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There are many things we can do to make Pet ownership more environmentally friendly, including Recycling Pets.

Start by Adopting your Pet from a Local Shelter:

It’s sort of like “recycling a pet” instead of buying a one from a Pet Store. The doggy in the window trick is no longer so cute, when you know where these dogs are coming from. Puppy mills are the biggest suppliers of Dogs in Pet Shops, they are a big part of the overpopulation problem in the U.S., they are notorious for maintaining these dogs in inhumane and squalid conditions. But as long as we the consumer keep purchasing these dogs from the Pet stores then the puppy mills will continue to exist.  Pets are such a source of joy and happiness for us, let’s recycle the love and help shut down the Puppy Mills and adopt a pet at the local shelter. Here are some resources that can help you find your local shelters.

• Adopt-A-Pet
• Pet Finder
• ASPCA
• Humane Society
• The Animal Rescue Site

• Spay and Neuter your Pet: Help the fight against the Overpopulation of Pets

  You may not have thought about it before but overpopulation of pets also has an impact on the environment. Overpopulation can harm the local wildlife, deposit waste and garbage into the local eco-system. Once you have adopted a pet, make sure you have them spayed or neutered. This will help keep the overpopulation of pets in check. According to the Humane Society 6-8 million pets enter the shelters every year out those half or 3-4 million get euthanized.

  • Do the Numbers:

    • Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3
    • Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6
    • Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
    • Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-1

  • Resources for Having Your Pet Spayed or Neutered:

    • Your Local Animal Shelter
      • Adopt-A-Pet
      • Pet Finder
    • www.spayusa.org. A national spay/neuter referral network that may be able to direct you to subsidized spay/neuter clinics in your area
    • Pets 911: Is an online database that can provide you with information on veterinarians, special clinics, and other spay/neuter resources in your area.
    • Your Veterinarian.

• Organics for your Pet:

  Since the Pet food Scare of last year many people have gone to Certified Organic Pet Food, which contains no hormones, pesticides, artificial ingredients, or antibiotics. It can run a little more expensive but, aren’t they worth it?

  • Here are some tips from the Humane Society on what to look for when choosing pet food.
  • Buy Green Savvy: Has Organic Pet Products

• A Tail of Two Poopers:

  The problem of pet waste is ignored as being a non-issue by most people. Out of 75 million dogs, about 40% of their owners don’t clean up after their pets. People don’t realize that more than just being a nuisance if you step in it, it is also an environmental hazard. Pet waste left untouched can pollute ground water, rivers and streams, and it can also spread diseases to the other species.

  • What can you do? Scoop the Poop of course.

    • If outside the home pick up your pet’s waste, preferably with a biodegradeable bag that you can flush?
    • And if it is within the confines of your yard you can start a composting bin, yep you heard right Doggy Waste Composting. Here is a guide from the Dept of Agriculture on How to Start a Doggy Waste Composting Bin.

Hope these tips help all of us all become more conscientious pet owners.

bibi

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Starting  a Green Revolution in our own back yard is probably the simplest and best thing we can do to make an impact on our immediate environment. We all talk about going back to nature and what we can do to reduce our carbon foot print and the impact we have on mother nature. What we don’t realize is that we don’t have to go all out and do grandiose things in order to make a difference. Every little bit counts and if each of us does a little bit, together it is a grandiose thing.

Many of us probably never heard of “Victory Gardens, which were also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany^[1] during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. Making victory gardens became a part of daily life on the home front.” (Wikipedia)

We don’t have to wait to be at war to start a garden, although we are. We can make a positive impact by growing our own food. All we need is a little patch of dirt, some water, some sun and some seeds. Homegrown food tastes better, has more nutrition, puts less pesticides into the land and water system, and is less expensive than buying “Organic Food”. I can;t think of a better way to make and impact on your environment and save money at the same time.

Now you may say, well I don’t have a patch of dirt, I live in an apartment. And I say  find a community garden you can be part of, start one if there isn’t one. Share a patch of dirt with a neighbor, make it a social event. Start a container garden. Where there is a will, there is a way.

With all the innovations these days like the “Topsy Turby Hanging Tomato Planter” you don’t even need a patch of dirt. It grows tomatoes from a hanging planter, now it can’t get easier than that.

But if you do have a patch of dirt all you need to get started with your Victory Garden is a shovel, some water 4-6 hours of Sun and a $3 packet of seeds. Start small and if you find your green thumb then stretch out as far as is manageable for you.

