Preventing Slippery Sidewalks

It's that time of year when the snow starts to fall and the everything seems to freeze. The snow plows and salt trucks come to clear the mess but it turns out that using salt to melt ice isn't very green. Salt can kill trees and increase the acidity of water. Not only that but it attracts wildlife which makes for collisions on the roadway when they smell the salt. Sand is a chemical free alternative that works just as well. So if you plan on trying to melt the ice on your driveway and porch, use sand not salt.

A Look into the Future: Vertical Farms

Today, I am going to do something a little different. Rather than giving you a tip to further green your life, I will give you some insight into a relatively new idea called vertical farming. By 2050 the population is expected to increase by three billion people. This means that we will need a piece of arable land the size of Brazil in order to feed the additional population. The world cannot spare this land. So a new idea called vertical farms is being developed. A vertical farm is a farm inside a skyscraper; each level has an expanse of crops, fish, and chicken. A year round crop production level in one acre of indoor land is equal to four to six acres of outdoor land. Although there are some obvious obstacles that need to be overcome (like $), vertical farms are the future for farming. It will soon become evident that vertical farms will be necessary in order to feed the growing population. Find out more about Vertical Farms.

Sorry!

Sorry about the lack of posts in the past week or so. I have been very busy being green. Posts are coming very soon! Maybe even tomorrow. Don't forget to be green!

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Thanksgiving: PVC Paradise

If you're like me, you eat a lot of food on Thanksgiving (I think most people do) yet somehow there always seems to be food leftover. And I'm sure that if you get stuck with the leftovers, late Thursday night you'll be whipping out the Ziploc bags and the plastic Tupperware. But wait! What if someone told you those plastic bags and containers were a toxic wasteland? Would you put your food in them? Well, they are! Plastic bags and containers can leach toxins just like plastic water bottles. These poisons can cause severe problems in your body. 

The solution: Pyrex containers. A Pyrex container is microwave safe, completely nontoxic and the plastic looking lid isn't plastic, it's silicone! In addition, Ziploc bags can take up to one thousand years to decompose. So, why would you even think about putting all those Thanksgiving leftovers into plastic?  If you're interested in healthy food choices on Thanksgiving, dont worry about what goes into the food! Worry about what the food goes into. Have a happy, PVC free Thanksgiving!

Green Day!

Today is national green day. Don't forget to wear green and continue to practice your green habits!

Keep being GREEN!

Busted: Dry Cleaning

Another one of humanity's establishments has been deemed: ungreen: your local dry cleaners. First, the dry cleaners waste resources by giving you a new metal hanger every time you go there. Second, one of the chemicals they use in the process of dry cleaning is perc, a carcinogen that may cause cancer. And not only can it harm you, but it harms the environment as well. About seventy percent of the perc ends up in nature, specifically contaminating groundwater! To combat this problem opt for clothes that do not need dry cleaning whenever possible. If you cannot avoid this kind of clothing try to find a "wet" cleaner in your area; this is water cleaning that can be used on dry clean only clothes. And make sure to keep and reuse the metal hangers they give you. Go for greener cleaners!

Keep Your Habits Green

Are you one of those people who can't function without a cup of coffee everyday? Who makes a trip to the grocery store 4 times a week? Who keeps bottled water in the house at all times? If you are, odds are you are not being very green. More than 365 paper cups a year, more than 500 paper and plastic bags a year, and more than 1000 plastic water bottles in a year is not a good record, especially when many other people are doing the exact same thing. Today there are many other alternatives such as an "I am not a paper cup" cup or a cloth grocery bag or a stainless steel bottle filled with tap water. By just one hundred people switching to these alternatives you could save many trees, 20 barrels of oil, and cover up that HUGE carbo footprint you used to leave. The Tyee puts it great: "We can destroy trees for pulp to make paper coffee cups, which, after 15 minutes of use, we throw in the garbage can. Then, we pick the cups up with pollution-belching trucks and throw them in a dump, where they rot and create more greenhouse gases."

