EcoFlip Green Classifieds Blog :: Think Globally, TRADE Locally

Tokyo: Not so Green?

2008-05-20T08:07:18-07:00

"Japan may be at the cutting edge of green technologies, but its capital has the least environmentally conscious residents of eight of the world's richest cities, a poll showed.

More than four in 10 Tokyo residents -- 41.6 percent -- said they "don't want to sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming," according to the poll results published recently by Japanese advertising agency Hakuhodo.

The percentage was the highest among the residents of Tokyo, New York, Paris, London, Milan, Moscow, Toronto and Frankfurt, and well above the average of 29.7 percent, according to the survey of 2,600 people.

Parisians and Milanese were the happiest to change their lifestyles to save the planet, it said.

Tokyo residents scored the lowest among respondents from the eight cities who said they were "having a lifestyle that takes into consideration the environment," Hakuhodo said.

They also ranked the lowest among respondents who said that "an eco-friendly lifestyle is comfortable."

In a list of 27 daily activities considered to counter global warming, from taking only short showers to participating in tree-planting activities, Tokyo residents only scored above average for five of them.

In particular, Tokyo dwellers came last when it comes to studying about global warming or preserving the environment.

They also ranked lowest when it comes to buying eco-friendly products and scored below average for using clean energy, biomass, solar or wind energy.

However, the poll showed that nearly 90 percent of Tokyo residents feel threatened by global warming. They also came tops in responding that "environmental protection is more important than economic growth."

Tokyo residents "have the dilemma of not wanting to give up a convenient lifestyle that they've had for years," Hakuhodo said."

-EcoFlip.org Staff

Green Home Remedies

2008-05-18T14:09:54-07:00

Eco-friendly House

It doesn�??t have to cost the earth (pardon the pun) to make your household greener you know. I mean, all the energy saving advice means that you get the added bonus of saving pennies too.

How many different products do you have for all the cleaning jobs around the house I wonder? Different bottles of stuff for floors, surfaces, kitchen sink, bathroom sink, glass, mirrors.. and so on. And they�??re generally not cheap, and if they are they�??re generally a watered down version of the pricey product!

Well, for generations households have been cleaned with good old fashioned products that are bio degradable and non-toxic, and that contain no bleach or other nasties that can be harmful to the environment as well as your family and pets. And we all thought eco friendly was a new fangled thing!

Just a few of these old fashioned products can pretty much cover all your cleaning chores.

White Vinegar for your glass, mirrors, chrome, surfaces, limescale and stains.

Bicarbonate of Soda is a great degreaser and deodoriser and it can help keep drains clear and odour free.

Soda Crystals dissolve grease and grime. They�??re great for paintwork or UPVC, tiles, floors, loos, drains, ovens, cleaning washing machines, dish washers, BBQ�??s.. oh just about everything (they are my favourite!).

Just these 3 products can do pretty much everything, and they are inexpensive and easy to use.

You don�??t need to spend a fortune to make your home environment greener and safer.

Top Fuel-Efficient Cars

2008-05-16T23:39:53-07:00

Yahoo!

"Those worried about ballooning gas prices can whittle their weight, keep their tires properly inflated and avoid long idles. Or they can head to a Toyota dealer and ask about the Yaris.

The $11,350 subcompact is the most fuel efficient in its class, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It gets 29 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. Drivers paying $3.51 a gallon can expect to pony up $1,648 a year if driving 15,000 miles.

2008 MINI Cooper HardtopThose worried about ballooning gas prices can whittle their weight, keep their tires properly inflated and avoid long idles. Or they can head to a Toyota dealer and ask about the Yaris.

Other wallet-friendly vehicles include the Honda's Civic Hybrid ($1,253 a year), the MINI Cooper ($1,751 a year) and the smart fortwo convertible ($1,555 a year). Small cars like these have scored big among buyers looking for a way to control rising gas prices; over the last year, the average cost of a gallon has risen more than 60 cents.

Thursday, automakers reported higher sales of small cars. Sales of the Ford Focus, for example, increased 32% last month and made up a third of Ford's passenger car sales. Overall vehicle sales, however, have plunged. Chrysler reported a 29% drop, General Motors 23% and Ford 19%. Toyota's sales fell 4.5%, and Honda's and Nissan's both dropped 2%. But small cars aren't the only options available to cost-conscious drivers.

Wallet-Friendly Wheels
Those unable to give up their need for speed might steer toward the Audi TT Coupe. The four-cylinder, two-liter sports car takes only premium gas but will set you back only $2,154 a year, according to the EPA's measures.

Growing families have a couple options. The Volkswagen Passat Wagon gets 21 mpg in the city, and 29 on the highway. That will cost parents $2,333 a year. The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV gets an enviable 34/30 mpg city/highway for a $1,648 yearly outlay. While hybrids like the Ford Escape are good options for some, experts say an analysis of your actual driving needs is the best way to maximize your fuel economy.

