1001 Green Tips for a better world

Tip # 24 - Don't Reload - Recharge

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:37:00 +0000

Purchase rechargeable batteries and a battery recharger (some battery rechargers will also recharge regular alkaline batteries).

Solar powered battery recharchers are available online

To read about ways to get the best out of your rechargeables - check this link out

Tip # 23 - Create your own Backyard Wildlife Habitat

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:23:00 +0000

A backyard wildlife habitat or "naturescape" can be created in your own backyard. A miniature version can even be created on your patio or deck.

Basic elements include fresh water (i.e., a bird bath and, if in a yard, water low to the ground); plants and feeders that provide nourishment for birds, insects, etc.; and rocks, trees, bushes and/or bird houses for shelter and nesting.

Purchase plants that are native to your area. In the USA, The National Wildlife Federation has an excellent program: The Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program which provides some helpful, detailed examples.

Tip # 22 - LED up your Christmas tree

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:33:00 +0000

If you are installing Christmas lights, consider purchasing more energy efficient Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
They have an average life span of 100,000 hours (vs. 1,500) and reduce energy consumption by up to 80-90%.

Tip # 21 - Night stroll to scare the phantoms

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:06:00 +0000

A major energy waster is the"Phantom Load".

Phantom load is referred to the power consumed by any device while it is switched off or kept on standby.
Many domestic appliances consume power when they are nominally off. Stereos, Computer Screens and television sets are examples. The phantom load can be caused by miniature transformers that convert AC electricity into DC electricity and is also caused by devices which feature small LEDs or other indicators that they still have power; these indicators obviously use power themselves.

A great way to reduce the phantom load is to close the lights right before you go to sleep or leave the office and check for any LED lights or sounds of active appliances. By doing that night stroll you make sure that your home appliances such as your printer, speakers and DVD player are also having a good night sleep rather then working quietly on enhancing your electricity bills.

Sounds exagerated? If you left your printer on standby before getting a good night sleep she would work unnecesserily for 6-8 hours. Same goes for your radio, stereo, computer, computer screen, TV, VCR, DVD and list goes on...

Tip # 20 - Clean the filters

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Cleaning the air ducts and filters of the airconditioning units in your home, office and car will reduce the energy consumption and save you money for gas an electricity.

Cleaning the filters at home and in the car twice a year will reduce around 200 lbs of CO2 emissions.

Tip # 19 - Change your light bulbs

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:46:00 +0000

Changing your incandescence bulbs at home or at office to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs can reduce up to two thirds of your lighting costs at home.

The CFL bulbs last about 10 times longer then incandescence bulbs and also help you reduce waste.

Just to give you some statistics - if every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Read more about CFL Bulbs in the Energy Star Website.

Tip # 18 - Pressure Cook

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:49:00 +0000

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking in a sealed vessel that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. Because water's boiling point increases as the pressure increases, the pressure built up inside the cooker allows the liquid in the pot to rise to a temperature higher than 100 °C (212 °F) before boiling.

Using a pressure cooker means considerable savings of fuel bills and, being energy efficient, you also save on fossils fuels either directly or indirectly.
Pressure cookers are more hygienic compared to open cooking in a pot or utensil. The food is cooked above the boiling point of water, killing more germs.

Pressure cookers can be used to prepare a wide variety of different recipes, covering most cooking styles and foods.
Using such cookers allows higher quality cooking at high altitudes as well as used on board boats and other moving vehicles.

Kitchen is kept cleaner because, compared to traditional, open boiling, almost no steam and oils escape to the atmosphere to end up deposited on the walls.
Due to the tight lid it can be .

