Happy New Year

As we close 2008, I say goodbye to a hard year. It was a good year, don't get me wrong but a hard year for most. Take the time to reflect on the past year and see where you can and should make changes to make yourself happier in life. Also try to remember to take care of our planet. Thank you all for a reading, being a friend, all your comments, and just for listening. Happy New Year. Time to start fresh, so now what are you gonna do?

NYC Recycling Events Listing

Is it time to do a little cleaning around the house? Want to get rid of some big things and don't know how? Freecycle can help you. Here is a copy of their email that lists recycle events in and or around the boroughs.

Upcoming NYC Recycling Events – Clothing, Christmas Trees and Electronics

CLOTHING & TEXTILE RECYCLING
New expanded weekly schedule and special one day event from Council on
the Environment of NYC. See http://www.cenyc.org/clothing for more
info.

==Current Locations==
Union Square Greenmarket – Mondays 8am - 6pm
(16th Street and Union Square West)

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket – Saturdays 8am – 4pm
(NW Entrance to Prospect Park)

==New, starting in 2009==
* Union Square Greenmarket - Saturdays (begins January 3) 8am-6pm
(West side of the Park)

* Tompkins Square Greenmarket - Sundays (begins January 4) 8am-4pm
(East 7th St. & Ave A)

* 97th Street Greenmarket - Fridays (begins January 9) 8am-2pm
( 97th St. & Columbus Ave)

==SPECIAL ONE-DAY COLLECTION==

* Inwood Greenmarket - Saturday, January 10 only, 8am-2pm
(Isham St. b/t Seaman & Cooper).

http://www.cenyc.org/clothing

++++++++++++ +++++++++

MULCHFEST – Recycle Your Christmas Tree!
Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11, 2009, 10am – 2pm,
locations citywide. Free mulch also available at some locations. For
more info go to
http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/mulchfest/mulchfest.html#top

++++++++++++ +++++++++

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING
(all events sponsored by the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Please
see www.lesecologycenter.org for more information)

BRONX – Pelham Bay Park South
Saturday, January 3 from 10am – 4pm
Pelham Bay Park South (Middletown Road Parking Lot off Stadium Ave)

MANHATTAN - Union Square
Sunday, January 4 from 10am - 4pm
Union Square North Plaza (17th St. & Broadway)

MANHATTAN – Midtown
Saturday, January 10 from 10am – 4pm
West 23rd St. b/t 6th & 7th Aves

BROOKLYN – Ft. Greene
Sunday, January 11 from 10am - 4pm
Fulton St. & S. Portland Ave

www.lesecologycenter.org



They make it easy being "greener"! So what are you going to do? ;o)

Grenier has a new Entourage

Adrian Grenier, star of HBO's Entourage, was in New York this week working with City Harvest picking up food from local bakeries and restaurants. The food, earmarked for the Yorkville Common Pantry is to feed the hungry. Grenier is a big advocate for a green lifestyle and also appears on a Planet Green Network show called Alter Ego. Alter Ego focuses on sustainable living and energy conservation. Look for the channel on your local cable station.

Adrian Grenier is using his fame for a Greener world, so what are you gonna do?

I don't get it!

The NYC Dept. of Finance, in all it's wisdom, has got me all confused. I was unfortunate enough to get a parking ticket. Now when I went to pay my ticket I decided to do it online, that way I try and save a tree. However the Dept. of Fiance adds a $2 fee if you pay online. I KNOW! Fee for what? You would think that cutting out the paper and the staff that it takes to process all the tickets that are mailed to them is saving them time and money. But no! They charge $2 because you are ensuring they receive your money in a timely fashion. $2 so they can have people prefer to mail in the tickets and possibly be late in paying so they can fine you. $2 to hire more staff to process the tickets so they can claim a deficit and charge you more in fines and violations. But hey at least the mailmen have a job security now.

President-Elect Obama gets it, what about you?

