl. Some (those with dogs and/or who live outdoors) smiled and said "Thank You." and/or "You Rock." One man in particular stood out among them all. I'd already spent about 20 minutes on the clean-up (There was a lot of glass.) and was nearly done when he walked by. "How much do you get paid to do that?", he inquired. "I don't.", I replied matter-of-factly and mildly annoyed at the question. Since when must someone get paid to do the right thing? "You're not getting paid?", he seemed incredulous. "Then, what are you doing it for?, he continued, Are you looking for pot?"
I kid you not. He really asked me this.
Now it was my turn to be incredulous. I stopped sweeping the now sizeable pile of glass chunks and litter - all of it thoroughly wet and covered in grime, took a deep breath, looked at him and spoke slowly: "No. I'm not looking for pot. I'm sweeping up broken glass (apparently the broom, dustpan and jagged chunks weren't a dead giveaway after all). I have a dog and many people around here have dogs. I'm sweeping up broken glass so that none of them step on it and cut open their feet." (Simple, concise and to the point, I thought... that, and I hadn't even hit him with the broom.)
His reply?
"Oh. Okay. I get it."
Moral Of The Story:
Well, there are two. One is Practical. One is Philosophical.
First, the practical one: Clean up after yourself... And, if it's within the realm of your means and ability... Be The Change You Want To See and Clean Up the mess left by those whose only Contribution to our Shared Environment will be as Fertilizer. (Especially in your own community. Hopefully, doing so will inspire copycats.)
Secondly, the Philosophical: Found in this Blog's Title, which says...
"If It Walks Like A Duck..."
... Then, No... I'm Not Looking For Pot.
Peace.
L.
An acute case of laryngitis doesn't have any deleterious effect.
Ahh... Life in the microcosm that is Haight Street...
In the wee hours of last night... or perhaps it was later (earlier?) than that...
And, I am startled to semi-consciousness by an all to familiar CRRAASSHH!... Preceded by a nanosecond by the screech of wheels... and followed by the scraping SSMMAACCKK! sound of bare metal impacting the concrete of the sidewalk and accompanied by the multiple notes of the widely-scattered tinkling of now-exploded and jagged shards of glass.
No. It wasn't what you might think. There was - thankfully - no car/bus/motor- or bicycle accident. (Though there have been plenty of those.)
No, these were the sounds of a late-night, beer-buoyed, independent, glass bottle recycler's overloaded metal shopping cart suddenly (and very loudly) biting the dust and spewing its bounty of bottles - now in the form of jagged chunks, shiny shards and tiny slivers - across a wide swath of both sidewalk and street.
Previous experience has taught me to already know what was coming next... The explosive SSCCRR-BBLLAAMM! which would smash through the quiet - amplified by the soundwaves bouncing off of the the buildings - every time a late-night delivery truck, N-Owl Muni bus or slow-cruising taxicab determinedly stalking its prey - rolled a heavy, black tire (or two) over the larger chunks of glass. This was because the passing pissed person - who only moments earlier would have done whatever he deemed necessary to protect the catch in his cart from any would-be marauders - now couldn't be bothered to pick up the pieces. No, the broken bottles were now so much spilled milk. And now? Now, he had to put pedal to metal and work to replace the loss. So, off he went... with the rattling and clinking of his now much more-manageable shopping cart of bouncing bottles trailing off as he searched for more treasure.
As someone with a canine companion, I cringe whenever I hear these sounds.
It boggles the mind how many otherwise seemingly coherent/fully-functioning people apparently see no problem with dropping/throwing/breaking bottles on our sidewalks and in our Parks... and then... nothing - they just depart for whatever it is that their mysterious thought processes proclaim is 'important', 'worthwhile' or simply 'fun'... and - without any misgivings - they abandon their contribution to the community: jagged chunks, many-pointed pieces and razor-sharp slivers scattered across the ground we all walk on. All of us. Some with two feet - usually with shoes on, but not always... some can't afford them. Some with four feet... well, Paws, actually - almost exclusively without shoes. No Nikes... Just pads of soft skin and tufts of fine fur... Nothing that - in any way - is able to cross paths with broken glass and... forget walking away the 'winner'... in fact, in many cases you can forget walking away altogether!
In spite of my constant vigilance when out with my dog... Jessi has stepped on broken glass at least three times. When it happens, she instantly starts favoring a paw. Since she's a bouncy one, depending upon her level of pain, it can be hard to tell if something's happened or not. If she's in acute pain, she'll stop doing doggy things and stop walking - other than coming to me, leaning against my legs and not moving. If I even have an inkling that something's up - I'll immediately stop, kneel next to her, lift each paw and carefully and gently check each pad and in between... twice.