"If your commute includes a lot of highway driving, then a car with a manual transmission or diesel engine is much better than a hybrid," says David Champion, director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Division. But "if you commute through heavy traffic, then go with a hybrid."

What's more, not all hybrids and high-mileage vehicles are going to be worth the savings in fuel. A hybrid SUV might save buyers as much as 25% in gas, but those savings are likely to be eclipsed by a massive price difference over comparably priced SUVs. The Ford Escape is a fairly affordable SUV at $19,140, but the hybrid version costs an additional $7,000.

The same principle also applies to traditional cars. Toyota's wildly popular Corolla gets a solid 32 average mpg compared with Chevy's Cobalt, which only gets 25. Over the course of a year, the average fuel savings for a Corolla is $525, but the Cobalt can cost up to $4,000 less for the 2008 model. So unless you plan on keeping the Corolla for eight years, buying on the sole basis of fuel economy doesn't make much sense.

Top Tips:
If you're not ready to buy a new car, fuel efficiency can be increased with a few common-sense measures. Weight from the number of passengers or a cluttered trunk is a major consideration, though it tends to be more important in the city. Too often, aerodynamics play a part since drivers leave roof racks on cars lose as much as six mpg as a result..."

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-EcoFlip.org Staff

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BizzFlip Inc. Plants a Greener Classifieds Community

2008-05-15T12:24:52-07:00

San Francisco - BizzFlip, Inc. recently announced the soft launch of their greenest addition to a growing brand of specialized, community-driven classifieds. EcoFlip.org provides a craigslist-like platform allowing users to create free ads for the buying and recycling of green products, fuel efficient vehicles and eco-supportive services to name a few. It even features an EcoPersonals section for local tree huggers to network and socialize as well as discussion forums supporting green living.

�??There�??s no better time and place to take part in the shift towards a cleaner, greener economy�?? mentions Forrest Kolb, one of EcoFlip's co-Founders and CVO. �??We are very excited to expand our brand of niche classifieds and we understand the value EcoFlip.org brings not only to our eco-conscious users but to Mother Earth herself.�??

Similar to the simple interface and functionality of entrepreneur-centric BizzFlip.com, eco-conscious users create free ads under various posting categories.

On EcoFlip.org, posting categories include:

Green Living
Household Products
Fuel Efficient Vehicles
EcoFriendly Services
Green Travel
Green & Conscious Events
Reuse & Recycle
EcoPersonals

As BizzFlip, Inc.�??s latest addition continues to grow, EcoFlip.org intends on expanding its posting categories based upon user feedback. Forrest concludes, �??we will continue updating our eco-friendly classifieds with categories promising to stimulate greener and cleaner living.�??

About:

EcoFlip.org is exclusively owned and operated by BizzFlip, Inc. which launched entrepreneur-centric BizzFlip.com in 2007. EcoFlip.org features green and eco friendly classifieds via the collaboration of eco-conscious people worldwide.

-EcoFlip.org Staff

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Choosing Green Clothing

2008-05-14T17:45:00-07:00

Treehugger Eco-Tip: Choosing Green Clothing:

"A while ago we had a comment suggesting £90 ($170 USD) was a significant hit to the wallet/purse for a pair of jeans. Even if they were fair-traded, and crafted from organic cotton. The perceived financial cost of going green has been a reoccurring concern we�??ve copped since TreeHugger began. Our response has always been: we cover the modern+green lifestyle, regardless of socio-economic background. We�??ve done stories on dumpster diving through to high-end designer furniture; from certified organic restaurants through take-away pizza onto free food gleaning. From mega-thousand dollar bicycles to those donated to African communities. So if we have been remiss in the clothing department our apologies. Let�??s redress that now, with a discussion on how to choose green apparel (without taking out a mortgage).

1. The greenest garments are those you already own. No more resources are required to get them to you. No more materials extraction, manufacturing, shipping, retailing, etc. Oh, and no cost to you.

2. Actually, strictly speaking, that�??s not true about the cost. To you, or to the environment. For research has shown that the greatest eco-burden from clothes is not in their construction and distribution, but in their use, specifically the laundering thereof. Washing clothing can involve large quantities of water, energy and chemicals of a garments life. Greener threads are those that can be cold washed and line dried. Avoid anything that needs to be dry-cleaned.

3. Assuming your gladrags allow such landering, the next best earth, and wallet friendly aspects of clothing relates to their longevity. At first glance this might appear to suggest you should only buy clothes with reinforced elbows and double knees, and while this is true in many instances, longevity also relates to fashion. Selecting apparel that you�??ll still be wearing in 20 years, even if made from traditional cotton is preferable, to an organic bamboo top in which you'll look like a dag just 5 months hence. Choose classic styles and colours that will not age. I have a jacket over 22 years old, that looks as good as the day I was given it.

