Sam Goes Green

What is Greener a real tree or a fake tree?

2009-11-30T23:27:00.003-05:00

Tis' the season to ask yourself a question. What is "Greener" a real tree or a fake tree. I have been asking myself every year. I have some friends that prefer real trees, the smell of the tree in the house makes the season special for them. And I have some friends that prefer fake ones, because of simplicity in an otherwise hectic time.

Of course an argument can be made for both and which ever you decide please keep in mind the following to make it a "greener" holiday.

For real tree lovers please try to buy locally and make sure to follow the rules of your area for tree disposal.

For people who like fake trees, purchase fake trees that are made in the US to off set gas house admissions of transportation. Properly store your tree after using to ensure a longer life span of the tree. Treat it well and it can last for years.

What do you prefer? What do you think? Do you have more tips?

Happy Holidays to all.

No bag refunds

2009-11-17T09:54:00.003-05:00

I have to admit that I don't really look at receipts when I purchase things at the supermarket. I look at the register screen while I'm being rung up to make sure I'm not over charged. But I never look at the actual receipt. I made my purchase at the supermarket the other day and I bought the wrong item so I looked at the receipt for return policy on food items and found at the bottom of my receipt that I was refunded 2 cents for having my own bag. Now 2 cents is not going to make me a rich man but I was surprised that it was there. I usually go to the self check out aisle because the line is shorter but when you purchase loose vegetables you're better off at the regular checkout. When I returned my item to the store I asked about it and they said that when the cashiers see that the person has their own bag they give the refund. They will not ask, only if they see your bag. Some markets actually give up to a 5 cents refund. Again 2 cents will not put your children through college but it is a nice gesture. In this hard economy every penny counts, right? So bring your bags to the store the next time you go shopping, hold them up proud and get your refund. Learn how to make your own bags from old t-shirts HERE. Or join my friends at Bags for the People at one of their events and learn how to make a bag out of anything.

So now supermarkets are stepping up and doing their part to be "Green" and encourage their shoppers to do so as well, what are you gonna do?

It's never to early!

2009-11-14T00:17:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite "Green" websites, Treehugger.com comprised a list of Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos. Most of us grew up on Sesame Street so a couple of the videos my look familiar. It's never to early to start teaching "Green". Take a look.

Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos

Bette Midler trash-talks Yanks

2009-11-10T07:27:00.002-05:00

To my knowledge, Bette Midler hasn't put out a new album or been in a movie recently, but yet she is still adding fans to the millions she had already. She certainly has won me over. Her work that she is doing for the local area with her New York Restoration Project, has certainly been amazing. Through the Project she encourages others to use their celebrity name to do work in the community, even teaming up with people you don't expect, like Rapper 50 Cent. But also got the locals to do work in their community this past Earth Day. I myself, helped clean and plant trees in the very same Queens playgrounds that I grew up playing in. Now she takes on the 27 time World Champion New York Yankees.

If you've driven to a Yankee game in the last five years, you might have noticed that Adopt a Highway sign on the Major Deegan (pictured above). She has adopted a highway strip there as well as other areas around the city. However the past two years she says she's been trying to get the Yankees to clean up their own area. "I'm thrilled to death that they [the Yankees] won, but would they please in their win fork over - it's so cheap - like 25 grand for a whole year," she added. "They could have flowers that say "Go Yankees!" Read more of the article from Daily News Online here.

Interesting stuff from the Adopt-A-Highway website, Adopters are asked to commit to picking up litter along the section of state highway, which is usually two miles long, at least four times a year for two years. Adopters may mow the roadside or plant flowers and other NYSDOT-approved vegetation. Adopters may also keep the proceeds they earn from any recyclable trash. Only four times a year, but Bette sends a crew out once a week on the sections that she has adopted.

So thank you Bette for doing your part and challenging and inspiring others to be greener. So now 27 time World Champion New York Yankees, what are you gonna do?

Yankees go Green

2009-11-02T18:39:00.002-05:00

It was hardly mentioned but the effort made a great impact. The Yankees traveled to Philadelphia after game two of the World Series by Amtrak. The Yankees arrived by bus at Penn Station right before their train was scheduled to leave before 2pm on Friday. Their journey to their 27th World Championships continued with a train ride to Philly that took just over an hour. "We would like to welcome the New York Yankees to Penn Station", was heard over the station PA and fans lined up cheering the Bombers on. Derek Jeter received the loudest cheers as well as A-Rod, who was last to exit the team buses. Good Luck Yankees bring home the Championship, by train of course!

The Yankees are doing their part and going green, what are you gonna do?

Brothel in Berlin, Germany, Maison d'Envie (aka House of Desire), cuts rates for 'green' customers

2009-10-17T10:07:00.002-04:00

This is just to make you smile . . .

A brothel in Germany offers a discount to patrons who are green and arrive there on a bicycle. I know how funny is that! Apparently there is a terrible parking situation there and patrons have a hard time as they circle the block for parking. If they have to wait for parking most end up going to a different "House". Discounts are issued when patrons show proof of how they arrived. The discounts are also given for those who take public transportation. No discount is offered yet to those who walk because they haven't been able to figure out how to have them prove it. To find out more you are going to have to read more yourself (sorry).

So now German Brothels are going green, what are you gonna do?

Confusion, lack of space discourage New Yorkers from recycling more

2009-10-04T13:22:00.004-04:00

I thought this was important enough to present the entire article whole. I read it on the Daily News website. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/04/2009-10-04_how_green_is_my_city_not_too_much_pros_blame_confusion__lack_of_space.html

Reduce, reuse, recycle - well, not so much.

New Yorkers are still tossing out more than half the stuff they should be recycling, managing to go green only 42% of the time.

Recycling rates had been steadily improving since the program was first implemented 20 years ago.

But they've been flat ever since a big part of the city's recycling collection was suspended for two years in a post-9/11 budget crisis.

Plenty of the blame lies with confusion over what can be recycled and what can't:

Plastics labeled 1 and 2 - always; 3 through 7, never. Egg cartons - but only if they're cardboard. Milk cartons, for certain, but no yogurt containers. Glasses, but no glassware. Batteries, yes; rechargeable batteries, nope.

"The hard part is getting people to understand," said East Harlem building superintendent James Underwood as he sorted through the trash.

Joan Botta of the Bronx is a dedicated recycler and still can't keep everything straight.

"Once I put a yogurt cup in there and I got a ticket. I just don't understand that one," said the 60-year-old Pelham Gardens resident.

Another problem? There's just nowhere to store three or four different types of trash in cramped New York quarters.

"You have to put each thing in a different place, you can't put anything together and it's too much for me now," said James Harrison, 76, of Mott Haven, the Bronx, which has one of the worst recycling rates in the city.

Environmentalists wish the city would put more effort into educating New Yorkers about recycling.

