Be EGOlogical

Unnecessary Digital Clock

2014-01-06T18:52:00.002-08:00

Out of the 1,440 minutes in a day, how many of those minutes are used to actually warm up food in your microwave? Let’s pretend that maybe you cook a quick bowl of oatmeal in the morning for 3 minutes and another 3 minutes later that night to warm up some leftovers sitting in the fridge for dinner? That’s a total of 6 minutes out of 1,440 minutes, or about 0.004% of the day.

Now that we have noticed how little the microwave is used everyday, why do we keep it plugged in? The answer to that would be, for the extremely convenient digital clock that we quickly check the time as we are running late after sleeping in an extra fifteen minutes that morning or when we wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning for a midnight snack… This digital clock on your microwave may be convenient, but do we really need it?

Try keeping your microwave unplugged until you need to use it for that 0.004% of the day. It may be difficult to remember to keep unplugging your microwave after you use it, so try putting a note above the plug as a friendly reminder. This will reduce your energy consumption as well as reduce your energy bills. It may not seem like a lot to just simply unplug your microwave, but in one year you will prevent over half a million minutes of energy to be consumed by your little microwave.

Lid vs. No Lid

2013-01-20T17:27:00.002-08:00

Time... We all wish we could have a little more of it in our busy lives especially when it comes to cooking a quick meal. With a full schedule, a satisfying meal could be as simple as making a pasta dish. Packaged uncooked pasta takes about 10 minutes to cook, however what takes the longest is boiling the water. One way to speed up the process is to boil the pot of water with the lid on. This will trap the heat in the pot instead of releasing it into the air. Therefore, the water in the pot will be heated more and come to a boil much quicker.

This is beneficial because, not only are you saving time boiling the pot of water, you are saving the extra electricity or gas you would have used if the lid was not on the pot. This will save you money since you will not be using and paying for an unused amount of energy. This will also help the environment because fewer energy resources were produced and consumed, which will reduce its environmental damage.

How to have a Green...er Holiday Party

2012-12-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well folks, another year… another holiday season! As we plan our parties with friends and gatherings with family, we begin to realize… “My goodness this is a lot of work!” On top of the usual holiday stressors of determining the number of guests entering your humble abode or deciding on that perfect menu to “WOW!” your guests, figuring out how to “green” your holiday party is typically not on the top of your list. That’s where Be EGOlogical comes in.

There are a variety of ways your holiday party can reduce its environmental impact that can cause you to go extremely out of your way, potentially remove your guests from their comfort zone, and become costly. Hosting a holiday party is difficult to run and maintain with little, or zero impact. Therefore, it is all about the small steps you can take that add up to a fabulous, yet green…er holiday party.

Try the following Be EGOlogical tips to having a “green…er” holiday party:

Food
Keep track of who has RSVP’d to your party so you can prepare just the right amount of food. Having too little could be disastrous and having too much would be a waste of Earth’s natural fuel.

Heating
As your guests arrive, turn down the thermostat and let your guests’ body heat naturally warm the room. This will reduce your electric and/or gas bill.

Drinks
There are two necessities for your holiday party that you cannot forget: 1) A permanent marker, and 2) Wine charms. Wherever drinks are being served, ask guests to write their names on their disposable cup with the permanent marker and use wine charms on wine/champagne glasses. This will eliminate the use of extra cups or washing extra glasses because a guest forgets where they set their drink and need a new one.

Decorations
Reuse holiday decorations from previous years. It is an extra cost of time and money to buy new decorations for this year’s holiday party. That way you won’t have to worry about buying new items that will most likely sit in house for years and eventually end up in a landfill. Since many new holiday decorations are made of plastic and metal, it would take thousands of years for an inflatable snowman to decompose.

Poinsettia Decorations

Avoid buying poinsettia plants. The American culture associates poinsettia plants with the holiday season and are often used as decorations or given as gifts. Each holiday season millions of poinsettia plants are purchased and are thrown away. This uses up a large amount of resources to grow, package, and transport the plants to the consumer, who will throw it out when the holidays are over. You will save money and resources by not buying them as decorations and/or gifts this holiday season.

Hope your holiday party will now be green…er than it would have originally been. Just keep in mind that every little effort counts and adds up to one big change! Wishing you a happy holiday season and a Green…er New Year!

