GoingGreen

Going Green with my car?

2012-01-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Automobiles seem to be a necessary evil of the world today. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to drive. Fast, in fact. But I am ever conscious of the NON-green aspects of my guilty pleasure and the fact that the cars I love to drive burn copious amount of non-renewable fossil fuel.

In the US, Chevy just announced a green warm fuzzy for new car buyers, called an Ecologic window sticker. The 2013 Sonic will be the first new vehicle to display the sticker that features the fuel-saving technology, end-of-life recyclability and the responsible manufacturing practices that went into the vehicle.

According to GM North America President Mark Reuss, "Customers want companies to be honest and transparent about their environmental efforts and sustainability goals, and rightly so."

At least we will now be more informed about the entire life cycle and the environmental impacts of our gas guzzlers.Kind of like guilt-free chocolate.

2011-12-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

30-35 million Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S. A renewable resource, 98% of all Christmas trees are grown on Christmas tree farms, who plant 2-3 seedlings for every one tree harvested.

Fortunately, 93% of them are recycled in community recycling programs, gardens and backyards, as they would surely fill our landfills otherwise. Christmas trees can be chipped, shredded and used as mulch again for water conservation and weed control, erosion and dust control on biking trails and bridle paths, and as additives in composting operations.For Christmas tree recycling in your area, go to earth911.com

Few items of daily use that you can recycle

2011-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Every single contribution in recycling of the used and waste products can help in saving natural resources. It is important that everyone starts reusing the existing and waste products to reproduce into new goods. Go searching your household, you will find numerous objects which are waste, but can be recycled. Not only the old papers, waste bottles, plastic bags, aluminum cans, used batteries, car tires, and textiles but even your computers, washing machines and mobiles can also be recycled into new products.

Here’s a list of items, which are of regular use by most of us, and can be recycled and reproduced.

Batteries:

All kinds of batteries can be recycled. The list includes:

Rechargeable batteries

Alkaline batteries

Lithium Ion (Used in watches and hearing aids)

Nickel Cadmium batteries

Lead Acid batteries

Laptop batteries.

The only precaution to be taken is to tape the batteries to prevent fire while in their collection and transportation.

E waste:

If you plan to upgrade the electronic items of your daily use, do not dump them, rather put them in a recyclable bin around you. These include:

Televisions and VCRs

Copiers, CRTs, CPUs

Stereos and DVD players

Laptops and Fax machines

Microwaves

Before sending e-waste for recycling, it is important to ensure that you have deactivated the property office stickers and erased the hard disk.

Textiles and clothing:

All the textiles and clothing used at home can be recycled.

Plastic bags and products:

Plastics are cheap and easy to produce, but it is non bio-degradable. Plastics can be melted, reshaped and reused. The easily recyclable home use plastics are;

Bubble wraps

Deflated air packets

Journal or magazine wraps

Plastic bags

Electronic appliances:

Recycling electronic items is not only cumbersome but also labor intensive process. It includes separating many components from the equipment as well as dealing with toxic materials like Lead, Mercury and chemical refrigerants. Though, the specialist companies do this at nominal rates. Some of these are:

Refrigerators

Washing machines

Mobile phones

Incubators and other large metal appliances

Aluminum cans:

The best reason why aluminum can recycle is advisable because they save almost 95 percent of the energy used for producing new cans. Mining and refining Bauxite, the ore for Aluminum, not only takes huge effort but causes great deal of pollution too.

Automobile waste:

Automobile waste is toxic for soil and can also cause fire hazards. Tires are recycled into crumbs to give fake soil effect which are further produced into artificial turfs for Football ground. The tires are being widely used for landscaping as well.

These recyclable daily use products are first collected and sorted. There are a few materials which are salvaged from the complex products like: Gold from computer components, Lead from the car batteries. Recyclable bins, Buy-back centers and curb side collection methods are used to collect the recyclable items.

Since the realization has set the mood to save the world from pollution and conserve natural resources, every individual should contribute towards it. This we can begin by recycling our daily use products.

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About the author: Alia Haley is a blogger who is passionate about green living. She is a big fan of vehicles based on the concept of green design and plans to own one soon.

Green building costs can decrease with growing popularity, good planning

2011-09-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

It is the need of the hour to have the best eco friendly and energy efficient homes. Earlier on, it was considered that only naturalists and tree hugging individuals preferred to stay in Green Buildings and people living in Green Buildings was not a very common sight;

But all this has changed drastically with the changing times as people now a days are becoming more and more environment conscious and are even ready to shell out extra dollars to buy a place in a green building. As living in green buildings is becoming a normal trend in today’s time, it would not come in as a surprise if the prices of constructing a green building would actually fall with the increase in demand.

Today, many individuals and firms are opting to incorporate new and efficient energy saving models and concepts in their buildings. They are not just trying to save energy but to also stay ahead of the competition, as it is believed that soon, having a green house would be very much in vogue and thus there would be a great demand for green homes in the near future.

The green buildings in today’s times are unlike the ones in history. They are more sophisticated, modern, self sustained and highly advanced with a flair for nature’s essence and are more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts. Special measures are taken to incorporate the usage of renewable sources of energy in them to take care of a part of their energy needs for a cleaner and greener energy production for the purpose of self usage. Through better and efficient planning of the buildings, their costs can be easily reduced by the optimum utilization of the available resources.

Mostly, solar energy is used to produce energy in the Green Buildings and amounts to almost 90 percent of the total energy production but depending on the location of the building other natural sources like wind are also harnessed. Architects are now very seriously incorporating new and better design ideas for creation of even better Green Buildings.

The level of ignorance about the usage of solar power, to take care of the energy expenses, is fast decreasing as the people are slowly but steadily becoming more and more aware of the benefits of living in a green building. Even environment groups have contributed in spreading the knowledge about clean energy and the benefits of living in a Green Building. Even the Federal Government’s Energy Ratings System has popularized the awareness of Green Buildings. The U S Green Building Council has a unique Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design concept that looks into the energy efficiency of the constructed buildings in the U S by evaluating their usage of natural resources, their ability of conservation of energy, water and even building materials, and their carbon footprint. All these Green Buildings are L E E D certified on the basis of their energy efficiency and their capacity of energy generation by a perpetual and cleaner medium like the Sun. With so many efforts being put into the Popularization of the Green Building concept. The day is not far when they would be very much in demand, and once their construction gains speed and momentum the average cost would also come down significantly.

Energy efficiency and conservation of all available resources is the need of the hour and the Concept of Green Buildings not only uses it but also makes it a very feasible alternative to the present common way of construction of buildings where resources are wasted. The U S Government is seriously looking to make the Green Buildings popular by the introduction of the L E E D certification of the buildings. Energy efficiency and conservation along with the usage of Solar energy for self sustainability is slowly gaining popularity, and looking at the trend it can be easily said that soon the demand for a greener home would increase many folds and as a result the costs would significantly come down and what is needed is better planning and realization of the potential market of the aware citizens who wish to have a home in Green Buildings.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About the author: Alia Haley is a blogger who is an ardent follower of eco friendly existence. Being an eco friendly enthusiast, she prefers to own only organic clothes and accessories in her closet.

Las Vegas is Going Green with Personal Electric Vehicle Charging Station on the Strip

2011-07-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

MGM Resorts International debuted the first Electric Vehicle Charging Station on the Las Vegas Strip. This new Charging Station is located at the valet entrance to The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, between Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts.

Charging service is available free of charge to retail and resort customers driving personal electric vehicles, like the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt.

“I couldn’t be more proud that Mandalay Place is first with this forward-thinking program,” said Chef Rick Moonen, best-selling author and one of the world’s leading advocates for the use of sustainable seafood in the food industry. “Someone has to take the leadership role and I’m happy MGM Resorts is willing to move toward a better way of doing things.”

Chef Moonen, known for his appearances on national television programs like Bravo’s “Top Chef,” also operates the two rm seafood restaurants inside The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.

MGM Resorts energy experts say this is an important first step that reflects the Company’s continued commitment to environmental responsibility in the hospitality industry.

Go Green and Go to Vegas!

Go Green for Spring!

2011-05-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the air inside your home is probably more polluted than the air outside? The average home contains 62 toxic chemicals swirling around and comfortably settling in your carpet, on your pillow, and on your toothbrush. Clear out the chemicals with condiments from your pantry. (Reprinted from PlanetGreen.com)

1. Cheap and Easy Pantry Ingredients! If you want a really easy, inexpensive, and all-natural way to get clean this Spring, make your own cleaning products using white vinegar, salt, oil, and water. Pull them out and lets get started!

2. Get Rid of Dryer Sheets Dryer Sheets are made from toxic synthetic chemicals that are not safe to use on clothing. And you definitely don’t want them touching your skin! Clothes should never be washed or dried in chemicals. Use natural alternatives that you can actually make with vinegar. There are a slew of natural clothing detergents and dryer sheets. Try Seventh Generation, Whole Foods 356 Brand, or Mrs. Meyers.

3. Whiten Naturally We all want white teeth. Thankfully you don’t have to fill your mouth with dangerous bleaching agents in order to obtain that pearly finish. Whiten your teeth naturally without the use of chemicals by mixing 1 ripestrawberry with 1 tsp baking soda. Spread the pinkish paste on your teeth and leave for 5 minutes.

4. Forget about Antibacterial Soap Antibacterial soap is a toxic cocktail of chemicals desig

ned to kill. It also harms people, especially children, who should be trying to build up a healthy immune system. Use natural soap or make your own all-natural essential oil antibacterial concoctions and let your child's immune system fight off the bacteria itself- that’s what it is meant to do. You are making a big mistake if you try to turn your home germ free.

5. Get Pretty with Homemade Beauty Products Women absorb up to 5lbs of makeup chemicals every year. Many "anti-aging" creams may actually be doing the opposite thanks to chemicals and hydrogenated oils that pack a heavy-handed punch. Instead, choose products made with organic ingredients and save money by slathering your skin with homemade skincare and age erasers: olive oil or coconut oil. Both are amazing moisturizers that do wonders for your skin if applied just before bed time.

10 EASY WAYS KIDS CAN CELEBRATE EARTH DAY

2011-04-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Earth Day, TreeLiving's Mia, the 11 year old host of Mia's Show, would like to share her 10 simple ways that kids and their families can celebrate Earth Day this year.

By Mia, host of TreeLiving.com's family eco series "Mia Show'

1. Start out Earth Day by taking a shorter shower.

2.Wear all green or earth-friendly clothing. If you don't already own something then check out your local vintage or used clothing stores rather than buying something new.

3. Carpool to and from school with your friends.

4. Try giving up meat for the day and eat only vegetarian foods.

5. Turn off the TV and go play outside! Visit your local parks and plan a family picnic; go on a family bike ride around your neighborhood; or go on a garbage walk with your family and pick up all of the trash you find along the way.

