State of Green Business

Joel Makower and GreenBiz.com released the State of Green Business report this past week.



According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the report cites successes in clean-tech investments and reductions in toxic emissions as the biggest environmental achievements - but finds that most of businesses' efforts haven't made much of an impact yet.

Green Valentines

The cool thing about making your own Valentines is that ANYTHING can turn into a heart.
A comic
Wrapping paper
Hilary Clinton's face in the newspaper
...
You too can be the proud creator of a Valentine full of the faces of Presidential hopefuls. Isn't that better than your typical v-day cards with Garfield on them?
For serious though. Recycle all that old media. Your friends will thank you for the lack of cheesiness (and so will the trees).



If you're not the crafty type, you can always look for gift advice from the pros:
The Sierra Club recommends vintage jewelry and fair trade chocolate.

InHabitat recommends Sustainable Skivvies.

Even the state of UTAH has its act together, for pity's sake, and recommends that you take public transit out on your dates.

Waste Paper - It's Not Junk Mail, but It's Not Necessary...

Today I will offer a boring tip. Cut down on your mail that isn't your junk mail.



1. Get your bank statements online. Sign up for online bill pay for your insurance, credit card, utility, rent, and loan payments if possible.

2. Stop getting the newspaper delivered. If you must read it (I am one of those bad tactile people), cut down to weekends or W-Sat. If you can't cut down on the paper, ask your carrier to stop using plastic bags, or only to use plastic bags when it is raining.

3. File your taxes online - if you make less than $50k, the State of California will let you do it for freeeeee... (if I read correctly at the library).

Become a Trained Energy Auditor

Sing! Dance! Act! Then you become a triple threat in show biz.
Energy! Water! Waste! Be trained to audit all three and you are a triple threat in the world of environmental consulting!


Free Energy Audit Training in San Francisco! IAll that is required of you is signing up and "a fundamental understanding of building components and energy concepts." It is expressly geared towards the non-expert.

If you are a little closer to Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers energy auditor training through the Department of Engineering/Professional Development. It is 5 days and not free, offered in July and March.

Green Your Correspondence

Ok, so I love getting and sending mail. Sometimes the internet just won't do. I blame the pen pal unit in third grade. The good news is, you can send stuff and feel less guilty - don't use an envelope!

There's this cool template available from LetterFU. CreativeTechs put the templates in Adobe Illustrator format. You print, write on the back, and follow the instructions. Sweeeeet.

IdealBite

A sassier shade of green?
Find stylish tips for greening your life.

...like this tip finding Eco Coupon Books from Fort Collins, CO to New York, NY.

The Go Green Initiative Greens Schools

Founded in Pleasanton, CA in 2002 by former Naval Officer Jill Buck, the Go Green Initiative brings students, teachers, and parents together to reduce waste and pollution in schools. Students engage in practical activities such as recycling, composting and reducing waste.


The program has been endorsed by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, endorsed by such agencies as
the National School Boards Association, National Recycling Coalition and numerous State
PTAs, and more. The GGI website helps schools find quality worms, share best practices (using towels instead of tissues to wipe sheet protectors), and communicate their GGI involvement to parents and PTAs.

Keetsa - Green Mattresses, Green Blog

So Keetsa is a provider of green mattress and assorted accoutrements. They buy directly from the supplier and send via UPS. The theory goes, UPS is already in your neighborhood. Might as well make them take a mattress, eh?


While I have bought the only mattress I will be buying for the next decade or so, I do heartily enjoy Keetsa's blog. From solar iPod chargers to Leo DiCaprio's green habits, Keetsa's blog tells all.

Greener News

You know, you can always be more time and resource efficient with your news consumption -
read online OR you can even listen to your favorite NPR cast (with no annoying pledge drives!!!)

Use Old Tires, Get a Grant

I guess used tires are a big problem?

Have a good tire idea? Live in California?
"Tire Recycling, Cleanup, and Enforcement Grant Programs provides funds to support the development of tire-derived products markets."

I'm not exactly sure why this has caught my attention, but think of all the things you could invent!



Swimming pools made out of old tires!

Race tracks made out of old tires!

Carpet made out of old tires!

Someone smarter than me will have to come up with how to do all that, though.

CNN Offers Tips

CNN's "This Old House" offers 22 little ways to go green.



My favorite tip:

13. Use the dishwasher. Doing a full load in your machine is far more efficient than washing the same number of dishes by hand. This is especially true if you have an Energy Star dishwasher, which requires an average of 4 gallons of water per load, compared with the 24 gallons it takes to do them in the sink. Using one will save you 5,000 gallons of water, $40 in utility costs, and 230 hours of your time each year.

Green @ Work

Ever wonder how your favorite (or least favorite) corporation measures up on the ladder of corporate sustainability?

Wonder no further.



Green@Work will find out for you.

Learn about Xerox, Office Max, Pepsi and others.

Slate.com Launches "Green Lantern"

On September 25, Slate.com lauched "The Green Lantern," a "weekly Q&A about climate change, pollution, and whatever other environmental bogeymen are robbing you of sleep."