Say NO to Bagged Salads

2012-11-04T21:53:00.001-08:00

In today’s modern society, people tend to live exceptionally busy lifestyles. Innovations in technology have found ways to make everyday tasks more convenient and save some precious time. One of those innovations was invention of pre-packaged bagged salads.

Bagged salads contain chopped lettuce leaves that are washed in chlorine. In order to keep the leaves fresh, they are packaged in an airtight plastic bag. These processes cause the leaves to lose their antioxidant nutrients and also cause a need for excess energy. The amount of energy used to manufacture bagged salads causes pollution during energy production and consumption, therefore polluting the environment and accelerating climate change.

Instead of grabbing a pre-packaged bagged salad at the grocery store, buy fresh lettuce heads and create a unique salad of your own. Yes, it may take you a few extra minutes… but the rewards are worth it. You are obtaining more nutrients, saving money since lettuce heads a significantly cheaper than bagged salads, and saving the environment all at the same time!

Green Cleaning

2012-07-13T18:09:00.004-07:00

It happens quite often throughout your home; juice spills on the kitchen counter, bathroom gunk build up, bacon grease stuck on the stove … Surfaces are difficult to keep clean and are often subject to being cleaned off using various disinfectant products. Many disinfectant products are made of toxic chemicals that are hazardous to our health and the environment. Sprays can harm our respiratory health and pollute the air and other cleaners can seep into our groundwater causing harm to the local environment.

There are alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and save you some money. Vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are cheap alternatives and are extremely effective cleaners. You can also try different lines of green cleaners sold in the store right near the “normal” cleaning products that are usually the same or cheaper in price. One line of green cleaning product is JAWS. JAWS stands for “Just Add Water System” and what makes these cleaners so special is that they are non-toxic, come in an empty spray bottle, and are reusable. The empty spray bottle can be reused once the JAWS cleaner is used up by simply buying a cartridge refill and refilling the bottle with water. This reduces the amount of plastic being produced and thrown away into the landfills and as well as reduce the amount of CO2 emitted during the production and transportation of more product. It will also prevent you from spending excess money on more cleaners, when you can cheaply and conveniently refill the JAWS cleaners. Visit jawscleans.com to learn more about where or how you can try JAWS. Who knew cleaning that bacon grease off your stove could be so EGOlogical?

Cool Down

2012-06-03T14:33:00.002-07:00

When cooking large hot meals, it can often lead to having left overs for another time. After consuming your hot meal before storing it, make sure you stay away from using plastic bags and keep food fresh in reusable containers. In order to keep your food fresh for longer periods of time, food must be stored in the refrigerator. However, don’t put your hot food container in the refrigerator right away. Let it cool down outside the refrigerator first, and then proceed to placing it inside. Above is a picture of the spaghetti and meat sauce I cooked last night that I let cool for a couple hours before storing it in the refrigerator.

Whether you have 20 minutes to let it cool before you have to run somewhere else or a couple hours until you go to bed, letting your food cool prior to refrigeration will prevent your refrigerator’s inside temperature from heating up. This will reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator consumes in order to keep a constant cool heat. Saving energy will reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted during the production on the energy’s source and will also save you money on your electric bills.

Empty vs Full Freezer

2012-05-18T18:09:00.002-07:00

Your refrigerator and freezer take up about seven to nine percent of your energy bill. There are many ways to reduce the amount of energy used to keep your freezer cool by simply reducing the amount of warm air that enters. When warm air enters a fridge or freezer space, the fridge/freezer’s natural instinct is to get it back to how cold it was prior to the door being open. Therefore, it will use more energy to cool the air inside.

Previous Be EGOlogical tip: “Hunger + ? = Bad” recommended avoiding leaving the fridge/freezer door open for a long time to reduce the amount of warm air entering. Another way to save money on the energy costs of your fridge/freezer is to keep your freezer stocked at all times. It takes more energy to cool down empty air space because when your freezer is full, there is less room for warm air to enter. Therefore less energy will be used to cool down your freezer.

If your freezer is not full of food, you can fill the empty space with cardboard boxes full of newspaper or frozen water bottles. By keeping your freezer full, your will reduce the amount of energy your fridge/freezer uses and therefore reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during energy production and save some money on your energy bill.

