Recently in Home & Energy Category
blogGo Ahead, Be Selfish
By Maggie Shi, iVillage.com
So I admit I'm not the greenest person in the world. I still use plastic grocery bags. I drink bottled water. Sometimes I forget to turn my computer monitor off at the end of the day, and I rarely remember to use the blue recycle bin when I'm throwing out papers at work. I'm certainly in favor of saving energy, reducing waste, saving the world and all that. These are, unquestionably, good things. But truthfully, sometimes I'm just too lazy or too... selfish (there, I said it) to actually do all the good stuff I'm supposed to. And you know what? I suspect I'm not alone. I'm sure there are others of you out there who are still using energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs and are guzzling down $9 bottles of Poland Spring with reckless abandon.
But here's what I say: Embrace your inner selfishness, because while you're doing good deeds for yourself, you can still live a greener life. For example: Buying locally grown food. I'm lucky enough to have a farmers' market right across the street from my home; the produce and other goods I find there are fresher and cheaper than the soggy celery and limp lettuce that are in the grocery store nearby. The payoff? I get higher-quality produce at a lower price, while helping to preserve rural land by supporting small local farmers who practice sustainable farming. Plus, many of the goods for sale are naturally grown and some are organic, which brings me to my next selfish act: buying organic.
So I admit I'm not the greenest person in the world. I still use plastic grocery bags. I drink bottled water. Sometimes I forget to turn my computer monitor off at the end of the day, and I rarely remember to use the blue recycle bin when I'm throwing out papers at work. I'm certainly in favor of saving energy, reducing waste, saving the world and all that. These are, unquestionably, good things. But truthfully, sometimes I'm just too lazy or too... selfish (there, I said it) to actually do all the good stuff I'm supposed to. And you know what? I suspect I'm not alone. I'm sure there are others of you out there who are still using energy-hogging incandescent light bulbs and are guzzling down $9 bottles of Poland Spring with reckless abandon.
But here's what I say: Embrace your inner selfishness, because while you're doing good deeds for yourself, you can still live a greener life. For example: Buying locally grown food. I'm lucky enough to have a farmers' market right across the street from my home; the produce and other goods I find there are fresher and cheaper than the soggy celery and limp lettuce that are in the grocery store nearby. The payoff? I get higher-quality produce at a lower price, while helping to preserve rural land by supporting small local farmers who practice sustainable farming. Plus, many of the goods for sale are naturally grown and some are organic, which brings me to my next selfish act: buying organic.
blogThe Grass Is Always Greener
By Pablo Pereira, KNBC
First of all - I am not a LAWN Expert. Let me repeat that... I am not a LAWN Expert! But for our Going Green segment, we will take a look at alternatives to the traditional green lawns so many of us have come to expect.
Let me start off with a little history. I am not a LAWN expert. Did I say that already? My history with lawns is not a good one. I have struggled with lawnmowers, chemicals and weed eaters all in search of the perfect green lawn for my home. Despite my best efforts my lawns always seem to look different than the neighbors. My first home was not a problem, at least in the beginning. The house was small and the lawn area even smaller. So in most cases, I was able to keep the lawn somewhat green, but with time the problems would arise. Too much water? Too little fertilizer? I haven't a clue. But brown patches would develop. Weeds would take over the lawn and I was no longer sure what I was mowing. My solution was to always water, water, water. Probably too much. Trying to figure out what fertilizer to use was always an issue for me. This one in the spring, that one in the fall and another for the summer - can't forget winter! Those spreaders you worked by hand always seem inefficient... so my solution was always to just grab a handful and toss it everywhere. No wonder my lawns never looked good.
blogOff the Grid, Part 5: Cooking Smores with the Solar Spark Lighter
By Steven Leckart, DVICE.com
Welcome to the final installment in DVICE's off-the-grid experiment. Since Earth Week kicked off Monday, I've been blogging from my home office in San Francisco without plugging into the municipal power grid.
Life has been anything but normal, and I'm now officially tallying up the seconds as this week comes to an end (39,600, but who's counting?... oh right, me). To celebrate, I tried cooking low-tech for the first time since I failed to brew a cup of solar joe. Get the smoking-hot details and my reflections on this stressful week after the Continue jump.
Welcome to the final installment in DVICE's off-the-grid experiment. Since Earth Week kicked off Monday, I've been blogging from my home office in San Francisco without plugging into the municipal power grid.
Life has been anything but normal, and I'm now officially tallying up the seconds as this week comes to an end (39,600, but who's counting?... oh right, me). To celebrate, I tried cooking low-tech for the first time since I failed to brew a cup of solar joe. Get the smoking-hot details and my reflections on this stressful week after the Continue jump.
blogJunk Mail
If you weren't able to sign-up for greendimes.com service at the NBC Experience Store during Earth Week, you can still sign up for their services at greendimes.com.
$20 seems like a pretty good deal for 5 years worth of mail monitoring, but if you feel like saving all the fun for yourself, here are a few things you can do:
blogGoing Green Goes Mainstream
By Terry Ruggles, WCAU NBC 10 Philadelphia
Like a fog that touches everything "going green" is growing. Once a passion for tree huggers, the environment is now mainstream. You'll find environmentally friendly people from living rooms to corporate boardrooms.