Tip # 17 - No More Junk Mail

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:04:00 +0000

REMOVE YOURSELF FROM JUNK MAIL LISTS

by Deborah Mitchell - Senior Editor, Environmental Protection

Junk mail is more than a nuisance: unsolicited mail has a tremendous negative impact on the environment. At least 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail, and 28 billion gallons of water are used to produce the paper. All of these resources are wasted to produce items many people don't even look at: about half of all junk mail is thrown out unopened or unread, and the rate of response to junk mail is less than 2 percent. The result is that more than 4 million tons of paper is wasted every year, according to the Native Forest Network (now known as the WildWest Institute).

Junk mail also has a direct negative economic impact as well. An estimated $320 million of local taxes are used to dispose of junk mail annually, and transportation of junk mail costs about $550 million per year, not to mention the air pollution generated during transport.

You can fight back. Read on to learn about effective ways to reduce and even eliminate junk mail in 15 minutes or less!

Register to have your name removed from mailing lists. There are two main resources you can access to accomplish this. One is a free service called the National Do Not Mail List, offered by DirectMail.com, which makes the list available to mailing list owners and users for one reason only: so they can remove (or add) your name to their lists based on your stated preferences.

When you complete the online National Do Not Mail List form, you can indicate if there are any types of mailings you would like to receive (a list is provided). You can choose as many or as few or none as you want. DirectMail.com will contact you every six months via e-mail so you can review and update your preferences. The second service is the Mail Preference Service, which historically was free but which now charges $1. You can register online or by regular mail. Your request is good for five years, and you cannot state preferences. (Note: Neither DirectMail.com nor the Mail Preference Service can guarantee that your name will be removed from ALL mailing lists on which you appear. Therefore you may want to try some of the suggestions stated below as well.)

When you order something from a catalog, your name and address is likely given to Abacus, an alliance of mostly catalog and publishing companies. To have your information removed from Abacus, contact them with your name (including any middle initial), current address, and previous address if you moved recently. Abacus can be reached either via e-mail (optout@abacus-us.com) or by mail: Abacus, Inc., PO Box 1478, Broomfield CO 80038.

To stop sexually oriented advertising, contact your local post office and ask for Form 2150 to stop mail from a particular company, or Form 1500.

Whenever you subscribe to a magazine, join a group, or make a donation and supply them with your name and address, ask that they not rent your name to other companies. Your request may be ignored, so it is best to contact them a few weeks later and make the request again.

To be removed from the mailing list of major sweepstakes mailers, contact the following: Publishers Clearinghouse, by phone: (800-645-9242) or by mail: Consumer & Privacy Affairs, Publishers Clearinghouse, 382 Channel Drive, Port Washington NY 11050; or by e-mail: privacychoices@pchmail.com. And Readers Digest Sweepstakes, phone (800-310-6261) or by mail: Reader's Digest, PO Box 50005, Prescott AZ 86301-5005.

Contact your banks and credit card companies and tell them not to release your name, address, social security number, e-mail address, or phone number to anyone for any type of marketing or promotional reasons.

If you move, do not fill out the permanent change of address (COA) form supplied by the post office. Permanent COA information is provided to third parties. Instead, complete the temporary (10 month) form and notify companies and others on your own. Address changes can be done easily by completing the change of address form found on the back of bills.

Don't mark your junk mail "return to sender" or return it in the postage-paid envelop and request to be removed from their mailing list. The fact that you responded, even in a negative way (and expect your request to be ignored), usually means your name and address will be used again by the company that purchased it. Instead, contact the company that mailed the items to you and ask to be removed from their list. If there is no phone number on the junk mail, you may find the company on the Internet. If no phone number is supplied, make your request via e-mail.

To eliminate handbills from being left in your door, put up a "no handbills" or "no soliciting" sign on your door.

To eliminate extra or redundant telephone books, contact the producer of the book (should be listed inside the front of the book) and ask to be removed from their list.

For catalogs that "slip through" and continue to be delivered even after you have contacted MPS and Abacus, here's an easy plan:

Choose a convenient place to collect your catalogs, such as in a basket next to the phone .