Cold vs Hot Laundry

2012-05-13T15:58:00.002-07:00

How many times have you fiddled with the settings of your washing machine and wondered if you are applying the right settings for each load of laundry? Every washing machine is different and can often times be confusing. Once you set it for the right size and type for the clothing you are washing, another option listed is the water temperature. You might have heard that washing your clothes on warm/hot water will “kill the germs better” or “clean your clothes better,” however this is typically not the case. Most clothes do not need to be cleaned with hot water and can get the job done with cold water.

By reducing the temperature of water used, you reduce the amount of energy used to wash that load. This will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during energy production and consumption and will also save you money on your energy bill. Another added bonus is that your clothes will last longer, therefore reducing your clothing consumption rates. So next time you are about to run a load of laundry, make sure your water temperature is set to “Cold” to save energy, the environment, and money!

Spring Cleaning

2012-04-29T14:05:00.003-07:00

As the school year is coming to an end, college students often find themselves with a lot of items they need to get rid of. Whether they are moving away permanently, for the summer, or simply want to do some spring cleaning, getting rid of items can be a hassle. From couches to mini fridges to extra pens and binders, these are all items that can be reused and do not need to be thrown away and sit in landfills. One option is to sell things on ebay or craigslist, however those can be a hassle and time consuming. Another option is to use a network called Freecycle.

The Freecycle Network is a grassroots nonprofit movement to encourage people to give things away and prevent them from ending up in landfills. Membership is free and all you do is go to freecycle.org, sign up, find your community, and join your local efforts. When you have something or a bundle of items to get rid of, list your items and if members in your community want them, they will contact you for pick up. This is an easy and convenient method of cleaning out your dorm, house, or apartment. The Freecycle Network can also work the other way when you may need an item that someone in your community is getting rid of.

By using the Freecycle Network, you will reduce the amount of resources extracted to produce new things as well as reduce the amount of pollution created during the production and transportation of those items. Other people can benefit from what is in essence, your garbage. You will also save money, since all items are free. And who doesn’t love free stuff? Visit freecycle.org to find out more information and sign up!

A New Way to Park

2012-04-10T10:39:00.002-07:00

In today’s modern society, car usage is vital for many people to go about their daily lives. Unless you walk, ride a bike, or have access to public transportation, you are most likely to drive a car to get around. With rising gas prices, people are looking for ways to reduce their gas consumption.

One way you could do this is to pull all the way forward into a parking space. This EGOlogical tip is very simple and will help reduce the amount of carbon emitted from your car as well as save you money. If there is no parking block in the way, go ahead and pull into the spot in front of it. That way when you are ready to leave, you will just have to pull forward and be on your way instead of having to go in reverse, back up, maybe idle a little because you have to wait for a pedestrian to pass by, and then put your car in drive and drive away.

All those steps may seem small, but they add up to wasting gas and emitting more carbon into the atmosphere than you would be if you took the step to simply pull into the space in front it of. Now I know not ALL parking lots have spaces that would allow you to practice this tip, but if you ever are in a parking lot that does, keep this EGOlogical tip in mind.

Earth Hour 2012

2012-03-31T12:43:00.002-07:00

Have you ever wondered how much energy the world would save if everyone shut off their lights for just one hour? Well, as a matter of fact, this phenomenon is attempted throughout the world one day a year, for just one hour. Earth Hour is an international event where millions of people around the world show their support for climate change action by turning off their lights for one hour. Started in 2007 by WWF Australia, people from over 135 countries pledge to participate in Earth Hour in a community or individual setting. From 8:30 to 9:30 pm, it is a message made and a sight to be seen that each of our actions add up to one big change.

Set your alarms for 8:30 pm tonight (Saturday, March 31st) and turn off your lights for one hour! Here in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Strip and “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign will be shutting off its casino lights during Earth Hour. Your local city and businesses may be participating as well.

