SustainLane's top 50 sustainable cities

New York is #5!! Being sustainable essentially means how clean and efficient your city is in all aspects, whether it be energy, air, economy (the irony), etc.

Here is the list (2006 Rankings in Parentheses):

1) Portland (1)
2) San Francisco (2)
3) Seattle (3)
4) Chicago (4)
5) New York (6)
6) Boston (7)
7) Minneapolis (10)
8) Philadelphia (8)
9) Oakland (5)
10) Baltimore (11)
11) Denver (9)
12) Milwaukee (16)
13) Austin (14)
14) Sacramento (13)
15) Washington (12)
16) Cleveland (28)
17) Honolulu (15)
18) Albuquerque (19)
19) Atlanta (38)
20) Kansas City (18)
21) San Jose (23)
22) Tucson (20)
23) Jacksonville (36)
24) Dallas (24)
25) Omaha (37)
26) San Diego (17)
27) New Orleans (32)
28) Los Angeles (25)
29) Louisville (35)
30) Columbus (50)
31) Detroit (43)
32) Phoenix (22)
33) San Antonio (21)
34) Miami (29)
35) Charlotte (34)
36) Houston (39)
37) Fresno (37)
38) El Paso (31)
39) Fort Worth (46)
40) Nashville (42)
41) Arlington (41)
42) Long Beach (30)
43) Colorado Springs (26)
44) Indianapolis (45)
45) Virginia Beach (48)
46) Memphis (43)
47) Las Vegas (27)
48) Tulsa (40)
49) Oklahoma City (49)
50) Mesa (47)

If you give up, they give up.

A friend sent this PSA to me about global warming; it was made for a Portuguese organization, Quercus, by McCann Erickson. If this video does not touch you in anyway, you have no soul.

http://www.fubiz.net/blog/index.php?2008/09/18/2229-global-warming-quercus

The Return

Just want to apologize to all three of our devoted readers for not blogging, it's been a busy summer. I will leave you all with this, Green is not simply a new form of generating electric power. It is a new form of generating national power. It is not just about lighting up our house; it is about lighting up our future.

The Dangers of plastic bags

My co-worker's mother sent this slideshow to him and passed it along to me.

The Dangers of Plastic Bags.

The Boy who saved the planet.

Taken from The Week Magazine:

"A Canadian teen may have just solved the world's plastic problem. Every year, we throw away 500 billion plastic bags, and those that wind up in landfills won't degrade for 1,000 years. But high school junior Daniel Burd has figured out a way to destroy a plastic bag in record time. For a school science fair, Burd combined yeast, water, and bacteria-laden landfill dirt with pieces of a torn-up plastic bag, and let this soup sit for a few months. He then examined the decomposing plastic, isolating two strains of bacteria that were actually digesting the bags. After the six weeks, Burd found, these strains (Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas) could reduce the weight of a piece of plastic by more than 30 percent. If he could mass-produce these two strains in an industrial plant, Burd suggests that entire plastic bags could be decomposed in about three months' time. "This is a huge, huge step forward," Bard told his local paper, the Waterloo, Ontario, Record. "We're using nature to solve a man-made problem."

I remember when I was in high school, my projects consisted of replicas relating to the solar system.

The Bag

Sunday is the day that I do my grocery shopping and of course right by my side are my reusable cotton bags, at first I would always forget to bring them so I would have to run home and get them. But it has been a habit for me to grab them before I leave, anyway so one of the moments I enjoy is the look on the cashier's face when I tell them that I brought my own bags.

*Cashier swipes my groceries and starts bagging*

BT: No it's okay, I brought my own bags.

*Cashier stops bagging, stares at me with a confused look*

*BT whips out his reusable cotton bags, BAM!*

*Cashier stares with a look of disbelief*

*BT starts bagging his own groceries*

*Cashier stands there with no sense of direction*

Cashier: Um...cash or credit?

BT: Credit. Thanks.

*BT walks out*

The TP

One change in my life that I made by going green is the use of environment friendly toilet paper. The decision to change from soft 3-ply to this 2-ply was a difficult one to make but nonetheless my conscience can rest at ease and at the end of the day, that is what's most important.

