« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »
Looking for a last-minute gift that shows you care about the environment too? Reader Tom Dusky from Huntington Woods, Michigan, writes:
"This Christmas, I am giving long underwear, with a note from Santa saying: 'Save Santa's home at the North Pole by reducing global warming. If you are good and wear your long underwear, you can turn your thermostat down 3 or 4 degrees and still be comfortable. Don't forget, Santa can't swim!'"
Happy holidays!
When snow piles up in your driveway, avoid using gasoline-powered removal equipment. Electric alternatives still use some energy but create less pollution. Better yet, get out shovels and brooms to clear the snow -- you'll use absolutely no energy but your own!
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
"When it comes to rock-star do-gooderism, greenhouse emissions are the new poverty."
"I was asked at a lecture by a young woman about what she could do and I told her stop admiring young men in Ferraris. What I was saying is you have got to admire people who are conserving energy and not those willfully using it."
Buying a hybrid isn't the only way to reduce your car's impact on the environment. Changing your driving habits can increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency and reduce its carbon emissions while keeping you safer on the road. Here's how:
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Fill 'er up: Next time your shampoo, body wash, or lotion bottle is empty, take it to a store that sells those items in bulk and fill your container. Many co-op and eco-minded grocery stores offer this option. Also look for "refill packs" when available for products such as diaper wipes: They use up to 90 percent less packaging than regular, hard-plastic containers.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
In the January/February issue of Sierra magazine, freelancer Wendy Lyons Sunshine exults in the joy of pressure cooking--a time- and energy-efficient way to whip up a meal. This bonus recipe is for a surprisingly thick and hearty soup that has an almost beefy flavor, although it contains no red meat. And the chicken gets so tender you needn't cut it up before cooking. For a lighter, vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth.
Coq-a-Barley Soup
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 leeks, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
7 medium carrots, sliced
1 1/4 cups pitted prunes, quartered
3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
3/4 cup dried lentils
10 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf
Sauté the chicken, using some canola oil, in the pressure cooker with the top off. Once the chicken is lightly browned, add the rest of the ingredients. Seal the lid and turn the heat on high. After the pot starts whistling loudly, lower the heat to get a low, steady hissing. Cook for 55 minutes, then turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let the soup sit in the sealed pot for at least 15 minutes, or until the pressure button drops. Stir and serve. If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little water. Makes approximately three quarts. --Wendy Lyons Sunshine
A great alternative to cranking up your home’s radiator is making small, heated bean bags. Simply fill a clean sock with uncooked rice or beans and heat it up in the microwave. You can use them in bed, on the sofa while reading, or directly on your body to relieve an ache or pain. Commercial versions are also available in stores.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
When your CFLs eventually burn out, don’t forget to dispose of them properly. Since they contain mercury, they should not be tossed in the garbage bin or put out with regular recycling. (This is especially important for the large, tube-like variety used in offices and other business establishments.) Contact waste management and recycling services in your area to find out the best method of disposal.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Ditch the disposables and use cloth handchiefs and dish towels instead. At the very least, look for paper products made from recycled content. According to manufacturer Seventh Generation, if every household in the United States replaced just one box of 85 sheet virgin fiber facial tissues with 100 percent recycled ones, we’d save 87,700 trees and 31 million gallons of water.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Use the air-dry setting on your dishwasher instead of the heat-dry option. Air drying uses 15 to
50 percent less energy in practically the same amount of time. If your dishwasher does not have an air-dry setting, simply open the door once the final rinse is complete. For more tips on saving water and energy
while doing the dishes, check out http://www.flexyourpower.org
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Replacing commercial household cleaners in your home with a bottle of vinegar and water or other homemade concoction reduces your potential exposure to toxic chemicals and saves energy that would have been used in the manufacturing process. If every American household replaced one big-brand bottle with the homemade stuff, it would save millions of barrels of petroleum.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
It’s easy to save natural resources and money in the winter. To reduce your energy use and keep money in your pocket during the colder months:
For more tips, check out http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/fightfrost.html.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Just because you’ve switched to compact fluorescent lightbulbs in your house doesn’t mean you should leave them on all the time. It’s still important to turn them off when you leave a room. Once a week, try turning off the lights entirely for a few hours and enjoy dinner by candlelight. Romantic and efficient!
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Packing and shipping gifts can be an energy-intensive process. But if just a card won’t do, reuse old cardboard boxes, picking one that’s closest in size to what you’re sending, and use the least amount of packing materials possible. You can even find biodegradable packing peanuts that are made out of starch and disintegrate in water. If you do use Styrofoam ones, most packing and shipping stores will gladly accept your old peanuts and reuse them.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Give the gift of good food with a fresh produce subscription from a local farm that will deliver eggs, milk, fruits, and veggies to your friends’ doors. Or, if you’re handy in the kitchen, make homemade jam, salsa, or marinara sauce, or bake loaves of bread. (People will appreciate something savory after all the sweet holiday treats.)
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
Beautiful, ecofriendly gift wrapping is a snap if you use creativity rather than cash:
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
For the friend who has everything, donate to a charity in their name. For example, Heifer International is a non-profit whose work includes giving farm animals to impoverished people all over the world to help lift them out of hunger and poverty.
Receive these Tips in your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here.
...O Christmas tree, Much pleasure doth thou bring me! And much consternation, if the inquiries we get about whether to buy real, fake, or none at all are any indication. Here are some things to keep in mind when decking your halls:
Cut trees generally come from tree farms. See if there's an organic one near you on this list, or ask around at your local farmers' market. Avoid buying trees with flocking (fake snow) on them, and be sure to have your tree composted or mulched after the holiday season is over. Many cities now offer this type of program; some even provide curbside pickup!
Fake trees are often made of nasty plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and some even have lead in them. Most are also made in other countries and shipped long distances. If you do decide to go faux, be sure to buy a sturdy one and use it for many years.
Living trees are a good option since they can be kept in a pot on your deck during the rest of the year and planted in your yard once they grow too big to bring inside. Just be sure that the tree isn't an invasive species for your area (check with your state forester or a local nursery, cooperative extension, or tree-planting group) and take care of it properly. Some cities even have programs to collect your potted tree and plant it in a low-income neighborhood that needs more trees.
No matter what kind of tree you choose, string it with energy-efficient LED lights!
Art
Business / Money
Entertainment
Fashion
Health
Media Lounge
No Goods
Outdoors
Pop Corner
Recycling
Romance
Social Life
Technology
Transportation
Travel
Work
Recent Comments