"There's no reason why we can't do as well as San Francisco and Seattle, both of which have more items on their [recycling] list than we do," said Eric Goldstein, senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council.

Robert Lange, director of recycling for the Sanitation Department, said New York does pretty well when compared with other huge cities with a lot of apartments.

The neighborhoods that recycle the most household paper, plastic, glass and metal have more single-family homes. Queens has the best residential recycling record, followed by Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx, which recycles only 34% of what it could.

"I think we're a little more eco-conscious than other neighborhoods," said David Fullman, a homeowner in Bayside, Queens, which has one of the best recycling records of the city's 59 sanitation districts.

New Yorkers might be a little greener if the fines for ignoring the rules were bigger than $25, Lange said. "Twenty-five dollars is not a strong motivator for an apartment building to recycle," he said.

The economics aren't so great for the city, either. The city is paid between $5 million and $20 million a year by recycling companies for our paper, metal, glass and plastic.

It still costs more per ton to recycle than to ship garbage to an out-of-state landfill.

Still, environmentalists say, that shouldn't stop people from thinking about the biggest cost of all: the Earth's future.

Every New Yorker throws out 16 pounds of household trash a week - and only 15% of it is ultimately recycled.

"Many people here don't follow the rules," said Arif Mata, who lives in the northern section of Staten Island. "A lot of people just want to put all the garbage in one big bag and throw it away."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/04/2009-10-04_how_green_is_my_city_not_too_much_pros_blame_confusion__lack_of_space.html#ixzz0SzNt9JJG

Bamboo Bike Studio

2009-09-13T20:53:00.004-04:00

http://www.bamboobikestudio.com/

I think you are gonna like this one. Three people in Red Hook Brooklyn are teaching people how to make their very own custom custom bike out of bamboo. I know how cool is that. A 16 hour, two day course is given every other weekend and costs $1250. You are measured and then taught step by step to build your own custom bike. There are several advantages of bamboo bikes such as they are more lighter, uses less steel, and offers a smoother ride. However the owners are doing this to perfect the technique to create more efficient bike-building methods for underdeveloped nations.

Take a look at the website, it's loaded with information about this. I think it would be an excellent gift for a a certain person "going green".

Kudos to the Bamboo Bike Studio for making a difference, so now what are you gonna do?

Julia Stiles Cares About The Environment More Than You

2009-08-27T08:08:00.002-04:00

I like Julia Stiles, I think she's a good actress, she lives and goes to school in New York and she's green. But now I know she actually has a sense of humor. Just a little something to make you smile.

Chevy Volt thinks it can get 230 MPG . . .

2009-08-11T11:09:00.002-04:00

I love progress! That said, GM claims that the Chevy Volt can get 230 mpg. I know, how cool is that! Currently the Toyota Prius averages about 50 city and highway combined. The Volt starts with a 40 mile range on electricity. So if you are only running local errands you can possibly do so using no gas. After that a small engine kicks in that generates the electricity. The battery packs can be plugged into a regular outlet and can be fully charged for about 40 cents a day.

So now the bad news. It probably won't be available till the end of 2010. There are still a lot of kinks they are working out in the battery and power cord. Also the first models are gonna cost about $40,000 base. So if you need some extras (sunroof, etc.) it's gonna cost you. But still very promising news. Ahhh taxpayers money making the rich richer, the American way.

GM is trying to do what it can to make a difference, what are you gonna do?

Earth Days Movie

2009-08-09T23:54:00.001-04:00

From the press release of the Film, "Earth Days" due out August 14th.

It is now all the rage in the Age of Al Gore and Obama, but can you remember when everyone in America was not Going Green? Visually stunning, vastly entertaining and awe-inspiring, Earth Days looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement—from its post-war rustlings in the 1950s and the 1962 publication of Rachel Carsons incendiary bestseller Silent Spring, to the first wildly successful 1970 Earth Day celebration and the subsequent firestorm of political action.

Earth Days secret weapon is a one-two punch of personal testimony and rare archival media. The extraordinary stories of the eras pioneers—among them Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; biologist/Population Bomb author Paul Ehrlich; Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand; Apollo Nine astronaut Rusty Schweickart; and renewable energy pioneer Hunter Lovins—are beautifully illustrated with an incredible array of footage from candy-colored Eisenhower-era tableaux to classic tear-jerking 1970s anti-litterbug PSAs. Directed by acclaimed documentarian Robert Stone (Oswald's Ghost, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst) Earth Days is both a poetic meditation on humanity's complex relationship with nature and an engaging history of the revolutionary achievements—and missed opportunities—of groundbreaking eco-activism.

Toyota Unleashes Giant Solar-Powered Flowers On Unsuspecting Cities

2009-07-27T18:17:00.002-04:00

You might remember that my first passion is Marketing. I find it interesting and stirs my creative mind. Some people don't even give it a second thought. However marketing and advertising is to true link to a company and it consumers. Why it's so interesting to me is a long story.

I especially love when a eco-friendly company creates an interesting ploy to generate a buzz for their product. Toyota has created these giant flower stations as a reminder that the earth is beautiful and can give something back. Anyone can use these solar power stations to recharge your laptop or get free WiFi. Currently the stations are only in Boston, but Toyota plans to build stations in New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

The Prius's new tag line is “Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine.”

So Toyota is doing what it can to spread the word about the environment, what are you gonna do?

Ava Chin - The Urban Forager

2009-07-18T08:19:00.002-04:00

I can't imagine anything greener than taking a walk in the park and enjoying the natural beauty that the earth has provided for you. But it gives so much more than people think. A long time friend, Ava Chin, writes a blog for the New York Times titled The Urban Forager. The blog features the area in which I use to live many moons ago, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill/Prospect Park area. I had a chance to meet up with Ava and do some foraging. When she said we were going to pick up some things for a salad, she headed straight for the park. Ava provided plenty of information that I became a little lost in, however we are lucky enough to have her blog to refer to. In the picture above you will see my favorite find, Lambsquarter. Very similar to spinach in taste but a higher nutritional value. Ava had made a Lambsquarter pie prior to our day of foraging that was simply amazing. We also found Violets that gave the salad a bit of zip. Two important things I learned is to try and find plants off the beaten path (cleaner and fresher) and only pick what you intend to eat. For much more information, take a look at her blog and enjoy the gift that the earth has given you. After that do something for the earth in return to show your appreciation.

Samaritan's Purse

2009-06-28T15:43:00.003-04:00

I know you are all thinking, Wow three posts in a weeks time? Yes I just wanted to write about this charity organization that I was introduced to.

This past week I met the Rucci Family, but in particular Emma and her mother Mary. I was so impressed with them as they told me of Samaritan's Purse that within minutes I agreed to volunteer my time and efforts. The family themselves personally packed 89 boxes last year and are determined to do more this year.

