Great Green Gifts

Christmas is on the way yet again, and the last thing many of us want to think about in this time of abundance is conservation.  But this holiday season, I want to get you dreaming of a green Christmas instead of a white one.  Okay, you can have both, but let’s face it, eco-friendly everything is the way of the future. 

Because a better lifestyle doesn’t sleep at night; it simply IS…

 And one of the biggest setbacks on our journey to a less-polluting, more earth-friendly lifestyle worldwide is the holiday season.  A time where tradition has taught us to throw out the old and replace it with the new—to give material goods even if they are neither needed or wanted. 

To add to this glaring issues, reams after reams after reams of wrapping paper, as well as ribbons, tape, boxes, and cards are used for half a morning and then tossed out, contributing  to a pollution problem that is already out of control.  

I don’t want to lay a guilt trip on you.  Christmas wishes deserve to come true, and in fact I would venture to say that the it can be a spirit of abundance that saves us from ourselves.  Not abundance of material goods, but abundance of love, human relationships, respect for the Earth, and the other “intangible” things that really matter in this experience we call life.  

This Christmas, make the effort to restore Earth’s former glory. 

Let’s talk about solutions, because solutions are a necessary point on which to focus our attention. 

The first thing you should know is that you can recycle most of the products and “trash” associated with the Christmas spirit.  Your wrapping paper and all the attachments that come with it should be recycled, not thrown out.  And that goes with all that packaging too—boxes, bags, etc…  

Even your Christmas tree is recyclable!  All of the old household items, clothes, tools, equipment, machines, and electronics that you are replacing this December with all the gifts you are about to receive–those shouldn’t be thrown out.  

Instead, they can be donated or sold.  Do you realize how many people go without on Christmas?  How many parents cannot even afford to give their children presents…Homeless children, children whose parents are incarcerated, and children of those who are just struggling to get by and cannot afford to dig any deeper in their pockets.    

And it isn’t just children who need or could use your “junk.”  Generosity should never have an age limit.  Instead, let it exist free of any limits.  Embrace that spirit of abundance we talked about before. 

In addition, if you are struggling yourself, you’d be surprised how much of that stuff you consider to be junk another person considers worthy of buying off of you.  

The point is that this Christmas, don’t let the trash bin sit closer to you than the friends and family who give holidays meaning.  Wrap your mind around the concept of going green to the best of your ability.  You can find plenty of ideas online to help you in your efforts to recycle and reuse. 

Which brings us to another thing you should consider this Christmas—there are plenty of eco-friendly products out there that would make great gifts, and the best of them are found online.  Pave the way for the future of business by not contributing to all of the businesses selling Earth-unfriendly products.  

Check out my website www.gogreenitems.com we  are very proud to offer products and items that will both satisfy you as a customer and lay Mother Earth’s worries to rest.  

From dog toys to reusable/recyclable handbags, from the eco button (which reminds you not to waste electricity when your computer is idle) to the voltaic solar backpack (which charges devices with the power of the sun), from the Cool N Save Air Conditioner Pre-Cooling System (a name that speaks for itself) to the countless organic and natural soaps, gels, and lotions, this website has something for everyone. 

You are not just reaching forward to the future when others are holding back.  You are not just saving yourself time, energy, and money in the long run.  And you are not just saving the environment.  

What you will embark on this Christmas is doing all of these things while at the same time turning one of the biggest holidays into a promotion of our planet’s wellbeing rather than another reason to waste.  

Because it’s time to give something more to each other than material goods that will be shoved into the back of the closet.  It’s time to give each other another inspiration and a shot at a quality existence on this planet.  

This year, I’m dreaming of a green Christmas.  Are you?

Visit www.gogreenitems.com for your best green holiday gifts!

Wide assortment of colors, shapes and sizes

Recycled record cuffs and bracelets are designed from using part of a recycled vinyl record. You’ll find a variety of styles available to choose from. Some of them are hand painted using acrylics that are sealed with a clear coat. Others are black, which match any outfit. They’re a great way to enhance your favorite outfit while showing your love for music at the same time.

They’re affordable and would even make great gifts for all eco-conscious people on your shopping list. Both the bracelet and the cuff are easy to put on because they do have some flexibility. They can be adjusted but you’ll find it’s easier to make them smaller than it would be to stretch them to a bigger size. They’re designed to match the contour of a person wrist so they’re very comfortable to wear.