Whenever you have a spare few moments, select one or more catalogs, call the toll-free customer service number listed (usually on or near the order form), and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

Place the catalog in your recycle bin!

An optional fourth step is to help an elderly friend or neighbor reduce his or her junk mail by offering to do the same service for them.

For more information on how to eliminate junk mail and similar unwanted printed materials, visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Tip # 16 - Shape Up - Hike to Clean

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:33:00 +0000

Instead of using gym machines for cardiovascular exercise, walk with a backpack and pick up any recyclable materials you find for your blue-box at home.

It's great exercise (the Israelis found walking with a weightload to be the best cardio activity during tests in the '70s), and you can help decrease pollution and increase available recycled material for manufacturing at the same time!

You can also collect discarded plastic bags (sea creatures often mistake such bags for food, and die of a resulting gastric blockage) and those notorious 6-pack rings

Tip # 15 - Reduce packaging - Buy in Bulk

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:18:00 +0000

If your grocery store has a bulk section, consider using it.
It's a lot cheaper and you're considerably reducing the packaging.
Once you get your loot home, air tight, glass Fido jars are a great way to store your stuff.

Please remember that this tip refers to things you need. There's no point in buying things that will rot or decay in bulk. Be a wise consumer.

Tip # 14 - Be an Eco-Tourist - Travel Responsibly

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:01:00 +0000

Wherever you are traveling, please keep in mind that you have an impact on the environments you travel through.

Please refrain from feeding animals for the following reasons:

Wildlife can be susceptible to human diseases. They can actually die from bacteria transferred from you, which have no ill effect on humans.
Irregular feeding leads to an aggressive behavior towards humans and other species.
When we feed an animal, we are actually affecting its` natural diet. Fruits, especially those containing pesticides, can upset their digestive system or cause dental problems that can lead to death.
Feeding creates a dangerous dependency on humans that diminishes the wildlife’s survival capabilities.
Feeding interferes with the wildlife’s natural habits and upsets the balance of their lifestyles.
Contact with humans facilitates poaching and the trade in illegal wildlife and makes them an easy target for hunters.
Please, help us spread the word, be an ecotourist by explaining to your fellow companions.
Please let nature take its own course!

Tip # 13 - Don't let so much water go down the toilet

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:02:00 +0000

About 40 percent of the water you use in your home gets flushed down the toilet. That amounts to more than 4 billion gallons of water each day in the U.S.A alone.

The U.S. law (Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999) now mandates that all new toilets installed for residential use be minimal-flush toilets using around 4.5 liters.

Conventional toilets generally use 3.5 to 5 gallons (sometimes more) of water per flush, while low-flush toilets use 1.6 gallons of water or less. If you're not building a new home, you can still benefit by installing one of these toilets.

Still have an old toilet? You can save more than 1 gallon of water per flush with a displacement device -- a brick or plastic milk jug filled with water or pebbles placed in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.

Read more about it

Tip # 12 - Watch The Flow - Install Aerators

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:06:00 +0000

Installing water-saving aerators on your faucets is incredibly easy and with them you can save around 25 to 40 percent on the hot and cold water running out of each faucet you aerate.

How does it work? Aerators restrict the flow of water, compressing it into a higher-pressure discharge than regular faucets. They also introduce air bubbles into the water, making it feel like there is a larger water flow. They reduce water flow by about 50 percent or more.

Periodically clean out the screen and flow restrictor in your aerator. The more gunk in your pipes, the more often you will need to clean the aerator. Try a toothpick on the stubborn grit in the flow restrictor.

Aerators are one of those things your water department may be giving away to get its customers to conserve water. So not only are aerators easy to install, they may be free, too.

Tip # 11 - Drive a car? Check your tires more often

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:35:00 +0000

Have your wheels aligned and keep your tires properly inflated.

Low tire pressure wastes over two million gallons of gasoline in the United States every day.

For every pound of pressure below recommended levels, fuel economy drops 1 percent.

