Keep It Closed

 

My brother is away at college and not home for most of the winter. In order to save energy when heating the house we close his door. This prevents us from needing to heat that room. It is getting colder, so if you have any unused rooms turn its heat off and close the door. This will make your furnace more efficient when heating your home (because it is only going where you need it). 

Looking on The Bright Side

Obviously hurricanes and power outages are no joke, but from an environmental perspective they have some benefits! On Monday travel was significantly lessened. No cars on the road and no planes in the air for 24 hours could mean a great decrease in emissions. If entire areas lose power, that's a huge region that is no longer putting a demand on nature. It is an odd way to look at things, but I would guess that this week is a nice break for mother nature. It may be hard on us, but if we stay positive it doesn't seem as bad.

Stormin' Sandy

Storms can be scary and power-outages can be rough, but there is no reason to go crazy. During storms people like to stock up on bottled water. This makes sense if you do not have town water and instead rely on a well, but if this is not you - don't buy bottled water! Even if you do rely on an outside water source there are alternatives to store-bought bottled water. For example: fill up a pitcher of water ahead of time and store it in your fridge.

It is good to have things like flashlights and extra batteries around: those items make sense.  Be prepared, but be smart. Get only what you really need and don't be wasteful.

New or Used?

 

Buying a new, high efficiency car may sound better than using an old, lower efficiency car, but that is not always the case. If you are driving a car that gets lower to mid 20's MPG and are looking into a new car that gets lower to mid 30's MPG, it is better the keep driving your old car. If you're a young person buying their first car, get a used car! Why is this?

The manufacturing of a new car produces enormous amounts of CO2 (almost a third of all CO2 the car will produce in its lifetime), and trashing your old car only results in more waste piled around. Check out this article for more information: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=when-used-cars-are-more-ecofriendly

Skeptical Science

 

Skeptical Science is a really cool app that gives quick statistics and facts disproving global warming skeptics. If you were having an intense dinner conversation with someone who couldn't stop yelling about how the temperature record is unreliable, you could whip out your Skeptical Science app, click on "temp record is unreliable" and read a whole page disproving that theory. Or, if you are that skeptic, maybe you'd be interested in perusing the app yourself. Education is always a great tool, and this kind of app can help with that. Enjoy!

Treehugging

 

Treehugger is an app that gives a continuous feed of short and sweet news articles related to green technology and events. The articles are mostly very easy and quick to read - just the way I like them! It is a good and simple way to get some news and read about cool things! If you can't get the app, Treehugger.com  is the corresponding website. Check it out!

Make Up

 

Don't buy new make up until your old one is as completely used as possible! With things like powder it is easy to get annoyed and just throw the whole thing out (especially when the middle wears through and there is just a ring). But think, if you combined all of those make up containers with just that ring left, that could add up to a lot of make up. Don't consume and waste more than you need! Make sure you get your money's worth, and maybe you will save some money by not buying so much. Be patient!

Cardboard Bicycle...Yes Cardboard!

 If this bike looks a little strange to you, it should! This bike is (hopefully) the bike of the future. It is made of 100% recycled materials; 95% recycled cardboard (that's right...cardboard!) and 5% recycled car tires/plastic bottles. That is only $9.00 worth of materials, and no metal! The cardboard is treated with organic chemicals so that it is strong, water-proof, and fire resistant so you don't need to worry about safety. Check out this video for more information:

http://specials.msn.com/msnvideo/video?videoid=954bc2ba-1ebf-4665-8403-71f6b28e9afc&from=en-us_msnhpvidmod

How bizarre but totally cool is that?! 

Shifting With The Seasons

 

So the weather is getting colder and it is not really practical to try to compost anything at all outdoors in the winter (in New England anyways). Luckily we are not quite there yet, but for when we do get frosty here is a tip for your veggie scraps! Make a nice vegetable broth out of them! According to The Moosewood Cookbook, the skins and innards of fruits and veggies make a great soup when boiled and simmered for about an hour. You can put the scraps in the fridge or freezer (pictured above) until you are ready to make the broth. How wintery!

Here is a list of good fruits and veggies to include (or not include):

To Use:

• onions
• apples
• garlic
• potatoes
• carrots
• pears
• pineapples
• melons
• bell peppers
• zucchini tips
• parsley stems
• tomato tops and bottoms
• pea pods
• scallion tips
• spinach stems
• evacuated corn cobs
• lettuce
• green bean strings
• beet parts

NOT to use:

• cabbage and celery should be used sparingly due to strong flavor
• eggplants cause broth to be bitter

Snacking On The Go

 

Snacks on the go are great, and I love having them around! Unfortunately, these snacks tend to come with a lot of packaging, and a lot of packaging means a lot of trash. If you can, try to avoid this problem by making your own snacks to go. One thing I've done recently is put almond butter in a small Tupperware container. This kind of almond butter does come in portable, one serving packets...but I don't need those every day! I good swatch of almond butter in a little plastic (or glass) container is just fine!