Where Recycled Materials Go...

• Recycled glass bottles can be made into roads, tiles, even surfboards.
• Recycled plastic bottles can be made into rugs, jackets, fences.
• Recycled cans can be made into airplanes, appliances, furniture and more.

Another person's trash is another person's treasure...

Before you throw things out, find your nearest resale shop or Goodwill store and drop your items off. If you do not know where to find a resale shop or Goodwill, email us and we will find it for you.

Toothbrushes: More Uses Than Just For Teeth!

Toothbrushes are great at cleaning those hard to get places in car rims, bathroom tiles, around the faucets and all other tiny crevices and corners.

Recycling Initiative...

The commercial building which I work in does not have a recycling program for plastic bottles, but it does so for paper. It doesn't make any sense to me but its probably something bureaucratic. Anyway, my co-worker (GY) and I are going to launch an initiative to install a recycling program for plastic bottles. I'm positive we would be able to generate some momentum with this, the majority of co-workers in my company are conscious about plastic consumption. In the meantime GY and I are storing all the plastic bottles we have used in hopes of finding a person collecting bottles so we can give it to them to recycle.

Edit #1: Listed below are the recycled materials in question:

Polar Bear Alert!

Polar Bears are on they way to extinction with in our children's life time if we do not act now. Go on line to www.givewwf.org and see how you can make a difference.

Images of a changing World!

This is the Aral sea over thirty years.

Another way to recyle...

When you're finished reading your magazines - instead of chucking it, share it! In our apartment building on the Upper West Side, we have a magazine share in the lobby. Share your magazines with coworkers or any other community office.

Bottled Water

Stop drinking bottled water. Todays filters do a great job at cleaning the water we use and are much less damaging to the environment. We at Good is Green have added some reasons to stop drinking bottled water.

* 60 Million plastic bottles a day are disposed of in America alone!
* Massive volumes of greenhouse gases are produced in the making of plastic bottles
* Fossil fuel emissions are produced from transporting millions of bottles everyday
* It requires 3 times as much water to make the bottles as it does to fill it.

To give or not to give..

So I have two cars, one of them is a 1993 Saturn SL2, which I am planning to hand it off to CN. Now you might say to yourself, that's pretty generous BT, I suppose it is but mind you that the insurance coverage is worth more than the car. I could have easily donated to a charity and redeem my free cruise & $25 tax deductible for my tax returns next year. But I did not know what their intentions were, it would probably be the same as me giving it to CN. But I ran into a moral issue, should I have had the car recycled for parts, potentially doing my part in helping the planet? Unfortunately no, instead, I am leaving it out on the road for it to contribute its harmful fumes to the environment.

It's only one car, what harm could it possibly do the environment? Well, one gallon of gasoline produces 19 pounds of carbon dioxide (one of the leading causes of global warming), the average car has a 13 gallon gas tank, 13 times 19 = 247 pounds of carbon dioxide per re-fill. Now lets say you've used up 800 gallons of gas a year, that equals to 10,400 pounds or 5.4 tons a year of pollution coming out of the car. Now take that amount and multiply that with the amount of cars in the U.S alone, which is roughly 200 million.

The decision has already been made, it's out of my hands now. It's up to the new owner to determine his carbon footprint.

RECYCLE!

In some communities the recycling programs are being discontinued due to low participation. We at Good is Green implore you to call your local leaders and start recycling - PLEASE.

Carpool!

Start carpooling. When you start to carpool, for either work, school or play and can eliminate at least 25 miles of driving a day you can reduce at least 6 tons of CO's from the being added to our atmosphere.

Weekend Fact!

Lighting an office overnight wastes enough energy to boil 1000 cups of tea. Think about it.

Plastic Bottles & Bags = Oil Prices

Came across this article today that blew my mind away, to summarize:

"America consumes 31.2 billion water bottles a year taking 17.6 million barrels of oil to create them. Enough to fuel 1.5 million cars for a year. America consumes 100 billion plastic bags a year taking 12 million barrels of oil. World figures? 154.3 billion water bottles and 500 billion - 1 trillion bags=147.4 - 207.4 million barrels of oil a year."