Straight from their website, "Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas." They collect donations throughout the year and will have a National Collection Week during November 16th to the 23rd. Collecting school supplies, toiletries and toys. Just a fair warning to all my friends out there I will be calling.

Emma and Mary Rucci are making a difference in the world, what are you gonna do?

Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

2009-06-27T20:46:00.003-04:00

Two Icons were lost this past week.
I did not have the legendary poster on my wall, however I did think she was a very beautiful woman. Later in life she used her fame for various charites and was actually a very good actress.

MJ, was a great entertainer and a humanitarian.

You will both be missed.

Bags for the People

2009-06-22T17:50:00.002-04:00

This post is long overdue. Bags for the People had an event in the city back on Earth Day Weekend in which I had so much fun. If you read my post back in April I mentioned them briefly with the plan of writing a post just about them. Better late than never. Since Earth Day I've attended a couple of their "Sweatshop Socials" and a fundraiser event for them and always had a great time and met some cool people. But in particular Glenn and Megan are devoted and passionate people that made me feel as though I've known them for years. They work together at the Union Square Farmers Market and started Bags for the People because they hated giving out plastic bags when they sold things. "Sweatshop Socials" are every last Monday of the month in Brooklyn (go to the website for more information). And there are also other events throughout the month. If you look at my old post, look at the pictures. I made a big bag from an old shirt of mine and I was so proud it, it was hard to let go. I am not doing them justice with this post so check out the website for yourself. Go to an event and make some bags, tell Glenn and Megan I said hi, or better yet give me a call and I'll take you there myself.

So Glenn and Megan are making a difference, what are you gonna do?

Sorry I've been busy . . .

2009-06-10T20:41:00.003-04:00

I know it's been awhile and thank you readers who kept reminding me that I must continue the "good fight". My business has taken a hit and I have been very busy trying to save it.

Anyway I read an article recently on the Planet Green website about taking a "Navy shower" and save dozens of gallons a water a day. To quickly summerize, you follow these simple steps:

Get in the shower.
Turn on the water.
Get yourself wet.
Turn off the water.
Lather up.
Rinse off.
Save 57 gallons of a resource that's growing more and more scarce as days go on.

I have heard about these showers from my friends in the military and I got to say it's a bit harder than I thought it would be. I count on the morning shower to wake me up and I only imagine it being very cold during the winter time. However I've been trying it for a month now and I'm getting use to it. Also turning off the faucet while brushing my teeth and such.

I'm also trying to not eat meat three or four days a week. I started alternating days but kept losing track and craved to much, so I try to do blocks of two days in a row and and find my meat craving to be less and less.

Just because I took some time off from writing, I hope you didn't. So now what are you gonna do?

Doing my part for Earth Day 2009

2009-04-19T23:24:00.004-04:00

Leading up to Earth Day I was struggling to do something different than last year (cleaning up a local park) and I was happy to find that The Planet Green network, with many other sponsors, created and hosted over fifty events during the weekend for people to volunteer for. As I looked through the list one posting caught my eye. A tree planting in the Pomonok Housing complex. Why you ask did this catch my eye? I grew up playing basketball in their playground for years. I know, how cool! So I figured that one was for me so I picked another. Back to the Sack project asked volunteers to create reusable bags that will be given out free to get people not to use plastic bags. They asked that you bring old clothing to make into bags.

I had so much fun at both events. I was part of a team that planted 6 of the 300 trees. Some of those trees right in front of my friends old apartments. And I made a couple of bags but pictured was my first and favorite. I had a lot of help from a new friend Lisa, she did the sewing, but it was my shirt and my design. As you can see in the pics it's big. It was my old Eddie Bauer shirt with a stain in the front and now it will help reduce the use of plastic bags. Check out the website Bags for the People they have an event every first Monday of the month.

This is the time that I normally ask you "so what are you gonna do?" Not this time, I just hope I motivated you enough to do something on your own. Happy Earth Day, there is only one world so take care of it.

Earth Day April 22nd

2009-04-15T22:08:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again, Earth Day is here. Last year I spent the day cleaning the local park with other volunteers and this year I wanted to do something a bit different. This weekend the Planet Green Network is organizing various volunteer jobs to honor Earth Day in different cities across the US. You can click on their link listed on the right under "Green Links" and check it out yourself. So this year I am volunteering to help "Green" a local playground that I use to play in and also making reusable bags and spreading the word about them. On the actual day itself I will be back at the park cleaning and planting. So what are you gonna do?

Spring Cleaning FreeMeets!

2009-04-12T15:49:00.002-04:00

I am on the emailing list for Freecycle and this is their latest email. If you are in the New York City area and are doing some spring cleaning . . .

Spring Cleaning? Don't Throw It Away—-Bring it to the
Freecycle™ NYC FreeMeet!

Freecycle New York City celebrates spring and reaching 40,000+ members with TWO FreeMeets:

Saturday, April 18, 2009, 12pm-3pm
JJ Byrne Park (dead end on 4th Street b/t 5th Ave and the Old Stone House in the park)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Saturday, May 9, 2009, 12pm-3pm
P.S. 217 Playground (1100 Newkirk Avenue at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn

WHY: New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day, much of which is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states. Here's your chance to help reduce waste and keep our environment clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or
recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and other reusable items* to share or simply bring a tote bag to fill. Bring friends and family too!

Got wire hangers? Bring 'em to the FreeMeet so we can hang clothes and
recycle the hangers afterwards.

MORE INFO: www.RecycleThisNYC. org/freemeet

*please bring portable items only and log on to www.Freecycle. org to give away furniture and other heavy stuff.

I have donated stuff to a FreeMeet before then spent some time looking around and ended up with a bag of books. Take a look, bring some items or come and take some. So now what are you gonna do?

Cardboard solar oven wins first prize

2009-04-10T11:23:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I'm sorry it has been awhile but I just don't want to post anything just to post. I really hope to post things that I find interesting and that I think can help motivate you, the reader, to make a change. This is a story that I loved.

This cardboard solar oven that can be made for around $6, can very well change the lives of many. Jon Bomer, the Kenya-based entrepreneur who invented the cooker, set out to transform the lives of villagers in developing world who use firewood to cook.

Here are just some of the ways this brilliant invention can make an impact:

Decreases carbon emissions created from burning firewood.
Slows down deforestation by curbing the need for firewood.
Removes indoor smoke pollution and the health problems associated with it.
Lowers the cost of energy since fuel from the sun is free.
Allows families to easily boil water so they can have access clean drinking water.
Eliminates the need for children to spend time looking for firewood so they can spend that time in school.

The best thing about this solar oven is that it can be easily be made by anyone and it doesn't cost that much. Kudos to Jon Bomer for making a difference in creating something that can make a difference. So now what are you going to do?

