eco-hacks / if it's this easy to go green, i'm in

BlogHer Conference is Setting a New Green Standard

2008-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Bloggers across the globe are preparing to converge on San Francisco at the end of next week to attend the fifth annual BlogHer conference. Conferences are wonderful, and there is no replacement to face-to-face time to meet others and share ideas. But conference travel, hotels and meeting places are notorious for producing landfills of waste and creating a huge carbon impact in their wake.

Thankfully, BlogHer is committed to green practicesin practical ways that are very exciting--and all too rare at conferences--to see. The Blogher organization is a notable Internet leader, and their actions set a terrific example. They e-published a conference guide that lists some of the conservation ideas that have been put into action in their conference planning:

working with the hotel to reduce waste
setting up a Recycle Room hosted by Zwaggle (a listing of free used items for children and parents) for undesired freebies
teaching attendees how to use the local public transit system
encouraging participants to bring reusable cups and utensils, and offering water in renewable sourced containers
increasing prevalence of recycling bins at the venues
GM shared a fleet of hybrid cars for Blogher coordinated carpooling
using organic cotton totes (much better than plastic, but, shoot, too bad they aren't bamboo!)
featuring the dynamic new Greenopolis.com to participants

Best of all, I was thrilled to see that conference sponsor Michelin donated to offset 200 tons of CO2 to help minimize the carbon footprint that will be created even with enhanced measures. Not only is this a tremendous best-practice for conference organizers and a responsible choice for a partner such as Michelin, but it also sets a standard for all IT and Internet conferences while educating all participants.

Unless we want to radically change our lives, we create carbon havoc. It is so easy to create a personal practice of purchasing offset credits from those who will replant and replenish the Earth to make up for the carbon footprint of our new shoe purchases, not to mention laptop sticker manufacturing, business card printing and cross-country travels.

I hope some of the blogging community who are attending BlogHer also make personal carbon offset donations, even small ones, to follow BlogHer's great lead. Our ECOHACKS donation program for bloggers makes it easy to donate by Paypal (in the column to the right) to the planting of super-renewable, mega-sequestering bamboo to bolster our offsetting project.

It's simple, bloggers keep blog, and we plant the bamboo on their behalf! With at least a five dollar donation, bloggers are listed on our ECOHEROES permanent blogroll to show their leadership and green commitment. We welcome Bloghers to our blogroll and look forward to meeting as many as we can next week!

Hope for a Better Life After the Energy Crisis

2008-07-01T07:35:00.001-07:00

Rising gas prices are changing every part of our lives. People are losing their jobs at the thousands and have less spending power at the same time that the prices of all goods are increasing because of increased transportation costs. Families are increasingly hard-pressed to make ends meet and pay mortgages, let alone pay for higher education or other "optional" expenses. It feels like our culture is finally facing the costs of our wasteful ways and our foolishness at creating an economic system that depends upon fossil fuels.

The only positive part of our current crisis is that finally the majority of people are truly questioning our country's priorities and the way we have set up our lives. Commuting long distances alone in big vehicles now seems ridiculously indulgent, leading people to downsize their cars, park their gas guzzlers at home, take public transport or car pool. People are expressing feeling trapped by their lifestyles. More people than ever are asking the government to make changes to improve public transportation and asking their employers to accept four-day work schedules or telecommuting agreements. Small things, like forgoing plastic bags for reusable grocery sacs are finally catching on as we get a deeper understanding of the personal cost wastefulness can bring. Maybe Americans are finally getting it: resources are limited.

I hope that the next step in awareness includes a deep understanding that conservation and low-waste lifestyles are the first step, and that the next step is to replenish what we have lost. When that happens we will truly find hope in rising above this crisis. Making one change can truly create the growth of hope: hope that we will change our lifestyles, hope that we won't feel trapped by old choices or political price changes, and hope that the planet will continue to provide for us if we take care of it properly. Hope is why I believe in building our bamboo resources. Conservation is essential for today, and hope will get us to tomorrow. Hope, and a little bamboo!

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is honored tomorrow, Tuesday April 22. Have you made plans for attending local observances or for finding ways to make tomorrow the best Earth Day opportunity for your family?

While every day is truly Earth Day, it is useful to have a day designated to celebrate accomplishments, spread awareness, and boost buy-in to eco-friendly decisions. Public awareness for children is an important aspect of Earth Day, and schools and families have access to many events and home-based activities to enjoy throughout the week.

Earth Day is also a terrific time to make one more commitment to an eco-friendly lifestyle change. Let the day bring your focus to a new aspect of green living. I am not an advocate for buying simply to consume, but if you are in the market for eco-products, now is a good time to comparison shop at"Earth DayAmazon because they have very big sales in their Green Living store this week.

Most importantly for me, the attention on Earth Day means that legislators and policymakers, both at the state and federal level, might be more interested in hearing about green issues. Call your legislators, and let them know what is important to you. It is very easy to advocate---they all employ aides whose talk to callers and take down messages which are sometimes forwarded and always tallied for the legislators. You can also email legislators, but phone calls are much more interesting. It really does make a difference to get involved! Here's a great link to use to begin exploring how you can use tomorrow as a launchpad for talking about your ideas for change.

