Manuel said:
"This is great news! I hope all cities pass this into law.The practice of using plastic bags just to quickly dispose of them has been going on far t..." [read]
Jay Knecht said:
"What are the performance stats for the Son of Max? ..." [read]
gazelle said:
"@ Dallas:
The book, and the supplementary videos in the "How It All Ends" youtube series, address this in detail, but I'll try to paraphrase:..." [read]
Barry said:
"Kofi Annan has about as much of a clue about electric cars and developing countries as Ann Ann the Panda.
He underestimates the ingenuity o..." [read]
JJ said:
"Very cool. I didn't thought that biodesel might be our future fuel...." [read]
Derek said:
""I guarantee you this will spark huge debates around the world," she said. "We have to delve into this in a way that hasn't been done in a long tim..." [read]
I'm not one to dress up for Halloween, but I like to find creative ways to get on board with the spooky spirit of the holiday. If you're an energy activist like me, I think you'll enjoy these ideas:
Energy Vampires
When you sleep, when you eat, while you're hard at work, vampires lurk in the depths of your home. From morning to night they are sucking you dry. It is called vampire power and to you it is wasted money. Energy vampires are the devices that use electricity even when they are turned off - like your home entertainment system, which can cost you up to $75 per year in vampire energy. Together energy vampires can account for up to 20 percent of your electric bill.
Give your neighbors a treat this Halloween and let them know they can improve their home's energy savings by identifying and unplugging energy vampires. Just download this PDF, print copies, and include them with the treats you hand out, or place them strategically (in the bathroom, maybe?) at any Halloween parties you choose to haunt.
Did you hear that right? What does reversing the direction of your ceiling fan have anything to do with time or temperatures? Plus, you can turn your heater down too, but who wants to turn the heater down when temperatures are already falling? According to Hunter Fans, it can provide you with energy savings and a warmer home. And no, this isn't a Halloween trick.
California has long been on the forefront or cutting edge of green policies and initiatives. Not to say other cities and states aren't making a difference, but on sheer population alone California has a major impact on the rest of the nation and the globe based on what it decides to do. Smaller cities and towns trying to do what major Californian cities do often have a hard time because they don't have the staff or resources. Green Cities California aims to change all of that by providing everything a small (or large) town needs to get environmental regulations passed.
We reported earlier this year that the US is planning on giving out stimulus funds for a "Cash for...Refrigerators" program and now California is ready to launch their own. The Sacramento Bee reports that California is hoping to get the three most notorious, clunky appliances off the streets and put cash back in consumers hands to purchase Energy Star efficient appliances.
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman makes a home more energy efficient. Image credit:U.S. Department of EnergyDigital Photo Archive.
You might think next week's major holiday is Halloween, but 'round the Sierra Club offices we're a bit nerdier. You see, we're excited about Friday, October 30th: National Weatherization Day.
On National Weatherization Day, created by the U.S. Department of Energy, cities will be hosting events to highlight services and organizations that help people to make their homes more energy efficient. Across the country, federal recovery funds are helping people weatherize their homes for winter, creating jobs, and reducing energy waste.
It all relates to Halloween on a number of levels, really. Think about how many energy "vampires" there are in your home or office (devices that still suck energy even when not on), or think about how much less scary your energy bills can be if you weatherize your home. Did you know that the average family can save $350 a year on their utility bills after a retrofit? So it makes sense to us to tie the two holidays together.
After writing a post a few weeks ago about the environmental impact of plush toilet paper production, "The Adventure of Our Butts" was brought to my attention. This Story of Stuff-like video gives a graphic--but not too graphic--narrative of Billy, a pre-fecal cartoon boy who is shown how his choice of plush toilet paper causes the destruction of hundreds of thousands of virgin trees. He is also transported to foreign lands where squat toilets with buckets of water are the only way to clean up to show that most of the world doesn't use the amount of resources Americans like Billy do.