Sorry it's been awhile I've been busy with a work project, then it was my 20 year high school reunion (yeah I'm old), and then I've been busy gearing up for the holidays. So this is a short post, I just wanted you to know I haven't forgotten about you and Happy Thanksgiving.



President-elect Obama recorded a message for the Global Climate Summit, promising "a new chapter of American leadership on climate change." Learn more at Change.gov.

So what are you gonna do?

Please help!

There are no system currently in place to recycle water filters in the United States. The Clorox Company, the manufacturer for the Brita Water Filter systems, are doing nothing about it. They are the industry leader in the market of "pitcher" filters and 2nd in the market for the filters you attach to the faucet. However they want you to throw out the old filters and let them sit in landfills for millions of years. As you may have read in previous posts I have asked you to stop buying bottled water and use filtered water. Now the lesser of two evils can get better. Please visit the site and and read more about where you can send your old filters, or sign a petition, or just track who is recycling where.

Visit the site, Take Back the Filter

Read the article in the New York Times

See the video on YouTube

Please sign the petition, send in the old filters, send them to me I'll send them in for you. So I ask now, what are you gonna do?

50 Cent And Bette Midler Team Up To Restore Community Garden

(Wind beneath my wings playing in the background) I had to read this article when I saw the headline. Yes it's true Bette Midler and 50 cent together at last and at the end it was reported that no one had a "cap" in their a**. As I blogged about in a previous post Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project restores community parks and gardens in New York City. But they do it as green as possible. I know how cool is that! So the New York Restoration Project and rapper 50 Cent’s G Unity Foundation got together and collaborated on a park project. On November 3rd the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden in Jamaica Queens had their dedication service. “It’s nice to be able to give back to this next generation of kids,” said 50 Cent. “This is the first of many projects I’m going to do in this community.” I think it's great when celebrities give back to the areas in which they grew up in. I know what you're thinking and I'm thinking the same, I hope they get together and make a few albums out of this. Rappin' Bette Midler.

Election Day

Hello everybody, please get out vote! If you read this blog regularly, you know I don't like to push my views and beliefs, however people believe that this is the most important election of out lifetime. I would have to agree. With the current state of the world, not just the US, the world. Please make yourself be heard, get out and vote. There I said it. Now what are you gonna do?

As a bit of an incentive free ice cream scoop at Ben and Jerry's stores on Election Day. And Starbucks, if you tell them that you voted you get a free coffee. So go vote and get your free stuff.

Marathon Update

So my cousin Kelsey finished with a time of 2 hours and 59 mins.
Shelly finished with a time of 4 hours and 11 mins.
And my friend Victoria Rich, which I had forgotten to mention, finished with a time of 4 hours and 51 mins. Congrats to them and all the runners. What a beautiful day for a run and a JETS win too!

New York City Marathon

On a quick personal note best of luck to my friends running in the marathon this Sunday. Most importantly my cousin Kelsey Louie and Shelly Rosser Lee are running. Kelsey is a former President of the NYC Road Runners Club and is running with a group looking to do it in under three hours. I know, can you believe that I said THREE. Shelly is running for the National Autistic Society and is close to her goal. Donate HERE! If your reading this after the marathon contact me and I'll find out where you can donate. I know I'm forgetting a few people so best of luck to all the runners.

Recycle Plastic Caps with AVEDA

I was surprised to find out that plastic bottle caps are often not recycled. In some states it's actually on a "Do not recycle this" list. Why? I'm still looking for answers. But good news, A major makeup manufacturing company such as Aveda has done something green. Aveda realizes that the U.S. does not have an operable system in place to recycle plastic bottle caps. Aveda is asking that you bring in plastic bottle caps to any of their store locations and they will recycle the caps into their makeup packaging. I know, how cool is that? On the page that I am going to give you the link to, HERE, you can find more information about this program and information about organizing your school as well. So now I ask, "What are you gonna do?"