I'll be with you tomorrow, and each day, in solidarity as we take step by step to improve the health of our fabulous planet. Happy Earth Day!

Conserving at the Computer

2008-04-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

At Eco-hacks we are specifically concerned about the impact electronics have on the environment. It is the primary reason we are committed to planting bamboo to restore balance to the planet.

It's important to conserve everyplace we can, so we are thrilled to learn about a great product that really works. If you don't already have a battery charger, but use a battery in a wireless mouse, keyboard or remote control, consider getting one of the new USB port chargers. You just pop the top off of the battery itself--no extra device! and in quickly charges off of excess energy in your CPU or laptop. That makes your devices a self generating cycle that wastes less. Battery manufacturing and batteries in landfills is a huge ecological problem, so conservation deserves some thought. This would also make a great eco-aware gift, especially to a young person who would benefit from some encouragement to conserve, or to graduates to show you believe in their future.

Building a Worldwide Eco Village

2008-03-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

At Ecohacks we have been very busy the last two weeks clearing land, and I have raging wild poison ivy rashes to prove it. Clearing land makes way for more wonderous bamboo, though, so it's worth it.

Our news is reaching ever more people, and we have several bloggers to thank for their very generous support of our cause. Your support is what keeps us motivated and able to plant more, and it means a tremendous amount to us. Check out our growing blogroll of Ecoheroes to the right!

You need to go meet A Girl for All Status. Written my a woman in Manila who blogs her way through being newly single, raising two children and finding herself again. She is also a great resource for links to information about Autism. One of my favorite posts is her tips on raising green-aware children. She's a brave, cool mama.

I really want you to meet Stick Figure Lis at her blog Every Little Thing, although you probably already have! Lis is a worldwide blogstar and her work is always good for a laugh. Both her cartoons are her writing are sassy and funny, and she also has a great eye for finding interesting things online. We truly appreciate her support.

No matter what your vocation, understanding marketing and web dynamics will empower you to reach a wider audience. As environmentalists we never thought that we would be seeking out SEO information, but we can do our job better when we do. Reap Money Online is a blog with answers--ranging from blog basics for beginners, to search engine optimization and higher level tips. We're starting from the basics and working up from there--including studying some free e-books from Reap Money Online.

Our cousin environmental blogs already dig deep for the cause, so we are very honored that they further work to join in the Ecohacks Ecohero Blogroll. Treasure Nature is a great addition to the eco-blogosphere, with very easy-to-access articles focusing on awareness and everyday changes. I love alternative cars, so I loved this post!

We Love Nature has a great, simple name and a very appealing blog that looks at eco solutions, politics, and enjoying the outdoors. If you camp, you should look at his hack for an easy-going alcohol stove that doesn't waste alcohol.

I hope you enjoyed pausing with comrades from around the work last Saturday night at 9pm. It's an awesome feeling to individually contribute to a bigger project. We're glad you are also part of Ecohacks...it takes all of us to make it happen.

Spring has Sprung

2008-03-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes simple pleasures add to the lovliness of our days. One thing always works to help me enjoy my living and working more: bringing a little of the outdoors in. I brought in a few snips of a blooming azalea from my walk this morning, and just that little splash of pink brings life to the room.

Yesterday I downloaded a free, STUNNING, screensaver from the BBC Planet Earth series. There are six photos each in two different sets. I have the polar bear one, because there are photos of a Tibetan fox and of a chimp that move me. Just simple ways to cope with having to be indoors on a beautiful spring day. Happy Spring to you!

The Eco-politics of Coffee

2008-03-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

The politics of coffee? How can our traditional, cherished caffeine-rich friend be political? Of course coffee is highly political--it is the second largest internationally traded product, with oil of course as first.

The coffee industrial complex is destroying land and has an inestimable eco-impact. Some of the poorest people of the world are dependant on coffee bean farming. They are deforesting and eroding their land and polluting all adjacent waterways.

more pesticides and fertilizers are used to grown coffee beans than any other crop
during the fermenting process the beans are soaked in water that is toxic by the time it is dumped back into local rivers
acids within the coffee and added pesticides leach out of the beans and back into what remains of the forests
forest is cut for more planting land and for firewood to stay warm while farming on the cold mountainsides

What are some ways to slow down the disaster of toxins, erosion, and pollution? Organic coffee means no pesticides or fertilizers are used. This at least means no added toxic waste, and is some cases organic also means that responsible growers and purchases have implemented recycling and water treatment remedies. One farm can cut water usage by 50 to 90% with organic practices.

Shade grown coffee means that trees are not cut as drastically to make land for coffee. Indigenous trees are left and grow amongst the coffee plants. Advantages include reducing erosion and giving the local farmers a variety of crops to tend and earn income from.

The best intervention is to learn more and then make your consumer choices appropriately. Do you know where your coffee bean's been?