America's dirty little secret oil secret: Plastic Bottles and Bags

Weekend Fact!

Leaving a PC monitor on all night wastes enough energy to microwave 6 dinners.

Yard Tip

How "green" is your garden?

Here's something to think about. The types of plants you choose to grow, the fertilizers you add, the way you water your garden and the chemicals you use to treat plant problems or kill plant pests have obvious influences on how eco-friendly your yard is.

With summer fast approaching, be attentive to how you water your yard. Don't water during the heat of the day; water early in the morning instead.

Be eco-conscious of the plants you choose for your garden. Experts say that it's better to use native plants, which are plants that grow well in your area. Native plants require less maintenance, less watering and less help from fertilizers because they are naturally made to grow where you live.

Mulch!

Learn how to mulch. Compost, grass clippings, garden soil, shredded leaves and a little water keep the weeds in your yards down and conserve WATER.

Pro-Veggie !

Try going vegan for a day or a week. Cutting down on meat lessens your ecological footprint. A plant-based diet requires fewer resources and contributes to long-term health.

The challenge for you today: try whipping together a fantastic veggie stir-fry dish!

Yeah, Earth Day 2008!

What are you doing for Earth Day? Recycle your plastic? Walk or carpool to work?

How about trying to have a paperless day? No photocopies, no print-outs, no paper cups!

How about shopping at your local farmer's market for organically-grown foods?

How about buying eco-friendly fashion?

How about unplugging all unused electronics/appliances?

How about replacing your regular lightbulbs with fluorescent bulbs?

How about buying Energy-Star applicances?

See, it's easy going green!

Google observes

Google's resident artist, Dennis Hwang, designed today's homepage logo in observance of Earth Day. If you're unfamiliar with his name, you might be familiar with his work on Google's homepage.

In with the cotton, out with the plastic.

Several years ago, I decided to stop using the supermarket manufactured plastic bags in favor of these reuseable shopping bags. Before that, whenever I went grocery shopping I would almost always double bag, even take stacks of plastic bags back home to use for the trash cans. At that rate, I figured I was set for life with plastic bags. But my ignorance towards the environment started to wane away when I went for a drive that would lead me to a place that would forever change the way I look at plastic. Listed here are not the pictures in question but just some that I found to similar to what I saw and has haunted me till this day. The other images shown are just some examples as to what our need for plastic bags have done to our environment.

The Great Napkin Debate

Cloth Napkins or Paper Napkins?

Some experts argue that the energy used to make and repeatedly wash a cloth napkin may exceed that used for the manufacture of a paper towel. Yet others say that any time you can reuse something, it’s better than the disposable version.

While the jury is out, here are some tips:

1. Choose hemp or linen napkins which are more sustainable than conventional cotton.
2. Wash your cloth napkins with cold water to save energy.
3. Purchase paper towels made of 100 percent recycled materials.
4. Choose paper towels and napkins that have no added pigments, inks or dyes.

Pass this along to a friend and earn yourself some feel-good green points.

Auto Racing Question...

And this applies to any division, whether it be Nascar, Formula 1, etc. I've always wondered how much gas is consumed per race and I came up with this logic:

+ The average race car has 5/6 MPG
+ Up to 2 miles per lap
+ Laps range from 200-300
= A lot of petroleum being consumed

I'm pretty sure some manufacturers are trying to improve fuel efficiency without sacrificing car performance, but oil is still being unnecessarily used when the demand is at an all time high. I hope that the suits in Nascar take this into consideration but I highly doubt it.

Automobiles

Plan your trips. Drive when needed. Slow down. At least once each month check the air in your tires. Keep your car clean. Maintenance. Save, Save, Save.

Think Blue...

