Going Green 101: Resources for Your Family

[anii]

I'm watching the Earth Day episode of Oprah (4/22/08 ) and that inspired me to visit her site, where I found this list of easy steps people can take to be more green. Take it or leave it, it's here if you want it.

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Make saving our planet a part of your daily life with easy changes. Start today with help from these resources.

Activism
American Forests
The average person is responsible for emitting 94 pounds of carbon dioxide every day. It takes four trees, which act as natural air filters, to offset the carbon dioxide each person generates in a month. For each dollar donated, American Forests plants a tree. For more information and to plant trees, visit American Forests.

Earth 911
Find information about environmental services and events in your community, visit www.earth911 . org.

Engines Off
Lynn Romanek from Glencoe, Illinois, has organized parents at her childrens' school to turn off their cars instead of idling in the parking lot. Idling 10 minutes less per day can keep 550 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air every year. For more information visit Home.

Greendimes
A group that reduces junk mail and plants trees. For more information or to sign up, visit GreenDimes: Stop Junk Mail. Save Trees and Help the Environment.

Treehugger
For ideas on green living, visit TreeHugger.

The Green
Simran Sethi hosts The Green on the Sundance Channel. Visit Sundance Channel : The Green for more information.

The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen
Simple things you can do to save the planet. Find more at the green book.

Shopping and Cleaning
Ecobags
Bringing your own bag when shopping saves plastic bags. Visit http:/www.ecobags.com .

Method Home
Method offers some cleaners that are dye- and perfume-free, nontoxic, biodegradable, naturally derived and never tested on animals. For more information, visit method : home.

Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies
All of their cleaning supplies are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free. For more, visit Mrs Meyers Clean Day Home | Mrs Meyers Clean Day.

Seventh Generation products
Seventh Generation is one of the leading brands of nontoxic household products. For more information, visit Green Cleaning Products - Diapers - Laundry Detergent - Non-toxic Cleaners.

Shaklee
This company has been producing natural cleaning products - everything from dryer sheets to stain removers - for 50 years. Call 800-670-6251 or visit www.shaklee.com to save 33 percent on the Shaklee Healthy Home pack and 15 percent off all other items at Shaklee.

Energy
BITS Ltd. smart power strips
Even after turning off a computer, power continues to flow to computer peripherals like printers and scanners. This power strip ($32.99) stops the energy from being wasted. For more information visit BITS Ltd Home.

Carbonfund.org and Terrapass
If your local utility company doesn't offer green power, you can reduce the environmental impact by purchasing offsets. In this system, you give money to companies like Carbonfund.org or Terrapass, which use it to develop renewable energy sources. For more on purchasing power offsets, visit Carbonfund.org | Offset your emissions, fight global warming or TerraPass | Fight Global Warming - Reduce your Carbon Footprint & Promote Clean Energy.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy provided energy efficiency starter kits for audience members. The kits are available to their customers in Indiana and Kentucky who qualify for in-home energy audits. For additional information visit Duke Energy Corporation. Check with your local energy company for similar ways to save energy.

GE Energy Smart lightbulbs
GE Energy Smart bulbs use 70 to 75 percent less energy than incandescent lightbulbs and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. For example, by using a 26-watt compact fluorescent lightbulb - equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent lightbulb - users can save up to $59 on energy costs over the life of the bulb. Saving energy saves money and is better for the environment.

Water bottles
Nalgene water bottles
These water bottles are durable, inexpensive, can be used repeatedly and are widely recyclable. For more information visit Welcome to NALGENE Outdoor!.

New Wave Enviro Products
Corn-resin bottle with filter ($8.99) provides pure, clean drinking water and can be reused up to 90 times, and the bottle biodegrades in just 80 days. For more information visit Welcome to New Wave Enviro Products or call 800-592-8371.

SIGG water bottles
Using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Get more information at mysigg.com.

 

[anii]

More info: where to recycle

Where to Recycle

* Electronic
myGreenElectronics
* Computers
Share the Technology - computer reuse & recycling project
* Floppy disks and videotapes
Electronics Recycling Services CD Recycling Services Computer Electronics Recycling Services
* Cell phones and rechargeable batteries
Welcome to Call2Recycle
* Business clothing
Home - Dress for Success
* Eyeglasses
New Eyes for the Needy
* Formal dresses
Welcome to Operation Fairy Dust
* Appliances
Steel Recycling Institute
* Carpets
Carpet America Recovery Effort
* Paint
Earth 911 - Making Every Day Earth Day, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, Green Lifestyle
* Packing peanuts
The Plastic Loose Fill Council
* Tires
Where You Live | Management of Scrap Tires | Wastes | US EPA

 

[Noel]

Have fewer kids.

 

[Usehername]

Nalgenes have recently been found out to be carcinogenic (free-radicalizing material, meaning cancer-causing), though.

The squeezable plastic water bottles are different chemically, and are not carcinogenic.

 

[kelric]

Nalgenes have recently been found out to be carcinogenic (free-radicalizing material, meaning cancer-causing), though.

The squeezable plastic water bottles are different chemically, and are not carcinogenic.

Not all of the Nalgene bottles failed the carcinogen test - there are several types. The "clear" ones (like the ones I've been drinking out of daily for 6 years now ) are the ones with BPA, the chemical in question. From what I've read, the "risk is supposed to be low", but... still.

The "cloudy" ones are the ones that don't have BPA:

non-BPA bottle

There may be other "clear" types that don't contain BPA, but for a long time, they manufactured ones that did. I just bought a couple of stainless steel water bottles that are supposed to be healthy and leach-free, but they've not arrived yet, so time will tell, I guess.

 

[JAVO]

Water bottles
Here is some information on which plastics to avoid.

I have a large stainless steel Klean Kanteen I often take hiking because I can boil water in it (for purification or cooking) or put it near the fire to melt snow. I also have several Nalgenes bottles I use sometimes, one being polycarbonate. Gatorade or Powerade bottles work just as well, and they're slightly lighter in weight and free if you already drink their contents.

Lawn care
One statistic says that running a gas lawn mower for one hour produces the equivalent pollution of driving a newer car 400 miles.

I've decided to go organic this year--no more chemical fertilizers, weed control, or pesticides. I need to start by having a bunch of composted manure dumped on my lawn and then mowed in and watered in.

I've also purchased a human-powered lawn mower, although I'm keeping my gas mower as a backup. I haven't yet fully adapted or committed to the human-powered reel mower yet, but it seems feasible. I've thrown away my gas weedeater (due to age and being broken), and I hope to do this with manual grass trimmers now.

We'll see how all of this goes, considering I mow about 1/4 acre with signifcant slopes.