More information:

World Wildlife Fund on Coffee

Organic Trade Association

Coffee and Carbon Sequestering

****
If you need some coffee money this week (and who doesn't!?) Entrecard friends pointed me to a generous blog, Colorfulmars.com that is giving away $20 bucks in coffee money each week. You can feel great about spending a little more to buy ethically grown coffee with that little bonus. His blog has a whole color spectrum of content, from celebrity gossip to blogging tips, so find out How to Become a Gosh Guy by reading ColorfulMars.com

Eva's Interview at Comments are Open

2008-03-03T03:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I was interviewed about our project for a post on Comments are Open. I was able to answer some good questions, plus have some fun with the interviewer, who goes by the name of Blog Starr. She's letting me reprint the interview here to share with you.

Learning More About Ecohacks

Let's start Monday off by doing the right thing.

I have been inspired by the blog Ecohacks. I've found lots of easy-to-access information about personal green efforts, but more importantly, the blog author Eva Smart has a very practical point of view. Yes, we can do better with recycling and reducing energy rates. But there is a limit. I’m not going to use a hand-crank laptop and install a pine-tree sized solar hose to take warm showers.

Eva offers the more modern solution of buying carbon offset credits. So, if you know you use a lot of gas in your old SUV and can’t downscale just yet because you are in six carpools, you can donate to a “Replenish the Planet” program and they will plant bamboo for you to clean up you act. Love it. Outsource the greening!

I wanted to know more about it, so I asked Eva for an interview. She charmingly obliged.

Starr: Ecohacks is a great blog. It seems pretty new. Why did you start blogging?

Eva: I’ve been working with a team of people to plant bamboo for people who want to give back to the Earth for what they have taken away. We have gathered a lot of information about carbon offsetting, so I wanted to share them. A blog is ideal for getting information and experiences out. I also want people to know it isn’t expensive to make a difference.

Starr: So carbon offsetting means planting something to replace the energy we’ve used.

Eva: Yes, the energy, the paper, all of the things about our lifestyle that we know are wasteful or that pollute.

Starr: I don’t want to be a crunchy granola chick working on a solar farm. So I can have my cake and eat it too by buying carbon offsets?

Eva: We think of carbon offsets as the icing on the cake. Of course we should reduce, reuse, recycle, keep the landfills small, keep toxins out of our land and water, and conserve energy. But we can’t—or don’t want to—get rid of everything. So planting back through offset credits is the icing on the cake, the last touch to make sure your carbon footprint is erased.

Starr: My carbon footprint is from Jimmy Choo.

Eva: Consumerism is a great reason to donate. Here’s a slogan: “Buy some Choos? Planet bamboo!”

Starr: You are kind of crazy about bamboo. Is this a panda cult?

Eva: Bamboo is so amazing with so many useful properties, I can go on and on about it! It’s simply the best for sequestering carbon, and the canes help reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down. I want everyone to love bamboo!

Starr: Who contributes to your project? Not just pandas, I’m assuming.

Eva: No, we don’t collect from endangered species, just people. There are plenty of us! Some projects work with big companies and factories to offset their polluting, but we work with individuals, families and small businesses. People donate to “Replenish the Earth” for lots of reasons. Some people do it as a gift in honor of someone who doesn’t need any more things. I fly for my job, so each time I take a flight I make a donation. Some people just make a contribution each month, or a one-time donation. Volunteers then plant the bamboo. It all adds up to a better planet.

Starr: When I donated, you put me on the Eco Hero blogroll. Tell me about that.

Eva: We want to thank bloggers who donate by acknowledging them, and we want to link to them so we can visit their sites. Bloggers know that their computing habits waste energy—it’s horrible what happens to old monitors, too—so this gives them a chance to have bamboo planted on their behalf. We’ve met some great folks through the blogroll!

When you meet someone who is committed to doing good, you can’t help but want to join in. I’m keeping my eye on Ecohacks and tossing some Paypal their way when I can. As their tagline says, “if it’s this easy to be green, I’m in.” Good luck, Eva!

A million thank yous!

2008-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

I'm so grateful for so much support from bloggers for our project!

The one and only Blog Starr interviewed me to learn more about our work with carbon sequestering through the planting of bamboo. I guess I talk about bamboo a lot, because she wondered if this site belonged to a Panda Cult! She's very funny and I feel like I've arrived from being mentioned on her blog. It was very fun to Skype with her for the interview. I love Skype! Blog Starr joined the Ecohero blogroll a few weeks ago.

A terrific resource for affiliate marketers has joined our Ecohero blogroll, and also published a terrific and helpful review of the site. I'm going to incorporate some of the suggested changes soon, especially adding an "about" section. Yimto Affiliate Marketers is a great community member, and I appreciate your wisdom and support greatly!

Entrepreneurs Only also is an Ecohero! The blog is full of information about how businesses from many countries can make good business switches to Singapore. The world truly is getting smaller every day. Thank you for your support!

A lot of our new supporters have come from the Entrecard community. The project has benefited greatly from the chance to spread the word about this site. Our success owes a big debt to the gorgeous designer who made beautiful Entrecards for us to use for publicity. Her site also contains free photoshop brushes and ready-to-use graphics. Please give yourself a treat and take a look at Silvia's Graphics-illustrations.com

The blogging community is full of great partners for our work, and we thank you all so very much! To join the Ecohero blogroll, see the donation information at the right.