Upcoming NYC recycling events

Just wanted to share an e-mail with you all

As always, a reminder that if you can't find new homes for your old
electronics here, there are many ways to recycle them! Please
consider taking your e-waste to an upcoming FREE collection. Here is
a list of multiple dates and locations in all five boros!

REALLY REALLY FREE MARKET
Sunday, October 26 2008
3:00PM - 11:00PM
St. Mark's Church, 2nd Ave Bet. 10th & 11th St

The Really Really Free Market will feature: live music skillshares
radical literature food and drinks provided by Freegan.info games for
kids and adults psychic readings haircuts, piñatas free clothes books
movies software toys and much more! Bring what you can. Take what you
need.
If you have any q's, please e-mail:
inourhearts@ gmail.com

************ ********* ****
ELECTRONICS RECYCLING FROM THE LOWER EAST SIDE ECOLOGY CENTER
More info and what to bring:
http://ww.lesecolog ycenter.org/ les_frames. html#Ewaste

Saturday, November 1 from 10 am to 4 pm
School yard of PS 29 - Baltic Street between Henry & Clinton Street,
Cobble Hill Brooklyn
We like to thank Councilmember Bill de Blasio, the Cobble Hill
Association and PS 29 PTA for sponsoring this event

Sunday, November 9 from 10 am to 4 pm
Union Square Park - West Plaza E 16th - E 15th Street and Union Square
West
This event is a collaboration with Comedy Central " Address the Mess"(
http://www.addresst hemess.com )

Saturday, December 6 from 10 am to 4 pm
PS 321 Seventh Avenue between 1 & 2nd Streets Park Slope, Brooklyn
We like to thank Councilmember Bill de Blasio and PS 321 PTA for
sponsoring this event
************ ********* ****

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING FROM NYC
Green your routine. Drop off unwanted computers, TVs, cell phones,
radios, cameras, VCRs and other electronics for free at any of the
locations listed below. This small step is an important one to reduce
the estimated 87.5% of e-waste that goes to landfills. Presented by
NBC Universal, WNBC and GREENYC

Saturday and Sunday, November 15–16, 2008
8AM – 2PM, Various locations in all 5 boros

MANHATTAN
+SATURDAY ONLY: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza,
W. 126th St. bet. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd.
+SUNDAY ONLY: Cooper Square, Cooper Square bet. E. 6th and 7th Sts.

BRONX
+SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Joyce Kilmer Park, Grand Concourse bet. E. 161st
and 163rd Sts.

BROOKLYN
+Saturday and Sunday: McCarren Park, Williamsburg

STATEN ISLAND
+Saturday and Sunday: Staten Island Mall, 2655 Richmond Avenue at
Parking Lot F

QUEENS
+Saturday and Sunday: Cunningham Park, Union Turnpike bet. 196th Place
and 197th Street

FOR MORE INFORMATION, learn more at nbcnewyork.com
(http://www.greenisu niversal. com/greenscreens /) or call 311.

Rachel McAdams is Green and Sexy

I have to admit I saw "The Notebook" liked it very much, Rachel McAdams is very attractive. There I said it, it's out there now I can move on. Rachel McAdams is very green, she bought a house in Canada and she's remodeling with as much eco-improvements as possible. She doesn't own a car and prefers to ride around on a bike. She also has a great smile . . . sorry I'll get back to the topic. Besides that she has a website that discusses living green called www.GreenIsSexy.org that she started with two of her friends. It's a pretty cool site that is very entertaining as well. There is a lot of information there and it's not a in your face, do as I say website. The site just focuses on tips for a greener life. Take a look and I hope you enjoy it.

MTV says: "Urinate in public - Save Water!"

From the realm of "How much is too much?", see here, I now bring you this little tidbit from MTV. Apparently on Europe MTV, they are encouraging people to urinate in public areas to save water by not having to flush a toilet. I kid you not, watch the video. It is all part of their new "Switch" campaign. I really don't think I have more to say on this. What do you think? Would you do this or want people to do this? Let me know, leave a comment.

Starbucks is Green?

