AboutMyPlanet.com » Green Tips

Green College Dorm Rooms

Marina Hanes — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:49:04 +0000

As autumn begins to make its way back into the scene, it’s also a sign that school is just around the corner. But this year might be different for you, especially if you’re going away to college. Leaving home and living on your own can give you a sense of freedom, and if you’re an eco-conscious student, you can transform your dorm room into an eco-friendly pad without having to get flak from your family. College is supposed to be a time to have fun, learn more about yourself and prepare for your future, so why not transform your living space into an Earth-friendly environment?

When it comes to decorating your dorm room, a more sophisticated look is created by mixing and matching furniture, patterns and accessories. Bedroom sets are easy, but it’s not necessary to buy them in order for your room to be functional and stylish. If you already own basic furniture, try painting it to give it an updated look. Also check out vintage stores, online classified sites, Goodwill and even garage and yard sales.

Rewriting reports and homework can cause a pile up in your garbage can, so setup recycling bins near your desk and in the kitchen. Some colleges have recycling centers and programs already in place, so contact the registrar’s office to find out more information.

Before purchasing a microwave and refrigerator, find out if the common areas of the dorm already have these appliances. Using appliances that are already available can prevent you from having to spend more money and use more electricity. For the lights, television, computer and printer, use a power strip so that when these items are not in use you can turn off the power plug.

Other ways to be green include drying your clothes on a clothes rack, using recycled paper, cleaning with natural cleaning products, purchasing food with minimal packaging and walking instead of driving.

Since environmental awareness has become increasingly important, colleges are going green too, so you might be attending one of the following top eleven green colleges: Arizona State University, Bates College, Binghamton University, College of the Atlantic, Emory University, Georgia Tech, Harvard University, University of New Hampshire, University of Oregon, University of Washington and Yale University.

Eco-couture for Dogs

Marina Hanes — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:49:10 +0000

The annual New York Pet Fashion Week was held Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23 from 10 am to 6 pm at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This event showcased the latest pet fashion, accessories and designs. Attending events such as this can introduce you to the world of eco-couture for pets. If you’re not sure how to provide your doggy with a chic wardrobe that doesn’t affect the planet, stick with eco-friendly designers.

One wholesaler you should check out is Barking Zoo, which is located in New York City. They create dog sweaters from 100 percent wool and cotton, so your pooch can be comfy and warm. Although the sweaters come in argyle, Fair Isle, cable and hounds tooth, look for their Dog Head sweater. It comes in bright shades of red, purple and yellow, so it’s bound to make a statement. The folded over collar is sure to keep your dog’s warm during the chilly fall months and well into winter.

The tradeshow is just one of the many events at the annual pet fashion show. There was also a Les Poochs Poodle Challenge, so every year you can score some grooming tips while you’re there. The buyer runway show included the following eco-couture designers: Cadeli’n, Dog Artist, DoggiDog Paris, IDAWG, Margoff, Ooomaloo, Printed Puppy and Wiggles. These designers can help you get ideas for how to reduce your dog’s carbon pawprint without giving up fashion.

Some materials you should look for in eco-friendly doggy clothes include bamboo, organic cotton, recycled leather and organic wool. With fall on it’s way, you will be seeing patterned sweaters, hoodies and rain gear, so if you’re going to stock up for fall, make sure it’s with organic or recycled materials.

Don’t forget to check out who wins the PFW Lifestyle Innovation Award. This will be awarded to an innovative company in the pet industry. Although you might not be able to purchase everything you and your dog’s heart desires, you can at least window shop online and save up for when these amazing eco-friendly dog products hit stores!

What Are Genetically Modified Organisms?

Marina Hanes — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:49:05 +0000

Corn, soybean, rapeseed (canola), flax, alfalfa, sugar beet, squash and papaya are commonly genetically engineered (GE) foods, and you probably eat them without even knowing this. Currently, our government doesn’t label commercially available GE foods such as the ones listed above. The Campaign, a grassroots movement that supports labeling GE foods, estimates that 70 percent of U.S. and Canadian food contains GE ingredients. If you knew that a food was genetically modified, would you still buy it?

GE foods are specially designed to have desirable traits like a resistance to insects or viruses, a tolerance to severe weather conditions (e.g. droughts) and enhanced nutrition. Obviously, these traits are ideal in the fact that our crops have become super organisms – less vulnerable to devastation. Food shortages seem to be less of a threat now, but at what cost are we creating these crops?

These crops are genetically manipulated to inherit genes that don’t occur naturally. Environmentally these genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can contaminate natural organisms causing ‘genetic pollution’. If these desirable traits spread, we will reduce our planet’s biodiversity of certain crops and may also be killing off non-target insects that are beneficial to the environment.