Last Minute Washes

 

You probably realize that you shouldn't run the washing machine unless you have a pretty full load. Putting one or two items of clothing in the washing machine by themselves sounds pretty ridiculous, right? But what if there is that one shirt or one pair of pants that you really need for tomorrow? What if you get a stain on something and need to wash it right away, but don't have other things to wash it with? Use the sink! Don't forget about hand-washing! Right now I am playing a sport, and sometimes need my jersey multiple days in a row. I simply fill up the sink part way with hot water, use an infinitesimal amount of Tide (the trace amounts that dried on the inside of the cap), swish it around, and rinse! The whole process probably takes about 5 minutes, and works just as well as if it were washed in the machine. Save some time, some soap and water, and some sensitive noses!

Baking Pans

 

So it is fall, and the baking season has began. 

I am sure there are times when disposable baking pans come in handy, but they don't have to be one-use! If a disposable pan comes your way just wash it and reuse it! I promise it should work. My mom does it all the time. Obviously permanent pans are better, but make due with what you have.

Egg Carton Ornament Holder

 

It might be taboo to mention Christmas before Halloween, but bear with me. Egg cartons are made for storage. Although they're made for storing eggs, why not Christmas ornaments or garlands? If this sounds like a good idea to you, start saving the cartons now for reuse later! If you really wanted to make a project out of it you could use old nail polish (see previous post) or some other kind of  art supplies that you already have in your home to decorate the cartons. Merry collecting!

Homegrown Potatoes

 

Did you know that homegrown potatoes aren't that hard to manage? A couple years ago my mom ordered a potato kit, where she grows the potatoes in a little dirt filled, fabric-y pot kind of thing. And look at these potatoes! Pretty normal looking right? I had homegrown mashed potatoes for dinner and it was probably the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. As I've said before, homegrown food is great. There is zero transportation involved, so your potatoes don't come with carbon emissions.  Try growing something like this at home! It's low-impact on the environment, it tastes great, and it feels good too!

Tupperware is The New Ziploc

 

Lately I have seen some Ziploc bags that say they are "eco-friendly" because they're smaller or can change sizes or are made of different plastic or whatever. But I don't believe this for a second. In my opinion, there is no such thing as an eco-friendly plastic bag. We are trained to fill them up, eat what is in them, and then throw them out. Even when I swear that I will reuse the bag, that never really happens. The only eco-friendly bag is no bag at all, but a reusable container. They even come in small snack sizes, just for this reason. I decided to give up on bags entirely. It isn't necessary that I put my pretzels and crackers and nuts in a dumb bag. Just use a little container! They sell them anywhere and everywhere in all sizes so look into it! I know so many people at school who use and throw out bags daily.

Pollution App

 

You always hear about air quality and air pollution, but do you ever notice the air around you? There are multiple apps out there that tell you about the quality of the air around you. This app in particular, aptly named "Pollution" tells you what facilities etc. are sources of air pollution. Another app that I have seen will give you an air rating and evaluate how safe or dangerous the air might be. This is not so much a tip about how to be "green", but it might raise your awareness to what is around you.

Reusing is Manly

 

Here is a great example of how to reuse a container. If you ever buy big containers of protein powder, sports drink powder, instant manliness powder...don't throw them out! They make great storage containers for your manliness bars, gels, and bloks. 

In all seriousness, they are huge containers that you could find very useful. I am sure that something in your life could use some organizing.

Cottage Corks

 

So a while back I wrote about how you can recycle corks at grocery stores like Whole Foods or wineries...or wherever you find a collection place! Well, if you're going to start recycling these corks, you probably need someplace to store them in the mean time or else you'll just lose them and whatnot. 

I was scrounging around in the basement this morning looking for something to inspire me. I found this cottage cheese container up high on a shelf and low and behold it was full of corks waiting to be recycled! I didn't even know this was happening in my house. I like to call it "double recycling" (when an old container is reused to store something that's also going to be reused). So, just an idea if you're looking for some place to store anything. Corks are just one thing - this could be used as a leftover container (as long as you don't heat it), a makeshift bowl...you catch my drift.