Damage Control through Carbon Sequestering

2008-02-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make it through the winter without heating? What about walking 30 miles to work? I don't know about you, but I find such questions very disturbing.

There were a lot of things that our ancestors, even a few decades back, could not imagine would invade our lives. Today, we cannot live without many conveniences... be it the Internet, the washing machine, the microwave oven or cellular phone. Obviously, we wouldn't cease to exist without devices, but do we want to live without them—without the ability to fly to visit family, or to work at the job of our choice? No, most people can or will not change their lifestyles that drastically. We have grown into this lifestyle. It is a part of who we are, of our modern culture.

Although our advances give us many advantages, the problem is that our lifestyle is leaving behind a footprint that is as ugly and destructive as the soot-covered footprints of a burglar on an obscenely expensive, white carpet. It is called the carbon footprint. Before I write more about
it, let me explain why I am using the "burglar" analogy here.

Busted Red Handed: We are Burglars
If we live a typical modern life, we are stealing from the planet earth. Stealing what? How about trees, minerals, fresh air, ozone layer, oxygen? And just like a burglar leaves behind a finger or a footprint on the crime scene, we are leaving our carbon footprint on planet earth.

Now, most of us are not malicious at heart, and the last thing we want is to be referred to as "thieves". But even though we recycle and conserve, we don’t want to give up every aspect of our carbon-burning lives. There is a middle ground, though. I am sure if I told you there was a way to give back to mother earth even a fraction of what we are taking, you wouldn't think twice before you agreed to do your bit.

Turning our Red Hands Green: Paying it Back and Paying it Forward
If you don’t already know, the best option we have of redeeming ourselves, happens to be a process called carbon offsetting. In carbon offsetting, human beings take curative measures to sequester the CO2 that is a by-product from our daily consumptions.

Planting trees or bamboo helps the planet take the carbon damage and transform it through the plants into growth that we can use. The air is cleaner, the land and waterways are cleaner, and we have renewable resources in the future.

One way to offset your family’s carbon damage is to directly plant sequestering trees and bamboo. This is not always a very practical or feasible process, though. Instead, most participating individuals and institutions send offset funding to companies that manage large carbon offsetting groves. Some people make monthly contributions; others make special one-time payments as they can or to balance out a new car purchase or a flight across the country. Others give offset credits as eco-friendly gifts. Instead of buying wasteful products that simply aren’t needed, by having plants installed in the name of a new baby or retiring worker is a lovely gesture towards a healthy future. One way or another, the donation fits in with your other conservation efforts to give back to planet earth.

If we pay it back and pay it forward, we aren’t a thief anymore. We are simply good members of the human family who clean up after ourselves.

Buying Carbon Offset Credits
There is an old proverb whose first two lines read:
"We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children."
If you can consider this as our wake up call, then you would probably find a rejoinder to it in the last two lines:
"We are more than the sum of our knowledge; we are the products of our imagination."
So imagine a better world, and start giving back by the way of carbon offsetting. Make it happen.

It’s easy to donate to our efforts to sequester carbon through the wonders of bamboo. Simply click on the Donate button in the right column. Your carbon offset credits will let us plant bamboo for you to change the world.

Even the Heaviest Wall Holds a Heart-Shaped Stone

2008-02-15T10:40:00.001-08:00

Lovely blog Oh My Stickin Heck is holding a contest in honor of love this week. The prize is a charming artisan crafted doll called "One Eye-Lily" who would make a great fundraiser item (if she isn't needed here in the office for inspiration!)

The contest is so charming I just had to enter on our behalf. Here's the thing: You just need to find your favorite photo on flickr that has a heart in it. Post about the contest, and then link to the photo. Heather, the blog author, will pick her favorite. The contest ends Sunday! You need to allow HOURS to get lost in the wonder of flickr!

I'm happy to share my favorite heart photo, which says so much about its location (Africa), about children in harsh circumstances, and about finding the place that is soft in even the hardest, most intractable walls and barriers. The idea that workers made that heart in the middle of a huge job is amazing. I love that the photo is visually gorgeous, has great compostion, and is not a set-up studio shot or contrived in any way. Look at that beautiful boy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/asgeirpeturs/1700456125/

We have a big responsibility to all of the children of the world. There may be walls, but there are also big hearts waiting.

How to Upcycle Plastic Bags to Make Resusable Totes

2008-02-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

Do you think that switching to paper instead of plastic when you get groceries is an eco-friendly practice? Think again.

Paper and plastic bags are both pretty harmful to the environment, just like any other item that is thrown away constantly. Here's the problem with paper bags. Paper has to be manufactured from trees, and we all know that deforestation and logging is harmful to the planet. Additionally, the manufacturing process itself uses chemicals that pollute, and transportation of paper products wastes untold amounts of fuel. After being put through the recycling project, the net gain is negligable.