With regard to humans, there hasn’t been any conclusive testing to determine whether GE foods cause allergic reactions, yet these foods are still available to consumers. Recently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a Michigan State University’s mouse model that researcher, Venu Gangur, designed specifically to test whether GE foods cause allergies. In 2000 StarLink corn was thought to cause allergies, so the Center for Disease Control tested it but their data was inconclusive. This corn contained cry9C protein, which protected it from black cutworms and other corn borers; initially, this corn was approved for nonfood products and animal feed in 1998 but somehow traces of this protein were found in taco shells and other foods, so people thought their asthma attacks and other allergies were attributed to this modified corn.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture claims that the Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service (APHIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are all responsible for regulating GE food products. However, there are so many unanswered questions when it comes to GE foods, yet our government still allows them to go on the market. It is mandatory that GE foods are labeled in Europe, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand but the U.S. and Canada don’t have this requirement. Why does the U.S. and Canada have to be the blind guinea pigs?

What Does It Mean To Be Sustainable?

Craig Baird — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:49:04 +0000

Last week, I was on the news talking about what it means to be sustainable. While doing this interview, I began to realize that many people do not know what it means to be sustainable. So, I thought I would write today about what it means to be sustainable and what it means for the Earth as well.

Essentially, being sustainable means that you live within your environmental means. Studies have been done that show for everyone on Earth to live at the same level as Americans or Canadians, it would take as many as four Earths to supply the resources. Obviously, something has to be done to remedy this and living sustainably is how we can help ourselves and the Earth.

To be sustainable, we need to follow these criteria:

Never take more than we need in resources
Do what we can to conserve resources
Have an eco-state of mind in all things
Give back to the Earth for what we take

This involves growing our own food, eating local food whenever possible, limiting packaging, recycling what we buy, not buying more than we need and doing what we can to lower our carbon footprint. Try some of these things to be more sustainable in your life:

Turn off lights when they are not in use
Limit water use and recycle as much water as you can
Walk as much as you can instead of driving
Eat organic food
Recycle cardboard, glass, tin, paper and plastic
Unplug appliances when not in use
Plant a tree

Being sustainable is something that we can all do to help the planet when it needs it. If we continue to take more than we use, then there will be nothing left for future generations. Even now we are seeing the effects of past generations in global warming, biodiversity problems, rising acidity of the oceans and more.

Going green is all about being sustainable and if we all just did a few things to go green, then things like global warming would not be an issue. We would be able to live on the planet without depleting its supplies and threatening our own future with our idiotic ways. One little change can mean a big difference.

Grow a Backyard Nut Tree Orchard

Marina Hanes — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 08:49:06 +0000

Have you reduced your meat intake? Well, it’s time to add some alternative sources of protein to your diet. If you want to mix up your diet, nuts can do the trick. There are so many to choose from—chestnuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, butternuts, hazelnuts, etc. Nuts taste great in salads, sauces or by themselves, but it can be expensive buying them in stores. One way to get a fresh and cheap supply of nut is to grow a nut tree orchard right in your backyard.

Is a nut tree orchard right for you? Having a variety of fruit and nut trees in your backyard can be convenient, but trees such as these require time and effort on your part. If you expect to have a substantial harvest, you need to spray and prune the trees regularly. Some trees can be challenging to prune such as walnut trees since they’re so tall, so you have to be able to get on a ladder. In addition, you will need enough land and fertile soil to grow various trees. However, you can incorporate certain nut trees into your current landscaping instead of planting rows and rows of trees.

If you’re still considering a backyard orchard, there are a few things that you must keep in mind. Before choosing and planting your trees, you need to have the basic knowledge of your soil and space. How much land do you own? Also, find out what type of soil you have. Is it sandy or mainly comprised of clay? In general, trees require at least three feet of rich soil for their root system, but certain species of trees can only thrive specific soil types. It’s best to discuss your options with a local landscaping company or nursery.

It’s also important for you to have the right tools to care for your trees. Basically, you will need a ladder, sprayer and pruning tools. However, if you’re unable to climb a ladder, choose dwarf trees that don’t grow so tall.

Growing a backyard nut tree orchard can be the ultimate gardening experience, and you will be able to enjoy fresh nuts right off of the tree.

14 Eco-Valentine Ideas

Gloria Campos — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:49:04 +0000

Valentines day is a nice day to celebrate love with your partner, but while you’re at it why not show some love for the planet too. It isn’t hard and it doesn’t take much. Just give it a try. You will be surprised at how much love you can spread around the world.

1. Recycled: buy valentine cards from local artists who make greeting cards out of recycled material.

2. Makes your own valentine cards with recycled items and things from nature: dried flowers, satin ribbons, fabric hearts etc…

3. E-cards: these are not as personal as the regular card but an e-card or a text message of love is also another eco-friendly option if your partner is okay with it.

