You Can Go Green

Do You Know How Many Cars Are On the Road Worldwide?

2012-02-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Wards Auto, The Information Center for and About the Global Auto Industry, stated back about 5 months ago that the number of cars on the road worldwide finally reached the one billion mark sometime in 2010. That comes out to one car for every seven people on the Earth. When you take into account the number of children and elderly people who do not drive, that is a huge number. Let's break these numbers down just a bit.

In 2010, 35 million extra cars took to the road and China had the biggest increase with 14 million of those. China now has 78 million vehicles making it second to the United States in car ownership. China supplanted Japan for the second spot. That is one car for every 17.2 people in China. Only 5% of the population in China drives so you can imagine how much car ownership may rise in future years. The impact on oil prices will be staggering.

The United States has 239 million cars on the road which means that there is one car for every 1.3 people. If China ever grows to the same extent that the United States has they will have over 1 billion cars in China alone. Scary thought, huh?

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that the number of cars on the road will begin to accelerate, mainly because of China and will reach 2.5 billion cars on the road in the next 38 years.

Go Green Right Now - Take Action

2012-02-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

People are always told that they need to go green. There are thousands of web sites out there that give us the top 10, 25, 50, or even 100 ways to go green. It is really easy to start but where do you start? I have an idea and it is something you can start right this very instant.

One of the most outstanding ways to go green that is really quite easy is to go to your closet and find those clothing items that you do not wear anymore. Bag them up and take them to your local Goodwill store or other thrift type store.

You don't need those clothes anymore but I promise you that someone does. If you want one, you can get a form so that you can deduct your donation on your income tax(if you itemize). Even if you do not do that, you are doing so much good for Planet Earth. You are keeping bulky items out of the landfill, your have become a part of the movement that makes sure that items are not used once and thrown away, and you have just reclaimed more space in your own home.

So, there it is. You do not have an excuse to start the simple step to go green. Get up, go to your closet and clean it out. Someone out there needs your stuff.

Which City Recycles the Most?

2012-02-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

I get this question a lot on searches done within my site. I decided to look into it and answer it here. What city recycles the most? It looks like it is San Francisco, California.

One study conducted by Nalgene, a company that produces green containers, did a study to answer this very question. They questioned almost 4,000 people about their practice and behaviors concerning waste, sustainability, shopping, transportation, etc. The results were weighted to reflect those behaviors that had a more immediate impact on our environment such as driving habits, recycling, etc. Other habits or thoughts that were more of a mindset were weighted less but still important. The surveys were given to 125 people each from the 25 largest cities in the nation. There were 23 questions on wasteful or non-wasteful behaviors.

Below is the actual statement that Nalgene made regarding which city is the least wasteful:

"San Francisco ranked as the least wasteful city in the study for the second year in a row. San Francisco residents ranked the highest in the categories of recycling, using public transportation, using rain barrels, limiting car trips for commutes that are less than one mile from home, using recloseable bags and tinfoil, and participating in their city’s sustainability programs.

More than half (57%) of the city’s residents would give themselves either an “A” or “B” grade for their personal commitment to the environment. In addition, 43% of residents admitted that they felt “extremely concerned about the environment.”

One interesting side note is that Houston, Texas was found to be the most wasteful city.

Popsci.com set out to answer what city is the most green and in their study they found that Portland, Oregon was the greenest and San Francisco came in just behind.

Men's Health did their own survey and placed San Francisco down around 3oth but the sample was very small and not scientific enough to actually find that it is reliable.

I am going to agree with the Nalgene study and then put the Popsci study into the mix and declare that San Francisco is the city that recycles the most.

What is the Cheapest Way to Go Green?

2012-02-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

Going Green is talked about all the time these days. You see it on the news, in articles and on television, especially in commercials. We are implored to go green to save the environment but it might actually be easier said than done. Just as with any subject that gets a huge amount of attention, going green can be somewhat confusing. Some people get into the scientific details about going green and that can be the most confusing part of understanding what going green means. Other people tell you that you must "sell out" and return to a most basic and simple life to go green. Others say you must reduce, reuse, and recycle in order to be green. It can be confusing if you listen to everybody, but it does not have to be.