A reader sent in a link to an article about the popular coffee chain, Starbucks. Now I've written about the company in the past, it offers coffee at a discount if you bring in your own coffee mug so your morning cup of fancy joe will cost you 5.67 instead of 6.40. I don't know the actual discount because I don't drink coffee. In the article, link here from the BBC News website, it talks about how each of the Starbucks franchises are instructed by corporate to run the cold water faucet during hours of operation to run it's dipping station wasting thousands maybe millions of gallons of water a day. A dipping station, for those of you who don't know, is a area in the sink to "dip" utensils to clean them to be used again and again. By having the running water it cleans out the water in the station and keeps the utensils clean. The reason why I know of this is because I had the unfortunate task of working in an ice cream shop (one of my many jobs in my misguided youth) that had a similar setup. This was back in 86' and even then they knew it was a waste of water and they made changes. Their defense is that it's the only way to ensure proper hygiene of their work stations and the faucets are on "low flow". My response blah, blah, blah. I challenge them to find a better way. It takes about 50 minutes to get your order anyway so take another second or two and turn the faucet and then rinse your utensils. Here is another link to another report of the story, HERE from the ENN website. Do you notice that no US mainstream papers are carrying the story, I wonder why? So Starbucks I ask "what are you gonna do?"

Kate Walsh is Green???

I had a hard time writing this post. Because I'm a fan of Kate Walsh, I think she's a good actress and she's tried to do many things for the environment such as making appearances and donating time and money. I loved her on The Drew Carey Show and honestly didn't really see her on Grey's Anatomy or her spin off Private Practice.
With that said, how can she be a spokesperson for Cadillac. Cadillac is not exactly know for their "green" cars. Do they even have any cars that have a mpg over 25? 20? But Cadillac is a big corporation that has made cars for many years blah, blah, blah. This is not the reason why I'm mad though, I read that in June she flew a private jet to a green sustainable living event. A PRIVATE JET.
When will PEOPLE, not just celebs, realize that what they say and do effect the lives of others. Whether it's thousands or millions of fans or the one or two people around them.
In the past I have forgiven attractive women for many things (being a man and all) but this is hypocrisy to the tenth degree. But then again my thing for redheads . . .

Bette Midler Cares

One of the hardest things to accept when living in the city is the lack of greenery. Unless you live right by Central Park you have a bit to travel for a nice green setting. This is one of the main reasons why Bette Midler founded and created the New York Restoration Project. The NYRP helps by creating, sustain, and restore greenery across the five boros. They organize volunteer projects and also educate people on greener living practices. However one of my favorite things the NYRP does is their creation of community gardens. After creating several gardens in each of the boros, they are opening the Target East Harlem Community Garden. Each garden uses solar power and wind power generators to light the garden. They use rainwater harvesting to collect rainwater, and use local residence compost to maintain the integrity of the soil. Check out the website and visit a garden in your boro or to volunteer. Now you know what Miss Bette has done, what are you gonna do?

Planet Green Network

I was a bit ill the other week and was at home flipping through the channels and I re-found a channel that I really enjoy. The Planet Green Network brought to you by your friends at the Discovery Channel. Check your local TV Channel subscriber for the actual channel number in your area, but here in Queens Time Warner Cable you can find it on channel number 114. As I mentioned I watched the channel in the early going but the shows were a bit stale and was a bit to much catered to the extreme tree hugger. However things have changed a lot. They have great entertaining and informative shows. Such as "Living with Ed", Ed Begley jr. and his family and their quest for a green life, a real fun show with true quirky reality. I like "Wa$ted" with Annbelle Gurwitch and some lame guy (Holter Graham). Gurwitch you might remember from "TBS Dinner and a Movie." In the show they get people to understand their wasteful ways and pays them to change. "Supper Club" with Tom Bergeron is a really cool combination of a cooking show and talk show. Tom has four guest and a chef over for dinner. The chef cooks with local products and the four guest eat and discuss recent green trends. Recent guests have been Aisha Tyler, Drew Lachey, Mariel Hemingway, Martin Mull, just to name a few. "Emeril Green" is a cooking show using products from Wholefoods Market. For the younger crowd, "Battleground Earth" Rocker Tommy Lee and Rapper Ludicris recruit help and go through Eco Challenges each week. "Renovation Nation" is an Eco version of "This Old House". There are a few other shows and I really mean "few". That has been the problem with this channel although they have great shows, they just don't have enough of them. They run new programing during prime time then repeat the shows again and again until the next night. So if you miss the new "Living with Ed" at 8pm, don't fret it's gonna repeat a couple of times that night and the next day. Usually about every three hours. So if you have an idea for a Green Show send it to Discovery Channel. To see a list of all their current shows click here.

