Green FAQs - the best post all year!!!

This is a GREAT POST on Grist. Check it out - I bet you'll learn at least one thing.


Just the FAQs
Answers to readers' most frequently asked questions about green dilemmas
By Umbra Fisk
26 Oct 2005

Should I use paper or plastic bags at the grocery store?
Neither one is better. Best choice: bring your own cloth bag.

Should I dry my hands with paper towels or the electric blow dryer?
Use the dryer if you can't drip dry.

Should I wash my dishes by hand or use the dishwasher?
If you and your dishwasher are efficient, by all means bypass the sink.

Is it better to leave [lights, cars, computers] on when I'm not using them, or turn them off and restart them?
Restart! Whether you're driving, defeating darkness, or doing work, it takes more energy to keep your power-suckers running than it does to turn them off and on.

My old [car, refrigerator, washing machine] isn't energy efficient. Is it worse to keep using it, or to toss it and buy a new one?
In general, it's better to upgrade (whether washing machine, fridge, dishwasher, or car) -- but make sure your old machine is reused or recycled if possible.

Should I use cotton or disposable diapers?
I know you worry, parents, but honestly, it's a wash. Here's an idea: go diaperless!

Is it better to buy organic food from far away, or non-organic food grown locally?
Ideally, buy food that is both organic and local -- but if you have to choose, local is the way to go.

I want to follow your recommendation and buy compact fluorescent lightbulbs, but I've discovered they contain mercury. What should I do?
Buy them anyway -- the small amount of mercury (less than in a watch battery) can be handled by a hazardous-waste facility.

Which plastics are OK?
We don't like plastic, in general. But just make sure you avoid #3.

Which is better: Diesel? Biodiesel? Straight vegetable oil? Hybrid?
They're all bad. Stop driving!

But while you work toward that goal, here are thoughts on some of your quandaries: diesel vs. regular gasoline; converting to biodiesel; converting to veggie oil; biodiesel vs. veggie oil; and hybrids vs. veggie oil.

Can I put my [milk carton, stapled paper, nose wipe tissues, number 17 bottle] in the recycling?
I don't know. The only people who know are those running your recycling program -- usually your municipality. Those same people should be able to answer questions about why certain objects are accepted and others are not.

What's the one thing I can do to help the environment?
Watch out, helping the environment becomes addictive. There's no one answer, but try to limit your consumption and keep the big picture in mind.

"Green Living" Children's Books

I haven't checked all of these out, but they seem worth investigating! Feel free to post reviews if you know anything about these books.
Molly

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February 23, 2009
Top Green Living Childrens' Books of 2009, from Earthly Happenings

This is a list of four fabulous new books for young readers. Published in 2009, they all teach kids about fun gardening, delicious organic food, easy recycling, nature, and environmental sustainability. They show the ties between our food, our environment, and ourselves. All come highly recommended by teachers and parents:

Two Old Potatoes and Me is a lovely book recently featured on Reading Rainbow by Lavar Burton. It tells the story of a little girl who finds two old potatoes in her father's kitchen. She and her father go through the process of planting the potatoes, growing a whole crop, and eating the results. Vibrant colors, rhythmic prose, and a recipe for mashed potatoes with nutmeg make this an inspiring and educational read.

Eddie's Garden How to Make Things Grow uses prose and beautiful illustrations to tell the story of how a little boy and his mother plant a vegetable garden.

Diary of a Worm explains what earthworms do and why they are so important. Written in fun-to-read diary form from the point of view a young worm, this book sheds a whole new light on a creature that spends most of its life underground.

365 Ways to Live Green for Kids: Saving the Environment at Home, School, or at Play--Every Day! teaches children about organic food, reducing pollution, environmental protection, and more. Complete with tips for every day of the year (and activities for home, school, and during playtime) this book reveals how easy it is to grow up eco-friendly.

Here's the original posting.

Who's Not Keeping Up?