• Start a compost bin, keep it going through the year for natural fertilizer.
• Dig out a 4×4 patch of land
• Amend the soil as needed for your area, ask your local home store for recommendations.
• Plant your seeds, you might want to start the seeds indoors then transfer the seedlings.
• Water
• Get a lawn chair and wait…
• Invite your friends over and enjoy the harvest

Here are some great Organic growing resources:

• Zone Map and other goodies Avant Gardening
• Organic Gardening
• Natural Pest Control
• Composting

bibi

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If you’re thinking about ways to make your own power and getting off the grid even partially, you have several readily accessible options for which the Government is willing to give you a tax credit of 30% of your cost. Making your own Power does not mean that you have to generate “all” the power for your home, there are options for every taste and pocketbook.

1. Photovoltaic  Systems
2. Residential Small Wind Turbines
3. Solar Water Heating
4. Geo Thermal Heat Pump

SOLAR Power Systems: Going Solar used to bring to mind expensive and cumbersome equipment, that would make it feasible only for those with deep pockets and dedicated environmentalists. But as time has passed Solar Power has become more and more affordable and less and less intrusive.

• Photovoltaic Systems: solar electric or photovoltaic technology uses the sun’s energy to make electricity for the whole home and possible more that you can sell back to your Local Energy Company. In essence you become your own utility company. Solar Modules are an investment and add immediate and long-term value to your home.

• Solar Water Heating: can cut your water heating bills in half. Solar water heaters come in a variety of designs, all including a collector and storage tank, and all using the sun’s thermal energy to heat water. A recent study done on Solar Water Heating systems shows that it has a payback period of just two years.
  • Type of collectors and the circulation system.
    • Batch collectors
    • Flat-plate collectors
    • Evacuated tube collectors
    • Direct systems
    • Closed-loop, or indirect
    • Active, or forced-circulation
    • Passive systems
  • DIY Solar Projects

Residential Small Wind Turbines:

• A wind turbine system, is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home’s electrical system. Typically it can lower your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent.
• DIY Wind Power Projects

Geo Thermal Heat Pump:

• A Geo Thermal Heat Pump uses the earth as either a source of heat in the winter, or as a coolant in the summer. This design takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits

Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies. For More Info Energy Department.

If making your own Power is not an option for you right now, you can direct your energy dollars towards renewables by purchasing “green power.” This may be an option through your utility company, check out the EPA’s Green Power Locator.

bibi

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Video Voice calling and saving energy go hand in hand these days. Modern technology helps us Live Green by giving us the ability to work from home. Visiting our friends and family who live far away from us is easier and cheaper to do with video voice calling, while at the same time being kinder to our environment.

If businesses took advantage of video calling to the tune of cutting back  their travel by 20%, that would save 22 million tons of co2 from going into the environment. Not to mention how many millions could be saved by having to spend less on company travel. Money that in this economy could be used to put more people to work.

Video Voice Calling programs are free and easy alternatives to travel and it’s not just for business. It’s the most cost effective way to stay in touch with family, friends and business colleagues. But it is also the next best thing to being there.

Especially in this economy businesses and families that are looking for ways to stretch that dollar should really take a look at Video Voice Calling as a cost saving measure and as part of Greening their lives. Using  technology as eco-friendly economizing tools makes sense.

Skype is my personal favorite because I’ve been using it for years and it works great. I use it for personal purposes to get together with family in Europe and South America. With Skype you can make free calls over the Internet, the whole world can talk for free.

Here is a list of some of the Video Voice calling Programs out there:

AOL Instant Messenger

Brosix

X-Lite

Ekiga

Google Talk

KPhone

Linphone

Minisip

OctroTalk

OfficeSIP Messenger

QuteCom

SightSpeed

Skype

QuteCom

Tokbox

Yahoo! Messenger

bibi

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Green Shopping can be fun and  eBay is a great source of Eco-Friendly products. Whether you are looking for a gift for your environmentally conscious friend or just something for around the house.

By using Vintage or Used products you are giving those products a new lease on life and at the same time reducing the use of new raw materials and the energy needed to produce them.

Look for items made from recycled, organic or sustainable materials like hemp, soy or bamboo. If you are feeling adventurous look for items that artists have given a second life to, like bags made from candy wrappers or soda can pop tops.

Don’t forget to look for items that can help us reduce our use of resources like solar powered phone chargers, or hybrid energy efficient computers.