On two occasions, I was able to remove the painfully paw-piercing piece. The third time, we were four blocks away from home and, suddenly Jessi pressed against me and wouldn't budge. She maintained a look directly into my eyes - something she NEVER does - and I knew. I checked her paws twice... nothing. I stood up and... Jessi wouldn't budge. I checked her paws again - this time with a flashlight - and found a small hole with a ring of blood around it. Whatever she had stepped on had pierced the skin pad, gone into it and disappeared. No wonder she wouldn't move.
If you've ever stepped on a piece of glass/a sliver of wood/a toothpick or anything sharp and felt it slice open and tear into the tender skin on the sole of your foot... you might empathize. And, hopefully, you would never be so heartless as to leave anything so menacing in your wake (Especially in Parks, where such hazards are multiplied as they are then hidden by dirt and grass.).
But, I digress.
The whole jacknifed shopping cart, bottle spillage and the menacing mess left behind had an encore performance earlier this evening - different cart, more bottles, more foot-flaying flotsam left behind. Although - to the careening cart-driver's credit - he did make an effort to pick up some of the bigger chunks of glass. Unfortunately, he then tossed them on top of the bottles remaining in the cart, where they shattered even more, and the shards and slivers rained back out through the ribs of the cart. Pure Genius.
With this menacing, if not colorful mess growing, I grabbed a broom, dustpan and paper bag. Passers-by had a variety of reactions to me. Some looked confused. Some looked amused. (Most of these appeared to be shoppers, diners, couples, groups of friends.) Passing cars slowed to a crawl. Some (those with dogs and/or who live outdoors) smiled and said "Thank You." and/or "You Rock." One man in particular stood out among them all. I'd already spent about 20 minutes on the clean-up (There was a lot of glass.) and was nearly done when he walked by. "How much do you get paid to do that?", he inquired. "I don't.", I replied matter-of-factly and mildly annoyed at the question. Since when must someone get paid to do the right thing? "You're not getting paid?", he seemed incredulous. "Then, what are you doing it for?, he continued, Are you looking for pot?"
I kid you not. He really asked me this.
Now it was my turn to be incredulous. I stopped sweeping the now sizeable pile of glass chunks and litter - all of it thoroughly wet and covered in grime, took a deep breath, looked at him and spoke slowly: "No. I'm not looking for pot. I'm sweeping up broken glass (apparently the broom, dustpan and jagged chunks weren't a dead giveaway after all). I have a dog and many people around here have dogs. I'm sweeping up broken glass so that none of them step on it and cut open their feet." (Simple, concise and to the point, I thought... that, and I hadn't even hit him with the broom.)
His reply?
"Oh. Okay. I get it."
Moral Of The Story:
Well, there are two. One is Practical. One is Philosophical.
First, the practical one: Clean up after yourself... And, if it's within the realm of your means and ability... Be The Change You Want To See and Clean Up the mess left by those whose only Contribution to our Shared Environment will be as Fertilizer. (Especially in your own community. Hopefully, doing so will inspire copycats.)
Secondly, the Philosophical: Found in this Blog's Title, which says...
"If It Walks Like A Duck..."
... Then, No... I'm Not Looking For Pot.
Peace.
L.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
SF Bay To Breakers: The Aftermath.
I chose "Bay To Breakers: The Aftermath" as the title of this Blog because it's Short, Sweet and (I hope...) Stimulates Curiosity.
My Second Runner Up for the Title is a bit less Professional...
But, it's Passionate and a lot more Personal and it goes something like this:
"Bay To Breakers: ... Some of You are Sooo Lucky That I Have an Aversion to Going to Prison"
First, allow me to offer some background - for those unfamiliar with "The Bay To Breakers" - an Annual, Highly-Anticipated, Foot-Race with an Anything-Goes Dress Code.
Following the devastating 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire that nearly obliterated all of San Francisco, many people feared that The City was gone for good.
But, San Franciscans are amazing people. Rebuilding began immediately and various events were planned to keep up public morale. One of them, called the "Cross City Race" was first run in 1912. It consisted of fewer than 200 participants.
In 1964, it was dubbed the SF Bay to Breakers and, in recent times, had evolved into a you've-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it event. For generations, this Original Amazing Race has been a festive celebration of athleticism, friendship and fun as it stretched (and, in some instances... streaked) across the City from the Bay to the Ocean.