Since "The Adventure of Our Butts" and mainstream media like the New York Times and Washington Post are starting to broach this messy topic, I thought I'd compile some ideas about how to green your toilet habits besides using recycled toilet paper.
Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jim Peaco.
Those of us who have been exploring national parks all our lives know the tricks for organizing a great stay: how to bypass that heinously long line of RVs at the entrance station, score a coveted campsite, and save money on gas and gear. We expect there will be a lot of first-time visitors after PBS airs the new Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, premiering this Sunday. So here are six of the tips we've compiled to help them out. Click here to see our full list of tips, as well as many other outstanding suggestions from our readers.
And whether you're a long-time lover of these treasures or are newly inspired to become one, we hope you'll join our "100,000 Champions of National Parks" campaign -- just sign your name and favorite national park, and we'll enter you in a drawing for a trip for two to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. Tip #1 follows...
Tailgating before the big game is fun, no doubt. It can also leave a pile of trash. Those plastic cups, for instance.
Students and alumni at the University of Michigan are attempting a zero-waste tailgate on Saturday morning, Sept. 26, before a pigskin battle against Indiana.
Dear Pablo: With the energy and water used in washing and drying, isn't it actually more environmentally friendly to use paper napkins instead of cotton?...
Hmmm, the smoky flavor of carcinogens give PAHs for thought. Photo via Flickr by brandi666
Stand out of the line of fire of smoky fumes. Sure, that's the first defense. But what about the dangers of grilled dogs, ribs, and salmon? I've long heard tales of how a charcoal grilled burger is the equivalent of a carton of cigarettes. So when flipping through Cure magazine at my acupuncturist’s office, I discovered an article from Lena Huang about “Good Grilling” with easy steps to reduce risk. If there’s 225,000 metric tons of CO2, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other VOCs spewing into the atmosphere from 60 million BBQs across the country this holiday weekend, how about waving a flag this 4th of July over the carcinogens you eat? ...
Photo: PRNewsFoto/Brooks Sports, Inc
You a runner? Or an exercise-oholic? And you want your workouts to reflect your green lifestyle? Well, the race is ON…or at least for me and a few friends to find the best performing green running equipment. Since February of this year (2009), I’ve made it my personal mission to seek out the most excellent green products in the running world as I train for my first marathon in November. Most people think running is a simple sport in which all that is needed is a good pair of shoes to be active. Nothing could be farther from the truth. ...
Make it a Good Trip
If, like us, you're headed to Bonnaroo this weekend -- the granddaddy of American music festivals -- it probably has something to do with the fact that Phish, Bruce, Snoop, Erykah and David Byrne are headed there too. Or maybe it's just all that green: last year, Bonnaroo won the "Outstanding Greener Festival" award, the highest eco-accolade that a huge festival can receive.
As organizers turn upthe green to 11 -- and as everyone from west coast hippies to east coast hipsters seeks to economize -- getting there in smart, green fashion is key. (And sorry, telecommuting is not an option.)...
Photo via: anomalous4
Duct tape is wonderful stuff! While there are some individuals who will tell you that you can fix just about anything with it, the best way to ensure your things last a long time is through plain old fashioned common sense and proper care. Here are a few preferred ways to take care of all your stuff......
As the last of the winter’s snow melted, it revealed our inviting back patio, where the sage and oregano was just beginning to poke through in the herb garden on the perimeter, bird feeders begging to be refilled so that the birds could flock in droves, and a table and chairs screaming for summertime dinners. The only problem was the uninviting mildew covering the chair cushions.
I knew I had two choices: I could clean them or replace them. Ever the eco’ist, I of course wanted to try my hardest to salvage what I already had instead of buying new.
...
Image credit:J. Pfeiffer.
The average wedding in the USA costs $20,000. Yikes! In this economy, that's not just insane; it's silly.