Check out all the awesome green jewelry we have at www.GoGreenItems.com

As more research is being done concerning the environment and the effects waste has on the planet, the importance of biodegradable products has become clear. Landfills are already overflowing with items that seem to last forever and this trend has to stop. Did you know that it can take a milk carton, plastic or cardboard, up to five years to decompose? It can take a single cigarette butt between one and twelve years to disintegrate depending on the situation.

Scientists are constantly looking for solutions to this ever growing problem and one answer they’ve come up with is the creation of biodegradable products. A biodegradable product will break down into its natural state and be absorbed by the environment much faster than other products, making it an eco-friendly item.

help save our planet

Over the past few years many of these items have been created. You’ll find that many everyday household products can be replaced with biodegradable ones. For example, if you cookout and entertain guest often do you use Styrofoam plates and plastic cups. These products stay in the landfill for years. You can use biodegradable paper plates and eco-friendly cups for your next big get-together and reduce your carbon footprint.

Many restaurants have switched from using Styrofoam food containers for takeout orders to the biodegradable ones. Other biodegradable products include trash bags, food trays and cleaning supplies. Each year, more of these products are being created as a way to help cut down on waste. It’s up to you to make an effort to search for these items so you can help do your part in reducing the amount of waste produced each year. Take the time to shop around for recycled and biodegradable products. You might even be a little amazed at all the great options available today and more are being added to the list each year.

For more ways to be into our planet go to www.gogreenitems.com

When you go shopping for new clothes, what kinds of things do you look for? What attributes are important to you getting the clothing you desire? Do you look for name brands, for comfort or for style? How many factors go into your final decision to purchase a particular type of clothing?

Green clothing is quickly becoming a fast-growing clothing trend but this is a trend we hope will stay around for some time to come. Eco friendly clothing combines high quality designs with eco-friendly materials and packaging to create great, stylish clothing you can feel good about purchasing and wearing.

Most often green clothing is made from 100% organic material such as hemp or soy but these materials are now being used in ways like never before. Creative designers are making these eco-friendly pieces look and feel like traditional clothing.

This means you don’t have to sacrifice style or comfort to have green clothing. In fact, there is a wide array of designs now available for men, women and children of all ages in all types of designs. You can find t-shirts, hats, workout gear, jackets, dresses and fancy attire and more. There are also eco-friendly print tees such as those encouraging you to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Keep in mind that going green can be more than just wearing environmentally friendly clothing. You can also look into when and where you shop, the bags and packaging materials and of course, what you do with the clothing if it no longer fits or you no longer want it. We can all do our parts, even with the smallest and simplest of decisions.

Please check out our new collection of amazing
eco friendly purses at www.GoGreenItems.com

We launched our new blog in May 2009 and since then our following is growing at a rapid rate. I have partnered with Mary Jo Rhodes, noted author of nature books. Together we are posting 2-3 times a week, we are having a frog photo contest (deadline 9/1), selling Tee shirts and Onesies, and created a cause page on Facebook.

Here’s a little about why we created this blog:

For over 200 million years, ponds, marshes, grasslands, and rain forests have come alive with the calls of frogs. Yet these remarkable and colorful animals are declining at such a rapid rate that they are being called the Earth’s next dinosaurs. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

World-renowned Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson has written in the book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth:

Kermit the Frog, to summarize the situation in a phrase, is sick. And to varying degrees so is much of the living world. Might Homo sapiens follow? Maybe, maybe not. But with certainty we are the great meteorite of our time, having begun the sixth mass extinction of Phanerozoic history. We are creating a less stable and interesting place for our descendants to inherit.

Frogs are threatened by habitat loss, global warming, pollution, and disease. Because they breathe and drink through their skin, they are extremely sensitive to an unhealthy environment. Chemicals, pesticides, ozone, and UV are dangerous, even deadly, to them.

We called our blog FROGS ARE GREEN because we believe that healthy frogs mean a healthy planet. By saving the frogs, we will also save our planet—and ourselves.

Please hop in and get involved. We’d love to hear from you!

Are you searching for the perfect baby gift that will be practical but not something so common that everyone else may have the same idea? Then you may want to consider purchasing the Wee-Go Baby Bottle from GoGreenItems.com. Most everyone has heard about all the concern surrounding plastic bottles and the dangers associated with them. This concern includes the plastics that are used to make baby bottles as well as other types of bottles.