So what's a better solution? Just like any other item that is frequently used, investing in a reusable option is the best choice for the environment, so the only solution to shopping is reusable bags.

You can argue that the washing process uses water and chemicals, but they don't have to be washed frequently, and nothing compares to the amount of damage our growing landfills wreaks on the earth.

The trick is to remember to take your bags to the store with you. Here's an idea. Have twice as many as you usually need for one shopping trip, and put them all in the car. When you go to the store, you'll leave half in the trunk. Hopefully youll remember to put the rest in later after you unpack your groceries, but even if you don't, you'll be ready next time.

Think about all the things you throw away in your home, from diapers to paper plates. Everything has a reusable alternative--often from items you already have in your home.

You may already have totes and bags at your home. I seem to get a new one every time I go to a conference. Better, some fantastic ideas for making your own bags for shopping can be found at My Recycled Bags. The designer, Cindy, makes "yarn" or "plarn" from strips of plastic grocery bags, bread bags or old sheets or clothing and then crochets new bags out of the strips. The results are sturdy, stylish, and cool crafty geek upcycling! Crocheting is much easier than knitting, so I might even give one of the plastic totes a try. It would be a lot of fun to carry a few of these to the store to use, and when they ask "paper or plastic?" I could say "Plastic--MY plastic, please."

3 Ways to Have a Green Bouquet

2008-02-14T06:31:00.000-08:00

The commercialization of Valentine's Day has prepared many people to buy cards and flowers today. Unfortunately, cheap flowers are available for purchase everywhere because of the explotive flower growers industry in developing countries.

Discount suppliers often grow using dangerous pesticides and are know for deplorable working conditions. Most flower workers are women who do not earn a living way, are exposed to those damaging pesticides and work under exploitive circumstances. (If you are interested, the film Maria, Full of Grace illustrates some of the harsh conditions of a flower mill, including a scene where a worker becomes ill, spits up on a case of cut flowers, and is then forced to hose them off so they can be packaged for sale.)

The flowers are then transported across countries wasting loads of fossil fuels, only to end up in grocery stores at cut-rate prices. It's hard to see the beauty in flowers when you know the hardship and true cost behind the inexpensive bouquet.

But there are three good solutions to the meeting the desire for bringing the beauty of the outdoors to the love of your life. All three remain true to the meaning of the gift--expressing love--instead of causing damage.

1. You've heard of "Fair-Trade" coffee and chocolate, where higher standards ensure that harmful pesticides and chemicals aren't used, that funds are set aside for community development, and that employees are guaranteed a living wage and safe working conditions. Fair Trade certification on flowers is a great consumer choice for avoiding the exploitation of flower mills.

2. Even better, save the wasted transportation fuel and buy locally! Everything from stunning orchids to heirloom roses may be available in your town if you scout a little by calling nurseries, florists and gardens. Ask a gardener you know if they would be willing to sell or barter with you for a bouquet. Or, if possible, gather your own arrangement of blooms. Presenting a hand-gathered bouquet is the most romantic gift possible!

3. Best, give a plant that will keep on giving. A sampling, rose bush or other plant will convey the everlasting qualities of your love. Attach a card that says you will plant this rose bush for your love so that every opening bud makes Valentine's Day last as long as your love will last.

Flowers are the only option for communicating your devotion to your sweetheart. You could show that you value your darling by valuing the planet through a gift of carbon credits, such as the bamboo credits available by donating on the right. Truthfully, though, no gift is really needed. The most desired Valentine's Day treasure is a heart-felt love letter, which has no carbon footprint at all!

3 Easy Ways to Raise Eco-Aware Children

2008-02-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

I remember being a child and being so excited on the rare days I received mail. The best day of all was when my Ranger Rick magazine arrived. It was as if the best of the world's wildlife and natural wonders were delivered to me in glossy pictures and articles to devour.

Ranger Rick is still published by the National Wildlife Federation, along with Your Big Backyard and Wild Animal Baby. These award winning publications embrace and bolster children's innate appreciation for natural wonders throughout their childhood, as each magazine is written for a different age level.

I was reminded about Ranger Rick when I was looking for information about talking to children about ecology issues. The National Wildlife Federation has an excellent series of resources for families to explore. I especially loved the Green Hour project and blog, which offer tons of ideas for enjoying wildlife and natural activities together. The blog dates back to December 2006, so the archives are rich with ideas.

It's actually very simple to raise green children! Here are the three easy guidelines to follow:

1. Talk Green. Share naturally, throughout your day, about the positive reasons behind the green choices your family makes. As you select organic groceries at the store, say out loud why products with fewer harmful chemicals are better. If you are switching your light bulbs to energy-conscious bulbs, have your child help and explain your excitement about saving energy. If you describe all of the green practices you live or plan to adopt as you are doing them, your children will learn naturally by your example and will feel like they are partners with adults in creating a strong planet for their futures.

2. Green Homework. When your child is working on school projects, it might make sense to sometimes direct them to green topics. For example, if the project is to research the biographies of a famous person, you could suggest Rachel Carson, John Muir or Teddy Roosevelt. Annual Science Fairs present rich opportunities for green studies. What is the affect of pollution on plants? How much power can a small solar panel generate? How do you make a solar battery charger? The opportunities are endless.