4. Longevity similarly applies to the types of materials and components used in a garment. Buttons, for example, look dainty compared to snap-fasteners. but are imminently repairable. Anyone with minimal dexterity can sew on a new button, but replacing snaps is way more involved. Sewing up tears, rips or holes will give treasured wardrobe fillers an even longer life. The repaired Levis shown above are 23 years old. And have many more years still to go, assuming I keep my waistline in check!

5. Let�??s say you really do need to buy new clothes, for whatever reason. What is the best buy? Not new at all, as it turns out. Haunt opportunity shops, Oxfam or thrift stores to find gorgeous preloved clothing. You won�??t be alone. Very little new energy is expended in processing these garments. Reusing someone�??s hand-me-downs is not like having to lump your brother or sister�??s discards. You can choose from an amazing array of styles. There are even boutique stores selling preloved prestige �??labels�?? in evening and formal wear.

Thus far we have looked at the greenest of threads and as good fortune would have it they are also the cheapest too. From here on we do need to delve into the purse a smidge deeper..."

-EcoFlip.org Staff

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The Earth's Cycles

2008-05-13T23:29:53-07:00

Ecotourism Blog

"We hear so much about global warming, yet are often left wondering, as to what can we do to help keep the earth cool?

Pollution is not just a problem for the environment but also for our health. Today a major issue is transport, our roads are already over-burdened and an expanding population will increase this pressure unless we encourage sensible alternatives to car-use.

Where possible why not walk or cycle short journeys? Walking and cycling are excellent exercise and leaving the car at home means improving your own health and cutting down on the pollutants that damage the health of others and the environment.

Financial benefits:

We all know that the costs of petrol and public transport continue to rise, and what else can be the better option than a bike which can help save money. With government tax incentives to encourage more people to commute on two wheels, it�??s not even very expensive to get yourself started.

The biggest savings from cycling are made naturally, by making more journeys on your bike and fewer in your car. The benefit of bike is that its parking costs nothing, while parking a car can be very costly in the larger cities.

You have to pay a lot as car tax and MOTs, service charges for older cars can also be incredibly costly. A worn-out clutch or a new exhaust can easily set you back many hundreds of pounds in one visit to the garage.

A reliable car will set you back several thousand pounds, while a good bike costs only a few hundred. So, why not ditch your car altogether?

Health benefits:

Cycling for transportation not only offers a solution to environmental health by reducing pollution but it also provides a key to better personal health by increasing physical activity.

Another advantage of cycling to work is that it allows you to combine your journey with an exercise routine. As well as the time this can save you, it can also save you large amount which you spend as gym fees.

Regular cyclists are much fitter than the average person and less likely to fall ill. This can save you money on medical bills and can mean less time off work through sick leave.

Using bikes to commute can also be beneficial in terms of not finding yourself caught up in traffic jams or held up by train or bus delays.

Financial benefits, convenience, environmental-friendliness of cycling, health benefits are sure to make you think of totally swapping the car or the bus for a bike..."

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-EcoFlip.org Staff

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Great Green Parks

2008-05-12T22:34:36-07:00

The Ecopolitan

"New York is inconceivable without Central Park. Vancouver would never be the same without its famous urban forest, Stanley Park. And I can't even imagine my home, Minneapolis, lacking the lakeside parks where I skate and ski in the winter, swim and canoe in the summer, bike and walk all year-round-- all right in the middle of the city.

Let's face it: Urban living would be a lot less pleasant and fun without the great, green spaces created by visionary civic leaders in the 19th century. City parks are an American treasure in the same way as our world-famous national parks.

Thankfully, the vision of creating great parks for the people is being revived in the 21st century. USA Today reports that a new wave of urban parks is now being created, thanks to voters' willingness to approve referendums that fund the purchase of remaining open space in metropolitan areas.

Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; Staten Island, New York; and Irvine, California, are among the places getting major new parks-- all of which will be larger in size than Manhattan's 843-acre Central Park..."

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-EcoFlip.org Staff

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Holism and Ecology by Fritjof Capra

2008-05-07T23:45:15-07:00

Ever since I picked up The Tao of Physics at a used bookstore in Santa Barbara, as a kid, I have enjoyed reading Fritjof Capra's works. Recently, I've been reading a book entitled Belonging to the Universe, which is really a deep and lengthy duologue that took place at Big Sur's Esalen Institute between Capra, David Steindl-Rast, and Thomas Matus throughout the late 80's.

Admittedly out of context, I felt compelled to share one of Capra's many angles in describing Ecology.