Many hard plastics such as the ones used for baby bottles, contain a chemical called Bisphenol A. Studies have been conducted over the last several years that indicate this chemical could break down over time and be slowly released into the liquid placed in the bottles. The process of placing hot liquids into the bottles or even placing the bottles in a dishwasher speeds up the process of breaking down this chemical. Bisphenol A has been associated with several medical conditions such as diabetes, hyperactivity, impaired immune system and even certain cancers. It has also been linked to early puberty and obesity.

Even though more research is being done to determine the risk involved with using plastic bottles, many new parents are choosing to use glass baby bottles instead. That is why the Wee-Go baby bottles would make an excellent and thoughtful gift for any mother-to-be. These baby bottles are designed with safety in mind. They are covered with a 100% non-toxic silicone sleeve that will help to prevent breakage and make it easy for baby to hold. Both the bottles and sleeves are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

The silicone nipples are also non-toxic and latex-free. Even the cap, ring and plug are FDA approved and recyclable. You can buy 4oz or 9oz bottles or a combination of both. The Wee-Go baby bottle is one of the most thoughtful and practical gifts you could ever buy for the new mother-to-be on your shopping list.

Get your pride and joy started off right with great eco friendly baby products at GoGreenItems.com

The Green Phone Booth is another of my favorite blogs…this post made me smile.

Do you turn your sink faucet on and wait for hot water. This great green product offers you a solution so you do not have to do that any longer.

Eco Friendly Hot Water Heater

Have you ever heard of this great green product. The Chilipepper hot water pump. The Chilipepper it is a small micro-processor pump that is very powerful. It mounts under your sink.With a touch of a button the hot water is being pumped to your sink or shower. This is all done by not running a single drop of water down the drain. When you turn the faucet on to your sink or shower you will have instant hot water. The Chilipepper hot water pump can supply hot water to several sinks and multiple fixtures. Yon can do this be using just one Chilipepper hot water Pump. Who doesn’t want to save water, energy and money.
 
Who benefits from this product. For example a typical family of 4 can save up to 15,000 gallons per year. The Chilipepper uses less than $2.00 per year in electricity to operate. The hot water pump approximately 2 -3 gallons of water per minute. It pumps the water at a rate of approximately 50 feet in 20 seconds. The energy it uses is 3 amps to operate.The hot water pump is a 1/3 horsepower. This is pretty fast in hot water terms. For residential hot water demand system this means faster hot water and less waiting. The Chilipepper works with any tank-less water heater. You can also use it with a traditional tank-type storage water heater. Even if you use solar water heaters or oil fired boiler type heaters. How great is it to by a green product that doesn’t need any additional plumbing. All of the connections are done with hoses. When you install you do not have to turn the water off from your home, just the supply valves that are located under your sink.
 
Are you asking yourself, how does this work? It’s not a heater. It is a priming pump that works at a touch of a button. It pumps hot water from your water heater to your sink or shower while sending the cool water back to the water heater through the cold water piping. Now that’s a pretty cool green product.

When the control circuitry detects the correct water temperature it will automatically turn the pump off. You can adjust the shut-off with a knob on the Chilipepper. When it detects the temperature over 96 degrees it locks the pump until the water cools below the 96 degrees.
 
This great green product is under $200 and is available at GoGreenItems.com It’s time that we start saving the earth one item at a time. This is one great green product that can do that for you.

Have you come across this post titled “How Green Is a Nudist Vacation?” in Blog Green Inc. of the The New York Times? If not please do visit and go through it. This is bullshit journalism at its height. Talks a like these make the whole campaign against global warming useless and campaigners look silly.

James Kanter needs to understand that there are more serious people who really feel that green house gases reduction is a challenge and global warming a potential danger against safe survival of humanity on this planet. And they are working towards a better world, let them do so. Please do not pass bullshit from platform like yours and make their efforts go vain.

Wake Up America……

Cool-n-Save™ is an awesome new, patented product, that is actually based on the same scientific Principles that large corporations have used to save themselves money for years.