Every Tuesday, Brendan I. Koerner answers questions from "what is the greenest turkey" to "what is the greenest tree to plant in my yard." Ask yours by e-mailing ask.the.lantern@gmail.com.

EcoTreadsetters

The new Facebook?



Tire maker Yokohama launched EcoTreadsetters as a new green advice social network on September 17.

One tidbit I did not know: Laptops use up to 80% less energy than desktops.

Thanks Treadsetters!

Green Your Apartment - Waste

And finally, how to reduce your waste at a time when apartments are their least eco-friendly:
Move-out time.



The City of Davis, CA hosts a Move-Out Day Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The key advice here is DONATE, don't trash. Goodwill, food banks, even Savers or ARC will take your old stuff (sometimes they will even come pick it up).

This might also be a time to promote regular Goodwill trips and weed-throughs ahead of the very stressful time that is moving day. Give away what you can now! Then you aren't stuck with a "trash or take" ultimatum on your big day.

Green Your Apartment - Water

This is the second in a series of how to green your apartment - this entry recommends greening through water conservation, with the help of top tips from Brian's Blog at Signature Community:



1. It is always important to report leaks to property managers ASAP, but it is especially important to report toilet leaks - these are the most seriously wasteful.

2. "The toilet is not a trash can. There is no need to flush your tissues down the toilet. You are only wasting water." (Not only that - you are potentially causing clogs AND creating a nightmare for the wastewater treatment facility down the line.. believe me, I've seen the process used to remove "rags" from waste water, and it is the most involved, energy-intensive process of the whole plant)

3. Aim for five to ten minute showers.

Green Your Apartment - Energy

This begins a series of how to green your apartment. Begin by ramping up your apartment's energy efficiency with these top tips from Health Goods:



1. Set your thermostat. If you are healthy, set it between 65-68 (F) during the day and 60 when you go to bed. (Additionally, set the thermostat to 60 when you leave the house for an extended period of time).
2. Thaw frozen foods in the fridge instead of the counter. The frozen foods will help cool the fridge as they defrost; your fridge will use less energy cooling itself.
3. Unplug TVs, VCRs and DVD players. Even when not in use, they draw PHANTOM POWER (dun dun dunnnn) and ratchet up your energy use.

Locavore

The Oxford 2007 Word of the Year is out!



Ladies and gentlemen, make room in your vocabulary for locavore, the phenomenon of eating locally grown or raised foods that may or may not be more Earth friendly (in the broadest sense of the term, as debated by Macalester professor Bill Mosely in this recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle).

OMG Veggie Meal Plans!

Can anybody say, "Godsend?"

image © 2007-2008 Cassie Young, www.veggiemealplans.com

So I basically don't cook anymore (thanks, holidays), but almost want to just to try out some of the gorgeous meals on this site.

Cassie Young, 39, from British Columbia generously shares recipes from her real life dinners.

Swiss Chard Soft Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa? Butternut-Pecan Pancakes? Red Lentil Dal, Roti, Curried Cauliflower and Peas?

Yes please!

Green Epiphany

In the spirit of the 12th day of Christmas, an epiphany - what to do with those unwanted gift cards! Useless extra pieces of plastic though they may be, you can exchange the ones you don't want at Swaptgift, Plastic Jungle, or Card Avenue. You can even donate the card to charity at Gift Card Donor.

Climate Legislation Takes Off

Colorado has recently joined California in a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020, countering California's Assembly Bill 32 with the Colorado Climate Action Plan.


They mean it. Skiiers and resorts are freaking out this year about climate change. Don't get in the way of a skiier and his/her snow.

Red, blue and ... green?

The Presidential '08 race is well underway, and as you all gear up to bike to your local caucus or primary you should know where each candidate stands on environmental issues (from a nonpartisan political education group based in Cambridge, MA).


You can also check out each candidate's fact sheets from grist.org. What would happen to the environment if McCain and Huckabee ran together?

Wind Power

Wind power is in the air (ha - with apologies for bad puns throughout this post). Despite California's historical corner on research institutions, venture capital, and government incentives, the state's comparative advantage in renewable energy is waning while other states hover in the wings, not least Colorado.



Colorado's government is snapping to, primed for a wind takeover with its low cost of living and environmentally engaged constituency (and, well, its central location and access to rail doesn't hurt either). Danish company Vestas is blowing into Windsor, CO with gusto. Slotted to open a blade manufacturing plant, Vestas Windsor will create 400 new green collar jobs. Whoosh! Fort Collins has capitalized on this zeitgust, as its Senator Bob Bacon is sponsoring a bill to allocate some gaming money to help Colorado State University renewable energy science turn into business. And don't be surprised if CT, MA, and OH suddenly show up on the list of renewable-friendly locales, as their forward-looking governments deregulate and incentivize. Wind power isn't all fun and games, as these golden eagles no longer have wind beneath their wings.

Greenpeace Gets What It Asked For

The public named Greenpeace's whale mascot Mr. Splashy Pants.

New Year's Goes Green

Green is the new black in 2008, as the Times Square New Year's Eve ball rang in the new year with energy-efficient LED lights.