For more information about Earth Hour, visit: www.earthour.org

World Water Day 2012

2012-03-22T07:12:00.001-07:00

Happy World Water Day 2012! United Nations put aside this international day to celebrate freshwater and to focus our attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate for sustainable management of freshwater resources. Each year, the UN chooses a focus for World Water Day and 2012’s focus is about water and food security. The importance of your water footprint due to water, food, and clothing production are highlighted by providing the problems and mitigation strategies. Everyday, water is used and polluted to produce the items we consume at an alarming rate. Visit www.unwater.org/worldwaterday to find out more information about World Water Day. On their website are activities and tools that will also help explain the importance of water conservation.

One Be EGOlogical tip previously highlighted about your water footprint is to stop drinking bottled water and drink tap water. Bottled water is literally bottled tap water and companies around the world are drying up natural sources and selling you “clean, pure, tasty, and healthy” water. Bottled water also has many negative impacts due to the production, transportation, and disposal of plastic bottles. The video, The Story of Bottled Water, explains the reasons why bottled water is not good for our health or the environment:

If you want to watch a more detailed documentary about the negative impacts of the bottled water industry, I suggest you watch the documentary, Tapped. (Don't forget the Be EGOlogical tip, Don't Buy, but RENT DVD's). You can watch it on Hulu for free or if you have Netflix it is also on there. Below is the trailer for Tapped:

Another Be EGOlogical tip to reduce your water footprint is to participate in Meat Free Monday. Going vegetarian would be ideal, however for those of us who are not quite ready for this step, giving up meat once a week is definitely a feasible goal. It takes HUGE amounts of water to produce the grain/plants that are used to feed animals, so why not skip the cow and just eat the plants?

Next time you are shopping, try to be aware that whenever you buy an item you are voting. Be conscience of your purchases, because you may be supporting things that are not good for the environment. Spread awareness and take action by doing the little things that all add up to one big change.

Natural Sunlight vs Electric/Gas Dryers

2012-03-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

As we hang up our turtlenecks and coats and say goodbye to Winter, we are giving a warm welcome to Spring’s sunlight and warm temperatures! Increased temperatures send out personal invitations for humans and other species to interact in the warm and friendly outdoors. This increase in heat energy also allows us to utilize the natural energy source for a variety of uses. This EGOlogical tip encourages you to say NO to your electric/gas powered dryer and begin drying your clothes in the sun.

Saying NO to a dryer will reduce the amount of pollution emitted when creating the energy and it will also reduce your gas and electric bills. If you have access to a backyard, set up a clothing line outside to hang up your clothes. If you don’t have access to a backyard, get creative and find places around your home to hang your clothes to dry, such as the shower, balcony, or chairs. By not throwing your clothes in the dryer will also prolong the life of your clothes since they won’t be tossed around in an electric monster. This will prevent you from having to purchase more clothes in the future. You may notice your clothes may not have that fluffy teddy bear soft feeling once hung up and dried, but I guarantee your swag will be perfectly okay and you’ll still be looking freaky fresh.

"Studying" by Dannica

2012-03-06T10:44:00.002-08:00

Don't forget to send a picture of an EGOlogical tip in action to be.EGOlogical@gmail.com

and have it featured on the "Home" page and "Share Your Photos" page!

EGOlogical Tip: "Half vs Full Flashcards"

"Studying" - by Dannica

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax in Theaters Today!

2012-03-02T11:35:00.006-08:00

www.theloraxmovie.com

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! In celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and to kick off Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax has hit movie theaters across the country! The Lorax is a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss in 1971. It portrays the story of the negative effects of environmental degradation in the land of the trufulla trees. A mythical creature named, the Lorax, speaks for the trees against the Once-ler’s selfish actions on the environment. The story sends a powerful message to its readers acknowledging the idea that it is ultimately up to us to save the Earth by fixing environmental damage and preventing further harm. The animated movie version hits theaters TODAY!

Here is The Lorax movie trailer:

Just a little forewarning, there may be some news in the media questioning Universal Studio’s decision to partner with various companies that aren't necessarily the most committed to the environment. For example, the movie has partnered with Mazda to promote a new gasoline powered crossover SUV by bringing a guy in a Lorax suit to schools and donating $1,000 to 21 different schools in 20 cities and an additional $25 for every kid that convince their parent to take a Mazda test drive. Now, doesn’t this just makes you stop and question Universal’s motives? First off, bringing marketing to schools can be controversial and also partnering with Mazda still promotes unnecessary consumption. However, if you look at this from another angle, environmental education is the key to saving the environment. From this program, thousands of kids that did not have any previous environmental education will now leave school with a message to change their own habits and maybe even pass them to their family and friends.