Installed in less than five minutes with no tools required, the Cool-n-Save™ system affixes to the top of most home air conditioning units. The system is activated only when the AC unit turns on; hot air from the condenser unit’s fan raises the flap on the patented Cool-n-Save™ control valve allowing water to flow to the misters that surround the AC unit. When the ultra-fine mist is released into the air, it evaporates almost instantly creating what is known as a “Flash Evaporation,” which literally sucks heat out of the air as water absorbs the energy it needs to evaporate. The result of the immediate evaporation constitutes a substantial drop in ambient temperature without wetness—up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Cool-N-Save(TM) system fits on top of most air conditioning units and expels a filtered, ultra fine mist around the AC unit, which creates a “chill zone.” This “chill zone” allows your air conditioner to work more efficiently and reduces the electricity it draws. This results in consumer savings and reduced CO2 emissions . The efficiency of the Cool-N-Save(TM) system has been scientifically proven by Tulane University .

Ed Begley, Jr. on Cool-N-Save™
I’ve been a quote-unquote “environmentalist” now for almost 38 years, but I’m always looking for new ways to save energy, reduce my carbon footprint, and save money! I always look for things that can give me immediate results with a short-term payback. And because the cheapest kilowatt of electricity is the one SAVED, I’m always looking for ways to CONSERVE first. The features in my home like recycled cotton insulation and double-pane windows are all designed to keep the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer while using the least amount of energy possible. Now, I’ve discovered a new weapon in the battle to save energy — Cool-N-Save™.

The Cool-N-Save(TM) is one of the most cost effective and simple ways to save energy.” – Ed Begley Jr.

The Cool-N-Save(TM) system has been rated by the US Department of Energy and EPA as an ENERGY STAR PARTNER . As a U.S. government backed and trusted symbol for energy efficiency, the ENERGY STAR PARTNER approval is paramount due to the strict guidelines and performance standards set to ensure the quality and integrity of their partners in the fight against climate change.

Visit www.GoGreenItems.com to grab your Cool-N-Save Air Conditioning Pre Cooling System for only $95.99

Saving The Earth One Item At A Time

April 22, 2009 is Earth Day. This is a day when we all should remind ourselves that innovation is not only about making more money and helping more people, but truly about thinking outside the box and creating newer, forward moving strategies.  Going green and helping the environment in business is a great way to kick off your innovation discussions this year.

To help get you started, here are a few blogs that focus on Green Business practices that should inspire you to change the way you think about the environment.  This will show you that there are a lot of businesses out there that are starting to do the right thing, but so many more have to join them in order to make a difference.

http://www.greenbiz.com/ – GreenBiz is a great resource.  Reading this blog on a daily basis will show you what companies, large and small, are changing to put themselves in a better position to help the environment.  Included are stories on innovative new business practices, “green” jobs, and energy and climate data.

http://www.futureofbusiness.info/ – Future of Business is a blog which features some fantastic videos and interviews with professionals in the green business landscape.  It is a great place to find out what we can look forward to in the area of environmental innovation, and what companies are planning on doing to go green in their business ventures.

http://www.cleantechblog.com/ – The Clean Tech Blog is a good source of information related more specifically to alternative energy and clean technology innovation.  With posts ranging from Government policies to international updates, this blog gives you a good mix of important information when thinking green.

http://got2begreen.com/ – Got 2 Be Green is a very interesting green blog that I was referred to by a friend.  I have been an avid reader for quite some time.  They offer everything from lifestyle advice to charity features to green events that are coming up all around the world.  I recommend that anyone interested in the spread of the environmentally friendly lifestyle check out this site.

And finally, a little self promotion.  I am the main contributor to a legal blog called The Legal Beat over at http://www.lawline.com/blog.  We have put together a series on Going Green for Lawyers, with a focus on a more environmentally friendly legal community.  We offer various tips for lawyers and law firms to implement in their day to day practice of law.

The world is changing, and that means you have to change with it.  Businesses have a moral responsibility to help move us forward as a people.  You can start by helping the environment one day at a time.

Happy Earth Day!

Below is a list of blogs that I like and links to some of my favorite green, earth friendly, eco-friendly posts that they have.

Cupcakes and Cutlery- blog with awesome advice about throwing the best parties ever. They have a section on eco-friendly party resources. The post I personally reference  is the ”save the cutlery save the world” post that has resources on where to get ecofriendly party supplies.

Ed Next Step- blog about sustainably, architecture, and education (I am grossly under explaining this blog you should check it out). This blog has a section about green schools, I particularly like the posts about the Greening of America’s Schools. You should also check out St. Phillip’s Academy which is a green school the author of the blog is involved with.