Keeping your tires properly inflated means saving about a tank of gas a year.

Tip # 10 - Heat Wisely

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:39:00 +0000

Turn your central heating thermostat down to between 18°C and 22°C.

Turning it down by 1 degree can save as much as 10% from fuel or electricity bills.

Tip # 9 - Cloth Diapers instead of Disposable ones

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:53:00 +0000

In today's world Cloth diapers have almost become extinct.

Meanwhile our landfills are gaushing with disposable plastic diapers that will take a millenia to decompose.

Moving back to Cloth Diapers will be healthier for the baby, will prevent enormous amounts of waste and save us from drowning in plastic and poo.

Tip # 8 - Click to donate

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:45:00 +0000

The internet has become a great tool to make a difference in the world.

Charity websites have learned to use the power of this mass media to collect fees from advertisers in their website.

The money gathered is used to fight hunger, poverty and diseases, and promote health, education and development in developing countries as well as environmental issues worldwide.
So now you can make a real difference while surfing the net.

All you have to do is click and you'll do your own small part in making the world a better place.

To see a thorough list of Click to Donate Links:

http://thenonprofits.com

Tip # 7 - Reuse and Reduce Plastic Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:30:00 +0000

Plastic bags thrown away take thousands of years to be exhausted.
Not only that, plastic bags are light in weight, they easily fly and land in oceans and strangle marine life who believe them to be jellyfish.

The solution is simple - reuse and reduce.
Bring the old bags to the supermarket rather then take new ones.
If we use every bag we get at least one more time, we'd already reduce plastic bags' waste by 50%!

Tip # 6 - Paper to Cloth

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:12:00 +0000

Paper towels and napkins create alot of waste and pollution.

Reduce the use of such products by using cloth napkins and cloth towels.
These can be washed and cleaned rather then be thrown away after one use.

Tip # 5 - Drive A hybrid car

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:05:00 +0000

If you have to drive, at least drive hybrid.

Hybrids are cars that run off a rechargeable battery and gasoline, rather than just gasoline.

Hybrid batteries help to reduce fuel emissions because the hybrid engine draws on the battery and not gasoline when accelerating. Hybrid gasoline motors can shut off when the car is stopped and run off their electricity.

Learn more about hybrid cars

Tip # 4 - Walk or Cycle instead of drive

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:11:00 +0000

Walking or Cycling instead of riding the bus/driving a car is healthier and decreases CO2 Emissions.
It often saves you money for fuel, parking and traveling fares and you can enjoy the view and actually talk to people on your way.

Tip # 3 - Freecycle

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:03:00 +0000

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe.

It's a grassroots, nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of the local Freecycle group.
Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.

More information: http://www.freecycle.org/

Tip # 2 - Put recycling bins in your work place!

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:45:00 +0000

This tip can be manipulated depending on the size of the office.

Large office can make contracts with recycling plant to come and collect recycables.

Smaller offices can team with similar offices or make a chore list that each time someone takes the recycables to a recycling point.

The bonus is that this is a collective action of the office staff. Eveyone has one more thing in common - recycling.

Tip # 1 - Plant A Tree Annually

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:54:00 +0000

Every year plant at least one tree.

Trees and green vegetation absorb CO2 from the air and produce oxygen. They give us clean air to breath and reduce the greenhouse gasses that effect climate change.

Native trees are always better then non-native, and will adapt better to your living emviroment.

This action could become a family holiday celebrated once a year or be correlated with different annual events.

1001 Green Tips for a better life - The Begining

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Van Rose) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:26:00 +0000

The tips that will be posted in this Blog have been gathered from all around the world and the cyberspace from many people and places.

The goal was and still is to create a list of 1001 everyday tips that can change our life, our enviroment and our world.

Feel free to comment on the tips and to email me new ideas.

A good think tank for more ideas can be found at The 1001 Everyday Life Tips for a Better World Group at the Care2 Network.

Please enjoy and live well.