6. Check out your local library. Many are providing free Earth Day story hours and make sure to read a copy of Dr. Seuss’s "The Lorax" and other earth-friendly books while there.

7. Did you know that batteries can be recycled? Visit your local recycling center and learn what other items besides cans and bottles they accept.

8. Use that recycling money you just earned by purchasing some flower and vegetable seeds and plant a garden. If you don't have a yard, almost everything can be planted in containers. Look around your house to see what containers (old tin cans, jars, etc) would make good pots and plant away!

9. Visit your local zoo or aquarium. Most offer special Earth Day activities and learn first-hand about the natural environment, plants and animals living there and why it's important to save them.

10. In the evening, light some candles and turn off all electricity for at least one hour. Play some board or cards games by candlelight with your family.

About Mia

She may be only 11 years old, but Mia is not your ordinary pre-teen. Between studying for her spelling and math tests, she is host of the environmentally conscious Internet series, "Mia's Show." From Ed Begley Jr. to Lisa Ling, Mia interviews celebrities and other "green" enthusiasts, spreading the word to teach kids, and adults alike, all about green living. Her series airs on TreeLiving.com and tackles tough issues in a language that both kids and adults can understand. She is NOT an actress, just your average 5th grade girl who is doing everything she can to make the planet a better place for future generations. Her high-energy personality and love of Mother Earth have made Mia, not only an entertaining host to watch, but also the perfect spokesperson for the next generation of environmentalists.

Earth Day 2011: A Billion Acts of Green®

2011-04-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

In recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organized around A Billion Acts of Green®: Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. At over 45 million actions to date, A Billion Acts of Green® campaign – the largest environmental service campaign in the world – is steadily building commitments by individuals, corporations, and governments in honor of Earth Day. A Billion Acts of Green® inspires and rewards both simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. A Billion Acts of Green® website quantifies acts of green through an easy-to-use online registration tool. A Billion Acts of Green® demonstrates the kind of environmental impact that can be made when millions of people, corporations and organizations make commitments, both small and large, to better their environment.

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries/territories officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

On Saturday 27 March, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.

Visit our Beyond the Hour platform to share your stories and to get inspiration from the actions our supporters have shared with us already.

Washington State going green with electric highways

2011-02-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

The state of Washington is turning Highway 2 between Monroe and Peshastin known as Stevens Pass Greenway, into the nation's first electric vehicle friendly National Scenic Byway route, installing 2-3 fast-charging EV stations along the 90-mile route.

As Douglas Reiser writes for the Builder’s Counsel Blog, “the Highway 2 upgrade is only a small part of Washington’s Electric Highway plan. The State’s larger plan includes the installation of EV charging stations all along I-5. After the completion of the two stage construction process, Washington will have a border to border electric highway.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/washington-builds-first-electric-vehicle-friendly-highway.html#ixzz1CoUkleYB

Going Green by going underground!

2011-01-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

IKEA is Going Green!

2011-01-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

IKEA, the assemble-yourself furniture company, continues their environmentally-friendly commitment with solar panels on several of their buildings in the U.S. Solar rooftop installations begin on their New Jersey and Massachusetts stores this month, with completion expected by spring 2011. There are already nine other stores with solar panels and eight California locations are expected to go solar next. IKEA already has solar energy systems operational in Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Tempe, AZ as well as solar water heating systems in Charlotte, Draper, Utah, Orlando, and Tampa, FL. The Centennial, CO store under construction will have a geothermal system.

IKEA has also promised to buy more of its wood from sustainably managed forests and to use fewer raw materials in its products. As a part of their going green commitment, IKEA does not offer paper or plastic bags - only reusable bags.

Going Green this holiday season

2010-11-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

It is easy to save green going green this holiday season. Just check out Inhabitat.com for several green gift ideas under $50. For example, you can save green and help them save green with the Kill-A-Watt plug-in electricity meter that monitors how much energy their appliances are using and lets them know which electronics are worth leaving on and which should be turned off.

Or, if you know someone who loves olives, there is an organic deluxe gift set of three jars of the savory little orbs including lemon-citrus, garlic-stuffed, and sun-dried black olives in a reusable woven bag, plus a koa wood boat for serving!

For more green gift ideas, head over to inhabitat.com.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - ZERO EMISSIONS RACE NEARING HALF-WAY MARK

2010-11-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

The first ever Zero Emissions Race is rolling into Las Vegas, NV on November 22, half-way through the North American leg of an International road tour. The race began on August 16th, 2010 at Geneva, Switzerland, with three international teams driving electric vehicles up to 300 miles a day fueled by renewable energies. Their goal is to complete a race around the world in just 80 days of driving time.

According to Tour Director Louis Palmer, the ZERO Race aims to prove the efficiency and reliability of electric mobility: “The purpose of the race is to show that zero emission vehicles running on renewable energy use technologies that are available and reliable today. With shrinking resources and the impacts of global climate change, the ZERO Race strives to present the solutions for a better, and greener future. This is the powerful message that we want to bring to the World Climate Change Conference in Cancun at the beginning of December.”

The ZERO Race teams and vehicles are judged on speed but also on vehicle reliability, energy efficiency, utility to every day life, design and safety. Almost each day, the teams face these challenges and receive points according to their performance during each trial.

The ZERO Race is a “green” event, and participants are doing everything possible to travel in a responsible way. Any greenhouse gas emissions created from the event, including the shipping of cars and flights by participants, will be compensated by investments into renewable energy projects through myclimate. Each team has already produced enough power for their vehicle from renewable energy sources including solar and wind, and this has been fed into the grid in their home country.The race will come to an end in January where it started: at the United Nations Palace in Geneva, Switzerland.

MGM Resorts International supports the mission of the Zero Emissions Race. Created with a vision to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip in Las Vegas, CityCenter is one of the world’s largest sustainable developments, from design and construction to operations and guest amenities. The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED® Gold certification to ARIA Resort & Casino’s hotel tower, convention center and theater, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Veer Towers and Crystals retail and entertainment district. This marks the highest LEED achievement of any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas.

You can follow the ZERO EMISSIONS RACE ONLINE at http://www.zero-race.com/. The entire ZERO Race is documented with stories and photos on Zero Race Daily Blog.

ZERO RACE COMMUNITY - Join the Zero Race community for more daily updates and photos about the race. The next Zero Emissions Race is already being planned, and will take place in 2011.

November 15 is America Recycles Day!

2010-11-15T00:35:00.000-08:00

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.Small, simple, daily choices and actions make a huge difference.

By pledging to do more to recycle in your daily life, you are part of the solution! Be proud of your commitment, knowing that you stand with millions of others just like you. Be sure to tell your friends, family and coworkers to take the pledge, too!

Celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15th, but do your part EVERY day to reduce, reuse, and recycle!

A few of my favorite things...

2010-10-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Bambu Earth soap. So fresh and so green clean! Handmade soap is superior to the commercial soaps we typically buy because they use a cold process, which enables the soap to retain all of its naturally occurring glycerin - the humectant that draws in moisture. This leaves your skin conditioned and soft.

The other great thing about Bambu Earth's soap is their packaging! Each bar is packaged in a handmade paper label that grows basil or wildflowers. The outer label is made from recycled cereal boxes! Get some Bambu Earth soap from their website.

Go green! Get clean!

Seagull-inspired LED light merges beauty and function

2010-10-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Seagull Light is a beautifully designed LED light. It has two knobs on the body - one for adjusting brightness and one for adjusting the "wings" or lighting angles.

Get one here.

Going Green when you Travel: Five Favorite Eco-hostels

2010-09-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

by Isabel Clift

As demand for greener travel services grows, a new kind of affordable, environmentally-friendly accommodation is springing up in the form of eco-hostels.

Eco-hostels reduce the environmental damage generated by hostel stays in a number of ways, from cutting down on water-usage to recycling waste to running off renewable energy. Rural eco-hostels also help protect and sustain their local area’s wildlife.

Staying at an eco-hostel helps you lighten your trip’s carbon footprint, plus you get to save a few pennies and enjoy the fun and friendliness of budget travel. Browse the list below to discover five fantastic eco-hostels from around the world, and get inspired to plan a greener trip…

Canada: HI Montreal lets you explore all sides of Canada’s coolest city, from bar crawls through its party-central downtown location to picnics and urban bike tours. The hostel uses only biodegradable cleaning products and energy-efficient light-bulbs, and there’s Fairtrade coffee on offer in the café. It even gives you reusable grocery bags for runs to the shops!

England: A converted 17th century stable on Norfolk’s eco award-winning Deepdale farm, Deepdale backpackers sits on a gorgeous stretch of coast where you can enjoy everything from watersports to traditional pub lunches. The hostel saves energy with solar panels, low-consumption lighting and ultra-efficient roof insulation and under-floor heating, and there’s a recycling program in place. You’re also encouraged to leave the car at home and explore the local area by bike or public transport.

Ecuador: With 2000 hectares of privately-owned land surrounding the lodge, Sierr Azul Cloud Forest Reserve is the perfect base for discovering the unique plants and wildlife of Ecuador’s best-protected cloud forest. Wildlife-spotting includes spectacled bears and pumas (though you’re more likely to see their tracks!), plus over 300 bird species. Explore on horseback or go on a guided eco-trail deep into the forest, which you can take as a daytrip or a three-night camping expedition.

Italy: Part-way through renovations that’ll give it LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Milan’s Hi Hostel Piero Rotta has grand plans to become one of Italy’s most environmentally-friendly places to stay. The checklist of what’s being installed is impressive to say the least: geothermal heat-pumps will heat the building in winter and cool it in summer, while solar panels will generate energy to run them as well as heat water for showers. Renovations are going on bit by bit so as to cause the least disruption when you stay.

Brazil: Close to Imbassai Beach, the sea and the mouth of the Imbassai River, and situated in a palm grove with monkeys and primates for neighbours, Eco Hostel Lujimba lets you discover a diverse cross-section of the Brazilian natural world. Water is heated by solar panels on the roof, and you can spot humpback whales off the coast in June and July or see baby turtles hatch on the beach from November through to March.

- Isabel Clift writes for HostelBookers, the best place on the web for booking hostels and budget accommodation. As a London-based travel writer and blogger, she’s obsessed with all things Scandinavian and has reviewed hotels from New York to Berlin to Tetbury on past travels. She also has a thing for long-distance train journeys.

Going Green with a push reel mower

2010-09-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

A conventional gas powered lawn mower emits on average nearly 90 pounds of carbon dioxide and over 50 pounds of other pollutants into our air every year according to the EPA.