3. Spend time outdoors. Truly, most children don't need any special inspiration to go green. They have as their birthright an affinity for the vast wonders of the Earth. It is adults who sometimes lose that appreciation along the way. Spending time together outdoors will inspire them, and their natural connection is bound to re-inspire you, too.

What if we had to live in our own landfill?

2008-02-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

How much trash do you send to landfills and recycling centers each year? It's hard to know if we are above or below the average (for Americans the average is pounds each) a year, because for most of us our trash is hauled away each week or every few days. Other parts of our waste is left in restaurants and public trashcans.

Today CNET published an interesting article about people who are intentionally saving their garbage (minus organic trash which is composted) as a way of documenting their impact. This practice is said to increase one's mindfulness about the trash they create with shopping and consumer habits. Many participants are blogging their efforts.

While I am not going to save my family's trash, I am interested in this project. There is something unavoidable and convincing about seeing a year's worth of worthless consumption. The article, and the blogs of the participants, are worth a look. Also worth a look is the trash in your bin every day and every week, at least. We all could use inspiration to refuse, reduce and reuse before we recycle or dump.

Off is not really off: unplug electrical appliances when not in use

2008-02-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

When I was young, it was common for families to unplug our televisions and appliances because of the fear of electrical fire. As appliances became more common and more an integral part of households, many people stopped the practice of unplugging unused devices for several reasons, including convenience and a desire to maintain the clock settings on microwaves and audio/visual devices.

We need to examine that habit and think again. Appliances sitting in "stand-by mode" leak a tremendous amount of precious power. In an small household, the leaked power of plugged in devices is said to equate to leaving one 60-watt bulb on day and night for a year--large homes leak even more. Office power leaks are a bigger drain, because printers running on standby are some of the worst offenders of lost energy.

The Florida Energy Center published a paper showing that when researchers examined 633 products, 598 wasted electricity while plugged in even though they were at an "off" setting and weren't being used. The worst leakers were products from the following categories:

televisions
video units
multi-system audio units
speakers
security systems
items that have remote control or memory settings

The study taught me that "recharging" products such as cellphones and electric shavers may waste a great deal of energy unless the products were made with "Smart" recharging functionality which stops them from drawing power when the recharging is complete.

Two very simple habits can be changed as a result of learning about how "off" appliances leak. I am going to work to establish an "unplugging" habit in my home, and when shopping for new electronics, I am going to pay attention to which manufacturers take "parasitic energy load" into consideration when designing products. Electricity is too precious, and too costly, to waste.

More Eco Heroes on our Blogroll!

2008-02-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

We have so many outstanding bloggers to thank for supporting our efforts by joining our Eco Hero blogroll.

A Public Apology has a very cool concept. Post an apology with the Internet as your witness. What a great idea. Public figures have traditional media to make amends, and now we can proclaim our apologies in front of the world, too. The next time I need to make a statement, I'm putting it there and telling the person I hurt that I am so sorry and have announced my apologies on A Public Apology.

Affiliate Lounge is a fantastic site if you want to learn more about making money through your blog. This is an interesting topic for us, because if our blog can make any profits, they benefit our Replenish the Planet project. Check them out!

Deb on the Rocks was very generous to us! Her blog is funny, witty and now has a top spot on my RSS feed. Real humor from a bright mind is hard to come by, and nothing makes your day more than a laugh.

I bit the Apple is a great, well-written blog charting the new finds of a former PC owner as she discovers the beauty of Mac. Macs rule, and this site is fresh and distinctive.

One World Income features up-to-the minute investing information, including a section on Social Investing. This is an important and often neglected topic. I encourage you to poke around at this site and inform yourself about important finance issues.

Teachers with Burnout is an important blog providing information and inspiration to fight compassion fatigue for some of our hardest workers. Not only teachers will benefit from the helpful articles and inspiration on this site--take a look!

All of us have fallen in love with Momma Muse, which is as rich as life itself. Life, blogging, gardening, kids, and especially homemade crafts including lots about handmade soap. I want to try the Goat Milk Soap! Momma's our new best friend.

Thank you so much to all our our new Eco Heroes. We appreciate your generous support. It will make the groves a vital place!

Why bamboo is better than trees for offsetting carbon emission

2008-01-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have seen a number of debates play out over the Internet about the best way we can offset carbon emission. In fact, there is a growing consensus among many environmentalists that the steps that we have taken so far are probably not the best that we could do.

Really? You mean the massive tree plantation drives that have been taking place all over the world are no good? Wow!

Not really. Trees do help in offsetting carbon emission, but in the battle between carbon emission and offsetting, they are slowly but surely losing out. How so? Well, we ourselves are partly to blame for that. The rate at which we, and the lifestyles we lead, lead to CO2 emission, is way more than which the trees can offset them.

We are also responsible for this losing battle because we failed to look beyond the conventional fast growing trees and identify a much better candidate for carbon offsetting—bamboo. That's right. Research has proved that bamboo generates 35% more oxygen than any other plant. It is also the fastest growing.