Defrosters Are Not Enough

 

This morning it reached below freezing! Because of this, my car was very frosty when I got up. I started my car a few minutes before I had to leave and blasted the defrosters, but this is all of the progress that I made in about 5-10 minutes. I admit it, I let my car idle! I know this is bad, but I wasn't sure what else to do. It took my mom to remind that you can scrape the ice off with a window scraper. Of course! This is much faster than waiting for the defroster to do it all! So, if you park outside you will certainly run into this issue quite often in the coming months. You may have known this since you're probably more experienced with cars than I am, but here's a reminder: Try to scrape the ice off before you let you car idle.  And as another reminder, this eco-friendly method may require some mittens or a hat. Happy scraping!

The Nature Conservancy

 

I was eating a box of Back To Nature brand crackers and reading the box. There was a blurb down the side about The Nature Conservancy. It sounds like a pretty self explanatory organization, but I hadn't officially heard of them before. So, I looked them up!

The Nature Conservancy works in all 50 states and around the world to preserve the biodiversity of all plants, animals, and their communities. They protect the land and water resources that these organisms depend on for survival. This is clearly a large and vitally important organization that does an awful lot of good. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy go to their aptly named website www.nature.org
By buying products like these Back to Nature crackers, you are helping to support The Nature Conservancy. Consider giving to this great cause!

How Big Is Your Footprint? I'm a Size 5.

 

Have you ever wondered how much of an impact you really have on the world? Well there is a way to find out! There are a lot of websites dedicated to helping you calculate your Ecological Footprint, and there's other websites which will help you compare the relative Footprint sizes of different countries. 

Unfortunately, your impact is probably larger than you think. Just by living in America your Footprint is automatically large, despite your daily habits. This number may help put things in perspective for you and help you find ways to reduce your Footprint. Here are two different sources (the first has a fun animation, but both are good. See if you get the same number on both!):

 http://earthday.net/footprint2/index.html

http://www.myfootprint.org/

Interesting right? Or at least it was fun!

Compost leaves

 

So Fall seems like it is finally here, and it all came at once. Leaves started dropping like raindrops and are all over our yards and streets now. Leaves are natural (in case you were wondering) and will decompose and go away pretty quickly. However, for those of us who can't stand the leaves and have to rake them all up and put them in the trash immediately...don't! Let these leaves stay in the natural cycle of Earth and don't create more waste than you have to. Compost them! If you have a compost bin, fill it up! If you don't, find a spot in the woods or something for them. Sometimes if you just mow over the leaves so that they're in smaller pieces it doesn't look so bad...just don't throw 'em out! Because how does that make any sense? 

The Origin of the Deposit

So you know how some cans and bottles have the 5 cent deposit on them? Did you know that that was started to encourage people to pick up beer cans instead of littering them everywhere? 

I am sure that most of us collect our own cans and bottles at home to deposit because its easy and we want our money back. But do any of us still pick up littered cans and bottles when we see them? My parents have told me stories about when they were kids and would pick up the cans to get the deposit but I never hear about that anymore. Obviously you cannot return beer cans to the grocery store, but it is the same idea. Help keep our Earth clean and maybe make a few bucks doing it!

Don't Drive Like an Idiot

That's right, I said don't drive like an idiot. I am sorry if I offended you, but it's the simplest way to put it. I am sure that each an everyone of us is going to begrudgingly head to work tomorrow after the long weekend and get frustrated at the traffic. When you're in this traffic, don't ride the bumper in front of you. Give them a little break. If the traffic moves a few inches, don't step on the gas like its gonna be a few feet, then slam on the brakes. This wastes gas and is probably hard on your brake pads and whatever else cars use. Don't waste the gas! Ease off the brakes when you want to move forward a bit instead of jumping to gas. Maybe even let a gap form until it's actually worth it for you to move. If the traffic is really awful, maybe even shut your car off or something. Restarting your car often doesn't do it any harm. I like to stare at the MPG meter and try to make a game out of keeping it as high as possible. Whatever you do, just try to drive efficiently, even if you're not in traffic. There is this one steep hill that I drive down some days and I like to coast all the way down it to the stop sign maybe a quarter mile down the road. It makes me feel accomplished!

Using less gas is one of the best things that we can do, so do all that you can when you drive.

Guide to Prep Books

Test prep books are highly useful, but most pretty expensive. In addition to being expensive, most books are so thick that I wouldn't be surprised if each one killed an entire tree! I looked for skinnier books than that, but still they're not small. This weekend I am officially done with the SAT, so I no longer need my prep books. I am tempted to throw them in the trash or have a ceremonial burning, but I think a better idea would be to pass them down. Give them to a younger sibling or friend. Find a place to donate the book like a charity or maybe even the guidance department at school. Someone else could always use one, even if it is a little used!