4. If you like to dine by candlelight dine with eco-friendly fragrance free candles. Beeswax or vegetable based candles that are biodegradable and smoke-free are a good choice.

5. If you drink wine or champagne make sure it’s the organic kind and if there is a vineyard near by buy from there. You will be supporting a local business, cutting down the use of packaging for shipping and probably saving some money too.

6. Buy Organic or fair trade chocolates treats, (if you can buy from companies whose profits go to helping endangered species) or make your own chocolate treats with organic chocolates, nuts and fruits.

7. Buy lingerie made of hemp or organic cotton.

8. Wrap gifts in red fabric or recycled wrapping paper.

9. Don’t buy a vase of flowers. Buy instead a locally grown potted plant of red roses. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but they also last longer. You can also go a step further and plant the roses in the ground for your loved one.

10. Buy jewelry made of recycled material. Jennifer Northup is a good start.

11 Pawnshops: buy jewelry from a Pawnshop; just make sure it’s certified. You will save money and buy something beautiful for your loved one without further impact on the environment.

12. Ask your local jeweler for their policy on conflict diamonds. If they don’t have anything like this than go elsewhere.

13. Gifts that are not materialistic: name a star after your loved one, buy a piece of the rain forest, make a donation in their name, etc.

14. Get really romantic, put on an organic apron and make a home cooked organic meal.

What ever you buy: gifts, flowers, chocolates, etc… try to buy locally. Shipping requires packaging and the packaging may not always be as environmentally friendly as the packages that come inside.

Sources

Eco-bites

Treehugger

Lighter footstep

Easy Green Travel Booking

Marina Hanes — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:49:05 +0000

Scheduling your next vacation so that it reflects your eco-friendly values can be overwhelming. First, you have to call various hotels and search their sites to see how green they really are. Oh, and don’t forget about renting an efficient vehicle to get you around town. By the time you’re done researching, you might end up looking at more of a travel expense than you initially intended.

Using RezHub.com can ensure your vacation is sustainable and more affordable without the hassle of researching for hours. Their Green Travel Hub has provided all of the information you need about airports and hotels, because they have actually visited the hotels and made the phone calls. If you already know a thing or two about traveling in green style, post useful information for other travelers on the Green Travel Forum.

Finally there is a user-friendly directory of green hotels to narrow your searches and help you book the perfectly sustainable vacation. Currently, RezHub has ranked 1,600 hotels in over 40 countries. The scoring system ranks each hotel’s Green Amenities, and as a result, the hotel receives a designated amount of Green Branches to show their level of eco-friendly services.

If you’re unable to afford or fit one of these eco-friendly hotels into your itinerary, don’t worry because RezHub donates 20% of its profits from any trip booked on its site to environmentally friendly organizations. So even if you don’t choose a green hotel, you support the planet just by booking your vacation on the site. Traveling more eco-consciously couldn’t be any simpler.

Another green hotel search is Environmentally Friendly Hotels, which can also help you find eco-friendly lodging worldwide. This site designates up to seven green trees depending on how many green attributes the hotel has.

Even if you have to book hotels for business trips, these two sites can provide you with green hotel options within seconds. If your company has a sustainable reputation, this can be another way of reinforcing it. So the next time you schedule a vacation or business outing, let these websites do the hard work for you.

10 Romantic ways to Green your Valentine’s Day

Bart — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:49:05 +0000

Valentine’s Day is all about flowers, chocolates and cards, but how can you spoil the special someone in your life and be eco-conscious at the same time? RecycleBank has come up with 10 tips for greening your Valentine’s Day that will help set the mood while saving the planet!

Here are RecycleBank’s 10 romantic ways to “green” your Valentine’s Day:

Set your morning in motion by sharing a pot of fairly traded and organically grown coffee. After all, you will want to keep the night young.
Since Valentine’s Day lands on Saturday, skip the power shower and enjoy a soak for two… and save water that way.
Get enlightened this year with his and hers, or hers and hers, or his and his (well you get the point) CFL’s. While saving tons of energy, they last up to 8 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
A rose is a rose is a rose…but is it fairly traded—and how far did it travel to get to your door? There is an abundance of organic, veriflora certified and fairly traded floral options, all perfect gifts.
Sweets for your sweetie? Organic and fairly traded cocoa options are sure to send that extra message of sincerity.
On this holiday, over one billion cards are sent worldwide. Translation: Save the Trees! Create your own card from recycled goods in your home. After all, it’s not the card, but the sentiment that counts.
Enjoy the outdoors. Make a snow-person together. Walk on the beach. Take a hike. Picnic in front of a gorgeous sunset. Or just lie on your backs and count the stars. It’s totally carbon free, healthy and romantic.
Make a candlelit homemade dinner for two. There is nothing greener than going local, so stop at your local farmers’ market and buy fresh and organic goodies.
Forget red or white; go for a bottle of “green” wine. There’s organic wine for whatever kind of mood you’re in… from Shiraz to chardonnay.
To end the night, choose organic cotton, bamboo and linen sheets, towels, duvets and comforters.