It's one of the world's biggest foot-races - with more than 65,000 participants and more than 100,000 cheering spectators lining the route each year. Its participants include athletes from around the world, many of whom probably enter with the goal of being the first to cross the Finish Line... But, this being San Francisco... thousands of participants show up in colorful and creative costumes of endless variety... pretty much anything you could imagine... and several things you could do well without imagining, let alone actually seeing.
... Back to my Blog...
First, let me say that I have nothing against this perennial promenade/party. I am thrilled when I see people find creative and truly original ways to express themselves or even to just be fearlessly silly in public.
I celebrated when, in 2007, elite runner Edna Kiplagat became the first female in Bay to Breakers history to cross the finish line... ahead of the men.
That said... What I witnessed in the Aftermath of the 7.46-mile race caught me completely off guard and caused an instantaneous reaction or two... three maybe.
I had avoided venturing out of doors that Sunday until mid-afternoon. The previous few days had been unusually hot and uncomfortably sunny.
(for me anyway... I prefer it in the 50s, swirling winds filled with dense fog that you'd swear you could climb up onto it as it enshrouds the hills and its long, finger-like tendrils creep into and fill the valleys... )
It was somewhat cooler on that Sunday, but there was another reason I wasn't looking forward to going outside... The Bay To Breakers was out there... which, in and of itself isn't intolerable, but... in recent years, the event has been attracting a growing number of uncouth people who aren't participating so much in the foot-race as in their own City-wide beer bust.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that either... If held at the proper venue… at a bar, your own home, the home of a friend... Or, even better, in another state.
I've lived through a few BTB's here and I've learned that - after they reach the finish line... No...Seriously?
Forget the Finish Line... When the weekend warriors get tired of pushing their kegs around in shopping carts - many of the revelers - boosted by that ''Runner's High" - Or, again, seriously… some other kind of 'High' - decide to spend the remainder of their Sunday afternoon staggering around our neighborhoods and parks
in various states of being trashed.
For some reason, the during and after-partying seems to fill Golden Gate Park or the Panhandle Park… Both are beautiful oases of lush, green, fields and towering trees that are, thankfully, protected open-space.
By then, costumes are being discarded - where ever the wearer happens to be standing.
When I first reached Oak Street, which borders one side of the Panhandle Park, later that afternoon... my jaw dropped… followed by my heart.
I'd never seen such a gut-wrenching, man-made mess as I did in the Park that day. I was speechless. I was horrified. I was angry. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream. I wanted to CHOKE those responsible with my own hands.
The POS partyers were nowhere to be seen… A few joggers and cyclists occasionally passed by… But, the Park… Our Beautiful Panhandle Park, where people play Frisbee, practice martial arts or tightrope-walking, play with their dogs, have picnics with family and friends… Our Peaceful Place had been, in a word, raped.
I cursed the rabid revelers repeatedly... for leaving their waste scattered across the park... within steps of trash cans and dumpsters. I cursed their parents... for their abject failure to raise their spawn to become decent human beings.
As a rule, I do not wish people harm... So, I wished the littering losers to be STERILE... "Please let them be sterile!... and/or of Short Life Span... so that they aren't given a long life in which to trash the Earth."
I was there with Jessi the Dog. I unhooked Jessi's leash and let her run around... Keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn't start eating any of the bones left from the carnivores' carnival. I picked up one of the countless, plastic bags that were left and began to pick up their trash... No one else was doing it... no Parks and Recs employees, no City employees, No One but Me. I spent the next Two Hours picking up trash... the stuff that isn't biodegradeable... big, red, plastic cups; foil wrappers from energy bars; empty, white plastic bags... I'm sooo glad they will soon be banned here... I gathered empty beer bottles by the dozen and put them back into their cardboard cases and carried them from the grass and left them by the trash cans - I know the local recyclers will come by and pick them up.
One of the Worst Offenders was the group of rocket scientists who gathered in the Park between Schrader and Cole Streets and filled a large, rectangle, aluminum tray with coals and, apparently, had a cook-out. I wouldn't have cared... EXCEPT that they not only left about 2 dozen beer bottles in a big pile... right next to an empty cardboard box... but, they left the still-burning, Red-Hot coals in the tray... on the grass! When I picked it up - dropping it once 'cause I hadn't realized there were hot coals in it - I saw that it had Burned the grass black underneath.