"We cannot go green without thinking blue." - James Watkins, Former Energy Secretary

Recently, the world's greatest minds got together to discuss how life would be in 50 years. The consensus agreement is that the demand for water will be as great as the demand for oil is today.
Water is essential to all aspects of life, yet 99 percent of water on Earth is unclean or unavailable to drink. About 1.2 billion people lack safe water to consume and 2.6 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Transportation Tips

In the winter, many people idle their car engine after starting it up because they think it needs time to warm up. Not true!

Green with Envy...

This week marks only the second time in the history of Time Magazine that the signature red border on the front cover has been changed, this time to Green. With Earth Day just around the corner, Time has dedicated this weeks issue covering topics on all that is Green.

Would it have made sense for Time Magazine to go digital this week rather than a print edition to promote Earth Day awareness? Now I understand that Time has a long tradition of publication but what better statement to make about the environment than to stop production for a week! Think about the resources that would be saved based on Time's weekly circulation.

Fuel a City.

Cremating a body uses up a lot of energy - and a lot of nonrenewable resources. So how do you give Grandma the send-off she wanted and protect the planet at the same time? Multitask. Some European crematoriums have figured out a way to replace conventional boilers by harnessing the heat produced in their fires, which can reach temperatures in excess of 1,832 degrees F. In Fact, starting in 1997, the Swedish city of Helsingborg used local crematoriums to supply 10 percent of the heat for its homes.

A less morbid way to look at it is the functionality of a hybrid vehicle. The energy being used when the brakes are applied is captured to recharge the electric battery, thus providing the car with better fuel efficiency in the city as opposed to driving on the highway.

Energy-Saving Tip

To find out if your front and back doors are sealed tightly like they are supposed to, shine a flashlight through the edges and check to see if any light shines through. If so, you have leaky doors and could be using more energy to heat or cool your house.

Save Water!

An easy way to save water in the kitchen is to wash only full loads in the dishwasher. If you want to save even more water: scrape don't rinse. Pre-rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher can use up to 20 gallons of water. Just scrape food off the dishes and load!

Bet you didn't know you could recycle this...

1. Your old VCRs!
2. Metal hangers
3. Old shoes that haven't seen the light of day
4. CDs or DVDs

Responsiblity

There will soon be 1 billion P.C.s in the world. This fact should be taken as a reminder, that when you purchase a P.C. find out if the company has a way to recycle program.

Office Buildings.

Commercial Buildings account for 15% of all green house gases. Please be aware and become interested in what your office can do for the enviroment.

Office Tip

Look for printer paper with post-consumer recycled fiber.

Coffee Junkies

Coffee junkies please skip the plastic stir sticks.

Packaging, Packaging, Packaging

Skip Styrofoam when packaging at all cost. Styrofoam bad.

Oldie but Goodie

Use both sides of the paper.

Turn It Off!

Here's an office tip -turn off your computer each day. Every P.C. left on 24-7, over a year results in more then 1000 pounds of greenhouse gas.

Re-think.

Every time we leave a room, we automatically turn off the lights, so we should apply this same thinking to all things. When you brush your teeth or shave, turn off the water.

Plan, Plan, Plan.

The start to a greener lifestyle is planning. You can not make all of your changes over night, but you can plan. Plan where you want to be in a week, month and year. Plan and then act on it.

Family Solutions

Find a way to work as a family to become eco-friendly, for example; plant a tree in your yard for each member of your family. Think of new ways and email us.

Did You Know...

The average person consumes twice as much as 50 years ago.

The Usual Business?

Ask companies with whom you wish to do business if they are green or eco-friendly. Companies can't change over night, but as long as they are taking initiative and moving towards a goal to be more green, then that is one step closer a better earth.

Remember Earth Day

Remember Earth Day - Tuesday, April 22nd 2008. Click here to find out about events in your area. Learn about the Green Vote or sign the Sky Petition.

Fresh Foods

Buy fresh foods instead of frozen. Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

Contaminants

Food with highest level of contaminants is mother's milk - think about it.

Knowlegde

Read as much information about the environment you can to make an informative decision for yourself.

Stop and think before you buy

Did you know that 99% of all those thing we buy are not in use after 6 months.

Fact of Population

200,000 people a day are moving to cities from enviroments that can no longer support them.

