NBC Universal is making a commitment to go green and so are our employees like Jeff Samaha, NBC stage manager. Jeff is behind this great green video series (cameraman and editor) on composting, a better way to discard cooking scraps.

Like most of us, our waste from cooking often gets tossed into the garbage and ends up in landfills and turned into greenhouse gases. But we can turn that around and make kitchen waste into ‘black gold’–
supreme soil for gardening.

Hosted by Annie Hauck-Lawson, “Master Composter”, this intro video shows us how easy it is to take kitchen trash and curb the waste. Food scraps, wet leaves, and a breathable bin are all it takes. Watch the first episode ‘An Alternative to Dumping Kitchen Scraps’ to get started on composting today so that you’re ready for planting come next Spring!

From Environmental Leader:

GE and Google will lobby together in Washington D.C. for renewable
energy and are collaborating on advanced energy technologies -
including the development of a smart grid.

“Our goal is to provide consumers with improved and expanded energy
choices, whether it’s buying renewable power, driving a plug-in car, or
reducing energy bills by managing home energy use,” the companies said
in the announcement.

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By Valerie Denny, iVillage.com
According to the iVillage Carbon Calculator, which measures your individual impact on the environment, I’m at a 6.4 – slightly lower than the national average of 9.96.
I owe my lower-than-average carbon footprint, in part, to my former teacher, Mr. Krick. No, he didn’t teach me to recycle or to reduce my waste. As my driver’s ed teacher, Mr. Krick instilled in me a fear of my driving abilities – which, incidentally, has served the planet quite well. I’ve always hated driving, and that was one of the reasons why New York City appealed to me – I would be able to walk or take the subway everywhere. So I moved into an eco-friendly (read: tiny) Manhattan apartment with two other girls and now walk to work every day. Living in an astronomically high-rent apartment is motivation enough for my roommates and me to keep our other bills to a minimum, and that means using as little energy as possible. (“It’s only 95 degrees out. We don’t need AC. Don’t be such a baby!”) In fact, one of the added benefits of the green movement is that practices otherwise seen as tightwad or stingy, such as refusing to turn on the AC, reusing sandwich bags and letting the laundry pile up, are actually revered as eco-friendly.
Let other people call us cheapskates; I prefer “environmentalists.”
Valerie Denny
iVillage, Associate Producer
http://www.ivillage.com

By Nicole Walters, GreenisUniversal.com

Have you ever been to your grandmother’s house and seen kitchen appliances that she bought in the 50s that are still kicking?  And what’s more, they don’t seem like they are going anywhere too quickly.  After I bought my own home a few years ago and started buying newer versions of these appliances I couldn’t help but notice the difference between what I was buying and what I had seen growing up with Grandma.  I kind of assumed that since my products had been outsourced to developing countries so that I could buy them cheaper, that was the reason and left it at that.

Well, Annie Leonard couldn’t leave it at that. She has spent the last 10 years researching the materials economy – the life cycle of all of our stuff - and created this short web-based documentary.  If you’ve got the 20 minutes, it’s a fountain of real eye opening information.

By Cathy Zoi, Alliance for Climate Protection
As CEO of The Alliance for Climate Protection, chaired by Al Gore, the question I get asked most frequently is what can everyday people do to help solve the climate crisis.
Of course we should all implement climate-friendly actions to lessen our own impacts — making the right choices on light bulbs, appliances, and cars are important. In the house my family rents, we have replaced at least 20 light bulbs with CFLs and switch them off when not needed. We’re also a two-Prius family.

However, I know that personal behavior changes alone will not stop global warming — for it is not households that decide if a new coal plant will be built or if automobiles must have higher fuel economy. These significant economy-wide decisions are made by government and business leaders.
And right now even though public awareness of climate change is very high, governments carry on each day with decisions on power plants, housing developments, vehicle standards, and use of fossil fuels that worsen the problem instead of unleashing a robust clean energy future.
As citizens we must tell decision-makers that this is not good enough. That we expect more. Specifically, that as citizens we believe (1) the climate crisis is urgent (2) technologies are available to solve it (3) we need our leaders to enact policies so climate-friendly solutions are put in place.