Earth Day 2009

2009-03-10T23:00:00.002-04:00

Earth Day is April 22nd and I am looking for a special way to celebrate. Last year I spent the day in Cunningham Park with other volunteers picking up garbage and planting trees. I was hoping to do something a little different this year, any ideas? What are you doing that day?

Don't forget March 28th, 8:30 pm is Earth Hour. Millions around the world will shut off the light for an hour to show unity against Global Warming.
http://www.earthhour.org/

Good news on the horizon . . .

2009-02-25T20:31:00.003-05:00

First I would like to send a shout out to my favorite reader, my niece, Jordan. Thanks for reading, for encouraging me to continue when I was down and all your comments. You may not realize this but you are one of the reasons why I started this in the first place. I love you.

Now the good news, there is a plastic bottle that will be better for the environment. I know!!! Wait let me tell you the story. It was found that in 1996, only 40% of plastic bottles were recycled. Amazingly ten years later that number dropped to 23%. Of course you figure in the fact that more plastic bottles were manufactured and people will tell you that we were recycling more in volume, but not nearly as much of a percentage. Anyway Planet Green Bottle has created a plastic bottle that will disintegrate a plastic bottle in 8 to 10 years instead of the regular thousands of years by using a Reverte™ Oxo Biodegradable additive. I can't tell you how it works but you can read about it on the website by clicking on the link above. It's a bit over my head but I like the results.

So now what are you gonna do?

Hands-on with Motorola's green "Renew" phone

2009-02-15T08:22:00.002-05:00

This is a review of Motorola's green "Renew" phone by Ben Patterson: The Gadget Hound from his Yahoo Blog. Since I haven't seen the phone I'm gonna post his blog because I want you to see whats out there. Here's what he has to say:

I have to say, it's been years since I bothered to test a handset as basic as the Renew. Then again, it's not every day I get to review a cell phone made out of recycled water bottles.

Announced during CES and available now on T-Mobile ($9.99 with a two-year contract, or $59.99 without), the three-ounce Renew is not exactly, how shall I say … packed with features.

No Bluetooth. No GPS. No video player. No camera. Wi-Fi? Please. Oh, by the way—2002 called, and it wants its 1.6-inch, 128 by 128-pixel display back.

That said, you'll be hard-pressed to find a greener handset than the Renew, starting with its brown cardboard package (made from post-consumer recycled paper) and ending with its plastic, green-and-black casing, which is both molded out of recycled water bottles—there's a first—and also "entirely recyclable," according to Motorola.

And while the Renew's features are indeed basic—just a bare-bones WAP browser and MP3 player, a few low-tech games, a basic calendar and address book—Motorola clearly took pains to get the basics right.

Example: Call quality on the CrystalTalk-enabled Renew is notably impressive, with callers sounding loud—way loud, actually, especially over the speakerphone—and clear. I didn't notice any echoing or drop-outs during my tests, although your mileage may vary depending on local coverage (and I've certainly heard my share of complaints from T-Mobile subscribers). Moto promises a whopping nine hours of talk time on a single charge, and yes—the Renew works with T-Mobile's MyFaves plan (good for unlimited calling to any five friends).

I was also surprised to find a microSD slot for memory expansion behind the Renew's battery, good for storing MP3s for playback over the music player (a wired stereo headset with a 2.5mm jack comes in the box). Again, don't expect an equalizer or album art, but there are shuffle and repeat modes available, and you can play tunes in the background while you perform other phone functions (a deceptively simple trick missing on many of the pricier "multimedia" phones I've tested).

Now, that's not to say everything's rosy with the Renew. Its sound is loud and clear, all right, but it tends toward the tinny side, and I was bummed by the lack of a physical, dedicated volume rocker on the side of the phone (you must used the four-way navigational pad to tweak the volume, which can be awkward when the handset is pressed against your ear). Meanwhile, Web browsing over the GPRS-only data connection is painfully slow. And yes, T-Mobile offers several cheaper (as in, free) phones with sharper displays and more features.

That said, the Renew is a statement phone as well as a basic one—indeed, Motorola promises to invest in renewable-energy sources to compensate for the carbon emissions involved in building and distributing the handset. (There's even a postage-paid envelope in the box for sending your old phone to a recycling center.) If you're looking for the equivalent of a hybrid car in the world of cell phones, well ... this is it.

Happy Valentines Day and Earth Hour 2009

2009-02-14T10:57:00.003-05:00

Today when you show a little bit of love to your sweethearts, don't forget Mother Earth.

I am showing my love by committing to Earth Hour on Saturday March 28th, 2009 at 8:30 PM. I will be joining millions of people worldwide in shutting off the lights. To learn more and join the cause take a look at their website, http://www.earthhour.org/

It's not that hard to do and it's only for an hour. So what are you gonna do?

Recycle Plastic Bottle Caps Separately

2009-02-04T11:09:00.002-05:00

It's just not enough anymore to recycle your bottles after you are done with them. I know that you've all been doing great by recycling your bottles, however did you know that after it's been picked up from your house and goes to the recycle plant, bottles with caps left on them are separated from the ones without? This extra step is time consuming and costly. The caps have to be removed because the type of plastic that is used to make them is different? I know!!!! Furthermore some recycle plants don't even recycle the caps! I know!!!! And it's not just water bottle caps but ALL CAPS like soda, milk, shampoo, toothpaste, and juice caps. What should we do now you ask? It's a different type of plastic that is harder to recycle. It wasn't brought to light before because they were still just trying to get people to recycle but now it's a problem. As I mentioned in a previous post (read more here) Aveda wants to help with that. I love it when a big corporation does it's part to help the environment. They collect the caps and uses the recycle material in it's new packaging. I love the idea. Click on the link to find out what caps can and cannot be recycled with them and how and where to bring them.

So what can you do? When you recycle a anything with a cap, remove the cap, that's the very least. If you want to take it a step further collect all the caps separately. Then bring them to an Aveda location near you. One or two extra steps by you can go a long way. So you know what I'm gonna say now, what are you gonna do?

Kevin Bacon gets it . . .

2009-01-28T08:49:00.002-05:00

I have always been a fan of Kevin Bacon, not a huge fan but really can you have a top ten movie list and not have Kevin Bacon in at least one or two of them? The whole Six Degrees thing is a fun game that I'm sure every movie buff has played drunk at parties. But did you know he was a big environmentalist? I know how cool!

In a recent article in the Denver post he discusses some issues about his hometown Philly. “I walk at least 40 blocks every day and use public transportation,” says Bacon. “When I go to Philly, I don’t drive. Why would I want to get into a car and sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic when I can take the train to downtown Philly? There’s a fantastic book called “You Are Here,” by Thomas Kostigen, that I wrote the foreword for, and he walks you through some of the consequences of our daily actions. I tread lightly talking about this because sometimes it can backfire. On the other hand, I feel that maybe I can do my part in some small way to show by example that it’s not that hard to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. One of the things we do with the Bacon Brothers is encourage people to fill their water bottles up with tap water or from the fountain. Tap water is not bad for you. The Bacon Brothers even sell aluminum water bottles, not that you have to use ours. I’m horrified at the amount of plastic bottles that get thrown away every day.”