Jesus Christ, you assholes!
If you had a functioning cell of gray matter between you, you might have noticed that there are dogs running through the Park... there are little kids running around... there are people playing Frisbee... and You Dirtbags leave a tray of HOT coals right in the middle... I picked it up again and carried it over to a dirt clearing by the trash can and called the Fire Department... I didn't have any water and was afraid someone would get injured by it... or that it might start a fire.
I'm close to reaching a point where I am going to have a mental health moment and physically assault the next idiot who trashes my neighborhood... Our Neighborhood... Our Parks... Our Planet.
Or, maybe I'll just follow them home, make note of where they live... go gather their trash (and then some) and trash their home/car/yard with a sign that says, "You dropped this!"; Or, I'll pay someone to kick their ass... I haven't decided yet...
One More Thing:
Event producer Tom Howard said organizers put up nearly 500 porta-johns along the route - or 100 more than last year.
That's all well and good, but... when you know the turnout numbers 65,000 and Up 500 Port-o-Potties is Not Nearly Enough!
That said...
You "people" (guys and girls) who were seen Urinating and Defecating in Parking Lots and in Parks...
Will soon be Starring on YOU TUBE!!!!!
... Just kidding... I Wish!... Then again, maybe someone caught them on tape and will do the honors... those asses deserve it.
Peace.
L.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
I, last year, rid my household of a really crappy house-mate ("Good Riddance!"). He apparently didn't bother to file a change of address form with the post office ( a block away)... nor has he asked for his mail - which is now in bags, probably weighing a few pounds - his junk mail, mail from friends/family (he has/had friends? Go Figure!) and loads of mail-order catalogues... Never mind that he has NO Money to buy anything with... why he would sign-up for catalogues... Idiot.
Anyway, my long-time house-mate has been keeping it for him... as it continues to pile up... I was dreading having to call Every catalogue 1-800 number to tell them:
A.) He doesn't live here.,
B.) He doesn't have any money to buy your stuff with.,
C.) Stop sending your glossy, virgin-paper, tree-killing crapalogues here.
and D.) He still doesn't have any money!
(Aaarrgghh!)
Ahem... Anyway, I'm definitely going to make use of the sites below that will help me put an end to the junk mail barrage and a few others. I hope you find some info that helps to alleviate some of the junk in your life, too... While protecting our environment.
Cheers!
Oh, and to you linear time-oriented people: Happy New Year!
L.
Environment: Easy to Be Green
Illustration by John Ueland for Newsweek
From: msnbc.msn.com
Related Stories :
.. Q&A: Energy Exec Calls for Green Power
.. Designing the Future: No Waste or Pollution
By Joan Raymond
Newsweek
Jan. 8, 2007 issue - You don't have to ditch leather or sell your car to help the environment. We've gathered 10 simple tips for living greener in 2007. Hey, it's a lot easier than losing those 15 pounds.
1. Feed the Bees: Pesticides, pollution and habitat destruction are taking a toll on the birds and insects that pollinate about 80 percent of the world's food supply (or about one out of every three bites of food we eat), says Rose Getch of the National Gardening Association. To lend a helping hand, plant a pollinator garden. Yellow, blue and purple flowers will attract bees, while red and orange will attract humming birds. For more information, go to kidsgardening.com.
2. Clean Up Naturally: Household chemicals (see: Clorox, TSP, paint/painting -related prods., etc.) contribute to both in-door and outdoor pollution. This year, use more natural cleaners like the Greening the Cleaning line at imusranchfoods.com. Or make your own using vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. For some great tips on green cleaning, go to eartheasy.com.
3. Ditch Your Junk: Not only is junk mail annoying, it kills trees. Do yourself..and the forests..a favor by getting off the mailing lists of companies you don't support. You can contact the firms yourself, or check out subscription services like greendimes.com or 41pounds.org that promise to lighten your junk-mail load. For more information: thegreenguide.com.
4. Air Your Laundry: Make like Grandma and line-dry your clothes once in a while. It not only saves money, but also decreases your yearly carbon- dioxide emissions. Likewise, run your washer on cold whenever possible..and use it only when it's full.
5. Recycle Your Gadgets: Don't clog landfills with old electronics.(Yuck!) If you're dumping a computer, manufacturers like Dell (dell.com), HP (hp.com) and Apple (apple.com) offer recycling options. Or consider donating. The National Cristina Foundation (cristina.org) will hook up your old PC or Mac with a nonprofit organization. Drop off your old cell phone at your local Staples store as part of a Sierra Club recycling effort (sierraclub.org/cellphones/). To find a drop-off center for rechargeable batteries and cell phones, check out the nonprofit Call2Recycle program at rbrc.org. Take advantage of community resources like hazardous-waste pickup or e-waste recycling events.