Going green simply means to follow practices in your daily life that will be easier on the environment. You do not have to get rid of your car and buy and electric one, although it would be nice to buy a hybrid or electric one the next time you are in the market for one. Really, just try to be kinder to the environment when you can.

Here is one benefit to being a practical green living individual. Going green can be cheaper than living the non-green way. So, what is the cheapest way to go green? Here is a list of some great ways to go green and save money.

1. Freecycle - This is a great way to save what ends up in our landfills while recycling items that you no longer need. Others benefit because they get something they either need or want for free. What can be better than this. Say you have some clothes you no longer need. Don't toss them, write o free post on Craigslist in the FREE section and arrange for someone to come pick them up. You have more room and they get free clothes. Everyone wins and the environment is saved from landfill material.

2. Adjust Your Thermostat - Drop your thermostat a few degrees and use a blanket when watching television if you think it is colder than normal and you will definitely save money on your electric or gas bill. The less energy used also drops your carbon footprint which is green.

3. Save Water - This is my favorite easy way to go green. I have a post that shows you how many billions of water would be saved if only 1% of the population did this. It is mind boggling and it will also save you money. Read the post here.

4. Clean Your Air Filters - You need to clean or replace your air filters every month or so in order to allow your furnace to heat or cool more efficiently, thus saving you money.

5. Use Canvas Shopping Bags - Buy a set of canvas bags to take with you to the grocery store. You will have to spend about a dollar per bag but will be able to reuse them dozens or hundreds of times. Each time you do this, it saves the environment from the massive amount of plastic bags that are littering our streets, alleys, waterways, etc. I shop at a grocery store that pays me 5 cents for every bag I use when I shop. I have used the same set of bags now for 2 years. That is over 100 times and each bag has earned me $5. Each bag cost me $1 so my profit per bag is $4 currently. Not a lot but it is a savings and I am being kinder to the environment.

6. Use Direct Deposit - I just created a post about this practice. By going to direct deposit, you will save on the money required to drive to the bank and deposit it. The earth will be helped because there will be less energy used to create paper checks, not to mention the trees saved by this practice.

7. Harvest Rainwater - There are complete rainwater harvesting products or you can just get a barrel that sits under the place on your roof where rainwater falls. Use that water on outdoor watering to save money from using the tap water that you have to pay for. It is also kind to the environment to reuse rainwater in this way.

8. Pack a Waste Free Lunch - I love this one. Don't use plastic bags, water bottles, napkins, plastic utensils when packing your lunch. Instead, get a nice reusable drink bottle, pack real utensils that you can bring home and clean and reuse, use a cloth napkin that can be cleaned later, and buy a lunchbox made from recycled material so that you do not have to use paper bags. You will not believe how much money you will save over the year by doing this plus it is good for the environment.

These are just a few of the great ways that you can be green and save money doing it. There are others and I will report on them at a later date. Make sure to bookmark this sit and come back often to see all we have to say about going green. We try to make going green simple.

Where Did the Recycling Symbol Come From?

2012-02-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

I have had a few people ask me if I know where the original recycle symbol came from. Other people have asked who designed the recycle symbol that we have today and others have asked if there is a photo of the original recycle symbol. Well, you have come to the right place.

That photo on the side of this post is the man who designed the recycle symbol and the symbol you see is his original design. The man's name is Gary Dean Anderson and he is the man on the right, not the man with the suit. He was a graphic design artist and his recycling symbol has become one of the most widely known, and important, symbols ever created.

In 1970, the Container Corporation of America (CCA) advertised a competition to design a graphic symbol to be used on recycled paper products. They envisioned the design would recognize a commitment to environmental sensitivity on the part of manufacturers who were engaged in recycling.

