There is no Better time than Today to Make a Difference

There is no Better time than Today to Make a Difference

Today is almost over, can I give you a list of eco-friendly ideas tomorrow? If I get busy tomorrow, can I just give it to you next week? Wait, my mother-in-law is coming to town, how about next month? Sadly, that is the attitude many people have when it comes to going green, or at least “greener.” Well, no more procrastinating, here is a long list of things you can do right now to help the environment.

Buy Eco-Products – There is just no excuse not to any longer. There are environmentally-friendly and cool earrings, platters, cars, purses, shoes, etc. If it exists, then there is bound to be an eco-version of it.

Recycle Electronics – Keep items like computers, CD players, DVD players and electronic toys out of the landfill.

Build a Garden – Plant some native vegetable or plants.

Fight Garden Pests – Help your garden by using pest control services. 

Bulk Up – Instead of making three trips to the grocery store each week, save gas and money by buying in bulk at a warehouse store.

Avoid Plastic Bags – When you do make a trip to the market, bring your own reusable grocery bags.

Avoid Driving – If possible, walk or ride a bicycle to work or to run errands.

Become more Aware – Take a break from the horror movies and enjoy a few environmentally-themed flicks. Sacred Planet is a great place to start.

Styrofoam is Out – Many coffee shops and diners offer a reusable mug that you can buy and refill each time you come in. Take advantage of this wherever possible.

Copy Paper – Buy copier paper that is made from only recycled material.

Toner Cartridges – Buying remanufactures cartridges is better for both your wallet and the environment. Come to think of it, all your office products should be made of recycled content.

Never Stop Learning – There are new ways to help Mother Earth being discovered every day. Continue to find ways to help and share them with your family.

Unplug – Don’t just turn items off when they are not in use; unplug them. Electrical products are still using power as long as they are plugged in, whether they are on or not.

Ditch Paper – Who says you even need paper? Try a dry erase board as an alternative.

Go Solar – There aren’t many products that don’t come with a solar-powered alternative nowadays. Take advantage of any many as you can and use natural sunlight to save money.

Doodle-time – Do you find yourself scrambling for a piece of paper to jot notes down on? Do you like to doodle during the day? Do you find yourself grabbing a fresh piece of paper to do this on every time? Stop this wasteful trend by saving used paper and using the back of each as a scratch pad.

Tom is a green blogger, writing on a variety of topics including solar power. 

Creator of "Carbon Neutral Bra" A Model Of Green Business

Creator of "Carbon Neutral Bra" A Model Of Green Business

Vidhura Ralapanawe is Mark and Spencer's Manager of Sustainability and Communications. He's also the head of a team that successfully manufactured what can be considered the world's first “carbon neutral” bra. What this means is that Ralapanawe and his group figured out the bra's carbon footprint, and then found a way to offset it. The bra is not brand new; it was first launched in April under Mark and Spencer's “Leaves” collection. Since it's release, however, Ralapanawe has been given a great deal of attention, and now has been nominated as a “cultural engineer” at the Honda Dream Factory.

So why is the Honda Dream Factory a big deal? The ten current members are all visionaries, who have all succeeded in making an impact on the world, in various fields. The 11th member will be determined by public vote and the election is being run by the UK's famed Guardian newspaper. Vidhura speaks candidly about his success, without being boastful. “A few times in my past I’ve worked in spaces where people come together. What that does for you is amazing. It just changes your perspective, your understanding of what is possible. For me sustainability is primarily a design question,” he says. “Every step of the way you have to keep re-visualising it. You have to ask why.”

The very factory in which Vidhura works is like something from an environmentalist's dream. Called “Thirulie”, the factory runs on sustainable energy from solar panels and hydroelectricity. Vidhura proudly explains, “We designed the factory to be a center for learning and inspiration. If you're serious about sustainability you have to share your ideas.” Thirulie is located in Sri Lanka, where Vidhura had previously helped set up the country's first mini hydroelectricity plant. Vidhura worked alongside colleagues at Columbia University in communication about environmental issues and how it relates when put in a Sri Lankan context.

Vidhura's own home is very eco-friendly and he and his family are no strangers to composting. The car in Vidhura's garage? A Toyota Prius. Outside of working for Mark and Spencer's, Vidhura is director of Co-Enerji, which focuses on sustainability and energy services.

Tom is a green blog writer and also does some computer repair NJ.

No More "Zoom, Zoom"

I have a confession to make: when I drive my car, I have what my Daddy called "a heavy foot." That means I drive fast and furious. As I zoom down the road, I consider speed limits for sissies -- none of you are officers of the law, are you?

I know that driving fast burns more fuel, releasing more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. I am trying to mend my ways so that I can go green, but it doesn't come easily. I have a lifetime of bad driving habits to overcome.

Part of making my living involves traveling across the state, and that isn't anything I can change. I don't drive a Hummer, but I don't drive a hybrid vehicle, either. My Honda Element gets about 25 miles to the gallon on the highway.

When I am at home, I have tried to reduce the amount of driving that I do. I have wished for a long time that I lived in a "walkable neighborhood," but I don't have many stores or shops nearby. These days, however, I plan my trips to town and map my errands before I go. That way, I don't find myself criss-crossing the town several times. I've also discovered that I really don't have to go to my post office box every day, because all I'm going to find is bills.

After watching a television news program about ways to drive to save fuel, I searched for tips to help me. At We Test the Tips I discovered pretty much what I already knew (but don't always practice):

• Don't drive like a maniac. By not stomping hard on the brake pedal and by slowly accelerating, you can have major savings. In their tests, the group at Edmonds.com discovered that you can realize up to 37% savings on fuel.
• Drive at slower speeds. On long trips, you can have a savings of 14%.
• Using cruise control on those long trips can cause a 14% savings.
• Reducing idling time can save up to 19%, so if you will be sitting for more than a minute they suggest turning off the car

I'm looking at that and wondering about it. If I do all of those things, will I realize an 84% savings on fuel? No, I won't, but I can make a difference!

The hardest part for me is slowing down on the highway. In the past eight days, I've driven across Texas and back twice and that's a long time in the car. When I sit for that long, my feet begin to swell, so my foot is "heavy" in a different way than Daddy meant. But, I guess that having toes that look like Vienna sausages is a small price to pay for doing my part to save the environment. As long as my toes don't "go green," I can handle the slow drive.

© Shelly Tucker, 2009