Green Movement Resources

Earth day is comin' round the corner. How will you celebrate?

Obviously every day is Earth day and there are cool events always happening in honor of Mother Earth. Here are some good resources if you live in Minnesota and want to become more involved in the sustainability movement.

1) The Alliance for Sustainability is putting on their Sustainable Communities event April 8-9. I went last year and am planning to attend this year. Really cool event to network with other people who have similar interests and learn about ways you can act and participate in local, green movements in your neighborhood.

For more information and to register visit their website.

2) The Sustainability Film Series II is taking place right now. It began late February and goes through May. To check out the list of films that have played and that will be showing check out this website.

3) The Do It Green! Minnesota calendar is a great resource to check out sustainable happenings/workshops year round! Check it out!

4) May 7-8, 2011: The Living Green expo takes place at the State fairgrounds. I went last year and it was a fine introduction to green ideas, but was more for the homeowner who wanted to do green home improvements. This year there is an art exhibit and green wedding piece to the expo that I think will add some flare, so I may have to check it out again.

5) Transition towns. I recently had the opportunity to learn about the Transition towns movement. This organization has chapters all over the place. People come together to work on helping their communities transition to towns that no longer rely on oil for survival. Both St. Paul and Minneapolis have a chapter that meets weekly. To find out if your area has a group, check out their website.

There are obviously more events happening that I did not list and if you have one that you know about that I missed please feel free to comment and share!

If you are not a Minnesota resident, look up events happening in your area. I think you will be surprised to see there are many cool happenings going on in your area. I guarantee it. If not, make your town cooler by setting something up!

Plastics Recycling Opportunities in Minnesota

Ever wonder about whether or not you can recycle a plastic container?

Typically if there is a #1 or #2 on the bottom of the plastic container it is acceptable to be recycled by the local trash and recycling company.

But what about the #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7 plastic containers?

Unfortunately they are usually tossed into the regular garbage. However, right now the Eastside Food co-op of NE Minneapolis is doing a pilot-study program that is collecting #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 plastic containers.

On Thursdays from 3 – 7 pm and Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm people can rinse, sort and bring these plastics to the parking lot located at 2551 Central Ave NE, Mpls., MN. If you have questions about this opportunity, please call 612-788-0950.

To find more specific information about what you can bring and the program, please visit the Eastside Food Co-op's website.

Want to do more? Want to involve your community? Set up your own collection of #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7 on your block or at your workplace and every week or two when in the Northeast area drop off your community's recycling at the Eastside Food Co-op. This way of participating and getting people involved is really easy. For example, a friendly church member has offered to collect our congregation's plastic recyclables and volunteered to bring them to Eastside weekly.

If you are a friend who sees me on occassion, feel free to bring me your unwanted plastics and I will make sure they arrive to Eastside Food co-op. I will also be grateful to help the cause.

If a resident of the Twin cities, for more details about plastics recycling check out the following resources.
* Plastics recycling information for St. Paul, Minnesota
* Separating recyclables city of Minneapolis webpage

If not a resident of the Twin cities, please look to your own city or town's rules and regulations on their city website or call your local trash/recycling provider.

Build your own compost

Finally took the composting plunge today! After lots of talking about it, Jay and I decided to "make our own" composter and save ourselves a good $150-200. Since we are renting but have a backyard we are still doing an outdoor composter, however to make it easier we bought a big garbage container (with a lid) and drilled some holes in it. Easier than pie :)

I've reviewed the city's ordinances on composting and have a list of all of the goodies we can compost. We plan to talk to our neighbors and encourage them to use it. Did you know that 25% of waste can be composted? That's a lot! I hope you decide to begin your own compost. As you just read, it is soooooo easy to do and is so good for the Earth!

Don't let water go down the drain! Duh...

My last birthday I was gifted the little GREEN BOOK of the Home by Sarah Callard from my gal pal Co. Thanks Co! Here's a little tip taken from the book that I'd like to share with you today:

DON'T LET WATER GO DOWN THE DRAIN!



To explain further...

1) When washing feet (for example after a volleyball game) I always make sure to plug the bathtub and let the water collect while I am rinsing my feet off. Then once there is a small bit of water in there I turn off the running water and use the collected water to finish washing/rinsing my feet. Pretty simple and straight forward and an easy way to save some water (whales) and money (water bill).

2) When heating up the water when I am washing my face it takes awhile in my place because it's an older home so I put a bucket of water to collect the running water while it heats up. Then I save that bucket of water to use later for the plants or for boiling tea or even for washing my feets :)

3) When taking a shower are there times you could turn the water off? The answer is yes and you know it! And while this tip is probably the hardest for American people to adjust to, when living in Spain and in South Korea, they were more conscious of their water use and it was a requirement/common courtesy to turn off the water when you were lathering up. Yes it gets chilly, but if you want to really conserve water, one of the best ways is to cut back in the shower! Or even better...shower less! It's bad for your hair to shower everyday anyway.