I am dying to read this book but it's currently 4th on my "Read Next List", if you've read it let me know what you thought.

So Kevin Bacon gets it . . . what about you?

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

2009-01-26T11:11:00.002-05:00

The Year of the Earth Ox brings a feeling of stability, but it also brings progress -- even if it does seem slow and steady! Learn how the element Earth and the Chinese sign of the Ox combine to bring you growth and focus through the year ahead!

7 green things about me

2009-01-16T13:43:00.002-05:00

I was reading another blog about being green and the writer was asked to list seven green things about themselves and to ask 7 others to do the same. I thought it was a great idea so here is my seven.

1. I started to become more "green" a couple of years back after hanging out one day with my niece and nephew in Las Vegas. I was just thinking about what kind of world they will be living in when they were older and it got me thinking about the big picture.

2. I have over 11 reusable bags. I always forgot to bring my bags with me so I just kept buying another instead of getting a plastic bag from the store. I even have two that I made myself which you can learn to do too right here!

3. I have a "bag of bags" and a "bag of paper scraps". My "bag of bags" is exactly what it sounds like. A lot of things that we buy comes in a plastic bag. So I wash them out and put them in a recycle bag to recycle. And my "bag of paper scraps" is a collection of things that most people would normally throw out such as store receipts, labels and such.

4. I have a part-time job in which I sort recycle items from garbage for a couple of apartment buildings near my house. It's not as bad as it sounds and it cuts down on trash and recycles for the environment.

5. My friends try and catch me not being "green". This annoys the hell out of me because they give me the "holier than thou" crap as they are doing nothing for the world. My plan is to be "greener", I know I'm not the greenest person in the world and I don't pretend to be.

6. I have very little luck with plants. I don't know why but I do know if you want to get rid of a plant, give it to me and it will die a slow horrible death.

7. My bestfriends in the whole world do not read my blog. They looked at it once or twice but not since. I know this because I will bring up a topic that I wrote about and will have to say, ". . . well if you read my blog you would know!"

Bonus: It took my 3 sittings to watch the entire movie "An Inconvenient Truth", I kept falling asleep. Al Gore just does that to me.

So what about you? What are your "green" secrets? And now that I've shared mine, what are you gonna do?

TerraCycle.Net

2009-01-13T23:05:00.007-05:00

This is a great site and an interesting way to start a modest fundraiser. Terracycle is a company that creates products such as tote bags, book bags, pencil cases, environmental products, school binders, recycle cans, pens, pencils, and other assorted office supplies all using things that people will normally throw away. And they will PAY YOU to send these items to them. I know! I said PAY YOU! Okay the catch is they ask that you send it in bulk which is understandable. But they PAY YOU 2cents for each of the following items, juice pouches, energy bar wrappers, yogurt cups, cookie wrappers, and wine bottle corks.

They PAY YOU 6 cents for the soda bottles, yes I said PAY YOU 6 cents, that is one more penny than what you would get back in the store. But they only take the 20 oz. bottles and put in their environmental products in them. Here are some of the products that they make that have been sold in WalMart, Target and other fine stores.

You know what I'm gonna ask next, "So what are you gonna do?"

Recycling Gift cards

2009-01-08T22:31:00.003-05:00

Now that the holiday season is over it's time to remind yourself of your New Years Resolutions. You remember the one about being "Greener". If you're like me your friends and family thinks that you are hard to shop for and they got you an easy no brainer gift, A Gift Card. So what to do with them after they are used? Usually people do one of two things, they give it to the cashier to dispose of and they throw it in the garbage or you yourself throws it in the garbage. Please don't do that, they are recyclable but it takes a little work. A company called Earthworks collects the cards and recycles them. Earthworks recycles PVC plastic cards (hotel keys, gift cards, etc.) and turns them into sheets that new cards can be made of. Drop cards in the mail if your retailer doesn't already take them back. Address is: Earthworks, c/o Halprin Industries, 25840 Miles Road, Bedford, OH 44146. Magnetic strips are okay. Don't send credit cards or those that contain paper backing. Visit the site for more information. Collect them and send a bulk amount. The recycled material is used to make new cards, rulers, playing cards, tags, and many other things. It's better than going into a landfill.

Now you have one more way to being greener, so what are you gonna do?

The Blue Man Group and the 2010 Toyota Prius

2009-01-03T10:20:00.002-05:00

This video combines a few of my favorite things, the Blue Man Group and the Toyota Prius all to the song "Something's Coming" from the movie "West Side Story", composed by Leonard Bernstein. Love the Blue Man Group, I saw them in New York a couple of times and in Vegas, front row seats. A real must see! The Prius I have been looking at for awhile but have heard rumblings that they are still working out some kinks and the first models have been very expensive to fix. However the problems are suppose to be fixed now, longer battery life, more durable frame, and sleeker design. Take a look at the video and let me know what you think.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T09:05:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-30T11:16:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-21T17:59:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-10T20:03:00.003-05:00

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?

2008-11-26T22:42:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-11-10T12:09:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-05T21:36:00.003-05:00

(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

2008-11-03T10:08:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-02T23:15:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-31T23:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-29T21:45:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-25T16:26:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-18T00:14:00.002-04:00

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!"

2008-10-17T23:22:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-10-09T12:32:00.004-04:00

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???

2008-10-05T11:31:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-29T12:48:00.004-04:00

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?

2008-09-24T21:34:00.005-04:00

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 . . .

2008-09-24T21:16:00.002-04:00

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

Katherine Heigl Pays Fisherman To Release Catch Back Into Ocean

2008-09-23T18:40:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-18T17:35:00.004-04:00

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”

2008-09-18T17:04:00.001-04:00

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

What about me?

2008-09-16T10:14:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-15T11:17:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-10T10:52:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-07T16:38:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-05T11:37:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-05T10:52:00.002-04:00

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)

2008-09-03T16:22:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-03T16:12:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-02T19:52:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-31T20:51:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-30T16:53:00.003-04:00

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.

2008-08-29T10:10:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-28T17:48:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-27T17:58:00.001-04:00

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

2008-08-26T17:18:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-08-25T11:37:00.003-04:00

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 . . .

2008-08-15T18:12:00.005-04:00

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

2008-08-15T17:55:00.005-04:00

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?