Don’t overlook refurbished electronics, if you are not a slave to the “latest” fashion in electronics, you can often find great deals in refurbished electronic and at the same time keeping those materials out of the landfill.

bibi

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Raising Cattle is becoming a Green Business. Ranchers are adapting greener measures to leave less of a footprint while conserving water, protecting endangered species of animals, plants and the land from overgrazing. Check it out…

bibi

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When the price of gas started going up a few months ago everyone pointed their fingers at the size of our gas guzzling cars. How wasteful they are, the carbon footprints they have, how they contributed to the troubles that the auto industry is experiencing now. While all this is definitely true, does anyone stop and think about the size of the houses we live in and the impact they have on our planet? After all really, how many rooms can we occupy at once?

Since 1940 the average square footage of a house in the US has gone up by 800 square feet, from 1200 sq ft. to 2000 sq ft. That’s and increase of almost 67%. I doubt very seriously that the average number of people in a  household has gone up 67%. In fact the number of people per household has dropped dramatically since 1940. So we have to ask ourselves, is all this space necessary.

Beyond the averages are the no longer rare mega mansions, found almost in every corner of the country. Why anyone would need a 56,000 sq ft home like Candy Spelling, or the 60,000 sq ft mansion sold by Donald Trump for a cool 100mil, or the 66,000 sq ft home owned by Bill Gates is beyond any reasoning that I can find acceptable. But that’s just me.

We seem to like space, to be surrounded by empty rooms that we can walk into anytime we like, but that spend most of the time empty. Maybe it’s a possession thing, or a territorial thing who knows. But the bottom line is that the bigger the space, the bigger the footprint, and the amount of energy that is consumed.

Some Statistics:

• Average Household of 2000 sq ft uses 8900 kw hours of electricity a year.
• Half the energy consumed in a home is for heating and cooling it.
• The typical home is a major source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for over twice as much carbon dioxide (CO2) annually as the average automobile. (ref: HERE)

Maybe we need to reevaluate how we use space, if there is a need for so much of it, and if the space is already there how to share it with others. Back in 1940 the average house was 1200 sq ft and 3-4 people lived in it, in 2003 the average house was 2000 sq ft and 2-3 people lived in it. Not only has our appetite for house space gone up, but also our need for personal space. Not sure what this says about our society, but we have to ask ourselves, are these, luxuries that we can afford to live with or do we need to rethink our needs.

The EPA has a Household Emissions Calculator that you an use to figure out the footprint of your house.

Here are some tips from the EPA that can help you reduce your footprint at home.

bibi

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Join Mathew Modine by making Earth Day bike to work day. It’s a simple thing to do, it’s healthy for you and healthy for the earth…Do what you can…

bibi

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A Segway you can sit in. The new Segway P.U.M.A prototype is the result of a partnership between Segway and GM. P.U.M.A stands for Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility. An alternative transportation solution with a small footprint all the way around. This electric vehicle is small and versatile making it perfect for congested cities. More on this vehicle can be found at www.segway.com/blog.

Passengers: Currently configured for 2, but could carry more
Top speed: Aimed to travel between 25 and 35 mph (40 – 56 kph)
Range: Aimed to have a 25 – 35 mile range (40 – 56 km)
Weight: Currently ~300 lbs/136 kg
Charge time: ~5-8 hours
Recharge cost:Based on the current battery configuration, it’s about $0.60 in electricity to recharge.

bibi

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The 2009 Green Log  Awards were created to put the spotlight on innovative green building solutions. The voting has started and will take place from April 16 to May 11.

Please take a minute to go and vote for your favorite green building solution.
Go through the following 14 categories and vote for one of the nominees under each category.

Insulation Solutions & Systems
Includes innovations in the product used as insulation as well as the effectiveness of the insulation.

Structural Insulated Panels & Building Systems
Creative and unique alternatives to conventional stick-frame design or to be used in conjunction.

Green Consulting and Design
Companies and individuals who can provide expert knowledge to those trying to build green.

Stains & Finishes
Stains, coatings and paints that are designed to protect your structure while also protecting the environment.

Flooring
Green flooring options made from non-traditional and recycled sources such as glass, bamboo, and cork.

Building Materials
Innovative products which can be used in many areas of your green building project.

HVAC (heating, vents, ac)
Learn how these systems utilize new technologies to provide your home with heat and or cooling while reducing energy consumption.

Home Furnishings
Furnish your home with green furniture made from reclaimed wood or eco-friendly curtains and upholstery.

Countertops & Surfaces
Creative enviro-friendly surfaces made from recyclables and renewable material.

Renewable Energy Solutions
Generating and conserving power from the elements; sun, water, air.

Water Conservation & Systems
Systems and products designed to help us monitor and control our water usage.

Lighting Solutions
Innovative ways to bring light into your home while saving energy or utilizing recycled materials.

Product Review Websites
Websites that display or review potential green building products and solutions.