If you're like me and aren't really a fan of the books, here's a paperless alternative: look for electronic sources! CollegeBoard will send you daily practice SAT questions through email and offers full-length practice tests online. There are also a lot of apps that you can download. There is a SAT Question of the Day app, SAT vocab apps, and plenty of AP apps for many different subjects. I am sure that you can easily find whatever you need, as long as you look!

Good Endings

 

Last summer my friend started a mission to clean up the local nature trails and keep them clean. We went and picked up trash around a local lake, but  felt sure that the area would not stay clean for long. The lake is a popular place for joggers, dog-walkers, social gatherers, and people of all kinds who produce trash ranging from pet waste to water bottles to cigarettes. However, there was no place to put this trash! Some people had even brought trash cans in hopes to stop the littering problem, but these cans were quickly removed by the DPW. Someone must have kept pushing the town to add waste bins to the area though, for they finally appeared! To my surprise, I found not only a trash can, but also a recycling bin, both of which are solar powered. These solar powered bins are also compactors, so they can hold 5 times more waste and therefore need to be emptied less often. As I walked around the lake I could already see the improvements. The lake was clean and virtually litter-free. Having the cans there really make a difference.

So, if you are passionate about something you should keep pushing. Even if it seems hopeless, there could be a good ending waiting around the corner.

A Swab of Fresh Air

Cotton swabs may seem like a small issue, but cotton as a whole is a very large issue. Cotton crops occupy only 3% of the world's farmland, yet they receive around 25% of the world's pesticides. Chemical pesticides are often sprayed in excess and then leach into the soil and water. They can also drift through the air to the lungs of unsuspecting neighborhoods. These chemicals can be dangerous to humans and the local environment - sometimes leading to cancer and in extreme cases death. During processing the cotton is also exposed to things such as bleach and heavy metal dyes. Agriculture is not always as pretty as we think, and so it is good to remember that. Whenever you can try to buy organic cotton rather than conventional cotton. Cotton swabs could be a good place to start. 

As another plus, organic cotton is hypoallergenic.

Another Cycling Post

Along the same lines as the phone case, here are some eco-friendly options for people looking to protect their wallets. These work for cycling for sure, but maybe there are some dirty hobbies & jobs out there that require wallet protection as well! These wallets are hard plastic so they're durable, and they seal completely to keep out moisture and the elements. They're also pretty small (just large enough to fit credit cards) so size shouldn't be an issue (unless you're a lady, maybe). This post may not be applicable to the majority's lives, but hopefully it will save some plastic bags along the way!

Cyclism Savings

My dad is an avid cyclist who wears the nice jerseys with the pockets in the back for his things. He carries things such as emergency supplies, food, and most importantly: his cell phone. Since this pocket is right on his body, however, he has to put his phone in some kind of case so that it doesn't get damaged from sweat, dirt, or weather. He used to use a ziploc bag every time that he rode. He probably went through quite a few plastic bags over the years! However, he recently discovered a more permanent option. There are durable, plastic, resealable cases to put your phone/electronics in. Now he only has to use one bag ever! If you're a cyclist or ever have to put your electronics in a bag, I hope this helped!

Where Do CFL Lightbulbs Go When They Die?

If you are getting an energy audit done on your home and receive a lot of CFL light bulbs, or if you are just trying to help the environment and save energy by purchasing them on your own, you're probably wondering how you are supposed to safely dispose of them when they die, right? Well fear not, there is a simple answer (if you live near a Whole Foods). Outside the store is a drop-off collection box for old CFL light bulbs (right next to the plastic bag recycling). If not, there should be municipal services in your town that will take care of them.

B2P Discoveries

My mom brought me home a pen from the office the other day, and I've probably never been so excited to receive a pen before! I was excited because this isn't just any ol' pen, it is a pen made out of recycled bottles. I posted recently about how we use too many plastic water bottles. This pen is no excuse to use more, but it is a pretty cool "solution" to that problem. The pen works just like any other pen, and I really like the way that it feels and writes. These pens are also refillable! I am not sure how many pens that appear disposable are actually refillable, but this is the first cheap, store-bought pen that I have seen that is refillable. I always think of fancy expensive pens when I hear refillable. So, these pens don't have to end up in a landfill right after you are done with it. It uses a G2 cartridge. If you're confused how to refill it there are even some quirky how-to videos out there on Youtube.
So, pick up some eco-friendly pens and have a ball!