There are other factors as well that make bamboo a worthier candidate than other trees. For once, it can grow in almost any habitat. It has been said that bamboo can tolerate rainfall and precipitation ranging from 30 inches to 250 inches. Not all trees are as adaptable, and that poses a problem.

In their haste, humans have made the mistake of selecting rapidly growing trees from different parts of the world to ramp up their greening drive. As I pointed out, not all plants are as adaptable as bamboo, and the results of such myopic decisions have been drastic. We now have vast tracts of eucalyptus trees on lands that were alien to them only a few years back.

Eucalyptus, which is a native of Australia, is a fast growing tree, but eucalyptus monoculture for the purpose of conservation is an environmental disaster. Unfortunately, this disaster has become much too common because of our decisions. The solution? Bamboo.

Think about the lifestyle you are used to. Would you give it all away for the sake of reducing carbon emission? Probably not. It's something you are used to. It's comfortable. The problem is that every step you take leaves behind a carbon footprint. So what can you do to reduce that?

Embrace a life where bamboo has a bigger role to play. From bamboo fiber to bamboo fuel, from ply-boo (as in plywood) to paper made of bamboo pulp... there is a world of things you can do with bamboo without compromising your lifestyle.

You can also use bamboo for construction and other purposes. How about this? Bamboo is up to 100% harder than red wood and up to 80% harder than maple. In fact, it has a tensile strength better than mild steel. It also does not swell or shrink like most hardwood. When a violent earthquake hit Costa Rica in 1992, only the bamboo houses from the National Bamboo Project stood their ground.

Bamboo is also a savior... of the rainforests that is. In Costa Rica, thousands of bamboo houses are built each year from only 60 hectares of bamboo plantation. If they were using timber, they would have had to clear out 500 hectares of rainforest for the purpose.

Last, but not the least, bamboo is a renewable resource. You can harvest it within 3 to 5 years, as opposed to 10 to 20 years in case of other hardwood trees. With so many qualities and possibilities that this plant offers, is it a surprise that it is being hailed as the next big thing in reducing carbon emissions?

Our first Ecohero!

2008-01-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to Blog Starr, who is the resident Blogarazzi (we love that professional title!) at Comments Are Open. Thanks to her kind donation, bamboo will be planted in the name of Comments Are Open, a fun website sharing the news of the big life bloggers like Dooce and Fussy. It's a great blog, Blog Starr is a great blogger and Entrecarder, and we are so pleased to kick off our ECOHERO blogroll!

To be an ECOHERO, simply make a small donation as described in the right column. Your support will help our ecology in so many ways. You'll receive bamboo planted in your name, a badge for your site, and a permanent spot in our heroic blogroll.

Blog Starr, you are a star! Thank you so much from all of us at Ecohacks.

Why Bamboo is a Great Plant for Reducing Carbon

2008-01-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Did you know that bamboo is the one living thing that has witnessed and survived the Hiroshima atomic blast from very close quarters? It also provided the first re-greening of Hiroshima after the bombing. Speaks volumes about how hardy the plant is to have survived and thrived inspite of radioactivity.

So now that we are trying to fight global warming, and reduce carbon emissions, guess who we are turning to once again? That's right. It is a universal opinion that bamboo is a great plant for reducing carbon. Why? Because it so multi-faceted that it does way more than reducing carbon.

Look at this very interesting website called "The Breathing Earth.” It paints an alarming picture; doesn't it? When so many tons of CO2 are being emitted by the second, we need a strong contingency plan to counter it. Our contingency plan—bamboo plantation.

Bamboo is the strongest growing woody plant in the world that can thrive in several habitats and under diverse condition. This makes it prefect for greening projects almost anywhere in the world, except maybe the poles.

It is also the fastest growing plant known to humans. The average bamboo plant grows by 2 inches every hour as opposed to trees which takes several days to mature. Even more remarkable is the fact that bamboo plants produce 35% more oxygen than any other tree known to man.

Of course, bamboo can help us reduce the carbon footprints we leave in our day-to-day lives in several other ways. It just calls for a little application from our side.

Try using bamboo fiber. It is strong, trendy and 100% biodegradable. Manufacturers of bamboo clothing also claim that it is 100% anti-bacterial and blocks 98% of the UV rays one comes across during the day. So switch to bamboo for a greener and more hygienic lifestyle.

Several countries in bamboo's native Asia are also exploring the options of using it as a bio-fuel. For example, this website, run by Mizoram state government in India writes about how efficient bamboo-charcoal can be as opposed to normal wood charcoal:

Ability of cleaning water of bamboo charcoal is three times more than wood charcoal.
Mechanical properties of bamboo charcoal are better than wood charcoal
Bamboo charcoal emits long wave ray, which is good for health.
Bamboo charcoal is found to be able to absorb radiation like nuclear radiation.
It is experimented that the absorbing value of bamboo active carbon is quite good, iodine value reaching to 1160mg/g, decolorizing ability getting to 250 mg/g.