Manual reel mowers are making a comeback and have come a long way in the last few decades. Today's reel mowers are a far cry from the one your grandfather used. "Reel mowers are light, quiet, and virtually maintenance-free," notes L Hundley, Chief Gardening Evangelist at Clean Air Gardening. "The mowers are environmentally friendly, and also better for your grass.

"Rotary mowers tear the grass -- reel mowers cut grass like scissors, leaving a fine spray of clippings as mulch for your yard," he explains. They do take some effort, but they aren't any harder to push than an 80-pound gas mower that isn't self-propelled.

While it does take a bit longer to mow with a manual mower than a power mower, it is a much more pleasant experience. Instead of the roar of a mower, you hear the pleasant mechanical sound of the blades, the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects. Instead of the smell of gas exhaust, you have the smell of fresh air and fresh-cut grass.

With a reel mower, you have a lower purchase price, lower maintenance costs, and much lower environmental costs. And it saves you a trip to the gym.

2010-08-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Have an old C-119 airplane that you need to get rid of? Up-cycle it! That's what MotoArt is doing just that with pieces of old DC-9's, 747's and other aircraft parts destined for the scrap heap. They
even make clocks out of pistons
(internal engine parts
for those of you who
are non-mechanical).

Eco Conscious Biodiversity - Guest article from Kori Bubnack

2010-08-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

“In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage,” states US Ecologist Gary Nabhan in a recent interview. Nabhan is a ethnobotanist/gardener whose promotion of biodiversity has caught the attention of many over the years. He is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist. Since Coming Home to Eat was published in 2001, the local food movement has ignited, causing a worldwide green epidemic.

Over the past few years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of organizations and businesses that have contributed to the promotion of sustainability through conservation. The Earth Day Network has been playing a large part in bringing conservationist and green enthusiasts together, sharing ideas and discussing new ways to support the planet. Other large organizations and non-profits like Doug Band and the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) have been working on successful emission reduction projects in the San Francisco Bay area. While climate control has continued to worsen, collaborative and individual acts are vital for any successful green campaign. As human beings, we’re constantly told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and spend less time in the shower! But let’s take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabhan strongly suggests.

According to The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, only about a quarter of crop diversity is left and that a dozen species now gives 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.

Nabhan suggests that eating foods that are home-grown will have a greater impact on sustainability for our planet as a whole. Otherwise known as “eat what you conserve,” is a well-established theory in that by eating the fruits and vegetables that we are attempting to conserve/save, we’re promoting the granular dissemination of various plant species.

Agriculturist Marco Contiero also mentions that “biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change.”[1] According to Conterio’s theory, this would suggest that as individuals we our own crops/plants, and should make sure to purchase localized farm products at supermarkets and groceries. In the end, this condenses export/import reliance, thus reducing our carbon footprint.

Nabhan and Contiero’s theories both rely profoundly on an action oriented approach at conservation and sustainability. With an abundance of green movements following Earth Day 2010, organizations and individuals have taken a stronger following to expert opinions like the ones demonstrated by both of these highly influential agriculturalists. So remember, as the fall season approaches, be sure to visit your local farmers marketing to purchase your fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, as eco-conscious individuals, don’t hesitate to stop the next time you drive by a yard stand with fresh crops. Promoting biodiversity and localized farming is a crucial piece of the conservation puzzle.

- Submitted by Kori Bubnack

Going Green at home - saving water

2010-08-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ever been camping and brushed your teeth with no running water? Why not do it that way at home? That is the reasoning behind Stop The Water While Using Me! toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo based out of Germany.

Even though the earth is 75% covered in water, only 1% is available for human consumption, and of that 70% of that goes to irrigation and 22% goes to industry. That leaves 8% of the 1% available for drinking, dishwashing, and watering your lawn. Spread evenly worldwide, that equates to 2.5 gallons per person per year. Developed countries use more than their share, however - about 100 gallons per person - and about 1 billion people currently lack access to clean drinking water.

Water conservation in developed countries can have very significant positive impacts, so if you can, stop the water!

Going Green with Dyson's new fan

2010-08-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

Vacuum cleaner guru Sir James Dyson is inventing another innovative gadget for our home - this one to cool our home without the use of the air conditioner. A/C uses more energy, and thus generates more greenhouse gas emissions, than Dyson's new fan that operates on a modest 40-watt motor.

The fan works like a jet engine, sucking air into a cyclone accelerator, then amplifying it 15-18 times before blowing it out over these cool-looking blade-less airfoil-shapes.

Going Green May Be Easier With New Toxic Chemical Legislation

2010-08-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

A while back GoingGreen interviewed Erin Brockovich about her alliance with Seventh Generation and the 'Million Baby Crawl' to push for toxic chemical reform.

The good news is there is currently a bill, the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010, in the Senate and the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 has been introduced in the House; both intending to drastically overhaul the EPA's current 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act. Under that old act, Companies currently do not have to prove chemicals are safe before putting them on the market; the government must determine when a chemical is dangerous. Both bills aim to change that.

"Industries would have to demonstrate safety rather than the government have to prove harm. That is a key concept there," said Andy Igrejas, director of the environment and health group coalition Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.

There are more than 84,000 chemicals registered in the United States. The government needs to meet a high standard of harm to take action on a chemical, and has been unable to even ban the use of asbestos.

Eliminating toxic chemicals from the home has been a drum beaten by Seventh Generation for over 20 years. Previously refusing to sell products through Walmart, they have recently been working with the consumer giant to make environmentally friendly cleaning products available nationwide and educate customers about healthy product choices. Some of Seventh Generation's non-toxic products will soon be available at more than 1,500 Walmart stores across the U.S., and additional products will be available through on Walmart.com. Best-sellers like laundry detergent, dish soap and cleaning sprays will be in stores while diapers, baby wipes and more will be online.

Going Green in the home will now be easier! Read more here.

Go Green, Go Electric!

2010-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Racing Green Endurance (RGE) team and Radical Sports cars have built a stunning SRZero electric sportscar. The team is driving the 400bhp twin-motor supercar the full 26,000 km length of the Pan-American Highway, from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, to the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia. They left Anchorage July 1st and were cruising the Golden Gate Bridge July 23. The goal is to be the first electric car to travel the full length of the Pan American Highway and to communicate sustainability and adventure while educating all along the way!

Electric vehicles have the potential to realize a sustainable transport future, without depleting valuable resources for future generations. The RGE project aims to demonstrate this while pushing the boundaries of EV technology.

The team wants to help encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers through our outreach program. They plan to use the RGE project as an exhilarating example of where maths and science can take you.

The Radical SRZero aims to be the world’s most focused, fun-to-drive alternative propulsion vehicle. By taking on this epic journey, they hope to add a sense of excitement and get people interested in electric vehicles.

Follow their route here.

Environmentalists protest green energy?!?

2010-07-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Recent efforts to green energy and industry have raised questions if changing production method is sufficient for sustainability. For example, Earth First! activists in Maine oppose a large-scale wind farm. What?! you might say. But here are some of their reasons. What do you think?

Matt Wilkerson lists some of his reasons for joining in the protest.

It is important to make clear that this action was not against ALL wind. It was against corporate run industrial wind projects that impact rural communities and sensitive ecosystems. We are in full support of small scale, community run wind projects.
The wind power being built in Maine is not replacing any fossil fuel plants. It is all additional capacity, so in reality no emissions are being reduced. We would be far better off reducing consumption and improving efficiency rather than producing more electricity
These wind farms are being built in sensitive wild areas that are home to the endangered lynx and migratory birds as well as rare alpine ecosystems. We can't ignore the impacts that industrial wind has on an ecosystem. We cannot write these impacts off as collateral damage.
The wind farms are being built by Transcanada, a major player in the Alberta tar sands. These wind farms are not producing electricity for Maine. It is all being sold to other states. Maine residents shouldn't have to have their wildlands carved up so that an oil company can greenwash its image while turning a profit selling electricity to the grid.

Two different paths towards the same goal of raising awareness about climate change and renewable energy.

Solar Chargers!

2010-07-10T10:47:00.001-07:00

Green Home has on sale one of our favorite products - the Solio Solar Charger. This week only, they are offering it for $75. Solio is the first, and still is the best, consumer-friendly, affordable, efficient, and stylish portable power supply for over 3,000 different hand held devices, including all cell phones, PDAs, cameras, music players, GPS devices - anything small you take with you that needs a charge! It closes up into a small portable package, then opens like a flower and lays flat. Charge your things using NO ELECTRICITY for FREE -from the sun!
MNN is giving one away during the month of July to a lucky MNN Facebook Fan. Try your luck here!

Going Green for Father's Day

2010-06-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is just around the corner. Celebrate your favorite Dad with an eco-friendly, stylish green gift. I found a few cool eco-gifts on Inhabitot and The Daily Green.

Saving green with GenZ Battery Charger!

2010-05-31T16:00:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a green gadget girl. I like going green and I like gadgets and technology and equipment. Some of my gadgets require electricity and must be charged up daily (some, like my cell phone, twice a day. I even carry a spare charger in my purse.) As like most people, I plug in when I get home, and grab my gadget off the charger when I leave in the morning. That means while I'm away, my charger is still plugged into the electrical socket and still drawing, albeit minimal, electricity, costing money and wasting energy. So I was thrilled when GenZ came out with an eco-friendly gadget charger that shuts off the charger when the gadget is fully charged. My cat, Samantha, and I inspected the hardware and immediately sensed the uber-coolness of it. Before the GenZ Simultaneous Battery Charger, by my bedside, I have a strip for my laptop, bedside lamp, work iPhone, personal smart phone, and an external hard drive. Across the room, is the outlet for my ancient Palm pilot and bluetooth.

Upon setting up the GenZ, I immediately experienced cord relief when I could remove four cords and swap out for the GenZ Power. In addition, I am a sucker for pretty flashing lights (thus, I live in Las Vegas) and the GenZ has buttons AND lights. Yeah! There is even a great big red button to shut down the entire "bench" and green lights when something is charging.

Once it is charged, the entire "branch" shuts down and the green light goes off. So green! And saves me green by saving me electricity!

Even the box it came in did not go to waste.

You can get yours here .

Mobile Energy

2010-05-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

As a self-professed green gadget girl, I was excited when I saw this gotta-have gadget featured on Inhabitat.com. It is a fold-up solar-powered personal wind turbine! Oh yeah!

Add it to the camping list of survival tools (OK, maybe not survival, but really cool tools) to charge up your cell phone, GPS unit or a built-in LED light. More.

Give me more Tesla!!

2010-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tesla and Toyota announced today that the two companies will be collaborating on electric vehicle development and production.

A benefit to Tesla from this deal is that it will be able to take advantage of the Toyota production system and suppliers, avoiding many of the logistical problems that hampered early Roadster production and costs.

Production of the Model S is planned to start in 2012.