Poland Spring doing their part

2008-08-12T20:43:00.003-04:00

If you drink bottle water you may have noticed that Poland Spring has a new shape to their bottles. The Eco-shape bottle holds the same amount of water and uses 30% less plastic. You can really feel the difference, it's lighter and easy to crush. Bravo! I still recommend a reusable bottle but when I'm out and about and I get water I make sure it's an Eco-friendly bottle. Then I just reuse the heck out of it. Remember that it's still very important to recycle your bottles after you are done with them. Of all water sales last year only approx. 29% of the bottles were recycled.

It's great to see a big company do something to help the world, what are you doing?

Catching up with . . . ME!!!

2008-08-08T22:39:00.003-04:00

I've been lucky that my big bro is in town with his wife and two kids. I have such a great time with them and I especially enjoy spending time with my bro. He always makes his famous meatloaf for me and he says it's nothing special, but it is because he makes it for me. Anyway we just got back from a retirement party for my Aunt and I am stuffed. For those of you who don't know, I will now answer to the name "The Vending King of New York" it's a bit regal I know but you can't give yourself a nickname and you have to go by what people call you. At times my head gets so big that I will refer to the "King" in third person. Otherwise still trying to be green and still looking for the "ONE", any ideas for either?

I was doing laundry earlier today and found a bunch of receipts in my pockets. I always try to tell cashiers not to give me a receipt and I get the blank look. But most registers print it anyway and since I know they will just throw it out I take it and recycle it at home. I know I wrote about it before but this is my "push". I think it's a great idea to just dump your receipts or scrap paper that you would have normally just throw out in a recycle bag. Maybe you'll see as I did that I use to throw out about a pound of paper a month that could have been recycled. This past Christmas I asked Santa for a paper shredder and got one that I use regularly. I have a stack of papers that I keep separate from the recycle paper that I tie up and shred once a week. I just read what I wrote and I am thinking what you are too, that I have way to much time on my hands.

What ideas do you have? How are you going to make a change?

I quote Jerry Springer "Take care of yourself and to each other."

Gift wrapping idea

2008-08-02T08:10:00.002-04:00

I had to buy a gift for a friend last week and when it comes time to wrapping I either wrap it in something recyclable like newspaper or something fun or groovy that matches that person's personality (ex. I printed out a picture of a baseball player and used it as wrapping paper). Or I just don't wrap it at all. I sometimes do the quick way out and grabbed a gift bag. Bad idea. If it isn't a fancy party like a wedding or a such and it's a get together with friends why not put it in a reusable grocery bag. You can purchase them in your local supermarket and they are about the same price as a gift bag, without the paper, and it encourages people to bring their own bag to the supermarket. Also as a smaller side gift to fill up the bag add a box of recycle bags or rechargeable batteries or any thing to save the planet. Or as a gift idea why not a bag full of items to get people started on changing their ways.

My cousin Ingrid left a comment about the plastic bag posting. She said it's done in the UK already and if you bring your own bag to the store you earn store points. Why are we not doing this already????

I left this in a post before, Recycle as much paper as you can, including store receipts and scrap paper. It may seem small but do actually adds up. I have a recycle bag in a closet and I tear up any receipts and paper that I use to just throw away, well in a months time I actually weighs close to a pound. Just something to think about.

Arm and Hammer Essentials

2008-07-26T21:47:00.003-04:00

https://www.tryessentialsfree.com

Arm and Hammer came up with a way to help the environment. Their new Essentials line is a cleaning product that you purchase in a concentrated form and mix with regular tap water in the original bottle. So when you run out of the cleaning product you purchase a new concentrated solution that is approx. 25% cheaper and just add water. So you cut down on the usage of plastic bottles and you save money and the environment at the same time. Now try it free, click on the link above and just pay for shipping and handling. I just ordered mine.

Diane Lane Wants A Sustainable Ocean

2008-07-24T14:02:00.002-04:00

I am a big fan of Diane Lane, for the obvious reasons that she is attractive and is a good actress, but now I'm an even bigger fan. I read this little piece on www.ecorazzi.com

Diane Lane is so fun to watch on screen — I’ve seen Under the Tuscan Sun, like five times. Though you might be surprised to learn that off-screen she is known as a “bag lady”. At a recent fundraiser for Oceana she explained how she keeps reusable bags everywhere, and that is how she’s picked up the friendly nickname. She is passionate about the state of our oceans saying, “If we all make a very slight adjustment then we can all still have some whales, some walruses, and be able to swim in the ocean [and] not die from eating the food we’re fishing out of the ocean. People are becoming sick and don’t know it. The governments aren’t going to tell you anything about it, what’s in it for them?”

No plastic bags in LA stores beginning July 2010

2008-07-24T13:14:00.001-04:00

Last year San Francisco passed a plastic bag ban in November and in two years LA will follow suit. California supermarkets already have a bin in the front of the stores that you can place plastic bags for recycling. It wasn't until months later that some markets here in New York did also.

The City Council in LA voted to ban plastic shopping bags starting July 1, 2010. I say GREAT but why the delay? It is to give the City a chance to pass a different bill that will charge shoppers a 25-cent fee for paper or biodegradable bags or allow them to use their own bags. I know that either way it's a good move, but one that will take two years to implement. Then God knows how long it would take to spread across the nation and get to the east coast.

Of the 25-cent fee, 3 percent will go to the retailer, 3 percent to the state and the rest will go to the city for to fund an education campaign.

It is reported that currently 2 billion plastic bags are being used in California and only 5 percent of plastic bags and 21 percent of paper bags are recycled.

Sorry it's been awhile . . .

2008-07-23T17:11:00.004-04:00

Sorry that it's been awhile, I've been busy with other things and also a little frustrated that my friends haven't taken this blog seriously. I will write when I am inspired, hopefully YOU can inspire me. Write to me, let me know what you're doing to change the world. My awesome niece Jordan sent me a comment that I didn't read until today and it got me to write this post. Thank you for getting me back Jordan.

Steve Nash and Nike Turn Garbage Into "Trash Talk"

2008-03-08T08:39:00.001-05:00

BEAVERTON, Ore. (13 February, 2008) — Steve Nash is the All-Star guard for the Phoenix Suns whose passion for environmental awareness forged a partnership with Nike (NYSE:NKE)to create the Nike Trash Talk, the first performance basketball shoe made from manufacturing waste. Nash will debut the Nike Trash Talk tomorrow night in Phoenix against the Dallas Mavericks.

Read more HERE

Top China plastic bag maker closes

2008-02-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

Top China plastic bag maker closes amid green drive

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's largest plastic bag maker has closed following a state-led environmental campaign discouraging plastics use, Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.

Read more HERE

IFoundYourCamera.Net

2008-02-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

Just a little something I saw on PostSecret.com

An interesting site called IFoundYourCamera.Net

Simply it post pics from cameras that were found so the owners can identify them.