How much is too much?

Musgrove Willows is a UK supplier of willows for weaving and they offer classes for what to do with them. Recently they offered a class which teaches people to weave your own casket for $500. Yes I said Casket. The class, when offered, apparently filled up immediately. Their was a such a response from the public that Musgrove Willows intends to offer it again in the fall and will offer it on a regular basis. Until the time that you might need your casket, they suggest you use it as a place to store blankets or possibly a coffee table. I am writing this post kinda late so please insert your own joke HERE. But I will add my usual question, so what are you gonna do?

Look how far we've come . . .

A Calvin & Hobbes strip from July 23, 1987 - over 20 years ago…

Katherine Heigl Pays Fisherman To Release Catch Back Into Ocean

I am not a big fan of Katherine Heigl, especially after the Prima Donna move she did to the writers of Grey's Anatomy and other tidbits that I hear about her. But this piece of news I'm a bit mixed on. Apparently during a trip to Mexico she spotted a local fisherman catching a yellow finned tuna and she offered the man $100 bucks to release the tuna back to the sea. The man declined until she doubled the offer. She's good looking and I'm a guy so she gets a little leeway, but cut the Prima Donna stuff.

Tap'd NY Bottle Water

The latest craze to make a buck is Tap'd NY Bottle Water. This company makes no secret that their water is straight from the NYC faucet. Craig Zucker said he came up with the idea when visiting NY from Ohio in 2003. He uses reverse osmosis to purify the water. My brother has a home system in his house in Las Vegas, the water does taste very good. The price will be similar to Poland Spring and others but Zucker is hoping that east coast environmentalist would want the "local" product. His actual cost is that of the bottle and the local water bill from the state and city.

Please, please, please just get a reusable water bottle and a water filtering system like a brita system and save your money and the earth.

David Letterman On Global Warming: “We’re Dead Meat”

In true Letterman style, he can make people smile while getting his point across on a serious matter.

What about me?

I'm not a pushy person who throws my beliefs on people and says "Here, think this way!!!!" I just write this blog when I find something that I find interesting. Over the past two weeks I have found that three of my closest friends don't read the blog and haven't read the blog since I started it (and I have two of them listed in my personal links). That is how much I am not pushy. When I see or write an article that might interest them I e-mail directly.

Since I started to make an effort to reduce my carbon foot print, I have reduce my garbage by recycling more, started using reusable bags when going grocery shopping, buying more local products, making an effort to recycle everything, switched all my bulbs to CFL, cut my showers to less than five minutes, since I do not have a area to plant a tree I have more plants in the house, unplug my electronics when I'm not using them (killing phantoms), hand out recycle bags at the Jets tailgate, bought a more efficient car, walk more often (lost weight with this one), use a reusable water bottle, spread the word without being pushy, and tried to learn about more ways to help improve the environment, the world, and the lives of the people I love. Also write this blog to spread the word. It's a long process and not one that can happen in a day, after all the big man upstairs took 6 and then took a day off.

So what are you gonna do?