More information here.

Google is so green!

2010-05-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, Google employs goats to mow the grass in their field at their headquarters in Mountain View, provide plug-in hybrid vehicles that get charged with a solar-powered carport to employees who use alternative transportation, and compost their organic waste.

Now they are striving for 100% water recycling from data center cooling systems. On average, two gallons of water is consumed for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced. Google is working on reclaiming dirty water, filtering the water and using it for facility cooling. According to Data Center Knowledge, at least two Google data center have these water filtering plants and a third is employing a rainwater collection system to reduce reliance on the local water supply.

Joe Kava, Google's Director of Operations, said,

“Water consumption isn’t a side thought; it’s part of our larger environmental management policy. In the future this will be at the forefront of data center operations."

Green at Interop

2010-04-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

You can save green by going green with a pre-owned refurbished server, rack or workstation from Stallard Technologies, Inc. (STI). At this years Interop Las Vegas expo, Jeff Palmer, Vice President and COO of STI, recently explained how they refurbish equipment newly off-lease or pre-owned and give otherwise-destined-for-the-landfill IT equipment new life. And if it can't be re-used, it is broken down into components and recycled.

Greening your IT can result in saving some green. Data centers consume more energy per square foot than any other part of an office building, predominantly from servers and cooling. For example, Religare Enterprises Limited (REL), one of the leading financial services companies in India, is building three energy-efficient data centers that will reduce REL’s annual power costs by 30-35%, with estimated savings of over $250,000 a year. Associated Bank’s new data center expansion in Green Bay, Wisc., includes a new cooling system that will save the financial firm plenty of green – to the tune of $115,000 annually, reports American Banker.

But apart from STI, I noticed almost a laissez-faire attitude about green and very little mention of green or energy-efficiency in booth marketing at Interop, the leading business technology event, being held in Las Vegas, April 25-29, 2010. Maybe this is because of Forrester's survey data that states, "more energy is actually consumed by distributed IT assets in aggregate (e.g. PCs, monitors, printers, phones) – 55% across distributed IT vs. 45% in the data center. And even more so, the IT industry is only responsible for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions." Clearly green was not a focus this year.

Doug Washburn on ZDNet.com, who spoke at Interop on “The Evolution Of Green IT: Projects That Cut Cost, Avoid Risk And Grow Revenues” to help IT professionals plan for green IT’s current and future state, suggests looking beyond greening traditional hardware to services, processes, software and people. Things like energy audits and power management software can result in significant energy and money savings.

40 ways to celebrate Earth Day's 40th anniversary!

2010-04-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

1. Pull the plug: Use a power strip to turn off televisions, stereos and computer systems when you're not using them and unplug appliances such as phone chargers, extra refrigerators, and printers until you need them.
2. Bump your thermostat: Set it to 78 degrees and open the windows when there is a fresh breeze. (In the winter, set it to around 68 degrees and turn it down even more when you go to sleep or are away.)
3. Put your fridge on a diet: If your fridge is equipped with a power-saving feature, use it. Set your refrigerator temperature at 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit; your freezer should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Read: Walden, An Inconvenient Truth, Silent Spring, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Hot, Flat and Crowded, Go Green, Live Rich.
5. Cook green.
6. Power down your computer.
7. Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees (Farenheit).
8. Build a solar oven.
9. Test your windows and doors for leaks: Hold a ribbon near the windowsills or door jamb. If it’s fluttering, you have a leak. Caulk it up to save energy and money.
10. Fix leaky faucets and pipes.
11. Make your water multi-task: Use it more than once while grooming, cleaning, washing dishes and playing.
12. Go paperless.
13. Make a waste-free lunch.
14. Host a waste-free picnic with friends and family.
15. Buy less stuff.
16. Install a CFL or compact fluorescent light bulb.
17. Grasscycle: Leave grass clippings on your lawn (instead of bagging them up) where they will naturally decompose and hold in soil moisture, prevent freezing, and return nutrients to the soil.
18. Stop your junk mail.
19. Weigh your waste: Every night for a week, collect your household garbage and weigh it on your bathroom scale. Record your results every few weeks and celebrate your success as your trash slims down.
20. Make your own green cleaning products.
21. Try xeriscaping.
22. Start composting.
23. Plant a tree, a flower, or a garden with your children.
24. Adopt a pet from your local animal shelter.
25. Volunteer.
26. Don't drive one day a week.
27. Explore nature in your local community.
28. Purchase carbon offsets.
29. Buy local.
30. Buy in bulk.
31. Bring your own reusable shopping bag.
32. Turn trash into treasure: Get creative by using old items (such as broken gadgets, torn clothing, or plastic bottles) as art supplies.
33. Make a local green guide: Canvass local stores and businesses to find sources for green goods and then compile your research into an online community buying guide.
34. Give back.
35. Swap: clothes, toys, books, bikes, or even seeds with friends.
36. Buy organic.
37. Go meat-free, at least during the weekday.
38. Green your laundry.
39. Support renewable energy: If your local utility offers you a choice, select renewable energy or purchase green credits to offset your energy use.
40. Learn your labels (and learn how to spot greenwashing).

(adapted from MotherNatureNews.com)

Happy Earth Day Week!

2010-04-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is April 22 and there are many events going on this week to commemorate its 40th Anniversary. The first earth day in 1970 brought to light the deterioration of the environment through pollution, loss of wilderness, extravagant use of our natural resources, and extinction of wildlife. It aligned political groups from all walks of life and the United States Environmental Protection Agency was created. The passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts were also a product of the first earth day.

To celebrate, from April 17-25, entrance fees will be waived at all 392 National Parks. Events include a demonstration garden planting at Cane River Creole National Historic Park in Louisiana on April 22; greenhouse tours at Rocky Mountain National Park on April 22 of their greenhouse full of native plants destined for restoration throughout the park; an Earth Day Festival on April 24 at Bighorn Canyon with composting demos, recycling information and free trees handed out by the Arbor Day Committee; as well as other hikes, wildlife programs and heritage celebrations around the country. A number of parks have special events for kids scheduled for April 24, which is National Junior Ranger Day. Kids who participate in walks, litter pick-ups, and other activities can earn a junior ranger patch. Head over to NPS.gov for more information and head out to a National Park this week!

Green Spring

2010-04-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

It is almost Spring and it is almost Earth Day! (April 22) If your spring plans include freshening up with new paint, check out Yolo. The colors are beautiful and they have no odor, no harmful chemicals, no added solvents, zero-VOC's and are mold-resistant.

And you can save green by going green and taking advantage of the GreenDepot's sale on Yolo Colorhouse® paints here.

Earth Hour!

2010-03-27T00:02:00.000-07:00

Show the world what can be done by switching off your lights for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 27th, 8:30pm!

2010-03-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just watched a screening of FOOD, Inc. and am grateful for the education about how food is "manufactured" in America and the negative environmental impacts surrounding those practices. I am struck by the comment made towards the end of the movie about how 'the people' changed the tobacco industry by no longer settling for the regulatory endorsement of an adverse health product. I believe it is time to do the same for the adverse and morally wrong unhealthy food manufacturing that is occurring now.

With my heightened awareness, I reflect on the past several years of e.coli poisonings, salmonella poisonings, and now the recent recall of many products containing HVP, manufactured right here in my hometown, Las Vegas. (Incidentally, the plant, Basic Foods, is shut-down!)

To be honest, I never gave much thought to these poisonings; didn't consider it could happen to me. I think my stomach is strong as steel - I love my food super super spicy and my father's cooking didn't kill me growing up - so it must be.

But now, I wonder if most of this country's health problems stem from the crazy practices that make up our nation's food production. For example, 76 million are sickened, 325 million are hospitalized and 5,000 die each year from food-borne illnesses, a product of factory farming. And speaking of factory farming, I was disgusted at the way chickens are raised for food - in the dark, genetically modified to grow bigger breasts, making them too heavy to be able to walk, and stuck full of antibiotics to prevent disease from living in such crammed conditions.

Within Wikipedia's definition of factory farming it says:

"There is a continuing debate over the benefits and risks of factory farming. The issues include the efficiency of food production; animal welfare; whether it is essential for feeding the growing global human population; the environmental impact and the health risks."

I'll stop there - watch the movie and decide what is right for you.

Recycled metals for medals!

2010-02-22T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games medals contain recycled materials! 2.05 kg of gold, 1,950 kg of silver and 903 kg of copper were used in the more than 1,000 medals. The minerals were reclaimed from CRT glass, circuit boards and other computer parts.

The LoveSac is Green?

2010-01-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

As we reflect on 2009 and think about our goals for 2010, we consider the many exciting green technologies and services available now. A few our favorites include the Skoy cloth that is as absorbent as 15 rolls of paper towels, the Eco-Button that puts our computers to sleep with the touch of a button and then tells us how much money we saved by doing so, and the real wood USB stick made from sticks collected from the ground in England.

Looking forward, we are equally excited to see all the new electric cars coming out this year, including the Nissan Leaf, currently on tour in the United States, and visit the largest LEED project in the world - City Center in Las Vegas, and green up our kitchens with the help of Chef Mayra.

How are you going green in 2010? Leave us your comments!

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Snowflake-shaped photovoltaic cells are being developed by Sandia National Laboratories. Made from crystalline silicon, they use 100 times less material to generate the same amount of electricity as standard solar cells make with solar wafers.

Erin Brockovich is Going Green!

2009-11-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

GoingGreenTV interviews Erin Brockovich about the MillionBabyCrawl.

Save green by retrofitting green

2009-11-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

Retrofitting existing buildings is the quickest and least expensive impact we can have on slowing climate change, according to Tom Zeller Jr. of the New York Times Green Inc. It is also a great way to save money on our energy bills. So where do we start? What can we do to make our homes more energy efficient and better for the environment and our families?

A new website, www.EnergySavvy.com, aims to help homeowners around the country who want to upgrade their homes to energy efficiency but don't know exactly where to start. EnergySavvy connects homeowners that want to make their houses more efficient to pre-screened contractors that can help them do their projects right. It also helps you find the energy rebates and tax incentives that can help you pay for these kind of projects, including low-interest loans.

In fact, if every owner-occupied single-family house in the U.S. redeemed their federal tax credit (just 1 of over 1000 programs nationwide) for home energy efficiency upgrades, it’d be $84 B in government stimulus – 30X the budget of the Cash for Clunkers program!

Now that is saving green by going green!

Paper or plastic? Or not?

2009-11-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Paper or plastic? In 1999, 14 million trees were cut down to produce 10 billion paper bags for Americans. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are used in the production of 1 billion plastic bags. In addition, each year, millions of tax dollars are spent disposing of a recycling plastic and paper bags. Instead, bring a stylish fun reusable bag, like the ones you can find on reusablebagsdepot.com. Better yet, some stores like Target, Whole Foods and CVS, give you discounts when you bring your own bag. If we use one reusable bag for a year, we eliminate the need for 1,000 plastic bags. As Heather would say, "Now that's good to know!"