For ‘EcoMoms,’ Saving Earth Begins at Home

2008-02-16T17:38:00.001-05:00

A great article in the New York Times was sent to me by my friend Caroline.

For ‘EcoMoms,’ Saving Earth Begins at Home

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The women gathered in the airy living room, wine poured and pleasantries exchanged. In no time, the conversation turned lively — not about the literary merits of Geraldine Brooks or Cormac McCarthy but the pitfalls of antibacterial hand sanitizers and how to retool the laundry using only cold water and biodegradable detergent during non-prime-time energy hours (after 7 p.m.).

Move over, Tupperware. The EcoMom party has arrived, with its ever-expanding “to do” list that includes preparing waste-free school lunches; lobbying for green building codes; transforming oneself into a “locovore,” eating locally grown food; and remembering not to idle the car when picking up children from school (if one must drive). Here, the small talk is about the volatile compounds emitted by dry-erase markers at school.

Read more HERE

Green Mobile Phone: Stylish and Sustainable

2008-02-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

Green Mobile Phone: Stylish and Sustainable

Nokia has unveiled ReMade, a revolutionary mobile phone made of 100% recycled materials. The idea behind the “remade” concept was to see if it was possible to create a device made from nothing new. It has been designed using recycled materials that avoid the need for natural resources, reduce landfill, and allow for more energy efficient production.

Read more HERE

Green News

2008-02-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

Today’s Lunch Special: a Green and Trash-Free Lunch
Looking for ways to become eco-friendly? An easy place to make a difference is with your child’s lunch.
Read more HERE

China snows show world faces new disasters
China's devastating snowstorms and cold of the past months show that the world must prepare for new types of disasters caused by what was once called freak weather, United Nations experts said on Wednesday. The experts said the Chinese events, which Beijing says affected some 100 million people and are likely to cost at least $7.5 billion, underlined the need for greater global cooperation on global weather forecasting.
Read more HERE

Japan scientists make paper planes for space
A spacecraft made of folded paper zooming through the skies may sound far-fetched, but Japanese scientists plan to launch paper planes from the International Space Station to see if they make it back to Earth. On Wednesday the University of Tokyo researchers tested small, origami planes made of special paper for 30 seconds in 250 degrees Celsius (482 F) heat and wind at seven times the speed of sound. The planes survived the wind tunnel test intact.
Read more HERE

Top Ten: Green Your Wardrobe
Buying clothes can consume a big chunk of your budget - especially if you have kids and teenagers. New clothes also take their toll on the planet, given how much water, pesticides and energy required to produce cotton, polyester and other fabrics (NOTE: 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides in the U.S. are used to grow cotton. It takes almost 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one t-shirt.)
Read more HERE

Guilt Free Trash In the Eco-Age

2008-02-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

I saw this story in the Sunday paper:

It's getting easier to find products of all kinds that will decompose without polluting the soil or adding to landfills. Here, a few that are worth noting:

1. Golf Balls. So that you won't actually be littering when your ball goes into a lake or off a cliff, Eco Golf Balls (EcoGolfBalls.com) eventually break down into carbon dioxide and water.

2. Cups, napkins, cutlery and plates. All kinds of food containers and servers that are made from corn, sugar cane or recycled paper can be found at websites such as BiodegradableStore.com

3. Garbage Bags. BioBags (BioBagsUSA.com) for the lawn (which decompose after 12 days) and the kitchen (best used for food waste and paper) are made from renewable resources.

4. Coffins. Yes, even at the end we can be good citizens. The Ecopod (ecopod.co.uk), for instance, is made out of 100% recycled paper and will break down slowly over time ... ahem ... as you do.

Happy New Year

2008-02-07T20:11:00.001-05:00

"Kung Hei Fat Choi" - Cantonese for Happy New Year

New Year Wish, be good to each other and to the environment.

Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.
Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.
Rats consider others before themselves, at least sometimes, and avoid forcing their ideas onto others. Rats are fair in their dealings and expect the same from others in return, and can be deeply affronted if they feel they have been deceived or that their trust has been abused. Sometimes they set their targets too high, whether in relation to their friends or in their career. But as the years pass, they will become more idealistic and tolerant. If they can develop their sense of self and realize it leaves room for others in their life as well, Rats can find true happiness.
According to tradition, Rats often carry heavy karma and at some point in life may face an identity crisis or some kind of feeling of guilt. Rats are said to often have to work very long and hard for everything they may earn or have in life. However, a Rat born during the day is said to have things a bit easier than those who are born at night. Traditionally, Rats born during the night may face extreme hardships and suffering throughout life. Rats in general should guard themselves against hedonism, as it may lead to self-destruction. Gambling, alcohol and drugs tend to be great temptations to Rat natives.

EcoRazzi

2008-02-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.ecorazzi.com/

If you're like me your guilty pleasure is hollywood gossip. Every once in awhile I get a kick out of reading People Magazine and reading about what the rich and famous is up to. I think we are all wondering what is next for Britney. Well at EcoRazzi you can combine two things celebrity gossip and eco news.

Bring Your Own Bag

2008-02-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

For more info on this story CLICK HERE!

China’s Plastic Bag Ban

2008-02-05T17:23:00.000-05:00

China’s Plastic Bag Ban Likely to Change Consumer Habits

The State Council, China’s cabinet, recently issued a directive banning the production of ultra-thin plastic bags for environmental reasons. The ruling also prohibits shops, supermarkets, and sales outlets nationwide from handing out free plastic bags starting on June 1, according to China News Agency. The imposition of fees on plastic bag usage is likely to influence consumer behavior in China and bring environmental benefits in the coming years.

Free plastic bags were first introduced in the 1980s in Guangdong province, where China’s commercial sector first boomed as the nation embarked on economic reforms. The overwhelming convenience of the light and waterproof carriers led the bags to rapidly supplant the more cumbersome traditional woven baskets throughout the country. Since then, decades of free bag handouts have instilled in consumers a mentality of “better more than fewer” and encouraged a wanton use-and-discard habit.

People in China use up to 3 billion plastic bags daily and dispose of more than 3 million tons of the bags annually, according to Market News. Most of the carriers end up in unofficial dumping sites, landfills, or the environment. According to scientists, it can take more than 200 years for the bags to dissolve in the natural environment, contaminating land and water and injuring or killing wildlife in the process.

The new directive has met with mixed response. While environmentalists and concerned citizens welcome its potential effects on curbing pollution, many consumers are concerned about the possible inconvenience it brings. Some argue that the government should not take such a clear-cut mandate to shift environmental responsibilities to society, relying on consumers and businesses to shoulder the expense. They say the government should invest more in alternatives and educate people to make more sensible environmental choices.

Some supermarkets in China, including Wal-Mart stores, offer inexpensive cloth shopping bags on their shelves. But sales have typically been slow, as customers have been happy to receive free plastic bags. Meanwhile, on-campus activities by environmental groups that implemented charges for the bags resulted in reductions in daily usage of 80 to 90 percent.