I commend Dr. Seuss’ efforts to spread environmental awareness and to Universal Studies for continuing to spread Dr. Seuss’ message. If you visit the movie website: www.theloraxmovie.com/, you can find out more information such as “Go Green” tips or environmental education games. You can also check out The Lorax Project to learn more about forests in danger just like the Trufulla Tree forest and more tips on what you can do the help the environment. It is up to us to make the decision to think twice about our actions and realize that every small act towards the environment adds up. Like the Once-ler says in The Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Meat Free Monday

2012-02-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Vegetarians… typically you hear how these people do something society thinks is crazy by choosing to give up meat because they want to help the animals, or that it’s better for your health, or to help the environment, or maybe for whatever social and economic goal they are trying to achieve. As an environmentalist, I often get asked if I eat meat and I’m going to be honest, I do. Just a little background of the environmental impact meat has on our Earth from PETA:

It takes sixteen pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat. 70% of the grain we grow for things like cereals ends up being use to feed farmed animals.
Requires eleven times for fossil fuels from the production to the consumption of one calorie of animal protein that one calorie of plant protein.
One pound of meat requires 2,400 gallons of water while one pound of grain only requires 25 gallons.
The fecal byproducts of the animals contaminate groundwater supply and the methane gas also contributes heavily to greenhouse gas emissions.
Thousands of aces in the rainforests are not being chopped down for their trees to make paper, but to clear land to create animal factory farms.
Including the land used to grow the feed crops and land used for grazing, more than 30% of the Earth’s land mass is used to produce meat.
“According to the Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off U.S. roads” - PETA

Wow huh! I typically get an array of responses and I honestly feel like a hypocrite. I have contemplated giving up meat before, but at the end of the day I come to realization that I would be giving up so many things that I love to eat and meat makes me happy. This was my pattern of thought for a while, until my friend suggested we try Meat Free Mondays.

Meat Free Mondays is a campaign started by Paul McCartney with his daughters Stella and Mary. The purpose of Meat Free Mondays is not asking you not to give up meat completely, but to do your part in reducing your environmental impact associated with the meat industry. Not only will this help the Earth, it will help your health by eating more vegetables instead of meat, and it will also save you some money too.

Being EGOlogical isn’t about altering your life completely for environmental change, it’s about the little steps you can do that add up. By participating in Meat Free Mondays and giving up meat simply once a week, you will be greatly reducing your environmental footprint. A few of my friends and I have done Meat Free Mondays for the past two weeks and I must say, it is an extremely rewarding experience. I previously felt that by giving up meat, I would be sacrificing some of my happiness not eating the things I love. However, each Monday I now experience a different kind of happiness from knowing that I did something great for the environment and my health. And that happiness is a whole lot stronger and much more rewarding than any happiness, or maybe I should say, satisfaction, I have or would feel from eating meat.

This experience has been extremely rewarding so far. I find that I am trying a lot more foods that I would have usually ignored too. Maybe one day you will decide to be a full-time vegetarian/vegan. But for now, giving up meat once a week is a great step. If you would like more information about Meat Free Monday, visit www.meatfreemondays.com and find out how this small step can have a huge impact. Good luck!

"Where's the Core?" by Samuel

2012-01-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

Don’t forget to send a picture of an EGOlogical tip in action to be.EGOlogical@gmail.com and have it be featured on the “Home” page and the “Share Your Photos” page!

EGOlogical Tip: "Eat the ENTIRE Apple"

“Where’s the Core?” - by Samuel

Fix Leaky Toilets

2012-01-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

Leaky toilets can cause a lot of problems for the environment and your wallet. When there is a leak in the cistern (the top part of the toilet), drops of water are leaking into the bowl of the toilet, causing the cistern to continuously add more water to make up for what is lost. This causes unnecessary water usage and increases your water bill. Therefore, check to leaking cisterns to avoid this.