SEMA 2009

2009-11-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

They say attendance was down, but you couldn't tell by the enthusiasm in the aisles. Engineers, shop owners, buyers and builders combed the rows of parts, girls, and cars at the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, held November 3 - November 6. Excitement carried over to the farthest corner, upstairs in the South Hall to the "Making Green Cool Zone" where eco-innovations, green automotive technology and many of the participants from the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize were on display. The "Revolution through Competition" consists of 43 teams showcasing "design-viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people will want to buy" in hopes of winning $10 million in cash and prizes.

Green Vehicle Disposal

2009-10-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Each year in North America, close to 12 million vehicles reach the end of their useful lives and are taken out of service. Ever wonder what happens to them after that? 75% of your old vehicle CAN be recycled and using recycled metal saves up to 74% energy and 40% water consumption. It also reduces air pollution by about 86% and water pollution by 76%.
So how do you make sure your vehicle get recycled?
There is a new company called Green Vehicle Disposal that is dedicated to finding an eco-friendly disposal solution for your vehicle. They may even pay you for it! You can make green by going green! www.greenvehicledisposal.com.

Go Green Girl!

2009-10-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 11/9: CONGRATULATIONS FOR FINISHING 2ND!

UPDATE 10/25: CONGRATULATIONS TO LEILANI FOR BEING ONE OF THE TEN FINALISTS IN THE PROJECT GREEN SEARCH GREEN GIRL COMPETITION!

FINAL JUDGING TAKES PLACE IN LOS ANGELES NOVEMBER 6! GOOOOO LEILANI!

Never underestimate a vegetarian hippie chick with a racecar. Meet Leilani Munter. After earning a degree in Biology from UC San Diego, Leilani got the racing bug after doubling for Catherine Zeta Jones in a driving stunt. Capable of success behind the wheel of any type of racecar (she has raced NASCAR and Indy-type cars), Leilani uses the platform of racing to reach thousands of racefans with her environmental awareness message.

Her website, www.carbonfreegirl.com, is a story of her journey to be carbon neutral and "a diary of her lifetime project of sorting through the facts & fiction about alternative fuels, organic food, clean energy, green buildings, solar power, wind farms, composters, recycling, politics & more all while she makes a living driving a race car at 200 mph." Additionally, Leilani hopes her efforts will encourage racing sanctioning bodies to increase their environmental initiatives with expanded recycling programs and the use of alternative fuels.

Leilani is competing to be a Green Girl in the Project Green Search campaign, aimed at inspiring people to align their careers with their environmental, social and humanitarian ethics.

We at GoingGreen.com, endorse Leilani Munter to be the next Project Green Girl. Voting is only through Friday, October 16. To vote for Leilani or to pick your own favorite green girl, go to ProjectGreenSearch.com .

Photo credit: snudgebros.com and Italian Vogue.

One man pushes the carpet industry to go green

2009-10-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

The petroleum intensive industry of carpet is going green with the leadership and ambition of Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface, Inc., the world's largest manufacturing of modular carpeting. A pioneer in corporate sustainability, Anderson set an ambitious goal in 1997 of Mission Zero®, a promise to eliminate any negative impact Interface, Inc. may have "on the environment, by the year 2020, through the redesign of processes and products, the pioneering of new technologies, and efforts to reduce or eliminate waste and harmful emissions while increasing the use of renewable materials and sources of energy."

Says Anderson, “If we’re successful, we’ll spend the rest of our days harvesting yester-year’s carpets and other petrochemically derived products, and recycling them into new materials; and converting sunlight into energy; with zero scrap going to the landfill and zero emissions into the ecosystem. And we’ll be doing well … very well … by doing good. That’s the vision.”

Anderson's quest for sustainability doesn't begin and end with Interface, Inc.; he also drives a Prius and built an off-the-grid home. An author of several books, his latest, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, hit the shelves last month.

Treehugger.com's Top Ten Going Green Driving Tips

2009-09-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Go Green and save green, by Derek Markham.

Limit yourself: The song says, "I can't drive 55", but you really ought to. For every five miles per hour you drive above 55 mph, you lose 10% fuel efficiency, so keep your speed down when you can.

Don't be idle: If you're stopped for more than a minute, shut off your engine. Fuel efficiency savings of up to 19% are possible by being more aware of not letting your engine idle while stopped.

Get the lead out: Do you take off from stoplights like you're drag racing, then hit the brakes at the next one? Accelerating less aggressively and slowing down moderately for stops can increase your fuel efficiency by over 30%.

Go steady: Many traffic lights are timed for efficient traffic flow, and by maintaining a constant speed, you'll hit more green lights in a row.

Go for a cruise: Use your cruise control on the highway to maintain a steady speed and keep yourself from accelerating unnecessarily. An average fuel savings of 10% is possible by just cruising. For mountainous drives, skip the cruise control and accelerate smoothly on the hills, coasting down the other side with minimal fuel.

There's an app for that: Got an iPhone? Install a fuel saving application like MyMPG that lets you know when you're wasting gas.

Streamline your ride: Improving the aerodynamics of your car reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency. Got a roof rack full of gear? Leave it at home and feel the difference.

Hack your fuel efficiency: Change your plugs regularly, keep your engine tuned up, and your filters clean. Empty your car of any extra items you've been hauling around for years to lighten your load.

Jump in the pool: Drive alone, and you're making the gasoline industry very happy. Find a carpool for work commutes, and ask your friends and neighbors to combine errand runs with you.

Gear up: Cars are more fuel efficient in a higher gear, so when you're up to speed, pick the gear with the lowest engine rpm and you'll burn the least amount of gas, while reducing the emissions from your tailpipe.

How much do carbon emissions cost?

2009-09-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Global investors called for strong action to control global warming at the International Investor Forum on Climate Change in New York this week. British economist Lord Nicholas Stern asserted that unmitigated climate change poses a threat to the world economy. Said Stern, "But building a low carbon economy creates opportunity for investment in new technologies that promise to transform our society in the same way as the introduction of electricity or railways did in the past."

A similar theme was echoed at the recent AlwaysOn GoingGreen West conference in San Francisco. Quantifying the cost of a carbon emission seems the most urgent and logic

al step. Once carbon emissions has a cost associated with it (as in the UK), legislature, tar

gets, incentives and goals are much more easily set. From an investor point of view, where there is cost, there is a flow of capital and opportunity.

For example, India's emissions reduction plan calls for 20 gigawatts of electricity to be derived from solar by 2020. As a result, global investors are looking at the opportunity so

lar offers.

Most importantly, by not taking action on climate change and/or investing in sustainable sources of energy, we run the risk of leaving future generations with fewer, maybe none, options for clean air, water and food.

Blogging from Going Green West Conference

2009-09-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Cutting-edge greentech CEO's, investors and some of the biggest names in green technologies debated and presented the latest inventions and new opportunities. Highlights include:

Technology New Issue Market is recovering nicely according to David Chen, Executive Director of Morgan Stanley. Solar has better demand source - good investment pick. Biofuels and Energy Efficiency rank high as well. First CleanTech IPO since crash is A123.

Congratulations to BrightSource Energy - the Winner of Always On GoingGreen 100!

R. James Woolsey - Regarding oil - look for fuel efficiency, go electric where possible (hybrids), biomass-based liquid fuels for longer range. Can use existing infrastructure - nice start for a working coalition to move forward.

Spain is Going Green!

2009-09-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

If nature, culture, art, tradition and great food weren't enough reasons to go to Spain, now, if you drive an electric vehicle in Spain, parking and charging is FREE. And if you are fortunate enough to live there and own an EV, you will enjoy a 75% tax reduction.

The Spanish government has earmarked $2.2 million for green transportation initiatives, including possibly converting 546 public telephones into EV charging stations. Considering most of these old booths are in located high traffic areas and situated close to the curb, the idea seems to have merit.

Crazy!

2009-09-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

Guiltless Green Home Theater

2009-09-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

If you were struggling with your green conscious over whether you should get a home theater or entertainment center, but feeling guilty about the amount of power it would consume, struggle no more! Just get the new Guiltless Green Home Theater, designed by The Home Theater Specialists of America, HTSA, an association of 61 custom home theater designers.

The Guiltless Green Home Theater is powered by four solar panels mounted on the roof that help offset the electricity needs of the theater's Sharp XV-Z15000 DLP projector, a 100-inch Stewart Filmscreen, an Integra DTR-5.9 receiver, the Sharp BD-HP50 Blu-ray player and SpeakerCraft’s AIM 8-1 in-walls, MT-1 in-wall and Bass X10 in-wall subwoofer, Lutron Grafik Eye lighting system and Salamander Designs’ Geneva Twin20 equipment cabinet and Alex theater chairs and is offered for $29,575, complete with the solar panels and installation.

According to HTSA, the solar panels will pay for themselves over four years of energy savings. After that, you’re in the black…and in the green the whole time.

In addition to the long-term savings in energy costs, solar panels can add more value to your home, and a number of rebates and tax incentives exist on a state and federal level. Through 2016, the federal government will offer a 30 percent rebate on the cost of solar panels. For more information about Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency, go to energystar.gov/taxcredits and for your individual state go to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency at dsire.com.

Things that make you go Hmmmm......

2009-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

In another episode of "Things that make you go hmmmmm...," we struggle to understand the marketing angle of Atlanta Motorsports Park's green initiative. AMP is a private country club with a 2-mile road course and a $100,000 membership fee and is 'going green' with waterless urinals, tankless water heaters, reclaimed water for irrigation, oil and garbage recycling, high-efficiency HVAC, energy-efficient windows and lighting. With an honorable goal to implement the best practices in efficiency and sustainability, AMP is attempting to off-set their gas-guzzling green guilt.

Shouldn't these 'best practices' be standard? And is being responsible most of the time mean it is OK to be a little irresponsible some of the time, like with limited fossil fuel resources?

Driving, racing and appreciating cars are not going to go away, even as fossil-fuel burning vehicles shift to more sustainably-powered vehicles. The more we think green and implement green practices, the better.

But if you are AMP, why the need to tell people how you going green? As Margaret Thatcher put it, "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."

Saving green going green with fuel max tires

2009-08-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Helen and John Taylor broke their own "48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record" with an average of 67.9 miles per gallon! Key to the Taylor's success is both their choice of automobile – a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the 2009 Green Car of the Year – and their specially-designed Goodyear Fuel Max tires. The Taylors suggest that the tires were one of the main ingredients that allowed them to better their previous record of 58 mpg.