It was decided that the winning symbol, called the Mobius Loop, would be given over to the public domain. This competition was also held in conjunction with the first Earth Day. Anderson's design was chosen from over 500 entries and it is still used today although it has been altered in some cases and is usually seen with the color green now. Here is the original design and some of the ones used today.

Should You Get Your Ducts Cleaned?

2012-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

A lot of people think they need to have their ducts cleaned because of mold buildup, dust, or other reasons. It might be very necessary to do this but it might be an unnecessary and costly thing to do. Let me explain why:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that indoor air quality can be worse than some of the outdoor air we breathe in. In addressing the question regarding whether, or not, you should regularly clean your air ducts in your house, the EPA says that duct cleaning has never demonstrated that it actually prevents health problems or decrease dust particles in a home. They say that most of the dust that enters ducts adheres to the wall of the duct system. The most likely place to increase the likelihood of poor indoor air quality is from particles that enter the air through such activities as cooking, cleaning, smoking, or even just moving around.

Given all of this, you probably should think about getting your ducts cleaned if there is any evidence of mold inside. The only real way to find out if there is mold in your ducts is to have a duct cleaning company come and do an inspection. Remember, that most of your ducts are not accessible so make sure to have the company give you real evidence of mold growth. Otherwise, you may be paying for something that is not needed.

You can call a duct cleaning company to come inspect your ducts but most people do not truly get concerned unless occupants of the house start to display respiratory problems or other symptoms that may be of a mystery type. Only after exhausting all avenues do people start thinking about duct problems.

Another reason to get your ducts cleaned are if they become infested with vermin or if you actually see dirt and dust particles coming from your registry. Before getting your ducts cleaned for these problems, you must get rid of the problem first or you will have the problem arise again after the duct cleaning.

If you do decide to find a duct cleaning company, use the same common sense consumer precautions you would normally use. One good place to check is the Better Business Bureau because if the company has demonstrated shady or illegal practices, the Better Business Bureau will have records. One place on the Web that has become a good resource to know if a comapny is legitimate is Angie's Place.

Runoff Pollution is Worse Than You Might Think

2012-02-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Over 80% of the pollution that makes its way into our oceans from the land comes from something called run-off pollution. Here are some sobering facts that might make you think about how awful our oceans are becoming:

1. Run-off pollution can come form sources such as, septic tanks, cars, trucks, boats, and larger sources such as farms, ranches, or even from forest areas.

2. Cars may only drip one or two drops of oil yet, that oil can make it into the water supply that eventually gets to the ocean in the form of run-off. Think of the extreme amount of oil you see on the streets and driveways every day. When it rains, this is when that becomes run-off pollution.

3. Some of the water pollution you see that is from run off actually started as air pollution.

4. Dirt or grass that has been treated by pesticides can run off into our waterways and make it into the oceans and then into our food supply and back onto our tables. Not a pretty thought but it is happening at an alarming rate.

5. Over 1/3 of all the waters that are designated for shellfish harvesting has been polluted by run off particles.

6. Millions of dollars are spent each year to correct the problem of run off pollution and, yet each year the problem gets worse.

These facts come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA works in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture to educate people on how their every day practices can harm the environment. They also work together with other agencies to correct the mistakes that we have made in harming the environment.

Have the Oceans Become a Landfill?

2012-02-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Back in 2009, I was watching an Oprah show where she claimed that the Pacific Ocean had become the largest landfill in the world. It seems that there is patch of the ocean that stretches from the coasts of California all the way to Japan and that it is up to 90 feet deep filled mainly with plastics. This area of garbage actually take sup more area than the entire State of Texas.

Plankton is the main source of food for most marine life but, in the ocean, there is actually six times more plastics than there are plankton. That is a scary thought, given that marine life will not be able to subsist on plastics.

Here is the scary part of the whole situation. Scientists agree that about 80% of the trash that has made its way into the oceans comes from litter that made its way into rivers and lakes and that some of it actually comes from as far as Iowa. I haven't looked at a map in a while, but I do remember Iowa being a long way from any ocean.