Angry African- I think he says it best in his tag line “I have opinions, I am from Africa, I live here now, I blog.” He blogs about alot of different topics but he is one of the best writers I have ever read in the blogging world. I particularly like his green post titled “What the Hell is Eco-Friendly,” you need to read some of his other posts to truly know what he is being tongue in cheek it is a great post (if you want to read a great post that is not about the environment read “How I Love my Wife“)

Do you have any green blogs you want to plug?

Working with other local community leaders,  the cooperative campaigned for households to separate and sell their recyclables to the cooperative. The local council provided pushcarts and weighing scales and, as well, established an Ecology Center. It was this partnership between community leaders and the cooperative that lead to Pasig City being awarded first place as the cleanest and greenest township.

They organize 15 pushcarts that visit households to collect used food and beverage packaging that would otherwise clog water bodies, drainage systems, and landfills. They sanitize these materials and transform them into over 40,000 products per month. The cooperative has partnered with the local municipal solid waste management department to make a huge difference in keeping their community clean and green.

Of the all the items collected for recycling, the ones that attracted their attention were the colorful juice boxes. These discarded drink containers became the raw material for various bags, finding new life as cheerful accessories.

It began in 1984 through the initiative of  five good shepherd sisters – The founding members, then living in an area rife with crime, drugs and despair, banded   together  hopeful that as a group they can improve their lot. From these humble beginnings, the organization has grown into a federation with over three thousand active members. Its goal is to improve the lives of the urban poor by providing them with opportunities in livelihood and spiritual growth. The organization  aspires each of  its communities to become self-sustaining and caring, responsive to the nation’s problems, and facilitative to the needs and aspirations of the poor.

The organizations activities cover the following:

• Income generating projects that provide community-based livelihood opportunities.
• Aid projects that support day care/pre-school programs, milk and feeding programs, rice subsidies, health programs, crisis (disaster recovery) programs .
• Educational scholarships for deserving youth at both private and public institutions.
  
  Visit www.gogreenitems.com to see the latest in recylced purses, juice box purses and eco friendly handbags.

With me being tired of all the down economy talk, I have decided to really go full steam with www.GoGreenItems.com and we are starting to get alot of notariaty. On March 21st I was fortunate enough to be involved in a event put on by The Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts called the Chalk Walk, which was a free event  to support and link area artists with local businesses and the community.  I featured my recycled eco friendly purses in a 10 x 10 tent in beautiful Hyde Park Tampa and had a wonderful day. Not realizing it I was in conversation with a very nice woman and then realized it was Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.  What a great feeling to welcome the Mayor into my booth, then it got better, she loved my recycled juice box purses and actually purchased one.  She was also sweet enough to let me snap a quick picture.

Also, some other exciting news; I just had an article written on me on www.tampabay.com titled Go green without looking ugly which covered the purses that I sell on www.gogreenitems.com. Thanks Deal Divas.

Mayor of Tampa Pam Iorio

There is a current dilemma of how we can sourced out alternative fuels to power our cars, homes, appliances, computers and other fuel-powered machines. The main source of our fuel (crude oil) is from fossils which are extracted from decayed bodies of ancient creatures, most of these are found in the Middle East. Little did we know that the answer to the scarcity and expensive consumption of oil in the world market in is the hands of our natural resources. It is very ironic, that only in this century that we discover how great it is that plants can produce oil. Essentially, were back to the basics, in the time were our ancestors survived from the fittest in the absence of the latest technology today. We just need to discover things and be creative in order to burst out what’s good in these things. Currently, a lot of studies were conducted to answer this call to minimize cost in purchasing crude oil, this is due to the fact that the non-renewable energy that is sourced out from fossils will soon deplete and all of us will suffer from it. We need an energy source that is renewable and is environment friendly. Hurray! An answer has come to town and most of us couldn’t believe that we shall found alternative source of fuels from plants. This alternative source of energy is called Bio Fuels. Bio Fuels are sourced out from different living organisms or from waste of animals and food products. To come up with a biofuel, it must have an 80% characteristic of being a renewable source. It is derived from the scientific process of photosynthesis and it is also referred to be a source of solar energy. A lot of biofuel technologies were undertaken; here are some of the recently studied plants and wastes as source of energy:

1. Jethropa

2. Algae

3. Vegetable Oil Waste

4. Swine Waste

5. Hydrogen Fuel from Non-food sources

6. Bio-based Butanol

7. Woody Biomas Resources

8. Bacteria on ancient living creatures

9. Sugarcane

10. Hydrogen form Farm Waste

11. Hydrogen-producing bacteria

12. and more (some sources for research)

Mother earth has a lot to offer for us, it is never a reason that our resources will be depleted and some drastically pointing it out as a global crisis. It is up to us to use these resources from our natural environment. We should act now and be in the know! Be a green advocate and promote environmental conservation and preservation!