The husband and wife's previous record of just over 58 mpg was also recorded in the same 2009 Jetta; the only difference being the Fuel Max tires. Both attempts took three weeks and more than 9,000 miles following a counter-clockwise route that included scheduled stops in Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana and West Virginia. Some of the fuel-maximizing tactics the Taylors employed on the road included actions such as avoiding idling and higher speeds, minimizing vehicle drag and performing regular vehicle maintenance.

Said Helen Taylor, "We hope our record-breaking journey helps educate the driving public that decisions, such as choosing the right tires, using the right fuel and adopting fuel-saving driving techniques, can help anyone save money and fuel, and reduce carbon emissions."

The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire features a proprietary fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls, so less gas is required to keep the tire rolling. The 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy delivered by the new Fuel Max tires means, in essence, drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of 4 tires.

Bucket trucks go green!

2009-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

A plug-in hybrid Ford F-550 boom/bucket truck is being used by Southern California Edison electric company as part of a test to see if the technology can be applied to large commercial applications. The plug-in delivers approximately 70% more fuel economy (and emissions reductions) and uses the electrical system to power the auxiliary systems, such as the boom, when the truck is stopped at work sites, instead of leaving the engine running.

The Eaton Corporation is spearheading this program and also offers assistance to diesel truck fleet owners who want to purchase a hybrid apply for the 25% grant offered under the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

$45.5 million in grant funds were recently approved to produce 378 additional trucks in the largest commercial plug-in hybrid deal struck to date.

Blogging from the National Clean Energy Summit

2009-08-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

Al Gore is very passionate about America getting off our foreign oil dependency. He claims it is a national security measure. Some of the speakers at the National Clean Energy Summit being held right now at UNLV in Las Vegas have pointed out that 4.5 million of the 12 million barrels of oil that we use come from "unfriendlies." Participant T. Boone Pickens pointed out that America uses 25% of the world's supply of oil, although we make up only 4% of the population. If we continue status quo, there will be "trouble in paradise." Our current energy sources, method of transmittal and how we use it cannot continue. T. Boone suggests updating the grid to take advantage of wind, which is currently available; electric for light duty transportation and natural gas for all new Class A vehicles (and natural gas for backup when the wind isn't blowing or the sun shining).

Green Your Body and Drive it Green!

2009-08-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory will feature ways to green your body, inside and out, with eco-friendly lotions, makeup and natural oils as well as organic cooking oils, spreads and food ideas on August 7, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., during First Friday, Las Vegas Arts District’s monthly arts, entertainment, and social block party held downtown.

A chance to win a copy of Robyn O'Brien's The Unhealthy Truth will be available and all antics will be broadcast LIVE here on goinggreen.com. If you cannot be with us in person, you can sign up on your left to win a copy of the book.

In addition, a five-passenger zero-emission electric van from rEVolution Vehicles will be on display to showcase greener transportation options available now and what to expect in the future. The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory, located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, connects people, planet and products through interactive displays, internet TV, business to business networking and creative workshops.

Fortune 500 companies go green!

2009-07-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Several Fortune 500 companies, such as Coca-Cola, Staples and Frito-Lay, are going green with zero-emission all-electric delivery trucks. The new Smith Newton electric delivery trucks are powered by lithium-ion batteries and they also convert the kinetic energy produced during braking into electric power.

With a top speed of 50 miles per hour and a range of over 100 miles, it is perfect for around-town deliveries, and makes a significant impact in smog reduction. Electric vehicles in general have lower operational and maintenance costs, better for the environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels.

Things that make you go Hmmmm......

2009-07-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

We spent many summer nights in tents growing up. Camping was the ultimate adventure...picking the perfect campground, the perfect campsite, and then the perfect spot for the tent. We were taming the Wild, Wild West! With no TV, no radio and no clocks, bedtime was shortly after dark and wakeup time was shortly after sunrise. Other than the initial situating once you've turned in for the night, a flashlight was needed only for the trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night, (or to shine on the source of those mysterious night noises to scare it away!). But in case YOU want to hang out in the tent after the sun has gone down, Eureka has designed a tent with solar panels that illuminate without the need for batteries.
Super-durable, lightweight and flexible solar panels charge by day, then hang inside the tent for night-time illumination.
Should you need night-time illumination.

Bike Lounge at First Friday in Las Vegas

2009-07-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Go Green for lunch and save green!

2009-07-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

Home-made lunches are healthier, taste better and save us money. One brown-bagger estimates that he saves $3,000 a year compared to his co-workers, assuming they spend $10-$15 on lunch. $3,000! Wow! To make brown-bagging even better, the people at The Daily Green are giving six lucky people a New Wave Enviro reusable healthy lunch kit! This super green kit includes a bamboo lunch bag, a stainless steel food container and a stainless steel bottle, a total value of $48.47. Register to win here.

If you must have it now and can't wait to win, get it directly from New Wave Enviro!

Eco Drinking

2009-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 14 billion cups of coffee are served in Styrofoam or paper cups per year? The disposal of these cups is a detriment to the planet. Even paper cups may seem biodegradable, but the conventional coating on hot cups prevents them from even being compostable. Instead use a reusable water bottle, like the stainless steel one offered by Runka.com, or an ecomug, lead-free and imprinted using toxic free inks in America.

If you have to go, go green!

2009-07-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Alternative Transportation is featured at the Green Outlet in the Arts Factory during First Friday in downtown Las Vegas, this July 3rd!

Come check out RTC's "Grease Bus" that runs on used vegetable oil! The Green Outlet will feature Alternative Transportation this First Friday, with new permanent bicycle racks at the Arts Factory, a SMART car display, and other alternative forms of transportation, such as electric cars, RTC's Ride Share program, even electric Karts from Pole Position indoor kart facility. In addition, there will be eco-friendly products and LIVE streaming on the internet, right here at GoingGreen.com.

Semi-permanent floating homes may be the future in Coastal areas.

2009-06-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands, which for years has fought the encroaching ocean, is now considering how to embrace the waters in future city design, Reuters reports.

A number of prototypes for floating cities are being considered. Indeed, the Netherlands may well become a laboratory for such thinking.

A goal is to be able to remove or relocate a building without harming the surrounding environment; the ultimate in sustainability.

Watch Reuters video here.

Cool Recycled Plastic Chair!

2009-06-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Check out this great looking lawn chair made from recycled plastic!

Made of post-consumer HDPE (high-density polyethylene), the Cabrio lounge chair by Loll is highly durable and waterproof and diverts about 320 milk containers from ending up in the landfill.

Loll Designs believes green products should be superior to those that are not green and the company is dedicated to "creating long lasting products that are made from recycled materials using sustainable business practices not only for our business to grow, but more importantly, for the planet to keep growing too."

To order or see other designs, go to lolldesigns.com.

Women Make the Energy Decisions

2009-06-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

While Congress is contemplating a new energy policy, American women are paying the electric bills at home and making the critical decisions on energy use in their homes and businesses, according to the national Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment, the first in-depth women’s survey on attitudes and awareness about energy.

In addition:

-- Women want clean energy

-- Women need more information on electricity and clean energy
-- Air pollution’s effect on family health is a major concern
-- Women business owners lead the way

More survey results here.

Solarmonkey Sale!

2009-06-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Great Father's Day gift!

Powertraveller's portable solar mobile device charger is on sale until June 24th. Capable of charging and working with both sunlight and incandescent lighting, the solarmonkey is two folding solar panels that attach to most cell phones.

Only $55 until Monday at Green Home environmental store.

Going Green TV

2009-06-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Things that make you go Hmmmm......

2009-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

A UK retailer installed moving metal plates in their parking lot that generates energy when cars drive over them, which is then converted to electricity to run their cash registers.

This is a part of their sustainability effort which includes collecting rainwater to flu

sh toilets, solar thermal for hot water and sending food waste to a biomass plant instead of the landfill.

The idea is novel, but I question the benefit of the amount of

resources needed to install and maintain this power-generating parking lot versus the amount of resources an electric company uses to produce the same 30 kWh per hour.

Hmmmm......

Electric Jet Car - I want one

2009-06-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

The 500th electric Tesla Roadster was recently delivered and a 60-mile road rally with about 30 Roadsters in California commemorated the event, the largest gathering of Tesla Roadsters on public streets.

San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in the United States or Europe. The Roadster beats nearly every other car in acceleration yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. It costs roughly $4 to refuel and can be completely recharged in as little as 3.5 hours.

"People who buy Roadsters are getting a superlative sports car that drives more like a performance jet than a car – and they are supporting a new American automaker committed to building well designed, high performance vehicles with a level of efficiency far greater than any other automaker in the world," said Jeremy Snyder, Tesla's General Manager for the South Western Territory.

The 500th Roadster went to Martin Tuchman, former chairman and CEO of Interpool, and chairman of The Tuchman Foundation and a board member of The Parkinson's Alliance and Parkinson's Disease Foundation of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Tuchman said he plans to charge his Roadster partly with solar energy thanks to photovoltaic panels he helped install throughout his hometown of Kingston, NJ.

Search for Air France 447 Hindered by Garbage

2009-06-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week, rescue workers reported that they had found debris--two buoys and a cargo pallet--that had come from the downed Air France Flight 447 plane, but it turned out to just be floating garbage. Officials have had to turn to costly submarines to aid in locating signs of the plane amid the floating piles of waste.

Ocean-bound refuse tends to congregate in gyres. There are about five major “trash islands” in the world. Air France Flight 447 did not even go down in one of these major gyres; It fell into an area of minor trash congestion. The major gyres are mind-boggling and are 90% plastic waste. One of them, between North America and Asia, is twice the size of Texas.

It has a devastating impact on ocean life. Notably, sea turtles mistake the plastic bags for jellyfish and try to eat them. Birds also attempt to eat the floating chunklets of plastic. The floating-garbage problem doesn't stop at marine life. The plastic acts as a sponge for harmful chemicals. The chemicals work their way through the food chain and end up in our food.

This art piece was inspired to bring awareness to the debris gyres in our ocean. The Environmental Cleanup Coalition is focused on removing this debris accumulation from the ocean. www.gyrecleanup.org.

Hilarious!

2009-06-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

2009-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

The "call letters" for going green is RRR - reduce, reuse, recycle. An extreme example of reuse is the Cosmic Muffin, once a Howard Hughes TWA-owned Boeing 307 Stratoliner. Destined for the scrap heap, the 307 was rescued in 1969 and converted into a "sleek and uniquely sensational motor yacht."

Yes, a boat. Planeboats.com

Home Depot Shareholders Want Green

2009-05-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Home Depot shareholders are asking Home Depot to assess its companywide energy use in its buildings, transportation, and supply chain; set energy use reduction targets; and report findings and progress to shareholders.