Why not go green and save green? Creative couples can hold a fantastic event for $500 or less, and share their love with the planet. Here are a few ideas from a June Bride (the author), who plans to rock her wedding by walkin'‚ the Treehugger talk.
...
If you're looking for recent global warming articles
on the web, you need to know who to trust. It's true that the internet
is a great resource for information, but it's also a tool for writers
and journalists with a political agenda to publish anything they want,
to spread lies and deceive the public on the real facts about global warming.
Dear Pablo: You have written about home energy efficiency in the past, but aside from individual technologies like CFLs, what can I do to get the "whole picture" and how do I prioritize my investments?
Cleaning up with Banksy's graffiti. Photo via Flickr: by Give Peace a Chance
Don’t need any more tips about greening your house, apartment, loft, garage, or tent?
How about easy, cheap ways to fix everything from floors to frying pans and dealing with furballs? Haley’s Hints Green Edition suggests 1,000 unlikely solutions for stuff like removing mud stains with potatoes. With summer coming there are ingenious ideas for the garden, pest control, and camping. Nontoxic and clever, this guide shows lots of ways that items in your cupboard do unexpected tricks.
...
Dear Pablo: I work for a large company. For our secure document disposal, we have a large paper shredder. On a regular basis, these shredded files are then emptied and recycled. Unfortunately, this is the only way we currently have for recycling documents, so many people put all of their paper into the shredder for recycling. I am curious, though, whether the savings we get from recycling is worth the energy it costs to shred the paper?
Photo via: Cindy Funk
The L.A. Times recently published a wonderful article on the many lessons that can be found from depression era cooking. While having not fallen far enough yet to compare ourselves to the extreme hard times of The Great Depression, there are some very interesting and important lessons that can be learned from this era...
...
Photo via: Todd R.
It's called the Strip Wash Challenge. I among a few other here on Treehugger signed up to take on this challenge which involved making it through an entire week using only natural body cleansers and the least amount of water possible. We were armed with only a pouch of Moroccan Rhassoul Clay and a alum stone deodorant rock from Natural Spa Supplies. It's the ageless battle of organic nature against the stinky journalist... who will be the last one standing!...
It is easy for cashiers to go on autopilot sometimes at the grocery store, placing one or two items in a plastic bag before you can even say “Hello”. When you explain that you already have your own bag or that you don’t need a bag for your one already well packaged item, they remove the item from the plastic bag and then THROW THE PLASTIC BAG IN THE TRASH. Many franchises have rules which don’t allow a cashier to reuse a bag that has already been ‘contaminated’ with another customer’s item. And so, it has been an ongoing experiment to find the best and most polite way to avoid the cashier putting those one or two items in a plastic bag before you can stop them. Read on for ways to flag the bag before it is too late. Feel free to add to this list:...
That mysterious woman of (green) wisdom, Umbra Fisk, brings you several Valentine's tips via Grist TV on "How to Be a Better Valentine." This little quickie offer advice on how to lessen the impact of love this season. Did you know that over a billion cards are sent on valentines or that the large volumes of fresh flowers purchased all come complete with large volumes of pesticides? Watch the rest of the episode to find out more fun facts and quick tips to make sure you don't hurt Mother Earth while you're loving the one you're with this Valentine's Day....
Dear Pablo: Why should I turn down my water heater? Isn't it just as efficient to dilute really hot water with cold water in the faucet than to use barely warm enough water straight out of the hot side?...
Image credit: Getty Images/Flying Colours Ltd
For a while, when it comes to green impacts, the prevailing wisdom has been that built in dishwashers beat hand-washing dishes, in a runaway. By the numbers, according to one study at the University of Bonn in Germany, the dishwasher uses only half the energy, one-sixth of the water, and less soap, to boot. That sounds easy enough, but there's a lot more to it than and black-and-white comparison between your faucet and sink and the appliance under your counter.