So my answer to the question about what everyday people can do — make your voice heard. Talk to your friends so they do the same. Do it for yourselves and our kids. Join the Alliance’s growing movement to demand change.
Cathy Zoi, CEO
Alliance for Climate Protection
http://www.climateprotect.org

What if, wondered organizers of the world championships of Olympic-style boxing staged this fall in Chicago, each fighter on check-in was given his own water bottle to fill time and again, however many times he wanted, with some of that good ol’ city tap water straight from Lake Michigan?
Wouldn’t that cut down on the mountain of plastic water bottles that inevitably now clutters every major sports event? Would that idea fly?
In planning for the boxing event, one of the first Olympic-style sports championships to be staged in the United States in recent years, officials — in seeking to enhance Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics — from the outset placed a high priority on “green” initiatives.
It was, of course, the right thing to do.
But it was also the smart thing to do. The International Olympic Committee has long emphasized environmental awareness. Indeed, without “green” sensitivities, any Olympic bid — indeed, any Olympic project of any sort — is a dead-bang loser.

Environmental protection is formally considered one of the “pillars” upon which the Olympic movement rests, IOC President Jacques Rogge reminded his audience in delivering a speech this fall in Beijing, site of the 2008 Summer Games. IOC sensitivities are so keen that the electronic delivery of Rogge’s speech to reporters beforehand contained this reminder: “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.”
Under IOC pressure, Chinese authorities are scrambling to implement a number of far-reaching environmental initiatives in advance of the Aug. 8, 2008, opening ceremony, including sharp reductions in factory and auto emissions.
London’s winning bid for the 2012 Summer Games rested on plans for the construction of the largest new public park in Europe in 150 years. Spectators will in effect have to take public transit to the London Games since parking will be extraordinary limited and available then primarily to fans with physical disabilities. Officials are even aiming to find a more carbon-neutral flame to be kept alight in the cauldron for the month of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The IOC will pick the 2016 site in 2009. Also in the mix, along with Chicago: Tokyo; Madrid; Rio de Janeiro; Prague; Baku, Azerbaijian; and Doha, capital of the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar.
All of the “official” cars in use at the Chicago boxing championships were Toyota hybrids. Baxter, the healthcare company headquartered in suburban Deerfield, Ill., donated “carbon credits” designed to offset 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide — making the championships perhaps one of the first such events to be carbon neutral. All program materials were printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.

The water-bottle idea ultimately didn’t work — this time. Too many complexities, organizers judged. But it wasn’t for lack of trying, or brainstorming — and a recognition that, in spheres of Olympic influence. green is gold.

“We wanted to ensure that the boxing championships were as green as they could be,” said Bill Scherr, chairman of World Sport Chicago, the private committee overseeing the boxing championships, adding, “Whether it is taking public transport, using hybrid cars for delegations to working with our hotel partners to go green, a lot of little things can make a huge difference.”