Become Responsible

To better help the enviroment, find out the email addresses and numbers to your Representatives; Local, State and Federal. So you can email or call them with your concerns.

Green is Simple

Turn off the water when your brushing you teeth.

Good is Green - Good as Savings

Limit your showers to 5 minutes. Save the enviroment and save.

Car Pool

The U.S. could save 33 million gallons of gasoline each day if the average carpooler increased their ride by one.

Take it Easy - Use Moods.

The daily battle with traffic congestion led to high blood pressure, frustration, negitive moods and aggression.

Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle.

If one out of every four people would commute 5 miles a week by bike, the air would be spared 6.7 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Wasted space.

Did you know that a Parking Lots are empty 80% of the time.

Be Aware!

Did you know that 50% of all car trips are for 5 miles or less.

Think about it!

The average American spends 4 out of 16 hours in their car or working to pay for it.

Shade tree Mechanic's

Mechanics who work on their own cars dump an Exxon Valdez of used motor oil every 2-1/2 weeks.

Rethink and Remember

We must learn that to come to the truth we must leave things better off than when we received them.

Power to the People

Learn to call, write or email your local and state representatives expressing your green concern(s), such as; catalytic converters actually increase carbon dioxide buildup.

Human Population

There are more cars being built then the growth of the human population.

Military

Did you know that an F-16 fighter jet uses more fuel in 1 hour than the average driver uses in 2 years.

1 Barrel of crude

It takes almost one barrel of crude oil to make one truck tire.

recycled paper?

Printing and writing papers use the least amount of recycled content just 6%. Tissues use the most, at 45%, and newsprint is not far behind, at 32%.

save water and money effortlessly. yup.

While most of the country reeling under serious drought conditions, there's a way to save water and money effortlessly, and still have ample water pressure. Get a handy low-flow showerhead.

1.2 trillion gallons of H2O each year!

One of the top users of water around the home is the shower, where Americans stand under more than 1.2 trillion gallons of H2O each year, reports the EPA.

Did you know... Extra Desert.

Approximately 3 million square kilometers of extra desert was created by 2000.

Did you know... The Ozone Layer is.

The ozone layer is about 15 - 40km above the Earth's surface.

The Truth on Motor Oil.

A synthetic motor oil can improve fuel efficiency quite a bit. Even if you don't believe the outrageous claims from oil and additive makers (and you shouldn't), you can realize a 5% to 10% gain by switching to a synthetic motor oil.

No No No... Avoid Vinyl.

Avoid vinyl items such as; shower curtains, flooring, even some children’s toys.

Aluminum cans? Just say no!

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, more than 50,000 12-oz. aluminum cans were made

You Can Make A Difference!

Check with your local facilities for proper disposal of harmful products and avoid purchase in the future.

Motor + Bicycle = Better Planet

Motorized bicycle. Best of both worlds. Try it.

Not bad as you think. Reconsider used.

Consignment stores - reuse products.

landscape, lawn, its just grass.

Longer grass protects the roots, offering more shade and preventing water evaporation.

Undrinkable? Did you know.

40% of our waterways are undrinkable.

Like fish?

75% of global fisheries have been fished beyond capacity.

Just ask yourself.

Before you buy any product, just ask - Do you really need it?

So easy, even a child can be green.

Try this, create and use note pads from once-used paper.

It's possible, a waste-free lunch.

Waste-free lunch - means that you have no packaging to throw away when you're done.

Winter blast, adjust the heater while away.

Take 5 seconds, turn down the heat when your away.

Buying a Car?

Drive a smaller, smarter vehicle. Be smart and part of the movement.

Hello! Talk about being Green.

Hello! Spread the word about green. Talk about it.Take action, plant a tree in your yard.

Start the Movement, just ask Hotels.

Environmentally responsible hotels, ask when you book a room.

Going the same direction? Carpool.

Everyone likes to drive alone, but for the world's future, consider Carpooling.

Notice. World Water Day.

World Water Day - Help make the difference
Held annually on March 22nd. read more

Support change in the paper industry.