The sad thing about all of this plastic trash is that our marine life swallow it or get caught in it and many of them die as a result. A dead albatross was found with a cigarette lighter and some other plastics in its stomach. Fabien Cousteau, of the famous Cousteau family, says that there are some whales who are developing cancer due to the high levels of chemicals they are ingesting.

Think this doesn't matter? It will because some of this marine life will find its way onto your dinner plate and the purity that was once there no longer can be guaranteed. Everything is connected in our food chain. The pesticides you spray on your garden or yard end up in the streams and water supply and then will some day end up on your dinner plate too.

Fabien brings up a great point. He says you would never open up your kitchen cabinet under your sink and let your child start drinking from the chemical laced water down there, yet that is what we are doing with our food supply when we do not take care of the oceans. That food can be just as caustic as the water under your sink. Point well taken. Ocean pollution is an issue we must address.

Did Technology Make Us Green Without Us Even Realizing It?

2012-02-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

Did technology make us green without us even realizing it? I suggest that it did in many ways. Of course, it probably made us less green too, but that is a subject for another post on another day. Here are some technological ways that we became green without even realizing that it happened:

Programmable Thermostats: When programmable thermostats became popular, the ability to save anywhere from $250 to $500 per year in electric or gas costs became possible. Most people don't even realize that these handy little gadgets have made us much greener as a nation.

LED Lights - LED lights save big bucks when used in place of conventional lights. LED stands for light-emitting diode bulbs. Many cities across the nation began switching our incandescent lights for LED lights back in the 1990s. Denver began switching their traffic lights to LED and claim that they will save $800,000 per year. That is a huge savings of mainly energy and labor costs and will save almost 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year too. Plus, those savings are for one city. Imagine the savings when multiplied over the hundreds and thousands of other cities and towns that could do the same thing that Denver did.

Direct Deposit - This is probably one of the coolest technological advances that made us greener without ever realizing it. In the 1980s, a massive amount of companies began using direct deposit and it saved millions of gallons of fuel that it takes to print and use paper checks. Additionally, over 3 million tons of carbon dioxide are saved each year. There are still about one-third of the companies in America who do not utilize direct deposit so the savings could be even better.

There are other ways that technology has made us greener but these three are among the best in my opinion. Do you have any to add? If you do, please email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com.

Getting the Facts Straight on Green Jobs

2012-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot said about green jobs in the media. Of course, we almost always hear about green jobs when it is time for an election. The politicians always promise us that these green jobs are out there and they are increasing and they are going to fix this broken economy. Isn't it funny how often politicians promise us things that never really end up materializing? Is that what is happening here? Are there really green jobs out there? Are the green jobs that are supposed to be developed really going to help our economy?

Those are things that it seems like nobody ever really knows, but there is someone that went out and digested all of the information that is out there about what green jobs really are. It is the Brookings Institute and they did a large amount of research that was studied and turned into a report that just might answer your questions about the straight facts on Green Jobs. I found the article to be fascinating and figure it would be better just to post the link than to try to summarize and report on it myself. The link is just below.

Getting the Facts Straight on Green Jobs | ThinkProgress:

'via Blog this'

What Are the Payoffs For Going Green in the Business World?

2012-02-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

There is always news about businesses becoming green or attempting to become more environmentally friendly. One of the questions that almost always comes up when discussing businesses going green is how long their efforts will take to pay the investment back. That is an important question and the answer is usually that it will pay off itself faster than if they did not implement it, but there are other considerations that businesses often overlook that will help their bottom line. Check out two of them:

The Resulting PR Benefit Can Pay Off - Public relations is an important part of business, especially in this day and age of social media that can make or break a business overnight. If a business is truly making efforts to go green, the PR that business can receive is invaluable and can result in increased sales and attraction of new customers. Of course, companies that publicize green efforts that really are not can receive negative attention and that will severely harm the bottom line. I have an article about how Wal-Mart has gained back a great deal of its negative rating as a result of the much publicized efforts it is making toward becoming a more green business. One writer has called them out and is making the case that these PR notices are nothing more than lip service. If the mainstream media agrees, the resulting publicity that Wal-Mart will receive can hurt them in ways that nothing else can.