“Throughout the country—and the world—there is growing recognition of the need to use energy more efficiently. . . It’s time for Home Depot to step up to the plate,” said Connecticut State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

Corporate energy use and carbon footprint tracking is becoming increasingly important as the cost savings of going green are being recognized worldwide.

In a similar vein, earlier this month the stockholders of Chevron demanded that the company begin tracking its carbon footprint.

Although carbon footprint tracking seems a daunting task for companies with several locations and divisions, a company called Clear Standards offers software that eases the pain. The industry leading software also has modeling capabilities so you can "test" different energy-efficient solutions to find the most cost-effective ones before investing in any major changes. Most importantly, it can also project how much green you will save by going green!

Arizona - The Solar Capital of the World?

2009-05-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capital of the World and sadly, Nevada is one of the foreclosure capitals of the world. While Nevadans party their pain away, Arizona is looking on the bright side and becoming the solar capital of the world.

The sunny deserts of the Southwest United States is one of the ideal planetary locations for solar. In fact, with the amount of sun and the available land, it could produce enough electricity to meet the electrical needs of the entire US! Photovoltaics, or PVs, are 85 times as as efficient as growing corn for ethanol; on a 300 ft x 300 ft (1 hectare) plot of land, enough ethanol can be produced to drive a car 30,000 miles per year vs 2,500,000 miles by covering the same land with photo cells. Which is good news for the Southwest, where soil temperatures are often way above proper corn germination temps of 60 degrees!

A fact not lost on Arizona Public Service, they have announced another large solar plant - a 290 million watt concentrating solar plant, among the largest in the world, to be built in the Harquahala Valley, 75 miles west of Phoenix. This is in addition to a 280-megawatt concentrating solar power plant to be built 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, near Gila Bend, Arizona. Together the two plants will supply electricity to 143,000 consumers.

Not stopping there, Arizona Public Service, APS, offered Flagstaff customers the opportunity to help APS build an interconnected solar power plant – one rooftop at a time. For this program, APS will own and receive energy from solar panels installed on about 300 customer rooftops. Participating customers will not have any up-front costs or other requirements and they will receive a low 20-year fixed community power rate for the solar portion of their electricity bill.

APS staffers also celebrated with visitors as the Grand Canyon's Visitor Center went solar with 84 solar panels on the center's roof and on adjacent ground-mounted platforms. The 18 kilowatts of energy generated by the panels provide enough power to offset 30 percent of the center's electricity use. APS said that the Grand Canyon is important to their efforts "because of the opportunity that exists to educate more than 4.5 million Canyon visitors each year about renewable energy."

Maybe someday Nevadans will get over their hangovers and see the light.

Plastiki, the bottled water boat!

2009-05-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Adventure Ecology founder David De Rothschild and his team plan to sail the Plastiki, a boat built entirely of plastic bottles and recycled waste products, from San Francisco to Sydney, Austraiia in August 2009 to raise awareness about the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating landfill twice the size of Texas located between California and Hawaii, and the growing masses of plastic accumulating in our oceans.

Building boats out of all that waste plastic isn't the solution, but de Rothschild is attempting to spark conversations about rethinking waste. De Rothschild explained that we consume 200 billion liters of bottled water per year, and only one in five bottles is actually recycled. He aims to showcase a solution, and encourage people to rethink waste as a resource.

“This is the hundredth year of plastic,” de Rothschild pointed out. “Plastic is an amazing material and it is still misunderstood. I’m trying to get people to think about plastic as part of the solution.”

When finished, the Plastiki will be made of 12,500 2-liter plastic bottles collected by Waste Management, will weigh 9 tons, and will have a crew of six. The Plastiki will have a composting toilet, onboard renewable energy and a garden. When the voyage is done, the team plans to upcycle the boat.

In parallel with the sailing of Plastiki, de Rothschild has launched a Smart Art Trash into Treasure competition (www.smartartcompetition.com) to inspire innovative solutions to waste. What’s your idea?

Dell takes responsible E-waste steps

2009-05-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dell, throught their senior manager of environmental sustainability, Mark Newton, announced: "If it's not working, Dell considers it to be electronic waste, and they will not export it to a developing country. Period." This comes in response to the growing awareness that some companies are shipping their electronic waste to developing nations who dismantle the e-waste in polluting and unhealthy ways to salvage potentially valuable minerals and materials.

In the 1990's, Europe, Japan and some US states set up e-waste 'recycling' systems. But many countries did not have the capacity to deal with the sheer quantity of e-waste they generated or with its hazardous nature. Therefore, they began exporting the problem to developing countries where laws to protect workers and the environment are inadequate or not enforced. It is also cheaper to 'recycle' waste in developing countries; the cost of glass-to-glass recycling of computer monitors in the US is ten times more than in China.

If you are concerned about where your e-waste goes, you can look up proper disposal sites near you at Earth911.com.

Going Green Guide for Artists

2009-05-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Green Guide for Artists by Karen Michel is an inspiring book that makes innovative recommendations for greener artwork and a greener studio. The book includes tips on safe and green practices for the workspace, recipes for DIY art supplies such as ones for mixing your own nontoxic paints and adhesive, and using recycled materials. The book also contains a resource guide for ecofriendly materials and supplies, including websites and forum links.

The author herself is a mixed media artist who lives in New York, where she runs a 10-year old nonprofit art center for kids, the Creative Art Space for Kids Foundation, with her artist husband Carlo Thertus.

Portable Eco-Friendly Wine Packaging

2009-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Three Thieves, a brand of California wine, unveiled the Bandit - wine in environmentally-friendly Tetra Pak containers.

"No bottle, no opener, 96% wine, 4% packaging; and less energy use," says Three Thief developer Charles Bieler. "It’s packaging for every occasion, and for a green planet."

The packaging is made of Tetra Prisma™, which is comprised of 70% paper, a renewable resource, thus reducing the packaging waste associated with bottled wine by 90%. It is more efficient and lightweight to transport than bottles, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving fuel. In fact, it would take 26 trucks filled with empty wine bottles to equal just 1 truck filled with empty Tetra Pak cartons.

The Bandit comes in four wine selections — Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Grigio.

Mother's Day gifts fit for Mother Earth

2009-05-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is Sunday. If you are looking for the perfect gift that even Mother Earth will appreciate, check out Funky Recycling's jewelry, buttons and magnets made from aluminum cans.

Chocolate and flowers are always a winner.

If you are sending flowers, find flowers grown using sustainable practices at Organic Bouquet.

Some of the best organic and vegan chocolate is found from Sweet Earth or give Mom a subscription to a chocolate-of-the-month club that donates a portion of their

profits to protecting endangered species from ChocolateBar.com.

Help mom relax with all-natural and organic body oil and massager from our friends at Good Clean Love.

Whatever you do for your mother this Sunday, remember Mother Earth!

GoingGreenTV goes live!

2009-04-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, we will be streaming to you LIVE from the Arts Factory in downtown Las Vegas during the First Friday event this Friday, May 1, from 6pm-10pm.

Tune in as we ask people how they are going green!

True Green Heroes

2009-04-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I read with exuberance through the bios of the top forty Heart of Green Award nominees, nominated by readers of thedailygreen.com. I found many of the stories inspiring - real people making a difference in the world in their own way. I was inspired by a 17-year old in New York who created RelightNY, a program where young people raise money to buy CFL bulbs to give to low-income housing, and a young woman in Miami that spotlights local green businesses and services on 305green.com, including a "Green Scene" calendar of events and the guy who uses stories and songs to educate children on complex issues such as the Pacific garbage patch and mountain-top removal through his web series, Gorilla in the Green House.

The Heart of Green Awards honor those people, organizations and companies that have taken the green message to the mainstream - to the "heart" of the American people and are sponsored by TheDailyGreen.com, a website dedicated to the green revolution. Other categories include food, politics, media, parenting and business. You can read about these heroes and explore the other categories at thedailygreen.com.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, who proposed the first nationwide environmental gathering "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda. " "It was a gamble," he recalls, "but it worked."

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums in support of a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies to raise awareness about oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the Internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries.

Celebrate Earth Day 2009 by finding simple ways you can go green. Ride your bike to work, recycle, reduce waste by watching out for excessive packaging, bring your own reusable cloth bags with you to the grocery store instead of using more paper or plastic, insulate your pipes and water heater, fix leaky faucets, turn off the lights when you leave a room, use the power-save feature on your computer so it powers down after a period of inactivity, donate your old clothes for someone else to reuse, what other ways can you think of?

For more information on how you can celebrate Earth Day, visit the EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/earthday

Green TV programming planned for Earth Day

2009-04-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

Several broadcasting networks, including Fox Broadcasting, NBC and Nickelodeon, have announced green-themed TV program scheduling in honor of Earth Day, April 22.

Fox Broadcasting plans to launch specially themed TV shows, on-air graphics and instructional segments about being more green, kicking off on April 19 through to April 22. Called “Green It. Mean It”, Fox is committed to reducing the network’s impact on the world’s climate and becoming carbon neutral by 2010.

NBC celebrates Earth Week April 19-26, starting with the “Miss USA” show and will air more than 150 hours of green-themed programming across NBCU’s 40 on-air and digital brands, including a four-part MSNBC series called Future Earth. Lauren Zalaznick, president of NBCU women and lifestyle entertainment networks, told Media Daily News that NBC Universal has saved $2 million last year by going green.

On Earth Day, Nickelodeon will have environmentally-themed episodes of hit shows including The Wonder Pets, Olivia, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, iCarly, and Yo Gabba Gabba! Nickelodeon will air vignettes of real kids taking action to improve the environment, and Nickelodeon, NOGGIN, and The N will all power down for 60 seconds at 9:00 p.m. In addition, Nickelodeon will unveil The Big Green Help - a grants program to support schools and local organizations with sustainability projects. Applications will be accepted online from April 22 to Dec. 31, 2009.

Green dating site matches eco-friendly singles and saves trees

2009-04-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Cribbs, writer for MotherNatureNetwork.com

A Dutch Internet entrepreneur is hoping a new dating website dedicated to reforestation might help lonely environmentalists hug something more than just trees.

DateForTrees.com, which launched last June, pledges to donate a planted tree for each of the site's daters every month of their paid membership.

While Internet dating and environmental advocacy might not be the most intuitive business pairing, founder Ralph van Troost said last week it's the sort of novel, quirky mashup that might lead the site to greater success.

"I figured dating and reforestation — the environment — make a pretty unique combination, and they are both popular subjects."

The website is partnered with American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Washington, D.C. The group plants trees across the country to rejuvenate areas ravaged by wildfire, prevent soil erosion, stop pollutant runoff and rebuild endangered animal habitats. American Forests has planted more than 20 million trees over the last two decades, some of them in other countries, executive director Deborah Gangloff says. It tries to plant between 1 million and 5 million trees per year at a cost of about $1 each. None of the planted trees are harvested, Gangloff says, and are placed in protected areas.