"...An ecological worldview is holistic, but it's more than that. It looks not only at something as a whole but also at how this whole is embedded into larger wholes. This is especially important when you study living systems-living organisms, ecosystems, and so on-but it can be applied also to nonliving things. The ecological view of a bicycle, for example, would imply seeing it as a whole-the functional interrelatedness of all its parts-and also asking, where does the rubber for the tires come from? Where does the metal come from? What is the effect on the environment of riding a bicycle? And so on. It embeds the whole into larger wholes.

That is a very important difference, and because this is so important to the new paradigm, I prefer to call it ecological."

-EcoFlip.org Staff

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Paper Nor Plastic!

2008-05-06T22:31:23-07:00

Green Energy News

"PAPER OR PLASTIC? CHOOSE NEITHER.

Sure, bringing your own bags to the supermarket doesn�??t sound like something that will save the planet. The effort by itself it won�??t. Still it�??s an important gesture that would become a habit that could resonate into other ways to cut waste and pollution like driving less and turning out the lights when you leave a room.

We�??re all subjects of our own bad habits that are often hard to break, like accepting plastic or paper bags at the check-out counter. When the clerk says, �??Paper or Plastic?�?? we should say �??Neither. Use my bags.�??

Though they do save energy because they�??re easy to ship in large quantities, plastic shopping bags last forever in the environment and are killers of unsuspecting wildlife. According to Load My Groceries roughly 100,000 members of the wildlife community suffocate, are strangled or are poisoned by plastic bags each year. Plastic bags are recyclable of course, (and can be made into fuel), when there is a recycling program available. But how many actually get recycled? Something like one percent a year.

Paper bags are recyclable, as well, and are biodegradable. But it�??s incredible that we actually cut down carbon-storing oxygen-giving trees to make something that is for the most part tossed away. Globally 14 million trees are cut down each year to make paper bags. Considering the problems related to the fossil energy consumed to make paper bags, we are trashing the planet to make more trash.

The only way to dramatically cut down the waste and pollution associated with plastic and paper bags to is not bring them home from the store. Break the habit, as it were.

There�??s a movement afoot by some retailers to encourage people to refuse shopping bags at check out and use their own. Stores of all kinds are selling fabric bags that can be used forever. Occasionally stores are having cloth bag giveaways or offering coupons for discounted bags.

Load My Groceries has more ideas to make using reusable bags a new habit. Keep lots of them around in conspicuous places �?? like in your car, by your front door, in the garage. Make them colorful so you can easily spot them. And, get your children involved in using them. Good habits once learned at an early age are not forgotten.

As a way to get school aged children involved, Load My Groceries has developed a fundraising program geared for elementary schools. The company is offering its retail packages of 10 colorful, tough, washable, stitched polypropylene bags at a 25 percent discount to registered schools. School children can sell each pack of bags at full retail price ($38) and keep $10 from each sale. Load My Groceries provides promotional and instructional material to help the school�??s program.

It wasn�??t too many decades ago when there were NO plastic bags on the planet. Now in the US alone nearly 88 billion are used every year. Globally all the bags used each year tied end to end would wrap around the earth 760 times, according to the company..."

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-EcoFlip.org Staff

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YouTube Non-Profits

2008-05-05T17:05:51-07:00

Green Marketing 2.0

"Last week�??s Net Tuesday in San Francisco featured Maryrose Dunton, the Head of User Experience at YouTube, who spoke about YouTube�??s Nonprofit Program.The YouTube Nonprofit Program, is an in-kind donation by YouTube to the nonprofit sector that�??s worth about $20 million.

Currently available to established 501(c)(3)s, YouTube offers participating nonprofits:

A premium branded channel - some environmental nonprofits that have done a good job with this include Friends of the Earth and Defenders of Wildlife. The ability to upload videos of any length. Currently the limit on video length is 10 minutes.

Rotation into the �??Promoted Videos�?? section on YouTube�??s homepage.
Listing in the Nonprofit Channels and Nonprofit Video areas
The ability to collect donations using Google Checkout (with no processing fee).
The option to participate in the user partner program, which allows you to show partner ads on video - and share the ad revenue.

However, there is currently no way to filter ads, which may not work for some organizations.

YouTube has 30 million visitors daily and over 100 million videos are viewed each day. By connecting nonprofits to the world�??s largest online video community, the YouTube Nonprofit program will allow these organizations tap into a significant pool of potential small donors. While large nonprofits are able to receive 10-15% of donations from online fundraising, smaller organizations have the most difficulty establishing a web presence. By offering a dedicated channel on YouTube, YouTube�??s Nonprofit Program hopes to empower smaller organizations to significantly expand their reach. Now its just the matter of these, often, short-staffed nonprofits finding the manpower to manage their YouTube presence..."

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-EcoFlip.org Staff

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