Your Employees Can Be Healthier as a Result - A company that is trying to be more environmentally friendly will make sure that the buildings and the cars that their employees spend their days in are more environmentally friendly too. Older furnaces will be replaced by ones that use less greenhouse emissions and cars are more likely to be hybrid. Either way, employees will be subjected to less toxic emissions and that will cut down on the company's health insurance policies being used as much. That, of course, can impact a business by millions of dollars. An additional benefit is that this practice can find its way into the media and become part of the step up above. It just becomes a win-win situation.

There are many other ways that going green in the business world can pay off but these two are among the best reasons to become more eco-friendly. There really is no reason not to take the time and the effort to create a long term plan to make your business more environmentally responsible.

The Lunacy of Some Green Snobs

2012-02-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am always on the lookout for stories to post or to comment on here at You Can Go Green and one of my favorite subjects is to look for the lunacy of some green snobs. I found one that is a couple of years old that I had never seen before and I just had to comment on it. It is green lunacy at its finest. I vaguely remember part of this story but the crazy part never crossed my desk.

Do you remember when President Obama was doing an interview on television and snatched a fly that was bothering him out of the air on his very first try? I remember it being shown on a few news sites and even on some of the comedy talk shows the next few nights. It was pretty impressive, but was quickly forgotten. Or was it?

It seems that the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were not happy that our President snatched and killed a fly. They sent him a package with a trap for flies that would trap them alive and let you release them to the outside. PETA made a statement that basically said that people should be compassionate to all animals.

Now I don't know about you, but if a fly starts buzzing around my head I am going to swat it away. I am wondering just how far some people in our society will go to be so politically correct that they will take a stance on the killing of a fly?

What do you think? I would like to know if you agree with my little rant or am I way off base. I want to be green and I want to protect the environment but can't we go too far?

Solar Powered Ski Lift

2012-02-03T21:03:00.001-08:00

This article about a tiny town in Switzerland that built a solar powered ski lift just goes to show how going green can make money while providing green energy. The people of this town had to rebuild the ski lift anyway so they opted to go with a system that generated more energy than it used thus placing that energy back into the grid. You can read more at the link.

Tiny Swiss town builds the world's first solar-powered ski lift

Old Christmas Trees Help Fish?

2012-02-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

I ran across a story the other day that made me think of how imaginative people are when looking for ways to recycle and keep things out of our landfills. Oakland, California has a program where all of those unsold Christmas trees that are so ugly are taken to barren lakes and thrown in. They sink down to the bottom and nature does it part to coat the trees with algae. The fish absolutely love the trees and use them. It is estimated that each tree stays in the underwater habitat for about 5 years so adding new trees each year does not do any harm to the lakes. Great idea.

One reader claims that their Christmas trees go to their goats who love nibbling on it. That is another great idea and of course, numerous municipalities use old Christmas trees to make mulch that any citizen can come get for free and use in their gardens or wherever else they deem needy.

How about you or your town? Do you have other great ideas about how to use Christmas trees or any tree that has been cut down for that matter? Let me know by leaving a comment or by emailing me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com.

If Cars Were Invented Today

2012-02-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

I saw a funny piece on the John Stewart show with Brad Pitt. Somehow, the topic got over to how the world would react if someone came to them with an idea for an automobile today instead of the many years ago when it was actually invented.

Basically, the premise was this: If someone came to a financier and said that he had an idea for a revolutionary product that would transport people but would take a massive portion of a very finite fossil fuel to run it, the financier would probably laugh at the inventor. Then, what if the inventor went farther and said that the fossil fuel needed to run this fantastic invention was halfway across the world and we would have to send a large number of troops over there to protect it and that it would probably cause wars, the financier would start to laugh. But, then if the inventor said that this invention would siphon off half a trillion dollars of our GDP, the inventor would promptly be shown the door.