Back in December, I think, I was basically told that I was no longer welcome to comment on the “Our Green Year” blog. It seems that they did not like my comments and questioning of what they determined to be ‘green’ acts. They felt I was negative. My goal was to engage in some critical thinking around some of their supposed ‘green’ acts, ask questions and seek clarification. Apparently this was too much for them. In my opinion, I think this is lazy blogging. Part of the reason people allow comments on their blogs is so that readers can engage in a discussion about an issue. Comments give the blogger the chance to think about their points from a different perspective and to clarify their beliefs. Getting rid of the ‘challenging’ readers only demonstrates, to me anyway, that the blogger is lazy and is not interested in engaging in further discussion. If you only put comments up that show everyone agreeing with you or if you ban difficult commenters your blog lacks validity. I still read the blog but I have not been able to comment so I feel I must do so now before my head explodes.

I do not have a vendetta against Craig and Layla Baird. I believe that they believe they are trying to do something good. The green movement is like any other bandwagon issue that has come along. Everyone jumps on, proclaims they are good for doing it and everyone who asks questions or criticizes the movement is the enemy. The bandwagon effect turns people, who can normally think critically, into the slavish masses for the issue. In fact several times the only arguement they could come up with was to tell me that what they were doing was really hard and that I should do it too, which completely misses the point.

So, let’s begin:

Here is the latest post on being green while staying in a hotel:

Sometimes we all need to travel, and when we travel we usually stay in hotels, motels, or inns. In hotels, we use towels and they are washed after one use (although not in all hotels), we sleep once in beds and the linens are cleaned, and generally the overall process is quite wasteful. That is not even considering those little shampoos, soaps and more that are individually wrapped. As well, glasses are wrapped individually in plastic.

This is a big waste.

As a result, when Layla and I have to travel and stay in a hotel, we will not only bring our own towels, but we will bring our own toiletries. This way, we do not use what the hotel provides, we do not waste plastic, and we use what we already have and which is environmentally friendly because we try and buy only green toiletries.

First off, they ignore (or are ignorant) of the fact that many hotels have implemented ‘greener’ practices when it comes to doing laundry. Every hotel I have stayed at for many years gives you the opportunity to not have fresh towels every day. Then there is the fact that they are now going to lug their towels and toiletries to the hotel. Now, if they are flying or driving they are going to be increasing the weight of their luggage – thereby increasing the amount of jet fuel required to get them to their destination. Then they are going to take home the wet towels. To what purpose? Again there will be increases in fuel required to get their baggage home with wet towels. Why not just pick a green hotel, recycle the little plastic bottles and use your towels more than once if you are staying longer than a night?

Another major issue I have with this blog is their engagement in slacktivism as a way of going green. This entry sums it up nicely:

Over the course of Our Green Year, we have signed several petitions. We have signed petitions to stop the seal hunt, save animals and today, to save tiger habitats.

Tigers are one of the most endangered species on the planet, but they are also one of the most recognizable. It is feasible that within the next few decades, we could see the complete loss of this amazing animal due to habitat destruction. This would be a huge loss for our planet.

In Sumatra, only 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild. Once they are gone, that is it. This is due to illegal logging that is destroying their habitat, and the practice of clearing forest for palm oil and pulpwood plantations. In the past 22 years alone, 50 percent of the forests in Sumatra have been lost.

So, to help stop the logging of tiger habitats, we are signing the petition to do something about it (we hope).

You can do the same at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/275606122

They have signed many petitions on the internet to save everything. What good does this do? Petitions in general are not all that effective. But at least petitions that are signed, by someone going door to door, at least have some validity and can be used in the political process. Seriously, what good do they honestly think they can do by signing a petition in Canada to save Tiger habitat in Sumatra? I am sure there are many things contributing to the loss of habitat for all sorts of species all over the world. It is not simply a matter of the people living their not knowing what they are doing. Likely, they are trying to eke out a living. This one in particular interests me. My favourite coffee at the moment is Starbucks Sumatra. If some information had been presented about habitat destruction being linked to coffee consumption, ‘my coffee consumption’ in particular, I would feel compelled to research it and if the evidence was compelling change my consumer habits. They missed a big opportunity here.