6. Cut the Lights: Trade your old incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, says Jenny Powers of the Natural Resources Defense Council. They use about 70 percent less energy than regular bulbs and last 10 times longer. For help in picking the best bulb for your needs, go to energystar.gov. Also, plug all your major electronics into a power strip, suggests eco-lifestyle expert Danny Seo, author of "Simply Green Giving" ($19.95; HarperCollins). Appliances and e-gadgets use electricity even when turned off, but flicking the switch on the power strip when you leave the house effectively unplugs them. Finally, check with your local utility company to see if it offers a "green power" option for its customers. Though that might cost slightly more, it's one way of supporting renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power. The U.S. Department of Energy provides comprehensive "green power" info at eere.energy.gov/green power.
Story continues below ? advertisement
7. Eat Your Veggies: Have a meatless Monday. According to the Cambridge, Mass., environmental-advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists, meat production is energy-inefficient, sucking up a lot of natural resources. In fact, it takes about 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. "You don't have to be a vegetarian..just take a break once or twice a week," says group president Kevin Knobloch. "If everyone tried to do something that simple, it could have a huge environmental effect." And when you're shopping for that food, think local. It's more fuel-efficient (your food didn't have to travel thousands of miles to get to your table), and you're boosting the local economy. Use the search engine at localharvest.org to find farms, markets and other food sources in your area. And, of course, bring a reusable cloth bag to the market so you don't have to take the plastic ones.
8. Save a Tree: According to the folks at stop globalwarming.org, the paper industry is the third largest contributor to global warming. If every U.S. household replaced one toilet-paper roll with a roll made from recycled paper, 424,000 trees would be saved. If every household in the United States bought recycled napkins instead of virgin-fiber napkins, we could save a million trees. If the thought of recycled paper doesn't do it for you, plant a tree. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, the net cooling effect of one healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. You can go to arborday.org to find out which trees will do well in your ZIP code. If you don't have any room to plant, hundreds of eco-organizations have tree-planting projects. All you have to do is donate money.
9. Turn On the Tap: Instead of spending big bucks on bottled water, drink the stuff that comes from your faucet. The reason? "It takes a lot of oil to make and ship those bottles, and once they're empty, most wind up in landfills or as litter," says Jen Boulden, cofounder of the online environmental community idealbite.com. If you're squeamish (Americans really do have some of the best tap water in the world), buy a water filter. For comparisons, go to waterfiltercomparisons.net.
10. Find an Eco-Date: There was the metrosexual. Then the retrosexual. Now there's the ecosexual. So if one of your goals is to find that special, ecofriendly someone in 2007, check out social-networking communities like Vegan Passions (veganpassions.com), Earth Wise Singles (ewsingles.com), Green Singles (greensingles.com) or Green Passions (green-passions.com). Because two recyclers are better than one.
Anyway, my long-time house-mate has been keeping it for him... as it continues to pile up... I was dreading having to call Every catalogue 1-800 number to tell them:
A.) He doesn't live here.,
B.) He doesn't have any money to buy your stuff with.,
C.) Stop sending your glossy, virgin-paper, tree-killing crapalogues here.
and D.) He still doesn't have any money!
(Aaarrgghh!)
Ahem... Anyway, I'm definitely going to make use of the sites below that will help me put an end to the junk mail barrage and a few others. I hope you find some info that helps to alleviate some of the junk in your life, too... While protecting our environment.
Cheers!
Oh, and to you linear time-oriented people: Happy New Year!
L.
Environment: Easy to Be Green
Illustration by John Ueland for Newsweek
From: msnbc.msn.com
Related Stories :
.. Q&A: Energy Exec Calls for Green Power
.. Designing the Future: No Waste or Pollution
By Joan Raymond
Newsweek
Jan. 8, 2007 issue - You don't have to ditch leather or sell your car to help the environment. We've gathered 10 simple tips for living greener in 2007. Hey, it's a lot easier than losing those 15 pounds.
1. Feed the Bees: Pesticides, pollution and habitat destruction are taking a toll on the birds and insects that pollinate about 80 percent of the world's food supply (or about one out of every three bites of food we eat), says Rose Getch of the National Gardening Association. To lend a helping hand, plant a pollinator garden. Yellow, blue and purple flowers will attract bees, while red and orange will attract humming birds. For more information, go to kidsgardening.com.