Green Building Informational Websites
Sites and Blogs dedicated to providing specific green building information.

bibi

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Who would have thought that you could be green while cooking. Green cooking brings up thoughts of organic and sustainable products, natural and local ingredients, but there are also things that you can do around the kitchen that will keep you in the green.
This month’s issue of Better Homes and Garden put together a list of easy ways to be a greener cook:

• Fill the Freezer: Use less energy by filling up your freezer. Take advantage of the bountiful of vegetables of summer, by freezing them for the winter.

• Put a lid on boiling water: This little trick will prevent heat and energy from escaping.

• Don’t Open that door: Stop yourself from peeking in the oven while things are cooking, this can drop the temperature to drop from 25 to 50 degrees, and cause you to have to cook things longer.

• No-waste Baking: This is a great tip to avoid wasting foil and parchment paper, buy a reusable nonstick silicone baking mat.

• Choose the right cookware: Choosing the right size pot or pan for what you are cooking can help you save energy and time.

• Fill’er up: Not running the dishwasher until it’s full to the rim and skipping the drying cycle will conserve energy and water.

• Unplug: Unplug anything that is not in use especially small appliances, you’d be surprise how much energy is used by appliances while not in use, and this goes for anything around the house that is plugged in but not in use.

• Lights Out: and last but not least, lights out when you leave any room.

bibi

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Here are some great tips to greening your home and saving money at the same time… Green a home, by using drinking water filters instead of bottled water, shower filters and bath balls to reduce water consumption and chlorine intake, furnace filters, green cleaning products, organic sheets to reduce allergens. All for under $250 dollars.

bibi

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Join the movement on March 28th, wherever your are in the world, turn off all the lights and enjoy a quite moment with friends and family in honor of the earth.

Vote Earth Your Light Switch is Your Vote

bibi

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I love it when I find ideas about taking things that would otherwise end up in the garbage and turning them into something useful.

I came across this site that does just that: it’s called FaveCrafts: Discover the Crafter in you. In it you’ll find a section called Green Crafting that has several articles that cover reusing materials from used wine bottles to old jeans, tin cans and trash that can be used as crafting materials. If crafting is your thing they also have a blog you can follow at www.FaveCraftsBlog.com.

Especially in these tough economic times, some of these ideas can come in handy when folks are looking for ways to keep the cost of gifting down. Some of these articles can be used to teach our children the importance of taking care of the environment and reusing as many materials as possible. The younger we teach them the more ingrained it will become.

Here is a list of some of their articles:

10 Ways to Reuse and Recycle Trash for Crafting

15 Homemade Christmas Ornaments: Recycled Paper Ornaments

Green Crafting Tip: Dress Up Wire Hangers

Homemade Cork Board

Recycled Market Tote Bag

Recycled Tin Can Luminaries

Turn Old Jeans into Pot Holders

Vinyl Record Bowl

Enjoy!!!

bibi

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The Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was signed into law by President Obama and went into effect just this last month, has some real goodies in the form of energy tax credits for the homeowner and upcoming work for the small business owners that can supply the labor.

Partly to boost the economy and partly to help make homes more energy efficient, the tax credits have been increased from 10% to 30% with a cap of $1500, except for major improvements such as Solar panels where you can take advantage of the full 30%, and the credit will be extended through 2010.

For small companies that can do these types of improvements it will be a great boost to their businesses once word gets out about the credits.

Some of the covered improvements will be:

Roof:

Can run a homeowner from 5-20 thousand dollars. To get the credit you must use “EnergyStar-rated asphalt or metal roof.”

Furnaces and Air Conditioners:

Run in the 4-5 thousand dollar range and must meet Energy saving Guidelines.

Water Heaters:

Can cost  up to 2 thousand for a Tankless water heater which are the most efficient, must meet “an energy factor of 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.”

Double Insulated Windows:

Can be expensive to do the whole house  at an average of $750 per window but definitely worth it, so the 30% credit will come in handy.

New Insulation:

Run 3 to 8 thousand for the whole house, and must meet the 2009 standards.

Solar Electric Panels:

Are probably the most expensive of all the upgrades, but the one that will make the most difference in the long run.

For more info go to EnergyStar.gov

bibi

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If you happen to be in Atlanta the next week, The American Craft Council  will be holding it’s annual American Craft Council Show for the second year in a row. It will feature artists who use the concept of “Going Green” as a method of artistic expression.