For example: How do the results vary with model of dishwasher? What hand-washing habits are people using? How do you heat the water in your home? And how often do you do the dishes? Turns out all these factors can change the impacts; keep reading to learn what goes in to calculating the greenest way to do your dishes....
Here is a way to keep busy when everyone else is having a good time and you are the designated driver: Take all of those champagne corks with their wire cages and recycle them into little models of "the chair that has seated millions"- a classic Thonet cafe chair. Learn how at Instructables.
And don't forget, champagne corks can travel up to 50 miles per hour-remove them safely:...
photo: Ideal Bite
Ideal Bite serves up free, bite-size daily tips for liven' green with a side of personality. Now the company is introducing Mama Bite to help new and seasoned moms in their plight to keep it green. Read on to find out how the Web site plans to help everyday moms go green....
Image by Treehugger
In the never ending battle to beat out absurdities such as Stewie the Grape Stomping Reporter and the real 19th century vampire kit that is (apparently) a must have, here is a little contribution that picks up on my last blockbuster; seven categories of lists, each of which is composed of 7 separate lists, where each list has seven items!!! Not only that, but get this, every list and item has to do with the environment. This technology, it's a miracle - wouldn't have been possible with Google - distilling this stuff down into one easy to find place for y'all.
Seven!!!!!...
We'll be working on better category archives soon. In the meantime, take a look at the weekly archive if you really want to dig around, or use the search box at the top of the page.
on 10.31.09
Energy vampire. Image credit:PeopleJam
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman makes a home more energy efficient. Image credit:U.S. Department of Energy 
Abyss Pool, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jim Peaco.
Hmmm, the smoky flavor of carcinogens give PAHs for thought. Photo via Flickr by 
Photo: PRNewsFoto/Brooks Sports, Inc
You a 
Make it a Good Trip
If, like us, you're headed to Bonnaroo this weekend -- the granddaddy of American music festivals -- it probably has something to do with the fact that Phish, Bruce, Snoop, Erykah and David Byrne are 
Photo via: 
As the last of the winter’s snow melted, it revealed our inviting back patio, where the sage and oregano was just beginning to poke through in the 
Image credit:J. Pfeiffer.
The average wedding in the USA costs 
Photo via Flickr: Dreamijo
Cleaning up with Banksy's graffiti. Photo via Flickr: by 
Image via 
Photo via: 
Photo via: Todd R.
It's called the Strip Wash Challenge. I among a few other here on Treehugger signed up to take on this challenge which involved making it through an entire week using only natural body cleansers and the least amount of water possible. We were armed with only a pouch of Moroccan 
It is easy for cashiers to go on autopilot sometimes at the grocery store, placing one or two items in a plastic bag before you can even say “Hello”. When you explain that you already have your own bag or that you don’t need a bag for your one already well packaged item, they remove the item from the plastic bag and then THROW THE PLASTIC BAG IN THE TRASH. Many franchises have rules which don’t allow a cashier to reuse a bag that has already been ‘contaminated’ with another customer’s item. And so, it has been an ongoing experiment to find the best and most polite way to avoid the cashier putting those one or two items in a plastic bag before you can stop them. Read on for ways to flag the bag before it is too late. Feel free to add to this list:...
Dear Pablo: Why should I turn down my water heater? Isn't it just as efficient to dilute really hot water with cold water in the faucet than to use barely warm enough water straight out of the hot side?...
Image credit: Getty Images/Flying Colours Ltd
For a while, when it comes to green impacts, the prevailing wisdom has been that 
Here is a way to keep busy when everyone else is having a good time and you are the designated driver: Take all of those champagne corks with their wire cages and recycle them into little models of "
photo: Ideal Bite
Ideal Bite serves up free, bite-size daily tips for liven' green with a side of personality. Now the company is introducing Mama Bite to help new and seasoned moms in their plight to keep it green. Read on to find out how the Web site plans to help everyday moms go green....
Image by Treehugger
In the never ending battle to beat out absurdities such as 