While the new ban brings a foreseeable inconvenience to customers, the potential benefits to the environment and energy and resources conservation are huge. Dong Jinshi, Deputy Chairman of the Waste Plastics Recycling Committee of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association, has projected that the ban will likely reduce usage of the bags by two thirds, and the recycling rate is expected to rise by large margins. “In view of constructing an energy and resources saving and environmentally friendly society, we need to examine our old life habits and make improvements,” Dong said.

Greenland suffers from extreme ice melt

2008-02-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

An international team of scientists, led by Dr Edward Hanna at the University of Sheffield, has demonstrated that recent warm summers have caused the most extreme Greenland ice melting in 50 years. The new research provides further evidence of a key impact of global warming and helps scientists place recent satellite observations of Greenland's shrinking ice mass in a longer-term climatic context.

Dr Hanna of the University's Department of Geography, alongside some of the World's leading Greenland glaciologists and climatologists, analysed a combination of key meteorological and glaciological records spanning a number of decades as part of the research.

The findings, published in Journal of Climate, show how the Greenland Ice Sheet responded to more regional, rather than global, changes in climate between the 1960s and early 1990s. However the last fifteen years has seen an increase in ice melting and a striking correspondence of Greenland with global temperature variations, demonstrating Greenland's recent response to global warming.

Summer 2003 was exceptionally warm around the margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which resulted in the second-highest meltwater running off from the Ice Sheet of the last 50 years. Summer 2005 experienced a record-high melt, which was very recently superseded in summer 2007 , a year almost as warm as 2003.

The team of researchers includes some of the leading Greenland glaciologists and climatologists from the Free University of Brussels, University of Colorado, Danish Meteorological Institute and NASA Goddard Earth Science and Technology Center, University of Maryland Baltimore County, as well as four members of the University of Sheffield.

Dr Edward Hanna said: "Our work shows that global warming is beginning to take its toll on the Greenland Ice Sheet which, as a relict feature of the last Ice Age, has already been living on borrowed time and seems now to be in inexorable decline. The question is can we reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in time to make enough of a difference to curb this decay?"

Sorry

2008-01-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around, I have been busy in Job Search Mode. Be back soon I promise.

The Breast Cancer Site

2008-01-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Favor to ask, it only takes a minute....

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).
This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors /advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
AGAIN , PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY

Mac Air - The Green Machine

2008-01-15T16:20:00.001-05:00

Steve Jobs announced that Apple will soon be releasing the new MacBook Air, which is billed as the world’s thinnest computer and is capable of being stored inside an interoffice mailing envelope. I’ll spare you all the technical jargon, but basically this computer will not only be super duper savvy, but also super, duper green.

In the past, Apple has had a few run-ins with the environmental group Greenpeace over their less than earth-friendly practices, but this computer just might give Greenpeace a run for it’s money. The MacBook Air will have a fully recyclable aluminum case, and is “the first” to have a mercury-free display. The glass on the screen is arsenic-free and all the circuit boards are BFR-free and PVC-free. Also, the retail packaging uses 56 percent less material than the regular MacBook packaging.

The MacBook Air will start shipping at the beginning of February.

The Recycle Bank

2008-01-14T20:43:00.001-05:00

*************** READ THIS POST ***************
Now you can earn money recycling. Earn money to be used on merchandise such as Jockey, The Sharper Image, EMS, Timberland, HP, Staples, PetCo, Bed - Bath & Beyond, Dick's Sporting Goods, Zales, Regal Entertainment Group, Rite Aid, Ikea and other stores. Over 250 in total. They send you a recycle bin, you contact them for a pick-up and they credit your account for the total weight of your recycle material. No more tying up newspaper and sorting stuff out. Place it in one bin and collect the Recycle Bank Bucks. Currently they are starting their program in New York and will soon have it completely up and running. Take a look, I just signed up myself.

http://www.recyclebank.com

Hybrid Car of the Future and "The People's Car"

2008-01-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

My buddy Steve sent me this link because he knows I love stories like this (cool technology and stuff). A hybrid car that can get 150 MPG. Most small compact cars average 20-25 and hybrids average 30-35, with the Prius reporting the best average of 41 MPG. Well this car runs on electric under 40 mph then the gas engine kicks in. In the current hybrids the gas engine starts at a much lower mph. Drawback, because it uses more electricity the car must be "plugged in" every night.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2008/01/11/hunter.extreme.hybrid.cnn

I also saw this article about the cheapest car in the world, "The People's Car". This car, The Tata Nano is 10 feet by 5 feet, two cylinders, seats four and gets about 50 MPG. But you probably never see it in New York. "The low cost of the vehicle is partly because it doesn't conform to a lot of U.S. road-worthiness, safety and emission standards," said Walter Hook, executive director for the NYC-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. It does show the awareness and possibility of the technology for tomorrow.

http://www.nydailynews.com/services/autos/2008/01/11/2008-01-11_indias_tata_motors_unveils_nano_car.html

In the News - Green Buildings in NYC

2008-01-11T16:17:00.000-05:00

I saw this in the news today, a great story about Green housing in NYC. To bad it's pretty expensive, but it's certainly signs of good things to come.

http://www.nydailynews.com/services/realestate/2008/01/11/2008-01-11_ny_leads_country_in_green_construction-1.html

Mean Green Trucking

2008-01-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

http://www.meangreentrucking.com/
I think this is the kind of story that makes this site worth doing. Mean Green Trucking is currently the only moving company in the city to run on vegetable oil. MGT is Earth-friendly and non-polluting in the second most polluted city in the country. The Astoria based branch, they also have a branch in Tarzana California, has two diesel converted trucks and have moved the likes of Julia Roberts and Lance Bass. The two owner operators, Izzy Zaidman and Thurston Cecil met on an Internet site which connects grease dealers with grease car owners. By using oil used by restaurants, which they receive for free, and cleaning it they end up spending approximately 75 cents a gallon. Their prices are reasonably comparative to other moving companies but MGT also plants a tree for every move they are hired for. That means they have planted over a thousand trees in the past two years alone. Contact Mean Green Trucking by phone (718) 554-1908 or by Internet at www.MeanGreenTrucking.com

Say no to Styrofoam and the "Plastic Ware"

2008-01-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

25 billion Styrofoam cups are thrown away by Americans each year. The US makes over three million tons of Styrofoam products each year from cups to plates and packing peanuts.

What can we do? Make your own packing peanuts by popping real popcorn in an air popper and use that for packing. The recipient can sprinkle it in a backyard for the birds to eat. Keep a mug, silverware, a plate, a bowl and napkins by your desk and tell the takeout place where you got your lunch to keep the plastic forks, paper plates and napkins.