Like a fog that touches everything "going green" is growing. Once a passion for tree huggers, the environment is now mainstream. You'll find environmentally friendly people from living rooms to corporate boardrooms.
blogGreen Screens End of Week Update
By Susanne Sonderhoff, Marketing Manager, HP Social, Environmental Responsibility
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in New York and around the country that has come out during Earth Week 2008 to responsibly dispose of their old electronics. While there are many industries that have a very obvious impact on the environment, technology is not typically the first that comes to mind since the production and use of technology products doesn't directly involve carving holes into the earth, felling trees, or using up excessive amounts of water. So why are tech companies taking environmental issues so seriously?
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone in New York and around the country that has come out during Earth Week 2008 to responsibly dispose of their old electronics. While there are many industries that have a very obvious impact on the environment, technology is not typically the first that comes to mind since the production and use of technology products doesn't directly involve carving holes into the earth, felling trees, or using up excessive amounts of water. So why are tech companies taking environmental issues so seriously?
blogHappy Arbor Day, Now Plant a Tree
By Nicole Walters, GreenisUniversal.com
The kind folks at mokugift.com have even made it easy for you. Just send GreenisUniversal.com an eTree and mokugift will work with Sustainable Harvest International to get a real tree planted.
It only costs a dollar a tree, plus look at how lonely our little bunny is...
The kind folks at mokugift.com have even made it easy for you. Just send GreenisUniversal.com an eTree and mokugift will work with Sustainable Harvest International to get a real tree planted.
It only costs a dollar a tree, plus look at how lonely our little bunny is...
blogGo Amish with the Hand-Crank USB Power Charger
By Kevin Hall, DVICE.com
You've been babied by power outlets for far too long -- if you want charged gadgets, then put a little elbow grease into it! The Hand-Crank USB Power Charger will work on most phones (and the rest, with adapters), cameras... anything with a USB port, really. It may just be your best friend on the road, where outlets are nowhere to be found, or sitting in an airport when you need some extra juice in a pinch.
You've been babied by power outlets for far too long -- if you want charged gadgets, then put a little elbow grease into it! The Hand-Crank USB Power Charger will work on most phones (and the rest, with adapters), cameras... anything with a USB port, really. It may just be your best friend on the road, where outlets are nowhere to be found, or sitting in an airport when you need some extra juice in a pinch.
blogWhat's the Hex Code for Green?
By Dana J. Robinson, NBC Universal
If you don't know what a hex code is, don't sweat it - there are plenty of other ways for you to go green online! There are tons of ways to be proactive about saving the environment conveniently located on the web, which means you don't have to leave the house to participate. (Added bonus: you're also reducing your carbon footprint by not driving anywhere...win/win!)
My Baby Tree - http://www.mybabytree.org
The Indonesian rain forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, thanks to factors such as the country's massive rubber and palm oil industries. According to the site, forest the size of 6 football fields is destroyed illegally. People and animals, both in Borneo and around the world, need these forests in order to thrive. For a small donation, you can pay for a new tree to be planted...but it doesn't end there! You get to watch your tree grow up right before your eyes (and from the comfort of that sofa you're probably still on... ahem!)
If you don't know what a hex code is, don't sweat it - there are plenty of other ways for you to go green online! There are tons of ways to be proactive about saving the environment conveniently located on the web, which means you don't have to leave the house to participate. (Added bonus: you're also reducing your carbon footprint by not driving anywhere...win/win!)
My Baby Tree - http://www.mybabytree.org
The Indonesian rain forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, thanks to factors such as the country's massive rubber and palm oil industries. According to the site, forest the size of 6 football fields is destroyed illegally. People and animals, both in Borneo and around the world, need these forests in order to thrive. For a small donation, you can pay for a new tree to be planted...but it doesn't end there! You get to watch your tree grow up right before your eyes (and from the comfort of that sofa you're probably still on... ahem!)
blogBaggage
By Nicole Walters, GreenisUniversal.com
If you went to grade school with a girl who used oral reports as a forum for environmental issues, chances are you went to grade school with me. Since I can remember, I have been an advocate for the environment. So last year when my project launching hulu ended and the Green Is Universal project came across my desk, I jumped at the opportunity. It seemed a natural progression, no? From hand drawn posters of recycling bins and the ozone layer to digital versions of the same... and this way I get to save paper.
Being an advocate and actually being someone who does things to save the environment are two very different things. Launching a website like GreenisUniversal.com shined a light on all of the things that I wasn't doing, and as my knowledge grew, so did my list of personal commitments.
If you went to grade school with a girl who used oral reports as a forum for environmental issues, chances are you went to grade school with me. Since I can remember, I have been an advocate for the environment. So last year when my project launching hulu ended and the Green Is Universal project came across my desk, I jumped at the opportunity. It seemed a natural progression, no? From hand drawn posters of recycling bins and the ozone layer to digital versions of the same... and this way I get to save paper.
Being an advocate and actually being someone who does things to save the environment are two very different things. Launching a website like GreenisUniversal.com shined a light on all of the things that I wasn't doing, and as my knowledge grew, so did my list of personal commitments.