OR, we could give the forests a coffee break and bring resuable materials when carrying out our nasty ungreen habits.

The Internet: It Can't Get Greener

If you think about it, the internet is one of the greenest things that exists. By being completely electronic, the internet does not use any paper and is easily accessed. Having the internet means you don't have to call up a friend or drive (using gasoline) to the library just to get the information you need. And it is one of the easiest ways to connect to people. The internet has made life easier for everyone while still being green and efficient (except for the use of energy). And taking it one step further, blogging is a great way to spread a message, especially a green one. 

So be green. Take a walk to the supermarket, bike to work, and spread the green message.

Recycling: Compost for Your Garden

All your kitchen waste is sitting in a landfill right now. What it could be doing right now is helping your garden or flowerbed to look nice. Home composting is a great way to recycle your kitchen waste. To do this set up a can, in addition to your regular garbage can, and add the following types of waste to it. You will need a combination of "green" and "brown" materials. You can add green waste, such as grass cuttings, tea bags, coffee grounds, unusable vegetables and vegetable peelings, and unusable fruit and fruit scraps. These materials are quick to rot and provide important nutrients to the compost. Brown waste, such as cardboard, egg boxes, crumpled paper, saw dust, and dead leaves are also usable in your compost. Once you have enough waste to fill a large garbage bin you can set it on some level ground where grass is growing. Over nine to twelve months your compost will rot and you will be able to use it in your garden. More about Green Composting.

Saving Energy At Home: Refrigerators

Electric bills can get expensive...very expensive. Everyone thinks that air conditioning is very expensive and it is. It can take a lot of money just to keep your house at a livable temperature in the summer. But imagine, a refrigerator and freezer have to be much colder than your house. Granted, it doesn't have to cool as large of an area, but it still takes a lot of energy. These five tips to help make your refrigerator more efficient can save you money on your energy bill:

1. Refrigerators are much more efficient when full...so stock up!

2. Glass containers will keep your food colder for longer, so the refrigerator doesn't have to work as hard. Besides, you don't have to worry about the possibility of toxins leaching into your food when it is stored in glass containers.

3. Vacuum the coils often. This can save a lot of energy; just make sure you unplug the refrigerator first...you don't want to get shocked.

4. If you move your refrigerator away from sunny windows and the oven, it will be much more efficient.

5. Replace your old refrigerator! An Energy Star approved refrigerator can help save the atmosphere and can save you up to $55 per year.

I hope these tips are helpful.

Hybrid Cars: Not Right Now

In the midst of the economic downturn even blue chip companies are feeling the strain. In recent days, the leaders of the big three carmakers have been up on capitol hill asking Congress to help them. If you're feeling the strain too, getting a hybrid car may not be the best way for you to go green right now. Instead, try and maximize your fuel economy in other ways. Make sure your car is properly maintained: fill the tires, have the proper tire balance, and fill the engine with low-weight engine oil. If you have anything heavy in the car, take it out if you don't need it. Hypermilers may try to maximize their fuel economy to the extreme by drafting behind trucks, or driving at slow speeds, but this can compromise your safety. Also to save money, find the cheapest gasoline station in your area. If you drive past a particularly cheap station (I saw $2.13 the other day) try to fill up, even if you have a half-tank full. These techniques will help you to be green and save green.

Solar Panels

I'm considering getting solar panels for my house! Solar panels are a great way to save money on your energy bills because the energy will be coming from the sun, not your local utility company. And guess what...you can get them and their installation right from Home Depot! They may have a long payback time and they may not increase the value of your house. However, if you don't plan on selling your house anytime soon, solar panels are a great investment.

My New Blog

Hi, I'm Brett. Today, I created my new blog. In the future it is going to be about going green and what you can do on your own to help slow global warming and cut your energy bills. However, today I want to congratulate our new president-elect Barack Obama and commend all those who voted for him. His election was historic and I am sure he will make a great president. Check out his transition to office here.