All of their homemade ‘green’ toiletries’ have truly made me laugh! Here is a recent one:

Way way way way back near the beginning of Our Green Year, man it seems so long ago, we made a sugar scrub as a way of making our own type of body wash that can be used in the shower.
Today, we are going green with another body scrub, and this one is one I like. For me, nothing beats the smell of coffee in the morning, I love to drink it but I have never thought of using it in a body scrub. Turns out, you can and it is good for the environment because you are recycling the grounds.

Typically, we compost coffee grounds, but on occasion we are going to try making a coffee grounds body scrub. It is quite easy to do.

All you need is five teaspoons of ground coffee that has been used (recycling!), one teaspoon of sugar and two teaspoons of essential oil. Mix it all together and when you are in the shower, put it on with a circular motion. Leave it on for five minutes and then rinse it off. By putting a catch int he drain, you can then get the coffee grounds and compost them afterwards!

Not much more to say!

I loved this post because it is clear that it has not been investigated very well:

At the ranch, we have a fire pit in the front yard where we can sit and relax during the summer evenings. Well, this summer that fire pit is going to serve another purpose beyond just providing us heat. We will be cooking on it.

Layla and I love to go backpacking, and when you backpack, you have to cook your meals on a fire. There is nothing like it and we decided that this year, we will cook more food on the fire and less in the kitchen.

There are a lot of trees in the area, and some have fallen down. As a result, we will be using that wood (as long as it is not serving as a habitat for something) for our firewood. We are also getting our firewood from a sustainable source. Then we can cook our food over the fire, rather than in the kitchen on the stove.

It is not perfect, but it is just another solution that we can use to go green in our cooking, no different than how we use the fireplace inside to heat the house up so we don’t use the furnace as much.

Burning wood spews pollution into the air. I have recently read about some small towns in the north where they have pollution and smog days due to wood burning stoves. How can think it is more environmentally friendly to light a fire outside and cook over it? It is fun and enjoyable but not green. It is far more green to use electricity produced by hydro-electric damns than to burn wood and add particulate matter to the atmosphere.

This next post is hysterical and obviously written by a man:

Well, the next one is about going to the bathroom, but it is going to the bathroom outside. Now, this is only for ‘number one’ and not all the time (it gets to -40 here…..). However, by going outside to pee on occasion, there is less in the toilet and that means less flushes.

We are on a ranch, with no neighbors around, plus lots of trees so there are no chances of someone coming across me in the middle of my business.

Sure this is an odd one to do, and an unconventional green tip, but going green involves a lot of things, some of which we don’t always think about.

So, for me at least, when I am outside I will use nature as my bathroom to help conserve water in the indoor washroom

How the hell is it green to have untreated human waste going into the ground? They live on a ranch where animals graze. This makes no sense to me. Many countries in the developing world suffer greatly from being surrounded by untreated sewage. Why on earth would they want to turn their ranch into their bathroom. I am also pretty sure it is only the guys who would be doing this as it is so much more difficult for women.

Here is another rather lame post about visiting National Parks. I love how Craig spins it to make it seem green but he forgets a few things:

If there is one thing Layla and I enjoy doing, it is hiking and snowshoeing. There is something about being out in the wild, being a part of nature and listening to the sound of silence wafting through the trees. We love nature, hence the reason why we are trying to do our part to save it with Our Green Year.

Today, we are asking that if you want to do something to help nature, you can visit a national park. Here in Alberta, there are plenty of national parks and we are going to be visiting several of them this year (including on our proposed two week hike from Jasper to Banff this year!). The reason visiting a national park is green is that not only does it help you learn more about the nature that we all seem to be somewhat removed from, it is also because you pay money to be in the national park. That money then goes to help keep the national park going, helping it expand and helping to keep the animals (some of them endangered) safe in their national park home.

Recently, Layla and I, plus two of our friends went snowshoeing on a trail in Elk Island National Park. The money we pay helps that park, and by extension helps nature.

Visiting a National Park may be good for the soul but it does not do much for the park. Craig points out that you pay money to visit the park. Why do you pay money? Well, to clean up after all those visitors. People leave their garbage, they damage sensitive ecosystems and disturb animal habitat and migration patterns. Plus there is all that gas burned to get all those people to all those National Parks to pay money so it can all be cleaned up. Not so green after all when you think about it. If you are backpacking it is usually prohibited to build a fire. I know this from experience. We used to backpack 200 miles a summer when we were kids. My Dad always had his naptha stove and pointed out to us how to preserve the environment we were in, why we could not build fires and why we had to stay to the path.