While the paper industry invests in new recycled newsprint and paper packaging plants in the developing world, almost none of the new printing and writing paper mills use recycled content. read more

source: the daily green

Did you know... Commercial buildings...

Commercial buildings use 36% of our electricity and produce 25% of our greens house gases.

Think of output, before you buy.

Most inorganic trash retains its weight, volume, and form for at least four decades.

Fuel your knowledge.

1. Do not top off your gas tank, leave room for fuel to expand.
2. Fuel your tank off slowly, to prevent spilling.

Good use of resources, Weapons Development?

50% of the world's engineers and physicists work exclusively on weapons development.

Earth's Limited Water Supply.

Over 97% of all the water on Earth is salty and most of the remaining 3% is frozen in the polar ice-caps. The atmosphere, rivers, lakes and underground stores hold less than 1% of all the fresh water and this tiny amount has to provide the fresh water needed to support the Earth's population.

Ecosystem Equation.

ECOSYSTEM = HABITAT + COMMUNITY

Wait, dispose another Water Bottle!

Amercians discard 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Don't be one of them.

Know this about, Waste.

1. The US has 5% of the worlds population and 30% of the waste.
2. Average American create 4.5 lbs. of garbage a day - doubled from 30 years ago.
3. Most inorganic trash retains its weight, volume, and form for at least four decades.

Did you know... Trees & Forests.

1. 80% of the world's forests are gone.
2. 2000 trees a minute are cut down in the amazon alone, that's 7 football fields a minute.
3. The US has less than 4% of its forests left.

The simple facts of Energy.

1. Avoid using cars — walk, cycle or use public transportation whenever possible.
2. Avoid anything battery operated (or use rechargables or solar rechargables if batteries are unavoidable).
3. Buy locally — not only is it good for the local economy, it will save energy because products haven’t traveled across the globe to get to you.

Simple steps in the Office.

1. Implement purchasing policies that consider the environmental record of companies you are buying goods and services from.
2. Use stick-type glues or basic white glue. Avoid glues and cements that emit the smell of solvents (ie. rubber cement, hobby glue).
3. Use correction tape that covers errors or lifts them off without the use of solvents. When you must use fluid, use the water based type made for photocopiers.

H2O, Water, Drinking...

1. Don’t let the water run while doing dishes, brushing teeth, and etc.
2. If you must use a dishwasher, only do full loads and use the econo setting. To save energy, stop the machine after the rinse and open the door to let the dishes air dry.
3. Keep a covered container of water in the fridge for drinking - you won’t have to run the tap until the water is cold every time you want a drink.

Drink Coffee, use a mug.

If you buy your daily cup of coffee in a disposable container, you are generating about 22.75 pounds of waste per year. Across the country, 25 billion polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) cups are thrown away every year, according to the EPA. read more
source: the daily green

Improve Gas Milage and save MONEY!

Slow-the-heck-down. It's that simple, folks. Most modern automobile engines are most efficient at below-highway speeds. Figure around 55 mph for maximum efficiency. The gas mileage difference between 60 mph and 80 mph is going to be in the 15% range. read more
source: the daily green

Work, in The Office, a new green way.

1. Buy one copy of the news-paper and leave it in the staff room for everyone to share over lunch and breaks.
2. Buy a permanent cloth or mesh coffee filter instead of disposable paper filters.
3. Use a plain paper fax machine so you can reuse and recycle the paper.

Go Green, you can make a difference.

1. Make a sign for inside the front door that says “last one out turns off the lights.”
2. Help educate your coworkers about the environment.
3. Lobby your company to set up a committee to monitor its environmental performance.

Grub Time, a Food for Thought.

1. Eat lower on the food chain - fruit and vegetable production requires far less energy than meat production.
2. Eat local fruits and vegetables which are fresher and less likely to be waxed. Also, some imported produce may have been treated with pesticides and chemicals that have been banned in Canada and the U.S.
3. Cut excess fat off of meat and poultry and avoid high fat dairy products. Many chemicals released into the environment are stored in fat tissue and are cumulative.

Warning, be Toxic aware!

