The Impact: Sixty percent of Americans have access to public transportation, yet only 10 percent use it frequently, and just 4 percent use it as their primary method of commuting. An even smaller percentage actually walk or cycle. Furthermore, even though America only has 30 percent of the world's cars, Americans are responsible for nearly 50 percent of the daily global fuel consumption.
The Idea: Take public transportation, carpool, bike or walk whenever you can, instead of jumping in a car. Use services such as Craigslist rideshare to share transportation for longer trips.
The Result: You can save over two tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, you can do your part in preventing traffic and congestion (and as a result, air pollution), you'll save money (since you won't have to pay for insurance, parking, gas) and you'll help to lower dependence on fuel.
Jan 30, 2009
Jan 23, 2009
#109: It's Your Call (Friday, January 23)
The Impact: Cell phones contain toxic metals such as nickel, lead, arsenic and zinc (among others). These metals do not degrade well and can have adverse effects on the environment. For example, arsenic, despite being found in the earth's crust can be lethal in it's inorganic form. Arsenic-contaminated environments are characterized by limited species abundance and diversity.
The Idea: Recycle your old phones. Cell phone recycling and wireless recycling programs keep valuable materials out of landfills, including an estimated $630,000 of precious metals from circuit boards, and enough copper from phone chargers to recover the Statue of Liberty, twice.
Use websites such as www.freecycle.org, www.wirelessrecycling.com and www.charitablerecycling.com to donate your used cell phone or start a donation program in your neighborhood. You can donate functional cell phones to nonprofit organizations, or (if you're from another country like I am), send them to lesser developed countries to help bridge the communication divide, or even donate the parts to make other products.
The Result: You reduce your carbon footprint, and you could potentially make a difference in someone's life.
The Idea: Recycle your old phones. Cell phone recycling and wireless recycling programs keep valuable materials out of landfills, including an estimated $630,000 of precious metals from circuit boards, and enough copper from phone chargers to recover the Statue of Liberty, twice.
Use websites such as www.freecycle.org, www.wirelessrecycling.com and www.charitablerecycling.com to donate your used cell phone or start a donation program in your neighborhood. You can donate functional cell phones to nonprofit organizations, or (if you're from another country like I am), send them to lesser developed countries to help bridge the communication divide, or even donate the parts to make other products.
The Result: You reduce your carbon footprint, and you could potentially make a difference in someone's life.
Jan 16, 2009
#108: Eat Your Heart Out (Friday, January 16)
The Impact: Nearly one third of all food produced each year in the U.S. for human consumption ends up in the garbage. That's 48 million tons of food (about 160 pounds per person) wasted each year that could've fed nearly 50 million people.
The Idea: If it's on your plate, eat it...or take it to go, but don't throw it out. Think about the person who would have loved to have your leftovers. And if you're not a leftover person, take it to go and give it to a homeless person on the street.
You can also choose to eat at restaurants that donate unused food to local food programs, such as City Harvest in New York. When you make reservations, ask if the restaurant participates in such a program.
The Result: You'll save money and conserve energy used to process that food into landfills. Plus, it takes less energy to reheat leftovers than it does to cook a new meal.
The Idea: If it's on your plate, eat it...or take it to go, but don't throw it out. Think about the person who would have loved to have your leftovers. And if you're not a leftover person, take it to go and give it to a homeless person on the street.
You can also choose to eat at restaurants that donate unused food to local food programs, such as City Harvest in New York. When you make reservations, ask if the restaurant participates in such a program.
The Result: You'll save money and conserve energy used to process that food into landfills. Plus, it takes less energy to reheat leftovers than it does to cook a new meal.
Jan 9, 2009
#107: A Latte Goes A Long Way (Friday, January 9)
The Impact: Every year, Americans drink more than 100 billion cups of coffee. (Thank you, you put me through school and made my dad a decent living!) However, of these billions of cups of coffee, nearly 15 billion are served in disposable cups -- enough to wrap the Earth 55 times if placed end to end. What's more, the inside of those cups have a plastic lining made from a petrochemical that would produce enough energy to heat 8300 homes for a year! (Source: Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach and Hillary Rosner)
The Idea: BYOTM! Bring Your Own Travel Mug and get your coffee poured directly into the mug, rather than in a disposable cup.
The Result: You'll save trees, save energy and probably save a few cents on every cup of coffee (since they won't have to charge you for the cup).
The Idea: BYOTM! Bring Your Own Travel Mug and get your coffee poured directly into the mug, rather than in a disposable cup.
The Result: You'll save trees, save energy and probably save a few cents on every cup of coffee (since they won't have to charge you for the cup).
Jan 2, 2009
#106: Good Friday Goes Green (Friday, January 2)
Happy New Year to all, and welcome to 2009. I started this blog with the hope of impacting others through my actions. Last year our focus was on enjoying life for what it was, and this year, we'll be going green.
One of my first green suggestions (Must Be Somethin' In The Water, GF #13) wasn't met with a warm reception. As a matter of fact, it just happens to be the most commented on Good Friday in 3 years. Who knew people were so averse to taking one cold shower a week? LOL.
But we're going to try again this year to be green and hopefully help to preserve the world for the generations after us. And since going green begins at home, our first idea will be too:
The Idea: See the little light on your TV, stereo or computer? It's called an LED, a light-emitting diode, and it can help you become a greener person in just one simple step. In my house, I always leave the cable boxes on so I can see the time and I never unplug my microwave, but not any more...
The Impact: Those LEDs are usually pretty small, but they have a big impact. Every year one LED can create nearly 200 pounds of greenhouse gases, and can add almost $100 dollars to your electricity bill. Even in standby mode, LEDs may still be operating at nearly a half of their full running power.
What You Can Do: Turn off appliances when they are not being used instead of leaving them on standby. And make sure you switch them off at the power source. You can also go a step further by unplugging items when they're not in use.
The Benefit: You'll lower your energy consumption (and your electric bill!) and you'll also have lower carbon emissions from greenhouse gases. :)
One of my first green suggestions (Must Be Somethin' In The Water, GF #13) wasn't met with a warm reception. As a matter of fact, it just happens to be the most commented on Good Friday in 3 years. Who knew people were so averse to taking one cold shower a week? LOL.
But we're going to try again this year to be green and hopefully help to preserve the world for the generations after us. And since going green begins at home, our first idea will be too:
The Idea: See the little light on your TV, stereo or computer? It's called an LED, a light-emitting diode, and it can help you become a greener person in just one simple step. In my house, I always leave the cable boxes on so I can see the time and I never unplug my microwave, but not any more...
The Impact: Those LEDs are usually pretty small, but they have a big impact. Every year one LED can create nearly 200 pounds of greenhouse gases, and can add almost $100 dollars to your electricity bill. Even in standby mode, LEDs may still be operating at nearly a half of their full running power.
What You Can Do: Turn off appliances when they are not being used instead of leaving them on standby. And make sure you switch them off at the power source. You can also go a step further by unplugging items when they're not in use.
The Benefit: You'll lower your energy consumption (and your electric bill!) and you'll also have lower carbon emissions from greenhouse gases. :)
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