Even with all of that, we keep building fossil fuel dependent cars and fighting wars, and sending money that could help our homeland overseas. Seems kind of crazy doesn't it?

Shades of Green in Madison County » A Green Living Experience » Shades of Green in Madison County

2012-02-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

This is a great idea and one that other communities throughout the United States should give a try. Madison County in New York is putting on a full day event called "A Green Living Experience." It is designed to help individuals, businesses, and communities to advance green initiatives and for businesses to try to become more economically viable, sustainable, and healthier places to live, work, and enjoy.

Check out the link to see what a great experience this is going to be and maybe you can encourage your community to do something similar.

Shades of Green in Madison County » A Green Living Experience » Shades of Green in Madison County:

'via Blog this'

iPhones are Not Green? Oh My!

2012-02-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

I read an article today on Mashable that set out to demonize Apple because it said that Apple is not green, doesn't try to be green, and never will be green. It sounded off against the company's environmental sustainability attempts and said that a company who uses and abuses third world country's labor forces can never be sustainable in the environment if they cannot first be sustainable in human rights.

Although I agree to some degree with what the author is stating, I must say that I wonder why he is attacking only Apple. Isn't all of the manufacturers of our smart phones and other devices doing pretty much the same thing? I do not have hard figures for it but I would assume they would have to in order to compete with the giant.

I read a few comments from the article and I have to say that some of the arguments were pretty solid. One commenter said that using the GPS map feature of a phone to find a place instead of driving around, getting lost, and then finding the information somewhere, that user will save a lot of greenhouse emissions that would otherwise be lost into the atmosphere. I am not sure if those savings would offset the "harm" the phone has brought to the environment but it is a good argument.

Look, I realize that we live in a world that is faced paced and has a tremendous amount of technological devices that makes our world better. I am not one of those "Green Snobs" that thinks I am better than the rest because I have adopted a green lifestyle. I realize that there are some things we need to do in our world that might require adopting some things that might not be real green but the other things I do are good and I am proud that I have adopted those practices.

What say you?

Update on Wal-Mart's Green Efforts

2012-01-31T07:57:00.001-08:00

I have written a couple of times regarding Wal-Mart's efforts to become more green, or at least to appear to consumers that they truly are more green and really do care about the environment. Just today I read an article grist.com's Stacy Mitchell that claims that Wal-Mart is still not green. The idea behind the article is that Wal-Mart chose the green approach to win over people who had soured over Wal-Mart's image and never really had any intentions of enacting real change.

Over the past 5 to 7 years, the corporate offices of Wal-Mart has sent out notice after notice of how wonderful their green efforts are but are, according to Mitchell, actually goals and not achievements. It apparently has worked since the unfavorable image of Wal-Mart that was at 38% in 2005 sits at 20% in 2010.

Mitchell's criticism is not only directed at Wal-Mart but is also directed at the media which, he claims has given Wal-Mart a public relations boost with little to no accountability. One example that Mitchell gives on this lack of accountability is in Wal-Mart's claim that it has been involved in utilizing renewable green energy. It seems that there have been thousands of articles and blog posts regarding this very issue but when Mitchell set out to find the answer for the total amount of renewable energy sources being used by Wal-Mart he had to dig to find out that Wal-Mart only uses 2% of its total energy consumption through renewable sources such as wind or solar.

In 2005, Wal-Mart faced huge obstacles in growth going forth and much of the resistance came from large environmental groups, but then the fanfare began and the PR campaign of just how green Wal-Mart was going to be vs. what it actually did and many of those environmentalists seemed to be placated. What has happened since then? Take a look at the phenomenal growth of Wal-Mart and ask yourself if a tripling in growth is really good for the environment.

That's right. According to Mitchell, since 2005, Wal-Mart sells 35% more stuff in the United States and has seen its international store count grow from about 1600 stores to 4500. Before the green initiatives, do you think this had any chance of success? Mitchell concludes that the very growth, the sprawl of big business has been totally ignored and that people are just ignoring the impact that this sprawl is having on the fragile environment.