RecycleBank is a rewards program that motivates people to recycle by quickly and easily measuring the amount of material each home recycles and then converting that activity into RecycleBank Points that can be used at hundreds of local and national rewards partners.

Necessary Maintenance for Your Green Lifestyle

ChrisD — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:49:04 +0000

Living a green lifestyle is not just about putting it on auto-pilot and letting things happen. You need to do necessary maintenance to ensure that you are indeed being earth-friendly. It also ensures that you benefit as well. After all, many of the measures you can take to be green are, in reality, cost savings to you.

Keeping It Clean
If you use cloth bags for shopping, it is essential that you wash them periodically. Though it adds to the environmental impact of cloth bags, it also helps ensure that you are safe from the spread of foodborne illnesses.

A study by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California found that half of the bags sampled had detectable amounts of bacteria, primarily, coliform bacteria including E coli, While the risk for cross contamination is low, researchers recommended weekly washing of reusable bags.

Rinsing Containers
Chances are your waste management service does not require you to remove labels on containers prior to recycling. However, you should take the time to rinse containers before placing them in the bin. First of all, there is the matter of sanitation. Your curbside recycling is probably a weekly service. Just as bacteria can occur in cloth bags, it can be found in your recycling bin.

Another consideration is the workers in the industry. Exposure to bacteria increases their health risks. Certainly, this is little enough price to pay to mitigate potential health hazards on the job.

Staying Current with Junk Mail
Another area for periodic maintenance is your mailbox. If you’re getting more junk mail, take the time to get off of company mailing lists. Paper Karma is a smartphone app available for Android phones and iPhones. You take a photograph of a piece of junk mail, and the app will attempt to get you off of a particular mailing list.

You should also remove your address from automated phonebook deliveries if your household does not use them. In some areas, it is technically illegal to throw them in the trash. Save yourself the hassle and stop them.

Living a green lifestyle is about making earth-friendly choices. An occasional health check ensures you are not straying from the green path.

22 Things To Do On Earth Day

Gloria Campos — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:49:04 +0000

Earth Day is just around the corner. In case you don’t know the date, it is April 22nd, 2008. This year find new ways to celebrate Earth Day, but remember living green is better practiced daily instead of just once a year. Look below for some Earth Day Tips.

1. If you don’t have curbside recycling take your recycling materials to a local school or library with recycling bin. Schools and libraries are paid for the material they recycle. The money they earn goes to providing better services at these facilities (more books, renovations, student trips, etc.).
2. Refer a local non-profit organization to a program like Abitibi Recycling Program or something similar. To make the referral log on to the Abitibi Recycling Program website and fill out the referral form. Abitibi will contact your referral and set it all up for free. The local non-profit organization will earn money for the material they recycle.
3. Start a compost pile, or buy a compost bin to place your leaves and kitchen scraps inside.
4. Take the bus today. If the bus stop is too far away ride your bike to the bus stop. Did you know many buses now have bike racks to place your bikes while riding the bus?
5. Carpool. If your coworker lives on the way to your commute to work go ahead and pick him/her up.
6. Spring clean you home, office or company and donate your unwanted, but still good items, to a resale shop, a church, the Salvation Army or other charity. Your home, your conscious and the earth will be cleaner for it.
7. If you haven’t done so yet replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
8. Donate your electronics to programs such as: Cell Phone for Soldiers, America’s Computers for Kids, etc.
9. Donate money to your favorite green cause.
10. Write a letter or email to your favorite green companies thanking them for doing their part for the environment.
11. Plant a plant or more with your family and if possible with you neighbors.
12. Go online and search for educational recycling crafts (such as making new paper out of old shredded paper) for kids and adults. When you find useful website bookmark them to easily refer to them on rainy days.
13. Be creative and come up with an innovative way to live green.
14. Adopt a beach, a park, or a street and help clean it up.
15. Log on to Earth Day and register to vote.
16. Go to an Earth Day Event. To find a location nearest you visit Earth Day Network.
17. Freecycle! Freecycle! Freecycle!
18. Have a garage sale. You will be surprised at what people will buy at garage sales. You’ll earn a few dollars; clean out your home and help your old items find new homes.
19. Forward links of environmental websites like AboutMyPlanet.com to your friends and family.
20. Organize your address and phone list of resale shops, thrift stores, consignments stores, recycling center and other green locations in an address book. Keep a copy of this list in your car. In addition map out how far away these locations are from each other to save gas when you visit several of these locations at a time.
21. Sign a “green” petition you approve of.
22. Share what you’ve done or plan to do for Earth Day below.

Happy Earth Day!