Bottle water consumption is down in the US

Good news, bottled water consumption is down in the US. The bad news is that although bottle water consumption is down, it will still increase in sales about 6.7%. Since bottle water came on the scene it's sales have increased in sales every year by at least 15% annually. This is the first year that it's growth is under 10%. Despite it's decline there is still a quite large amount of bottles reaching our landfills everyday. If you purchase bottle water please reuse and recycle them. In some states tap water is actually used in bottle water, it's just filtered like a Brita filter. I have previously posted about myths of bottle water please read that.

And yes that was me handing out recycle bags to fellow tailgaters at the Jets Pats game yesterday.

Car gets 65 MPG, but you can't get it in America

Ford's latest offering is the 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic, however it will only be available overseas. It's not a hybrid car, it runs on diesel. Because of the smell of diesel fuel Americans don't like it. In Europe half the cars that were sold last year ran on diesel fuel, only a third of autos in the states were diesel and that statistic included tractor trailers. The fact is, new diesel vehicles have anti-pollution technology that make them as cleaner or cleaner than gasoline-powered vehicles. The new diesel cars are also 30% more fuel-efficient than gasoline-powered cars.

Wind Power in NYC

Mayor Bloomberg discussed the future possibility of wind power in New York. Although many experts think it would be to costly and would take to long to develop, the Mayor hopes to have a wind power plan developed and is actually excepting plans until September 19th. The Mayor plans to have wind power to fulfill 10 percent of the city's power needs. He is hoping to have something set up either in the Staten Island landfills or off shore in the waters. The picture was created after a few reports suggested that maybe they can go on New York City Landmarks.

To read more on this click here http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/08/20/2008-08-20_windwin_situation_for_new_york_city.html

What do you think and where would you put a wind power generator?

Some Celebs who are doing their part

Actress Emmy Rossum Showing her Pink support


Singer Pink is looking into adopting children


Actress Diane Lane long time environmentalist


News Anchor Jodi Applegate driving an Eco-Friendly SmartCar


Actress Natalie Portman - Outspoken Environmentalist

Robin Williams is Funny

They say laughter keeps you healthy, a healthier person is a green person (that is my tie-in to green).

Robin Williams is an over the top comic that is a bit to much for some people. But I like him, it's my kind of humor. He was on Letterman last night and here is a few tidbits he had

On the Olympics: "I like watching the women's gymnastics or should I say the Chinese Day Care . . ."

"It was amazing what Michael Phelps was able to do in the body Condom . . ."

". . . when he was out of the water you would say 'oh look he's Jewish'"

On George Bush: "I wonder what he's gonna do after his term, it's not like he can do what other presidents did and go on a speaking tour."

It was a lot funnier when he said it.

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)

Check out this short video to see what GE is creating for the future of lighting. Pushing the envelope for effciency and creativity.

http://www.efactormedia.com/archive/ge_oled/index.html

LUSH Cosmetics cause a stir on Herald Square

Employees of LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics went naked for a good cause in Herald Square on Wednesday, Aug. 27th - and called for others to do the same. The cheeky crew urged customers to "go naked" by purchasing earth-friendly products free of excess packaging. LUSH employees doffed their duds, wearing only aprons that read 'ASK ME WHY I'M NAKED.' Having a background in Marketing and women, I would have to say that this was a very good advertising push (wink, wink).

Top 6 Myths: About Bottled Water

This article was sent to me by a very good friend (thank you, you know who you are), she knows that I have quit drinking soda and have tried to just drink water and green tea. The article is from the Marie Clarie website.

MYTH #1:
BOTTLED WATER IS BETTER THAN TAP.
Not necessarily. While labels gush about bottled water that "begins as snowflakes" or flows from "deep inside lush green volcanoes," between 25 and 40 percent of bottled water comes from a less exotic source: U.S. municipal water supplies. (Bottling companies buy the water and filter it, and some add minerals.) That's not really a bad thing: The Environmental Protection Agency oversees municipal water quality, while the Food and Drug Administration monitors bottled water; in some cases, EPA codes are more stringent.