Mitchell wrote a series of articles regarding the Wal-Mart connection to environmentalism and its huge growth since doing so. You can read it at this link.

Will the Green Movement Die?

2012-01-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

When President Obama took over 3 years ago, the environmental movement was smiling widely. There were dreams of new green laws leading to massive green jobs. People just knew that Al Gore would have a place in the green movement about to blossom and that real change was going to transform the way our world was treated not only by individuals but especially by big business and governments. So, what happened?

More than likely, you can blame government partisanship, the sad shape of the economy, and, of course, massive special interest groups that are much more financed and organized than the weak environmental movement.

In 2007, the Lieberman-Warner bill aimed to cap greenhouse emissions each year until the year 2050 when they would finally be below levels last seen before 2005. Financial incentives were to be given to businesses and families and the excitement among environmentalists was huge. Gasoline was high at the time the bill began to be debated. Republicans in Congress successfully pushed forth the idea that this bill would add a tax that was burdensome to businesses that the consumers, who were already burdened by high costs at the pump, would rise beyond anything imaginable. At the same time thousands of scientists rejected the idea of man-made global warming. This was the death knell to the bill that had so much promise for environmentalists.

Another attempt was made in 2009 to pass a bill designed to curb emissions. It was called the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Once again, party politics, among other things, killed a promising bill. Do you notice a thread between the two bills that give us a glimpse into why the environmental movement has failed?

I believe that the main reason the environmental movement has taken a back seat and is losing steam is that the very people who would force the issue are too easily pushed aside by other movements that are better organized and funded. Add to that the fact that just when people seemed to be waking up to a world that is harming itself through such vehicles as Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, the world's attention was grabbed by terrorism and the resulting war on it. Ask people today just how important saving the Earth with real measures that will force big business to take action and most people will say that it is a good idea but that they are more concerned with the economy and in fighting terror. Environmentalism is just not important enough to most people and, even though it was well funded, the scare tactics it used are now rejected by most through a careful and calculated denial by scientists that was very well calculated and enacted by the anti-environmentalists.

Is Your House Right for Solar Energy?

2012-01-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

There are a few questions that must be answered if you decide to put solar on your house. The main question you might have is this, "Is my house right for solar?" Let's take a look at some of the answers.

1. Your house should have a south facing roof and be free of shade for the solar panels. The structural integrity of the roof needs to be checked too.

2. The amount of roof space you need for the solar panels is important. For every kilowatt(KW) installed on a residential home, you need about 100 square feet of roof space. The average residential KW need is 3 to 6 so you need around 300 to 600 square feet of roof space.

3. The solar panels can be installed on most types of roof types but slate and clay tile roofs do not work. Wood shake roofs, flat roofs, and concrete tiles are a bit more difficult to install and could drive the expense up a little.

4. If your roof is not optimal for installation of solar panels, you might want to consider ground mount panels.

5. You really need to make sure your roof is new or that it has many years of life left in it before installing solar panels. Panels will last about 25 to 35 years so it is nice to have a roof that will last accordingly because of the difficulty of replacing a roof after the panels are up.

6. Solar panels are pretty much maintenance free since there are no moving parts. Dust and debris can drop solar production from 5% to 15% so it is important to keep the panels clean. Of course, typical wind and rain will take care of that for you.

Solar energy on your home can help you cut your electric costs and can pay for the unit in a few years. Since most solar panels will last anywhere from 25 to 35 years, so you should see significant savings over the life of your system.

The Bottled Water Controversy

2012-01-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

Bottled water has long been accepted as a healthy thing to consume. The bottled water industry would like for us to believe that our tap water is close to the most dangerous thing you can ingest while forgetting to mention that millions of barrels of oil is used to produce the huge number of bottles that are seldom recycled. It has been estimated by green proponents that 90% of all bottled waters actually end up in landfills. The bottled water industry says that the number should be more like 30% that are recycled, leaving 70% of them destined for the landfill, which is still a large number.