According to smarterhomes.org.nz, you can check to see if you have a leaky cistern by adding a few drops of food coloring into the cistern. If the food coloring ends up in the toilet bowl without flushing it, then there is a leak. If the food coloring stays in the cistern, then there is no leak. To fix the leak, you can replace the “underwater valve seating washer,” the rubber piece that keeps water in the cistern, and these are found at most plumbing stores. This will cost you a few dollars, however the cost is a lot less than how high your water bill would be if you didn’t replace it. Visit www.smarterhomes.org.nz to find out more "easy ways to save water" in your home.

Paper Clips vs Staples

2012-01-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Homework and papers are all a part of being a student and when completed, the final task to print them (double sided), and attach them so each page stays together. Most students reach for the stapler to staple their papers together, however do they ever stop to think that that little piece of steel cannot be reused and most likely cannot be recycled? An alternative to stapling papers together is to use a paper clip. Now some may argue that paper clips are made of more metal than a staple, which is true, however paper clips can be reused many times. Typically, homework assignments and term papers are returned to the student so the paper clip can then be reused again.

By eliminating staples and reusing paper clips, you will be reducing the amount of pollution caused in the mining of precious metals and by the production and transportation of the staples. If you invest in paper clips, they will last you a long time therefore saving you some money by not having to buy more staples. Also, staples require a stapling device, which is another cost for the environment and your wallet. You may not think that a tiny staple will hurt the environment, but just keep in mind that every little thing adds up to one big change.

Update: from Be EGOlogical Reader, Richard, "I used this thing called the Lowen staple. You fold the corner of the paper. Then make 2 rips about half a cm apart and fold the little tab over. It holds the papers together and uses neither!"

How To (EGOlogically) Unclog A Drain

2012-01-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

When your sink is clogged, the most common solution to clear it up that people turn to is to pour some expensive toxic chemicals down the drain! Having a clogged sink is a hassle, however pouring chemicals is not the only option. Next time you have a clogged drain, simply pour some baking soda and vinegar down the drain. Let that sit for a few minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain and use the plunger to add some extra power and push all the gunk out. This method will prevent toxic chemicals from entering the sewage, reduce sewage treatment costs, and prevent the chemicals from entering larger bodies of water that could impact aquatic life. Using the baking soda and vinegar technique will cost only a fraction of the price of buying chemicals to fix a clogged drain. Who knew simple kitchen ingredients would save the environment and a little extra money in your wallet?

Alternative Method to Heat Your Home

2012-01-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

During the winter months, heating systems or fireplaces in your home can be costly to run and maintain. It is difficult to avoid using these systems, so the key is to reduce the amount you use them. There are a few ways to go about doing so, including lowering your thermostat at least 2 degrees (you can lower it more if you would like to), putting on a few extra layers of clothing or a blanket while at home, and making sure you turn off your heating systems when you are not home.

Another method you can use to add a little extra heat to your home is to leave your oven open AFTER you used it for cooking or baking. (If you open it constantly while the oven is in use, you will lose about 25% of the heat inside. This makes the oven use more energy to make up for the heat lost when it was opened). The heat now warming your home won’t last forever, but you are utilizing the heat that would have otherwise been trapped in the oven. This could prevent one extra log from entering the fireplace or cause your thermostat to turn off for a bit since it is already warm enough in your home. Therefore, the amount of energy and resources, such as wood, coal, and natural gas, are reduced and you will also be saving some extra money.

What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?

2012-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 marked a great year for Be EGOlogical as it started to change people’s environmental awareness and impact readers from 41 different countries around the world to date! I am extremely thankful for the support from my readers and I am excited to share more EGOlogical tips for 2012.

A new year often calls for new beginnings or more often resolutions/goals we hope to attain throughout the year. Popular New Year's resolutions may include to eat healthier or to spend less money, however it is common for people to lose track of the goal and go back to previous habits. There is another New Year's resolution that most people forget about and if implemented into the things they do everyday, they will succeed. Therefore, your 2012 New Year's resolution can be to reduce your environmental impact. Whether that is to recycle more (or start recycling), print on both sides of the paper, or use a reusable water bottle, there are many ways to help the environment. For some, this may not be easy because typical New Year's resolutions are for personal gain and improvement and let’s face it, helping the environment has “nothing in it for them.” However, they are wrong! By helping the environment, there are many opportunities for a person to learn new ways to appreciate, preserve, and conserve Earth’s natural resources for current and future use as well as save money at the same time.