1. Choose water based latex paints over solvent based paints when painting your home. Never use lead based paints.
2. Avoid the use of aerosols.
3. If you have a furnace, fireplace or gas heater, have them serviced regularly to prevent deadly fumes and install a carbon monoxide detector.

In the Office, start the Green Movement.

Set up an environmental bulletin board to post green cleaning tips, environmental news and notices about local environmental meetings.

Use Rechargeable Batteries, start now!

More than 15 billion batteries are thrown away each year - enough to make a column to the moon and back. That number continues to grow, as we use more and more electronic devices in our lives.Save money and resources by using widely available rechargeable batteries, many of which can be reused up to 1,000 times. read more

source: the daily green

Outside? Quick tips on Lawns.

1. Set your mower blades to high. The minimum height for grass is two and a half inches. Anything shorter is hard to maintain, encourages weeds and disease and requires more intervention. Longer grass also protects the roots, offering more shade and preventing water evaporation.
2. Keep your lawn mover blades sharp. Dull blades will tear the grass, damaging the plant, making it require more water than healthy plants.
3. In a drought, don’t waste water on a lawn beginning to turn brown, it will revive after normal rainfall resumes.

In the Kitchen, your share of the work.

1. Don’t waste energy preheating your oven, most ovens don’t need it. For pastries and cakes, preheating 10 minutes is plenty. You can also turn your oven off 15 minutes early for major items like roasts and casseroles, the heat left in the oven will finish the job.
   
2. Turn down the heat after water boils. Lightly boiling water is the same temperature as a roaring boil.
3. Cooking frozen foods uses more energy, thaw them out first.

Organic Gardening, it's easy, change.

1. Digging adds to good drainage and air circulation in the soil.
2. Compost, made from rotted organic material, is the best all around soil conditioner available.
3. Digging discourages harmful root feeding insects work compost and other organic material into the soil.
   

Everyday Supplies, consider alternatives.

1. Use paper clips, staples, string or non-toxic glue instead of adhesive tape when possible.
   
2. Use refillable pens and pencils rather than disposable ones.
3. Use crayons, china markers (wax pencils) or coloured pencils instead of solvent based markers.
   

Such a Waste, but easy to avoid.

1. Buy in bulk. It’s less expensive and uses less packaging.
2. Buy vegetables loose, not in plastic bags.
3. Use cloth instead of paper napkins and towels.
   

Say no to plastic and paper grocery bags today!

Let's ban plastic and paper grocery bags, the smart choice is reusable shopping bags.

Consider this, a Green Fact on Paper

If the United States cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases -- the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road. read more
source: the daily green

Check appliances, only takes a minute.

1. Try to open the fridge door less frequently and for a shorter duration to conserve energy.
   
2. The fridge should be kept at 38-42°F (3-5°C), the freezer at 0-5°F (-17 to -15°C).
3. Don’t place your fridge in a warm spot — near a heater or in direct sunlight.
   

Even with food, Green first.

1. Avoid storing food in plastic. Use reusable glass containers for storing food in the refrigerator, but be careful, not all glass containers can be frozen.
   
2. Never microwave food in a plastic container. Even plastics that are approved for food storage and are ‘microwavable’ may leech chemicals into your food when heated.
3. If you must use plastic wrap, do not let it come in direct contact with your food and make sure that it is not made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl).
   

At work, easy ways to be eco-friendly.

1. Take your own ceramic or china coffee cup to work
2. Bring your lunch in a reusable container
3. Set up a recycling program
   

Think, before using Paper.

1. Photocopy or print on both sides of the page and reuse paper until both sides are used up.
2. Reduce the number of copies of any given document.
3. Buy recycled, chlorine-free paper and recycle office paper when you are finished with it.

Save Energy

1. Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home or install a programmable thermostat.
2. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
   
3. Insulate your home against heat loss and periodically check insulation.

Conserve Water

1. Fix any leaky faucets, toilets or water pipes. Even a small drip can add up to a lot of water over time.
2. Wash your car the natural way - wait until it rains.
3. Install water saving faucets.