The show will be held in Atlanta March 13-15th at the Cobb Galeria Center. (directions here) Friday and Saturday, March 13-14: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission is $12 for one day, $18 for a two-day pass and all three days’ admission for $20. Children 12 and under are admitted free. American Craft Council members and those who join the non-profit organization at the show ($25 annual membership fee) are admitted free all weekend.

A preview Party on Thursday, March 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Tickets for the Preview Party are $75 each and can be purchased at www.craftcouncil.org/atlanta. Proceeds from the Preview Party jointly benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta/Youth Art Connection and the American Craft Council.

The craft show will include over 200 artists, one quarter of which meet the Green Craft Standard by creating collectible treasures from cast-offs and reducing pollution and landfill use. The collection will include fine art pottery to metal works to distinctive wearable items to mixed media pieces. Some of the recycled materials used include exotic hardwoods and metals, stained glass, metal, fabric, buttons, stainless steel and granite.

The artist list includes the likes of Jewelry Artists Mayra Orama Muñiz and Erica Millner from MIO Studios, Paul Pearman, with his mosaic belt buckles, Clay Artist Kirsten Stingle, and Sculptor Dave Caudill.

To preview the show and to purchase tickets online, please visit: www.craftcouncil.org/atlanta.

bibi

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It is our responsibility to teach our kids to be responsible with mother earth, take care of her for their own good and for the good of future generations. Educating kids about making the right safe, healthy and green choices is what will make the difference in the future.

Fellow greenies over at TeensturningGreen.org are doing just that. Involving kids in the betterment of our earth, with projects such as the upcoming Project Green Prom which invites High School Students to “Green” their High School proms. Encouraging them to come up with green alternatives to hair, make up, skin and body care products and extending to include prom attire and accessories, decoration ,transportation and flower.

Project Green Prom is a contest that begins March 1st and ends March 30th. Participants must register, and basically shoot a video that is no more than 3 minutes, explaining how they plan to make their prom Green.  Videos will be judged on the following criteria:

• Be creative and imaginative (don’t just stand in front of the camera talking)
• Incorporate thoughtful and executable ideas to green your prom.
• Video may include or be produced by more than one person but must be submitted by one eligible contestant who will be the grand prize winner.
• You must have the support of your school administration should you win, to host a green prom and utilize the Project Green Prom winning prize.

Grand Prize:

Round trip airline tickets to New York for winner and guardian
One night hotel stay in Manhattan on April 5-6 to attend Press Conference
Transportation by hybrid courtesy of OZOcar

Among many other green goodies…

Check out the rest of the Grand Prize and 2nd through 4th place prizes

bibi

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Watch the video of the National Clean Energy Project Summit where the most important leaders of the nation gathered to discuss the very critical issues of renewable energy and ending our dependence on foreign oil. Watch the summit right here, and hear what they have to say about our future energy plans.

Then Join the Virtual March on Wahington, on April 1-3 the New Energy Army will virtually march on Washington. The Army will focus its energy during those three days on e-mails, calls and faxes to every Member of Congress. SIGN UP TODAY!

bibi

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bibi

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NATIONAL CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT: BUILDING THE NEW ECONOMY WEBCAST INFORMATION.

The Center for American Progress Action Fund will host an energy summit entitled “National Clean Energy Project: Building the New Economy” on Monday, February 23, 2009 in Washington, DC. The summit will focus on the modernization and expansion of the electrical grid, integrating energy efficiency and distributed generation into operation and regulation, rapidly increasing transmission capacity for renewable energy and reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil by examining short- and long term solutions to replace foreign oil with domestic resources to fuel vehicles and trucks, including natural gas. Some very interesting speakers will be there and more important will start the ball rolling on the road to independence from foreign oil.

Monday, Feb. 23 at 10:15 a.m. EST live streaming coverage of the New Energy Summit will be available on several sites:
www.nationalcleanenergyproject.org

www.pickensplan.com/summit/

www.americanprogressaction.org

EVENT SCHEDULE:

10:15-10:35 AM - National Clean Energy Project: Building the New Economy (open to media, live audience of 100-150)

· Opening Remarks and Participant Introductions: UN Foundation President Tim Wirth
Moderator opens and introduces the table of participants
· Remarks: Senator Harry Reid
· Remarks: President Bill Clinton
· Remarks: Vice President Al Gore
· Remarks: Speaker Nancy Pelosi
· Remarks: T. Boone Pickens
· Remarks: John Podesta

10:35 AM -12:30 PM - Moderated Discussion of Primary Principles

· Principle One – How do we build the modern electricity grid?
· Principle Two – How do we reduce our reliance on foreign oil?

12:45 PM Press Conference – Presentation of Discussion and Common Principles

bibi

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