4) Didn't think I'd have to mention this, but if you don't already turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth, this would also fall under the Eco-tip: Don't let water go down the drain! Duh...

Any other thoughts on saving water? Please comment!

Online Shopping and The Story of Stuff

Let's just face it, for a lot of Americans, we have too much stuff. This thinking began awhile back for me, but today I was reminded again by my little email subscription I have to Dr. Mercola's articles. His article began explaining that research is out that online shopping actually is better for the environment/waste than direct shopping. To me this is somewhat surprising, but not really. I guess it is a little depressing because I think we have dehumanized so many things in today's society that shopping too now is something you can do without having any contact with another person. Regardless, it is better for the environment so I will definitely try a bit harder to do the shopping I can from online.

The main point though is that Dr. Mercola suggested the "uh, DUH!" advice of just consuming less in general. Uh, Duh. But really, do people think about this? In the video link (which you should watch) called The Story of Stuff, Anne Leonard mentions that only 1% of the items we buy will be used after 6 months, the other 99% are thrown away. That is sick. I can't even fathom if most everything I purchased was not used 6 months from today. I know that I personally have thought about consumption because I don't have room in my apartment for anything new. I am a pack rat who does not really like to throw anything out (if there is an empty wine bottle or a shirt too small, I will find a use for it...or so I say and it sits in the corner waiting sadly for inspiration to dawn on me). So anyway this mentality I have has sort of helped me curb buying lots of stuff I don't need-- you can imagine what would happen if I kept buying "stuff" I didn't need ALL the time (you get closets packed full of crap, and those were filled years ago so I can't do the overconsumption thing anymore). Luckily I never bought into technology much, it was way too expensive (I could find other uses for the money) and I don't like being in on things that are subject to change at the drop of a hat. I have enough change and transformation to deal with that I don't need to add fancy cell phones, ipods, and the latest computer software to my already overworked brain's list of things to keep up on.

So the moral of the story is to watch the video. It is 20 minutes long but it is really good material and easy to understand. It is a life long lesson we all need to adopt. Add "consume less" to your New Years Resolutions and your life :)

To give you more action-based suggestions that will help you actually live out the idea of "consuming less," check out the video's ideas, here.

Hundreds Gather to Protest Global Warming

This picture was sent to me in an email from a friend today and it cracks me up, but also reminds me of something that is quite common sensical--people will protect the things that they love. Snowpeople love themselves and each other as well as their snowy habitat that they live in and the snow that they probably eat and drink. How can we (human-beings) figure out that we love the earth and each other, too? It is becoming more apparent in places like California and Japan for example, where there are strong initiatives in place to clean up their act and save the planet, but would those places have these projects if they were located somewhere else? Probably not because they wouldn't feel the effects as strongly. If you don't think you are affected by global warming you are not looking at the whole picture. Let us rally to do little things we can to stop global warming, if not for the snowpeople, for ourselves.

Here are 50 things listed on a Global Warming Website that can help reduce your impact on the earth. Check out the link to the original source here. If anyone has any other good lists, please feel free to share. I know there are more than 50 ways to help here, but so as not to overwhelm I am putting this list up.

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. We recommend you purchase your CFL bulbs at 1000bulbs.com, they have great deals on both screw-in and plug-in light bulbs.

2. Install a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available.

6. Do not leave appliances on standby
Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

8. Move your fridge and freezer
Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

12. Get a home energy audit
Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

13. Cover your pots while cooking
Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

15. Take a shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximize the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

16. Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

18. Insulate and weatherize your home
Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

20. Recycle your organic waste
Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

21. Buy intelligently
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.

23. Reuse your shopping bag
When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

24. Reduce waste
Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

25. Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

26. Switch to green power
In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. In some of these, you can even get refunds by government if you choose to switch to a clean energy producer, and you can also earn money by selling the energy you produce and don't use for yourself.

27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. Seek farmer’s markets in your area, and go for them.

30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

31. Eat less meat
Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.

34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

35. Keep your car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
Proper tire inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

39. Try car sharing
Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

40. Try telecommuting from home
Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

41. Fly less
Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel carbon emissions by investingin renewable energy projects.

42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

43. Join the virtual march
The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. U.S. citizens, take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
Forests play a critical role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on saving forests from global warming.

46. Consider the impact of your investments
If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

47. Make your city cool
Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. If you're in the U.S., join the cool cities list.

48. Tell Congress to act
The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

49. Make sure your voice is heard!
Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

50. Share this list!
Send this page via e-mail to your friends! Spread this list worldwide and help people doing their part: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!