"It's wonderful to see this kind of interest from organizations you wouldn't normally think would be environmental or into tree planning," she says. "There's so much that is needed in terms of tree planting that we welcome sponsors."

"It's very clear to people what happens with the donations DateForTrees makes," van Troost says. "In fact, the name of the site says it all. I hope all of this will give the members of DateForTrees a sense of greater involvement with the environment, especially when compared to other [more passive] 'green' dating sites."

General dating is already difficult for most people, let alone the eco-conscious who typically seek mates with similar environmental concerns, she says.

"It's difficult for singles to meet these days, period," says Jill Crosby, founder of Planet Earth Singles. "Everyone's just gotten so busy. … You can go to different events and charitable fundraisers to meet fellow environmentalists, but who knows if they're single or if they're available or emotionally available. … I just know how important it is for green people to meet other green people. You don't want to be dating someone that's eating at McDonald's and leading a wasteful life. It just doesn't go together well."

Smart Power gets smart by going green!

2009-04-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Over the years, Smart Power has used a traditional Madison Avenue agency approach for their traditional radio and TV campaigns to raise awareness of clean power. They hired college students to go door to door explaining the process and worked with nonprofits to encourage their members to sign up. After leading regional campaigns in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, partly funded with government money, Smart Power was able to drive up buy rates for clean energy.

Now they are going green with viral marketing on Internet. Brian Keane, who leads the nonprofit, wants to make wind and solar and hydropower and geothermal energy really cool, and get more people to buy them and he’s found that it is a much greener, cheaper and quicker way to reach people. Obama Girl, as she’s known, agreed to produce a “Save Energy” commercial for a carbon footprint reduction contest for about $5,000, (compare to $100,000 a year retainer with the Madison Avenue agency) and within just a few days it had attracted more than 100,000 viewers on YouTube.

"It’s magic,” Keane says. “It spreads like fire."

In addition, there are pages on Facebook and MySpace promoting the contest, as well as a Twitter feed. Save green by going green!

Give a Little Green to combat global warming

2009-04-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

GlobalGiving launched a new GlobalGiving Green initiative in honor of Earth Day, that includes a 50% matching donation on all gifts to this fund that helps reduce global warming in the U.S. and in the developing world.

Mari Kuraishi, President and co-founder of GlobalGiving said, "We can address the problems associated with climate change and achieve economic growth by identifying and investing in innovation that puts people to work or improves their livelihood while reducing harmful carbon emissions. GlobalGiving Green includes current projects in the developing world that fit this criteria and 'Give A Little Green' provides that extra incentive for individuals to support such projects now in this time of great need."

GlobalGiving Green is working towards creating a market-based incentive for green development, by helping to translate the demand for climate change solutions into a carbon-neutral path for development. Donors can connect directly to earth-changing grassroots projects, like supporting training in solar energy at a technical institute in Sierra Leone or cultivating forests in Indonesia, ensuring even the smallest donation goes a long way. "Give a Little Green" launched on April 4th, and will run through April 28th or until the $25,000 in matching funds has run out.

GlobalGiving (http://www.globalgiving.com/) is the leading online network for peer-to-peer philanthropy with a mission to sustain a high-powered marketplace for good that connects donors directly to the causes they care most about.

Empire State Building is Going Green!

2009-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Empire State Building is going green with $20 million worth of energy-efficient retrofits, saving $4.4 million in energy annually. The energy improvements include refurbishing existing thermopane glass windows, insulating behind radiators, updating lighting fixtures, adding controls that mix lighting with available natural light, power-saving power strips, and occupancy sensors.

Planners aim for the building, which was originally constructed in 1931, to qualify for LEED Gold status once the work is completed in 2013.

2009-04-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Zappos is one of the most successful online sellers of shoes, but what they really shine in is service. So it is no surprise that they sell more than shoes. Clothing, bags and other accessories are now available.

But my favorite category is the eco-friendly category. There are shoes made from recycled rubber and shipped in recycled packaging, bamboo shirts, organic cotton dresses, recycled plastic backpacks, even "vegetarian" non-leather, animal-friendly shoes. Available, of course, at zappos.com.

Making green investing in green

2009-04-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Green investors are beginning to see green from their green investments. While the Dow is up 21% from its low in early March, cleantech indexes are up 30%. Green building stocks are up 11.6% in the past two weeks, exceeding the 7.9% increase registered by the S&P 500 and NASDAQ.

"People I work with are more optimistic than I've seen in years,” notes Sam Jones, portfolio manager of the New Power Portfolio. “The stimulus plan is a big piece of it."

The optimism professional investors show in a recent survey demonstrates that despite the financial crisis and economic recession, investment momentum is growing to bridge the financing gap - institutional investors provide crucial long-term global financing for industries that mitigate climate change. (Survey conducted by New Energy Finance and DB Climate Change Advisors, Deutsche Bank's climate change investment business).

According to Progressive Investor, a monthly newsletter that guides investors and analysts toward green investments published by SustainableBusiness.com, leaders in each Green Stock category include:
• Solar: First Solar (FSLR), SunPower (SPWR)
• Wind: Vestas (VWS.CO), Gamesa (GAM.MC)
• Geothermal: Ormat (ORA), WaterFurnace (WFI.TO)
• Smart Grid: IBM (IBM), Itron (ITRI), EnerNoc (ENOC)
• Energy Efficient Buildings: Owens Corning (OC), Baldor Electric (BEZ), ICF International (ICFI)
• Water: TetraTech (TTEK), Northwest Pipe (NWPX)

For more information, go to http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/progressiveinvestor.main

Earth Hour 2009 from Las Vegas

2009-03-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

American workers waste $2.8 billion leaving computers on

2009-03-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Nearly half of U.S. employees who use a PC at work don’t shut down their computers at the end of the day, wasting $2.8 billion every year.

Even a company with 10,000 PC's can save more than $165,000 a year in energy costs just by hutting down computers each night.

Data collected between September and October 2008 reveals that more than one-third of employees in the U.K. 32 % of U.S. employees and 17 % of German employees who use a PC at work said they either have no idea what power scheme settings are, or how to change the power settings on their PC's.

The survey also reveals that the U.S. employees that do power down do so to make sure their PC's work properly and to comply with company policy, not because they are interested in saving money or the environment.

The externally-attached ecobutton (http://www.eco-button.com/) lets you hit a button (think Staples' easy button) to powerdown when you step away, without having to reset your computer's settings.

A Coke and a Green Smile!

2009-03-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Coca-Cola, with the help of Ecos Business Solutions, is sharing what it has learned through its own sustainability efforts with restaurant customers to encourage more sustainable business practices.

“Restaurant Solutions” for Coca-Cola customers consists of three tiers of services ranging from education and benchmarking to full audits and multi-year action plans and focus on making operations more sustainable in the areas of energy, water, packaging and facilities.

For their own sustainability efforts, Coca-Cola reduces their carbon footprint with energy-efficient coolers, LED lighting in warehouses, wind turbine installations in Wakefield, England, and solar panels at a California distribution center.
The beverage company also added 185 hybrid trucks to its fleet, for a total of 327, and is completing lighting retrofits at its California facilities, which will save 5.6 million kilowatt-hours annually.

Now that is something to have a coke and smile about!

Orange Peel Tires? The ALMS goes green!

2009-03-22T08:52:00.001-07:00

Racing, inherently, is not very green. But what is green is reducing impact, reusing, repurposing and being efficient. And that is what the American Le Mans Series is pioneering in the racing industry with the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge. In the challenge, all cars are ranked according to the amount of energy used, greenhouse gases emitted and the amount of petroleum displaced.
The Challenge is a great opportunity for innovative companies to showcase their green inventions. In addition to the newly announced G-Oil from Green Earth Technologies, Yokohma introduced tires made partially from discarded orange peels.
The Corvette C6.R, driven by Jan Magnussen, Johnny O’Connell and Antonio Garcia, was the top scoring car yesterday in Sebring.

Save the Earth – Sacrifice Nothing

2009-03-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Save the Earth – Sacrifice Nothing! Green Earth Technologies signed a two-year contract with racing series American Le Mans Series and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) to be the official motor oil! Green Earth Technologies' G-OIL is made with American-grown renewable animal fats, whose molecular single-bond carbon chains are similar to common petroleum oils, making them just as effective as regular oil, but having no harsh effects on the environment. G-OIL is the world's lowest petroleum, "eco-friendly," ultimate biodegradable motor oil.

Green Earth Technologies also produces other G-branded superior performing totally green products made with American-Grown Base Oils that utilize the power of nanotechnology to deliver environmentally friendly products with no compromise. So you can "do your part" without having to give up performance or value: Save the Earth – Sacrifice Nothing.

Not enough variety in the electric car market? TH!NK again!

2009-03-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Th!nk, an electric car company based in Norway, plans to open a U.S. manufacturing plant, hopefully in the Southwest. Th!nk hopes to begin production of their 112 mile-range, all-electric car in 2010 and pump out 16,000 cars annually. Eventually, the company may produce upwards of 60,000 vehicles annually and employ 900 people in the United States.
The Southwest would be ideal since environmentally-conscious California is nearby and the wide-open spaces of Nevada and Arizona allow for flexibility in design. With the hard-hit Las Vegas economy, thanks in part to Obama's bashing of company trips to Sin City, Southern Nevada could use the jobs. In addition, a new plant in Southern Nevada could easily be eco-friendly and solar-powered, with the Southwest offering the best year-round sun in the US.
Th!nk North America said it will apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, created in 2007 to develop fuel-efficient vehicles. Last June, the US Department of Energy said it would contribute up to $30 million over three years for three cost-shared Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) demonstration and development projects. Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, who makes the my favorite electric sportscar, is among those applying for federal funds.

Green Outlet in Las Vegas

2009-03-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

Las Vegas Goes Green at least once a month at the G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory downtown Las Vegas for First Friday. Eco-friendly companies showcase their products and services to the thousands of art festival-goers that converge downtown once a month on the first Friday of every month. Jewelry made from other broken jewelry (wastenotwhimsy.etsy.com) and aluminum cans (funkyrecycling.etsy.com), guitar picks made from expired credit cards, Skoy cloth that replaces 15 rolls of papertowels (skoycloth.com), and cute organic bamboo clothing (www.globalghettoorganics.com) are on display. Sandhi Schimmel Gold makes glamorous mosaic portraits from junk mail (www.schimmelart.com), The Body Shop at Home touts green practices and products for your body and Winder Farms delivers organic food to your home!
Check out this highlight video from March. If you are interested in showcasing your green product or company, call (702) 845-9599.