MYTH #2:
PURIFIED WATER TASTES BETTER.
The "purest" water — distilled water with all minerals and salts removed — tastes flat; it's the sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chlorides that give water its flavor. The "off" taste of tap water is the chlorine; if you refrigerate it in a container with a loose-fitting lid, the chlorine taste will be gone overnight.

MYTH #3:
BOTTLED WATER WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS, OR PROTEIN IS MORE HEALTHY THAN REGULAR WATER.
"Vitamins, color, herbs, protein, and all the other additions to water — those are a marketing ploy," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition studies at New York University. Plus, the additives are usually a scant serving of the vitamins you really need in a day, adds Amy Subar, Ph.D., a nutritionist with the National Cancer Institute. Enhanced waters usually contain sugars and artificial flavorings to sweeten the deal and can pack more calories than diet soda. When it comes to providing fluoride, tap water usually wins, though that element is increasingly being added to bottled waters.
MYTH #4:
YOU NEED EIGHT 8-OUNCE GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY.
The Institute of Medicine recommends about 91 ounces (a little more than 11 8-ounce glasses) of fluid daily for women. But here's the thing: It expects 80 percent of that to come from water, juice, coffee, tea, or other beverages and the remaining 20 percent from food. That means if you drink a 12-ounce cup of coffee and a 12-ounce can of diet soda, you only need 48 more ounces (three 16-ounce glasses, or four soda cans' worth) for the day.

MYTH #5:
AFTER AN INTENSE WORKOUT, BOTTLED WATER IS BEST.
There's a reason volunteers hand out Gatorade during marathons. If your workout lasts longer than an hour, you need to replace the water and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that you've lost (that's what sports drinks generally do). For less intense workouts, regular water is fine.

MYTH #6:
WATER BOTTLES ARE EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RECYCLED.
Wouldn't it be nice? And it's not just the bottles. Eco-costs include manufacturing, trucking, shelving, and marketing. And meeting the annual U.S. demand for plastic bottles requires enough oil to keep 100,000 cars on the road for a year, says Janet Larsen of the Earth Policy Institute. Sure, the 70 million empty water bottles the U.S. produces per day can be recycled, but the sad truth is, about 86 percent of them end up in the trash. Hardly worth it, for what flows out of the tap and into a reusable glass for free.

Don't get cheated at the gas pump

In New York State it is considered illegal to charge one price for gas if purchased with cash and a higher price for gas purchased with a credit card. In a Daily News report 30% of the gas stations they checked, charged a lower price for cash purchases. It is considered "bait and switch" by drawing the customers in with the advertised "Cash" price, however when they get to the pump and try to pay with a credit card it a higher price per gallon. You can report them to the Better Business Bureau, but they usually receive a small fine and a slap on the wrist, so I just make sure to bring cash for the pump. If they are charging a different price for a credit purchase, 10 to 15 cents higher a gallon, then they must post that price and then advertise that they are discounting "cash" purchases. I'm not sure the policy in other states.

Arm and Hammer Essentials

A while back I posted about Arm and Hammer Essentials, it is a cleaner that comes in a concentrated form that you use with a refillable bottle. When you are finished with the product instead of buying a new large bottle of cleaner you buy a smaller concentrated bottle which you mix with tap water. I also have a link to the right where you can get a free starter kit and all you have to do is pay shipping and handling. I am using the stuff and it's very good. They have several scents to choose from and they work very good at cleaning all different types of surfaces. It also is less expensive to purchase refills and of course cuts down on the production of plastic bottles. So take a look at Arm & Hammer Essentials.

Matthew Modine starts "Bicycle for a Day" - Saturday Sept. 20th.

