Green is Universal | Being Green

Too bad it doesn’t work that way. Prep for showers by stocking up on eco-raingear, since in our experience, the weather gods are pretty stingy with granting rain checks.

the benefits

Wetting yourself over the eco-friendliness. Manufacturers are coming up with more and more creative ways to repurpose materials (like plastic bottles) to useful effect, instead of making more PVC plastic.
Getting home and dry. Green raingear defends you from the wet just as well as conventional options.
Wet dream-worthy looks. Just ‘cuz it’s ugly outside doesn’t mean your outfit has to be.

personally speaking

The SF team recently volunteered in the Muir Woods redwood forest on a rainy day – hauling rocks, it turns out – but the wetness didn’t faze Toshio, who came prepped in his Nau raingear.

wanna try?

Nau Succinct Trench – rainproof, lightweight, recycled-plastic men’s trench coat; with hood, in two colors ($198).
Patagonia Eco Rain Shell Jacket – hip-length women’s waterproof coat made from recycled polyester; moisture-wicking, in three colors ($190).
Timberland Earthkeepers Boots – waterproof boots made from eco-materials such as organic cotton. Also: a women’s version ($154-$170).
Hunter Wellington Boots – the original wellies are still made using natural latex rubber ($98).
Monsoon Group Umbrella – colorful umbrellas made from detergent containers and toothpaste tubes ($65).

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4/21 Tip: Solar Energy

tip of the day

What generates more energy than your double espresso?

the bite

Just look up. Rain or shine, tapping into the sun to serve your energy needs is an easy way to cut your energy costs as well as pollution. And just in case you’re lacking a rooftop to call your own, solar panels aren’t the only way you can take advantage of the brightest energy source around.

the benefits

A clean, renewable energy source. One hour’s worth of the sunlight that hits the earth provides more energy than we humans use in a whole year.
Smaller bills. With the right system, you’ll never pay another electricity bill, and in some areas, you can even receive credit for excess energy you send into the grid.
Lower and lower costs. The price of solar is dropping. Plus, federal and state tax deductions and rebates can slash up to 75% off the cost of a new home system.
Valuable real estate. Solar-electric systems increase a home’s value by $20K for every $1K reduction in yearly energy bills. That’s a lotta Ks.

personally speaking

Never one to miss out on a great deal, Heather’s in the process of installing solar panels on her roof with the aid of California’s awesome solar tax rebates.

wanna try?

Billionaire Biter?

Ready Solar Solar in a Box – offers easy-does-it installation on your rooftop ($8,635 and up).

Budget Biter?

Citizen Eco-Drive Watches – hundreds of watch styles with solar batteries that charge using indoor or outdoor light ($66-$1,050).

Biter Brainiac?

FindSolar – learn how much cash solar can save you, and find local installers.
Vote Solar – join a non-profit that promotes solar power.

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10/31: Phantom (Load) Busters

tip of the day: Who ya gonna call? Phantom (Load) Busters!
Got a minute?: Physically turn off your electronics either through the surge protector or the physical switch usually found in back. Keeping your electronics in “stand-by mode” only minimizes your power consumption. Using the physical switch truly turns them off.

Got a morning?: Unplug your electronics. Doing so makes absolutely sure your electronics aren’t drawing power. This is especially useful for those electronics that don’t have a true off mode and can only be put in stand by.

Got a month?: Buy energy-efficient electronics. The Energy Star logo is always a good standard to go by and these tend to use less power than their non-Energy Star cousins.
more info: For more tips on going green at home and in your everyday life, visit http://www.thedailygreen.com/.

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6/11 Tip: Tuna tip

tip of the day

Want tuna that is safer for both you and the environment? Look at the label.

the bite

Due to its place near the top of the sea-food chain (setting aside the mercury debate for the moment), tuna isn’t always the best fish choice. But if you need a tuna fix (and we all do, occasionally) look for troll-caught (ie: line-caught) albacore, bigeye or yellowfin tuna.

the benefits

Troll-caught tuna tend to be found in different waters than those caught en masse with nets, and have higher levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of potentially dangerous mercury than their conventionally-caught counterparts.
Fishers who provide troll-caught tuna take little “bycatch” of unwanted fish or other animals.
Trolling for tuna doesn’t decimate the population like net-catching does. Our worldwide demand for tuna has increased from less than 0.6 million metric tons in 1950 to more than 5.5 M metric tons in 1998 [PDF].

personally speaking

We love the benefits of troll-caught tuna for both our health and marine populations, but it is expensive and hard to find. So, we mainly just save up our “bad-eating” points for a good spicy tuna roll every so often.

wanna try?

Buy canned or fresh troll-caught tuna online or in stores.

Mary Lu Seafoods is a good online source for canned eco-friendly tuna.
Albatuna.com provides a list of markets on the west coast who offer troll-caught tuna.
Whole Foods – They almost always have troll-caught fish options.

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5/10 Tip: Green Investments

tip of the day
more info

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