I could keep going. So, stay tuned as I will focus the critical thinking lens on the ‘Our Green Year’ blog again. Plus I am sure you will all be able to buy the book they intend to publish. I have also wondered what happened to the “Our Green Year Journal” which has not been updated for a long time. I felt this was an integral companion to the blog as it discussed how they were implementing their new found green ways.

In the meantime if you would like a great green blog to read I recommend “A little Greener Every Day.” Robin Shreeves gives practical tips, with solid reasoning behind them. She is also honest about how difficult it can be to choose to go green.

This weekend my coworker Leah Rosin and I launched a new blog GoGreenEugeneOregon.com. It’s blog about environmental issues and sustainable living in the Lane County area of Oregon. We plan to write about Oregon environmental concerns, eating local, saving energy in our homes and supporting local green businesses.

Do I need another blog? Probably not. But I thought Eugene needed something like this. And based on the success of the Fly Fishing Blog, I had an idea that pro-blogging could become a little more lucrative with the right topic and content.

Looking for feedback on the new site. Let me know what you think. If you’re just going to say “Another blog, you’re insane…” save it. I already know.

Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in Earth Day activities each year.

Regardless of when you hold your celebration, remember that Earth Day is Every Day for everybody.

Earth Day, April 22, 1970 signified the birth of the modern environmental movement in the United States. Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson.

On this day in 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate on behalf of a healthy, sustainable environment.  Thousands of colleges and universities held protests against the degradation of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, raw sewage, toxic dumps, heavily polluting factories and power plants, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. In 1990, Earth Day went global, with 200 million people from 141 nations participating. Thousands of activities took place worldwide, including demonstrations, tree plantings, river clean-ups, cultural events and government-sponsored initiatives. It is around this day that people can come together, united, to protect and appreciate the earth. Practicing Earth Day every day by making simple changes in your lifestyle can have a significant impact on the environment.

The small things we do in our everyday lives, like refusing a plastic bag when you go food shopping is a great way to start. We all can have your own day to day environmental success stories that can fill us with energy and a sense of well being. Doing those simple little daily things that make the earth a better place for all is living EARTH DAY EVERY DAY. It is when we each begin to live our environmental lives to the fullest that we will begin to change the fate of this planet for the good. What are you going to do on Earth Day? Take a step to change, everyone can be saving the earth one item at a time.

Thanks for being a part of Earth Day with www.gogogreenitems.com visit Go Green Items for great eco friendly products.

After a hiatus of a few months, The Evangelical Ecologist (The world isn’t ours to mess up – Psalm 24:1) is back into blogging.

Here are a couple of recent posts:

Protecting your health and the environment at the same time

Wolves out of the woods — what happens when the Endangered Species Act works?

Grace and Peace

We have all been told the 3R’s.

Reduce-decrease the garbage you generate.

Reuse-use an item again instead of throwing it away.

Recycle-take an item that would be usually be put in the trash and transform it into a new product.

Recyclable indicates that a product can be recycled. It does not mean that an item is made with recycled content. When you purchase a recycled product it is referred to as ”closing the loop” because it completes the recycling process.

The recycling process includes three steps:

Collect, Process, and Buy.

If we are only are collecting recyclables its not enough, we must buy recycled products in order to create markets. Most products are not 100% recycled content, so look for the highest percentage possible.

When you purchase recycled products it conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces solid waste, reduces air and water pollutants, reduces greenhouse gases, and creates new jobs.

In order to keep our blue planet green we must start now.

I believe that buying recycled products can do more than just help save our environment.

Everyone can do this. You can start one item at time.

Here’s some items you can start with. Recycled jewelry, recycled purses, eco friendly bags, green gadgets & other amazing go green products.

Visit gogreenitems.com for more ideas in closing the loop with great green products.

This is not the first time that I’ve seen this written somewhere. It appears that The Big Apple may soon be called The Big Green Apple. City officials will soon be testing LED (light-emitting diode) streetlamps for use in the city. If successful, they will eventually replace all 300,000 of the city’s nocturnal beacons with these energy-efficient workhorses.

If it’s good enough for the “city that never sleeps” then it might not be long before our own little snooze-ville sees a change.

Check out the link for more info.

Green on!

Steven