2. Clean Up Naturally: Household chemicals (see: Clorox, TSP, paint/painting -related prods., etc.) contribute to both in-door and outdoor pollution. This year, use more natural cleaners like the Greening the Cleaning line at imusranchfoods.com. Or make your own using vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. For some great tips on green cleaning, go to eartheasy.com.
3. Ditch Your Junk: Not only is junk mail annoying, it kills trees. Do yourself..and the forests..a favor by getting off the mailing lists of companies you don't support. You can contact the firms yourself, or check out subscription services like greendimes.com or 41pounds.org that promise to lighten your junk-mail load. For more information: thegreenguide.com.
4. Air Your Laundry: Make like Grandma and line-dry your clothes once in a while. It not only saves money, but also decreases your yearly carbon- dioxide emissions. Likewise, run your washer on cold whenever possible..and use it only when it's full.
5. Recycle Your Gadgets: Don't clog landfills with old electronics.(Yuck!) If you're dumping a computer, manufacturers like Dell (dell.com), HP (hp.com) and Apple (apple.com) offer recycling options. Or consider donating. The National Cristina Foundation (cristina.org) will hook up your old PC or Mac with a nonprofit organization. Drop off your old cell phone at your local Staples store as part of a Sierra Club recycling effort (sierraclub.org/cellphones/). To find a drop-off center for rechargeable batteries and cell phones, check out the nonprofit Call2Recycle program at rbrc.org. Take advantage of community resources like hazardous-waste pickup or e-waste recycling events.
6. Cut the Lights: Trade your old incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, says Jenny Powers of the Natural Resources Defense Council. They use about 70 percent less energy than regular bulbs and last 10 times longer. For help in picking the best bulb for your needs, go to energystar.gov. Also, plug all your major electronics into a power strip, suggests eco-lifestyle expert Danny Seo, author of "Simply Green Giving" ($19.95; HarperCollins). Appliances and e-gadgets use electricity even when turned off, but flicking the switch on the power strip when you leave the house effectively unplugs them. Finally, check with your local utility company to see if it offers a "green power" option for its customers. Though that might cost slightly more, it's one way of supporting renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power. The U.S. Department of Energy provides comprehensive "green power" info at eere.energy.gov/green power.
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7. Eat Your Veggies: Have a meatless Monday. According to the Cambridge, Mass., environmental-advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists, meat production is energy-inefficient, sucking up a lot of natural resources. In fact, it takes about 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. "You don't have to be a vegetarian..just take a break once or twice a week," says group president Kevin Knobloch. "If everyone tried to do something that simple, it could have a huge environmental effect." And when you're shopping for that food, think local. It's more fuel-efficient (your food didn't have to travel thousands of miles to get to your table), and you're boosting the local economy. Use the search engine at localharvest.org to find farms, markets and other food sources in your area. And, of course, bring a reusable cloth bag to the market so you don't have to take the plastic ones.
8. Save a Tree: According to the folks at stop globalwarming.org, the paper industry is the third largest contributor to global warming. If every U.S. household replaced one toilet-paper roll with a roll made from recycled paper, 424,000 trees would be saved. If every household in the United States bought recycled napkins instead of virgin-fiber napkins, we could save a million trees. If the thought of recycled paper doesn't do it for you, plant a tree. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, the net cooling effect of one healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. You can go to arborday.org to find out which trees will do well in your ZIP code. If you don't have any room to plant, hundreds of eco-organizations have tree-planting projects. All you have to do is donate money.
9. Turn On the Tap: Instead of spending big bucks on bottled water, drink the stuff that comes from your faucet. The reason? "It takes a lot of oil to make and ship those bottles, and once they're empty, most wind up in landfills or as litter," says Jen Boulden, cofounder of the online environmental community idealbite.com. If you're squeamish (Americans really do have some of the best tap water in the world), buy a water filter. For comparisons, go to waterfiltercomparisons.net.
10. Find an Eco-Date: There was the metrosexual. Then the retrosexual. Now there's the ecosexual. So if one of your goals is to find that special, ecofriendly someone in 2007, check out social-networking communities like Vegan Passions (veganpassions.com), Earth Wise Singles (ewsingles.com), Green Singles (greensingles.com) or Green Passions (green-passions.com). Because two recyclers are better than one.
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