Alan Abrahamson
http://www.NBCOlympics.com

By Lisa Blau, VitalJuiceDaily.com
When it comes to holiday gift giving, there’s a shade of green for everyone on your list. Here are some suggestions for giving environmentally responsible gifts that your friends, family and planet will thank you for:
When heading to those holiday parties grab a bottle of ecohol to take for the host or hostess. Square One Vodka is made with 100% organic North Dakota rye and comes in a non-frosted glass bottle (frosted glass uses lots of chemicals) with a bamboo label that peels off so the bottle can be reused as a vase. Toss in a bottle of organic fruit mixer from Modmix in delicious flavors like Citrus Margarita or Pomegranate Cosmo to really get the party started.
For Mom, why not treat her to some organic pampering. Body oil from Origins Organics makes for a relaxing bath or massage – and she’ll feel good knowing that their sustainable packaging has preserved some 1,500 trees and counting. She might also like to indulge in Pangea Organic’s new mask (it’s packed with antioxidant rich Acai and Goji Berry!). Even better? She can plant the packaging and watch herbs sprout for future use.
If your Dad is always grumbling about the many bills he gets in the mail, why not do him a favor and thin out his mail entirely? Sign him up for Green Dimes and they’ll not only reduce his junk mail by 90%, they’ll also plant 10 trees in his honor. Just think, if everyone in the U.S. did this we’d spare 100 million trees each year.
We’re sure your fashion-forward sister will love anything from Under the Canopy – the first brand in “EcoFashion” makes one of the softest robes on the planet in 100% organic cotton. If she prefers to make more of a statement, give her a “Think Green” t-shirt from Zooey (also popular with the always-statement-making young Hollywood set).
For your tech-obsessed brother, give a solar powered charger to juice all of his portable gadgets. The Solio charges at the same rate as if it’s plugged into the wall, and when fully powered can charge his cell phone at least twice.
Everyone in the family should get their stocking stuffed with a Sigg – beautifully designed reusable water bottles that are cool enough to carry with you always.
And there’s no better way to say thank you, then sending a thank you note – but email it on personalized e-stationery (check out the selection from Iomoi.com).
If you’re still looking for green gift giving inspiration peruse these sites: Earth Moment stocks everything from jewelry to TV’s and they donate a piece of the revenue from every product to CarbonFund.org; Great Green Goods is a shopping blog dedicated to all gifts eco-friendly; and 1% for the Planet will help you find retailers that donate 1% of their sales to environmental organizations.
Have other green gift giving ideas? I’d love to hear about them.
Lisa Blau
Editor, Vital Juice Daily

By Mary Beth Gonzalez, iVillage.com

My mother is coming to visit. I love my Mom. I love her abundant ideas for how I can improve my home, my job, my life. I love them so much that I’ve spent the last few days re-evaluating everything, stressing out and improving as much as I can, in advance, so I can be ah…flawless.

Mom has a bionic eye for dust bunnies and smeared glass, so the main focus today (and more tomorrow when the real cleaning lady comes) is deep cleaning my home. Thank God for Shaklee!

After trying many different eco-friendly green cleaning products over the years, I switched to Shaklee green cleaning products about 6 months ago and will never switch again. It was such a relief to find a line of products that are truly natural, eco-friendly, non-toxic, plus they are easy to buy online and they really clean well.

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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.

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By Richard Bicknell, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Canada
Earlier this year, we started a “Green Committee” at Universal Studios Video. This group has absolutely attacked the issues and opportunities inherent with all things ‘green’ with an energy that quite frankly took my by surprise. I always knew that we had a passionate team but from a personal level it was wonderful to know that I spend my days with so many people who share in my concerns and beliefs about this critical issue.
One of the first things the team thought of was DVD packaging. Traditionally in a polypropylene-based case, the idea was to develop a plastic-free alternative. Working with a Canadian supplier several prototypes were created until we had landed on one that we felt would satisfy our environmental standards. All we needed was a title to launch it with – then along came EVAN ALMIGHTY, with its themes of eco-responsibility and production effort to zero out its environmental impact, EVAN ALMIGHTY was the perfect and natural choice.
Our package uses paper endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council, soy-based inks and a waterless printing process that eliminates ink getting into ground water and producing VOCs – volatile organic compounds – which have been linked to global warming. Our slim eco-pack also fits 100 to a box – thus requiring less impact on the environment from a shipping perspective. This Canadian-initiative was launched on DVD on October the 9th. Early sales support what consumers told us during our package testing in the summer – that a vast majority would continue to buy the same amount of DVDs even if all of them came in this package. Music to our ears but more importantly great news for our planet!
Richard Bicknell, VP Marketing
Universal Studios Home Entertainment Canada
http://www.udvd.ca