With so many uses and potencies, bamboo may just turn out to be THE good guy in the fight against CO2 emission world over... and it's about time we hand the charge over to this remarkable plant.

Haiku for bamboo

2008-01-24T12:11:00.001-08:00

I colleague wrote some poems on bamboo, and one was adapted to fit the goals of our work. It's a haiku.

Panda thinks in grove
hopes for planet's existence
offers us bamboo

Environmental Haiku writing would make a great school project to promote awareness. I might see if our community schools would be interested in this idea.

Zap! Trucks (tell Santa this is what I want next year)

2008-01-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

We've been struggling with the idea of getting a truck for our bamboo planting and harvesting work for several month now. As with all big consumer goods purchases, we see so many negatives to the benefit, and it is hard to separate out true "need" from "desire."

Older trucks can be inefficient and hard to maintain; new ones seem even more wasteful.
Can we really make it by borrowing trucks only when needed?
But we know we could get much more done, in a more efficient manner, with a dedicated vehicle.

Penny may have found the solution. She's honed in on the most awesome electrical car design we've seen: Zap! You have to see this little truck! It would be perfect, and would raise awareness each time we drove it. It charges in a regular outlet. It is so forward thinking, and not crazy expensive. We're temped to buy a fleet of them and sell them---then all the profits could buy more land for more bamboo planting!

Even if I can't afford it, products like this make me feel hopeful. So much good is ahead in the next few years. Our country's way of life in relationship to consumer goods, transportation and work is (thankfully!) about to change radically. I want a Zap truck to take me on my commute to take bamboo to progressive craftsmen who take poles that have already removed loads of carbon from the air and now can transform them into bamboo fabrics. Should we get green, pink or zebra?

Inspiration and Instructables

2008-01-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

Are you addicted to Instructables.com yet? It is my favorite site right now, because it is brimming with creative ideas--and directions-- that will transform the way you think and will inspire you to take on a few new projects.

The site is a collection of user-submitted projects. Each project is described in user friendly terms with accompanying photos. Brilliant! The users and the commenters are completely generous with their considerable talents. The DIY culture has a full spectrum of interests, and they are all represented on Instructables--geek, craft, experimental, tech, electronics, self expression.

Lots of green projects are there to click through, including upcycling to keep things out of landfills, alternative power projects and ways to upgrade and extend the lifecycles of consumer goods and gadgets. Always read the comments, too, because they have a very active user community and projects are often explained, expanded up or brainstormed further.

"Solar power" is a juicy search term. I'm learning a lot simply by seeing how the inventors approach their projects with confidence that their must be a way to use solar power. My new find is "Solar Sun Jars" which shows how to make a series of inexpensive jarred solar led lights. I can't wait to make some!

I highly recommend that you bookmark Instructables and poke around. Just beware, time flies when you are innovating.

Green Cleaning at Home

2008-01-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Cleaning with toxic chemicals creates the opposite of clean--it creates a huge mess in our landfills, in production, and in our homes. The companies who make toxic cleaning products and air fresheners are major polluters, and the packaging and remains of these products turn landfills into toxic wastelands.

They also make us sick in our own homes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor pollution results from volatile organic compounds that offgas and evaporate from chemical products. Headaches, diarrhea, rashes, ear infections, fatigue and even depression have been linked to indoor pollution. Worse, chemicals found in cleansers and detergents are typically made with petroleum and contain chemicals that have been linked to cancer and damage to reproductive systems.

Buying "green" products is one solution, but you must carefully read labels and research brands because "green" is not a regulated term. Consumers need to be aware that a toxic product could be called "green" even when it is not. The practice of representing products in that way is called "greenwashing." Two brands that are thought to be quality green products are Seventh Generation and Ecover.

The best solution to the cleaning dilemma is to use safe, versatile homemade cleansers whenever possible. Annie Berthold-Bond, author of Clean and Green and Better Basics for the Home says that a few safe, simple ingredients such as plain soap, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), lemon juice, and borax can take care of most tasks.

Even small changes can help reduce your carbon footprint, such as stopping the use of damaging fragrance and room freshener products. You will feel great that you are making positive changes in the way your house affects the planet, and you will simply feel better with fewer chemicals affected your system. Helping to preserve our resources is the true definition of cleaning.

Top 3 Tips for Consumer Recycling

2008-01-10T04:25:00.000-08:00

Monday is our trash and recycling day, and I'm proud that my family has been recycling more than ever. Our increasing success is because we are following these three tips for recycling:

1. Pay attention when shopping and when possible choose recyclable containers over a non-recyclable.

2. Choose paper over plastic bags! This choice saves wildlife as well as landfill space.

3. After shopping, when you are home and putting food away, remove food from cardboard boxes when possible.

The last tip has made a huge difference for us. Now we are breaking down boxes right away, which eliminates carelessly forgetting and tossing a box. This practice has a side benefit of reducing food waste, because cereal, grains, teas and crackers are in nice jar containers; other items are fine in the freezer without their boxes. Plus, my kitchen looks more wholesome and less like a magazine ad for a grocery store.