These days, more and more consumers are using their purchasing power to make decisions about companies whose philosophies they want to support. In terms of climate control, here are a few that CERES has identified as "Climate Control Laggards" - either falling behind on sustainable retrofitting and innovation - or actively hampering improvements in this area.

Environmental Group CERES Identifies "Climate Control Laggards"

Are you signed up for Earth Hour yet?

Earth Hour 2009 will occur on March 28th from 8:30-9:30pm, local time, wherever you are in the world. Mark your calendars! And although (of course) you don't have to be signed up to turn off your lights, getting yourself on the list is a good way to show just how many people are joining forces, as the folks at Earth Hour say, "to show that it's possible to take action on global warming."

Kindermusik is, of course, signed up - and I just got this exciting update:

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Dear Kindermusik,

Excitement is building all over the US and around the world. Here's a quick update on what's developed this week for Earth Hour:

More cities turning out: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis and the Village of Homer Glen, Illinois. We've heard rumblings from Houston and Seattle as well and would also love to get Washington, DC on board. If you're a DC resident, let Mayor Fenty know you want the city to turn out!

Help us turn out the lights on the US Capitol Dome—write to your Senators or Member of Congress.

What goes on in Vegas doesn't always stay there: Earth Hour officially launched in Sin City at a press event featuring a Panda Bear and Vegas showgirls. The Strip will indeed go dark for the full 60 minutes—the only time the lights have been dimmed except briefly in 1998 in honor of Frank Sinatra's death.

Other city news: Chicago held its official launch event last week, with Mayor Daley again pledging his support. Next up? Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas!

The city of lights goes dark: Paris and 27 other French cities announced they'll take part in Earth Hour, with the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame going dark. A total of 405 cities in 74 countries have pledged to participate—double the number of countries from last year.

And don't forget to mark your calendar...Earth Hour is March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm. Turn out. Take action.

Thanks!

The Earth Hour Team

Sign up here

Five Recycling Mysteries Solved!

Five Recycling Mysteries Solved!
By Lori Bongiorno



Wondering what to do with your stash of old batteries or the cans of unneeded paint taking up space in your garage? You know you shouldn't throw them out, but it really is time to get rid of them.

Resist the temptation to toss them in the trash anyway. The reason: They (and everything on the list below) contain toxic chemicals capable of contaminating the environment if not disposed of properly.

Unlike items that are picked up at the curb, you'll have to make a special effort to unload these ones responsibly. But, with a little advance planning and some good info, you'll see that it's really quite simple to dispose of these seemingly mysterious items. Here's how:

* Batteries. Recycling rechargeable batteries is fairly easy. Home Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, Best Buy, and other retailers take them back free of charge. There are fewer options for single-use batteries, but look for bins at your local Whole Foods Market, Ikea, or library. Otherwise, your best bet is the local household hazardous waste drop-off site. Where is it and what are your closest drop-off options? Search here for answers.

* CFLs. These energy-efficient bulbs are becoming easier to get rid of. Just drop old bulbs off at any Home Depot or Ikea for free recycling. Or ask about CFL recycling at your local Ace Hardware or home improvement store. You can search for other nearby solutions.

* Electronics. Every retailer that takes back rechargeable batteries also accepts mobile phones, as do most wireless providers. For computers, cameras, televisions, and others it's worthwhile do a little homework because some stores charge fees depending on item and brand. Check out Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot to see what's the best fit. Some places, like Radio Shack, have trade-in programs where you can receive store credit for your old gadgets.

* Motor Oil. In case you need some motivation, consider this factoid from Earth911: Every gallon of used motor oil that's improperly disposed of can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water. Bring it to Wal-Mart, Autozone, Jiffy Lube, or search online for more convenient choices.

* Paint. It's among the harder items in this group to dispose of, but it's worth it and totally doable. If the paint is still in good shape, consider donating it. As of now, there aren't any retailers that accept used paint so you'll need to make a special trip. Search Earth911 for a comprehensive list of options.


Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

Doodle 4 Google!

You've probably seen this already, but Google today has this announcement:
"Your child's design could be our logo and appear in the National Design Museum".

Check it out . . .


Welcome to Doodle 4 Google, a competition where we invite K-12 students to play around with our homepage logo and see what new designs they come up with. This year we're inviting U.S. kids to join in the doodling fun, around the intriguing theme "What I Wish for the World."

These are exciting times and both our country and the world are on the brink of significant change. At Google we believe in thinking big, and dreaming big, and we can't think of anything more important than encouraging students to do the same.

Registration closes at 11:59:59 PM Pacific time on March 17, 2009 and entries are due by 11:59:59 PM Pacific time on March 31, 2009. Teachers, you'll find everything you need to get started on the Registration page. Only teachers or school employees should register. Parents or students who are interested should contact their teacher to register them.

What I Wish For The World?

… we use plants for electricity
… we make college free for everyone
… we give health insurance to all who need it
… we connect everyone by cell phone or computer

Every little bit counts...

Just got this in the mail. I've never shopped here, but we can all use coupons, right!?

* * *

myEARTH360

Free shipping on your first order!*

From the eco-practical to the eco-chic, everything you buy counts for the earth. A portion of all sales are donated to the National Environmental Education Foundation and support the "I Count for myEARTH" campaign.

*For orders $50 or more; shipping promo code: CSBAFS.


Contact: Lynn Hasselberger
(773) 573-0583
Go to My Earth 360 site.

10 Disposable Things You Never Have to Buy Again

10 Disposable Things You Never Have to Buy Again
Ditch these 10 disposable items to help cut the clutter

by Collin Dunn

One of our favorite green philosophies goes something like, "Less stuff = more good." While that seems simple enough, cutting back on the amount of stuff you use every day can be trickier than it sounds. One of the easiest ways to do this is to cut back on the disposable stuff you buy. Here are then things that you never have to buy disposable again.

Bottled water
Indeed, there are a world of reasons to ditch bottled water, but here's the best one: The same stuff comes out of your tap at home. Tap water is one of the most rigorously regulated substances on the planet (even in New York), so, at least here in the States—and most of the rest of the developed world—tap water is the healthy, nutritious, green way to go. Not sold? Here are five reusable alternatives that'll make you forget the wet stuff ever came in disposables.

Paper towels
It might not seem like a big deal, but since we all prepare and eat food several times a day, this one really adds up; even just one roll per week is hundreds of sheets that used to be a tree (yep, even when you buy the recycled variety. By the numbers: it takes 544,000 trees to feed Americans' paper towel habit each year; throw in disposable paper napkins, and that number tops 1 million according to the National Resources Defense Council. Don't become a statistic; opt for tea towels and microfiber instead.

Wrapping paper
Though the big wrapping season has just passed, this is one worth keeping in mind all year 'round. While Sunday comics and other paper flotsam lying around the house have long been popular, we're bigger fans of the themed material over more traditional wrapping paper. Giving a kitchen gift? Wrap it in a new tea towel (made of organic cotton of course). And, of course, one can never have too many reusable tote bags. Bill Nye has some green wrapping tips to keep your giving at its greenest.

Individually-wrapped foods
To see a bunch of the million-and-one examples of individually-wrapped foods that have infiltrated our lives, just walk down an aisle at the grocery store. Seriously, does anybody really need individually-wrapped prunes? Didn't think so. From fruits and veggies—sorry Trader Joe's, we're looking at you—to "convenience packs" like Jell-O and "Go-gurt" (whatever that is), there are a multitude of foods that can easily be replaced with goodies in the bulk aisle. And, as a bonus, note that some quality bulk sections will let you bring your own reusable containers from home, so you don't have to use another ubiquitous plastic bag.


Check out this link for the rest of the article...