Be EGOlogical provides many tips for help people accomplish their New Year's resolution and there are many more to come. All it takes is that first step for habits to develop and change to begin. Just remember that every act adds up and you are making a difference. I wish you all the best of luck and may you have a happy, healthy, and EGOlogical New Year!

Newspaper Gift Wrapping

2011-12-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! Gift giving is not the most eco friendly activity since it requires buying new things that we don’t necessarily need. However, around this time of the year it is difficult to avoid due to societal pressures and traditions. Therefore there are some things we can do to reduce your holiday environmental impact such as buying “eco-friendly” products, making labels out of old cut-up holiday cards, or wrapping gifts with newspaper. Watch the video, “8 Eco-Friendly Ways to Wrap Gifts With Newspaper” shown below to learn how you can give an extra flair to something as simple as newspaper. One extra EGOlogical tip to keep in mind, use a small piece of tape to hold the paper together. I guarantee that two inches of tape can be reduced to a centimeter and still hold the paper together and your wrapping will still look beautiful. Good luck and Happy Holidays.

Say NO to Consumerism and Support Buy Nothing Day

2011-11-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

Happy Thanksgiving 2011! Thanksgiving is a time to spend with your family and friends to eat a wonderful meal and give thanks to the Native Americans for helping the early settlers survive in the North American harsh lands. However, Thanksgiving holiday has turned into not only a time to give thanks, but a time to spend a lot of money on stuff. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and is known for being the number one day of the year that has the best deals. People wait in line for hours or even days to snag these deals, but what for? Do we really need to buy a bunch of stuff we don’t really need?

Well, I hope after eating all that turkey you are ready to fall asleep because that is exactly what you should do! Instead of going shopping on Black Friday, say no to consumerism and support Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day is a day to “unshop, unspend, and unwind.” Just relax and do nothing for yourself or the economy for the day. All the ads may say that these are the “lowest prices of the year and you cannot miss out on these steals!” but why give in? By supporting Buy Nothing Day, you will be saving many resources that must be extracted to produce stuff and you will also be saving a lot of money since you won’t be tempted into buying these “amazing deals.” Buy Nothing Day is not about changing your lifestyle for just one day, it’s about making a commitment for one day to hopefully open your eyes to make smarter choices for your future consumption choices. I know this may be hard, so if you can’t ultimately support Buy Nothing Day, then try cutting back on buying only the things you need. This will still save excess resources and some money in your wallet. Visit the Buy Nothing Day website to find out more information.

Say NO to Sunflower Seeds

2011-11-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

When you’re out, a common snack or a way to stay busy is to eat sunflower seeds. Now with sunflower seeds, the only part you eat is the inside and then you’re left with a broken shell covered in your nasty saliva. The shells become very messy and a common way to containing them is by spitting them into an empty water bottle. Whether you’re a baseball player eating seeds in the dugout or eating seeds in a car while on a road trip, avoid spitting the seeds into a bottle. Or you can simply say NO to sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds have little nutritional value, so getting rid of them in your diet will not severely affect you. It may even help you because there is a large amount of salt on the shells of the seeds that provide an excess amount of sodium in your diet. Also, you will be saving money by not buying them. By saying NO to sunflower seeds will reduce the amount of pollution created during the production of sunflower seeds and it will also reduce the amount of waste generated by the shells. When the shells are thrown in empty plastic bottles, they will not be able to decompose for hundreds of thousands of years until the plastic bottle decomposes. This creates a build up in landfills that create a large amount of methane gas. Sunflower seeds are also a hassle to clean up in public areas where they are thrown on the ground and can eventually cost taxpayers a lot to clean up the litter.

I understand that eliminating the consumption of sunflower seeds may be difficult, therefore you can reduce the amount you eat maybe find a reusable brown paper bag to spit them in. That way the shells can biodegrade at a faster rate than if they were spit into a plastic bottle. If you choose to eliminate eating sunflower seeds and you are craving a snack, try eating a healthier alternative that does not create any waste. Ex: Apples (and be sure you eat the ENTIRE apple)