According to CBS News in 2009, they claim that 40% of all bottled water comes from a tap just like the one in your home. Bottlers do not like to disclose where their water comes from and some tests on bottled water and tap water seems to suggest that there really is no difference. If this is the case there are two issues that need to be looked at.

First, if tap water and bottled water are the same why would you want to pay up to $2 for a bottle of water that you can get for free from your tap. Second, just buy one of the really cool aluminum refillable water bottles and fill it with tap water to help save our landfills from the millions of empty water bottles placed there every year.

What do you say? Do you agree or disagree. Please let me know.

Top Environmentally Friendly Companies

2012-01-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

It seems like companies across the world do not care about the environment because they are too focused on profits, but there are some companies who really do care. Here is an article that describes what some of those companies are doing to help our environment. The link is just below.

Top Environmentally Friendly Companies

Saving Our Water Supply One Person At a Time

2012-01-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

This is a good article about how one person can save a lot of water that would otherwise be wasted by draining down the sewer. If only 1 out of every 100 people did what the article suggests, then we could save 100 billion gallons of water a year. This is one article you need to see.

Saving Our Water Supply One Person At a Time

Going Green - The Sequel

2012-01-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

We are all implored to do the simple things to go green. The media and blogs, like this one, tell us it is quite simple to go green. Just put in new CFL bulbs, don't run the water when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, do not water your yard when the sun is up, and on and on and one.

What can we do to go to the next level? Are there things we can do that take a little more effort? Let's take a look at some of these things.

1. Paint with low or no VOC paints which will put less harmful irritants into the environment.

2. Buy a push mower or an electric mower. Of course, this is probably a better option for people who have smaller yards. Even better, go to a xeriscape yard and cut out the need to mow or water.

3. Buy energy star rated appliances. Did you know that purchasing an energy star rated washer will pay for the accompanying dryer in short time?

4. Buy produce from a farmer's market to help cut down on transportation costs in delivering produce from far away markets.

5. Build a rain catchment system so that you can recycle all that free rain water that would otherwise drain away. This is a great way to provide needed water for your yard, flowers, or gardens.

6. Replace your energy hogging windows with energy saving ones.

7. Only use non-toxic pest control.

8. Finally, take a shower with someone else. This one is fun and saves a lot of money so you can't get better than this one.

Tell me some of your green efforts.

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition

2011-12-05T16:19:00.001-08:00

I found a really cool book that many people rave about and I checked it out. The book is called

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition And It Is In Hardcover Format. If You Are Into This Kind Of Thing, And You Probably Are If You Are Reading This, Then You Might Want To Get A Copy Of This Book.

Here is the description that Amazon gives about the book: Anyone who wants to learn basic living skills—the kind employed by our forefathers—and adapt them for a better life in the twenty-first century need look no further than this eminently useful, full-color guide. Countless readers have turned to Back to Basics for inspiration and instruction, escaping to an era before power saws and fast food restaurants and rediscovering the pleasures and challenges of a healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Now newly updated, the hundreds of projects, step-by-step sequences, photographs, charts, and illustrations in Back to Basics will help you dye your own wool with plant pigments, graft trees, raise chickens, craft a hutch table with hand tools, and make treats such as blueberry peach jam and cheddar cheese. The truly ambitious will find instructions on how to build a log cabin or an adobe brick homestead.

More than just practical advice, this is also a book for dreamers—even if you live in a city apartment you will find your imagination sparked, and there's no reason why you can't, for example, make a loom and weave a rag rug. Complete with tips for old-fashioned fun (square dancing calls, homemade toys, and kayaking tips), this may be the most thorough book on voluntary simplicity available. 2,000 color photos and 200 black-and-white illustrations.

Of the 95 reviews that the book has received on Amazon, 92 of them are 4 or 5 stars. That is an amazing review record so you know it is a good book.

If you want to read more or find out more information about this really cool book, then click the link below. You will really find out what the book can do for you by reading all of the reviews.