Actor Matthew Modine is asking for your help. On September 20th Modine wants you to ride your bicycle, skateboard, rollerblade to work, run errands, enjoy the city, whatever just leave the car keys at home. “The idea behind my project Bicycle for a Day is to help people understand that there is something they can do,” he recently wrote on his organization's webpage. “In fact, just one simple thing they can do every day to become part of the solution. If everybody does this one thing, the cumulative effect could be tremendous.” ”The environmental situation is a great opportunity for us all to work together to find solutions. Bicycle for a Day is just that— citizens of the world joining together globally and acting locally.” Modine's event launches at New York's South Street Seaport, however he hopes it will become an annual national event. Thus far fellow actor Liam Nesson has joined the cause and is helping to promote the event. Together they are hoping to have 20,000 registered riders before the Sept. 20th date, they only have about 3,000. So click on the link below and sign up, I did it's free to become a member.

http://www.bicycleforaday.org/home

Just a bit on recycle bottles

There is a bill that New York State is looking at that has been shot down the past few years. The "Bigger Better Bottle Bill" is a bill that would have a five cent deposit on all bottle beverages not just soft drinks. This would include bottle water, sports drinks, and all others that do not currently collect a deposit. NYPIRG, an environmental group is currently pushing for the bill to be passed, believes that it would result in nearly 3 billion more bottles returned and recycled a year. It would cut down on overflowing landfills by reducing trash and result in cleaner communities.

I'm all for it, but is it enough? What I mean by that is people don't recycle bottles now because "it's only five cents", but if more bottles are included for deposits and the fact that it can add up to a dollar faster, will it change their attitude and their habits. Deposit amounts have been the same five cents for twenty five years, maybe it's time for an increase. How about by weight, 20 oz. water bottle 5 cents, a glass 1 liter bottle 10 cents, etc. just a thought. When my friends tell me "it's only five cents" I tell them yeah but with 40 bottles I can have a home cooked dinner of chicken, rice and vegetables (chicken thighs 99 cents a lb, rice pretty cheap, and vegetables average 89 cents a lb bought in bulk BJ's).

What do you think?

Answer your corn phone

Bravo to Samsung and their new line of eco-friendly cell phones. In today's world of "Keeping up with the Jones" and getting the latest gadgets to play with, cell phones are often replaced within a year or two with little regards to the impact on the environment.

However Samsung brings you the E200 Eco Cell Phone. The plastic housing of the phone is made up of bio-plastics created from corn, the box which it is packaged in is made of non-coated, recycled paper, and like another green phone from Samsung, the W510, it does not contain heavy metals like lead, mercury or cadmium in the headset. So kudos to the Samsung Corporation and hopefully we will be seeing more like this from big corporations in the future.

So what are you doing for the environment?

Bike theft up in New York City

For the "Only in New York" file, A undisclosed report states that thus far in 2008, bike thefts have surpassed the entire total of thefts in 2007. "Experts" believe that it is because there are more environmentalist who attempt to do more biking than driving so there are much more bikes on the road. Hey New York Bad Guys give us a break we are trying to save the earth for the people, what are you doing?

You don't have to buy a Reusable Bag . . . Make one!

http://wildonionstudio.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/tee-bags/

I read this on the Wild Onion website and I thought it was a great idea. Also if you have kids it's a great little project you can do with them to get them interested in the environment.

A quick word from our sponsors . . .

A beautiful piece of art from my friend Caroline.

Hello everybody, I don't actually have any sponsors but I do have some friends and some favorite links that I like. Take a look to the right and visit them. A bunch of eco sites and this and thats.

Drop me a comment if you want to be added. But I will ask you to do something "green" that you don't normally do.

James Bond goes Green

Bond, James Bond.

In the next James Bond picture, coming out in November, Quantum of Solace, Bond takes on a nasty powerful business man who doesn't care about destroying the environment as long as he makes a buck. No kidding, I'm sure there is more to the storyline but for the sole purpose of this blog that's all I care about. But even more so he turns in his usual Aston Martin and will be driving a fuel efficient Ford Ka. That's a picture of the female lead of the movie Camille (played by actress Olga Kurylenko). I couldn't stop looking at the actress so I added a picture of the car for all the guys out there.

If Mister "Shaken not Stirred" can drive one, how about you?