Green Furniture?

Go Green! is a phrase thrown around a lot in the conservationist/environmentalists world. But what does that mean? A very simple explanation is putting in place practices that reduce the impact to the environment. Everything has an impact, so is what you are doing have a positive impact or a less negative impact than another practice?

Let’s look at furniture. Green Furniture, you say!? And no, we are talking about the color of furniture. What are some things to consider that would classify furniture as green? Here are some of the ideas we have come across.

• Are the materials the furniture is made of recycled or recyclable? Lots of furniture is now being made with recyclable plastics and metals.
• Is the furniture made from sustainable wood sources?
• Bamboo is an excellent green material. It grows fast, most growers do not use pesticides and the grass is amazingly versatile. However, most is grown in China, so is not a local product for most people and therefore loses some points in the green category.
• Second hand furniture. Do you have a piece of furniture that has been passed down through the generations? Have you picked up items at a garage sale or auction. A piece of furniture that has lasted a long time and has not been put in the trash pile is definitely a green piece of furniture.

Some stores and marketers are now providing “green” benefits of their products. Next time you are shopping, be sure to ask.

Saving Money and Energy

Another idea in our series of "easy" ways to impact the environment at your home or office.

Better lights are the No. 1 way to save money and energy. Why? Because changing your light bulbs is an easy, effective step you can take to reduce your electric bill and the greenhouse gases emitted by creating electricity.

Read the rest of this great article from Mother Earth News

How is an Aluminum Can Recycled?

One of the easiest and most popular ways to help the environment is to recycle. Do you purchase soda pop and other beverages in cans? Those cans are made with aluminum and can be recycled. Many of you already do that, but what happens after you throw that can into the recycling bin?

A Smashing Idea!

• Aluminum cans are picked up by your waste management company and then sent to large, regional scrap processing companies.


• There, they smash the cans to condense them into highly dense, 30-pound briquettes or 1,200-pound bales and ship them off to aluminum companies for melting.


• At the aluminum companies, the condensed cans are shredded, crushed and stripped of their inside and outside decorations using a burning process.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

• Then, the small, chip-sized pieces of aluminum are loaded into melting furnaces, where temperatures are over 12000 F. The recycled metal is blended with new, virgin aluminum.


• The molten aluminum is then poured into 25-foot long ingots that weigh over 30,000 pounds.


• These massive blocks of aluminum are fed into rolling mills that reduce the thickness of the metal from 20-plus inches to sheet that is about 10/1,000 of an inch thick.


• This metal is then coiled and shipped to can makers and other manufacturers who produce can bodies and lids.


• Cans are then shipped to beverage companies for filling.

The new cans are filled with your favorite drink and then ready to return to store shelves in as little as 60 days. And the cycle starts all over again!

Today most aluminum cans contain 40% post consumer recycled aluminum! And the great thing is that aluminum can be recycled over and over again.

(Process and statistics obtained from: http://www.aluminum.org)

Travel Green

Do you love to travel? I sure do! And whether you are traveling the mountains of the Rockies or the beaches of the coasts, you can have an impact on the environment. Let's make it a positive impact!

The money you spend while vacationing helps determine the development and direction of tourism, so what can you do?

• Taking a tour? Talk with the various tour operators and discover which one(s) are conservation minded and reputable.
• Limit energy use. Turn off lights and TV when leaving your hotel. Check that temperature and adjust up or down to reduce energy use.
• Conserve water. If you are "roughing" it on your vacation, this may be a necessity to ensure you have sufficient water during your trip. However, practicing water conservation all of the time can have a significant impact. Even practices like - taking showers rather than baths or using a refillable water bottle rather than purchasing bottled water - go a long way. Participate in the sheet washing program that many hotels offer.
• Reduce car use. Choose other ways to get around such as trains, buses or bikes. Take shuttles to and from the airport.
• Visit National or State parks and reserves - Many areas have been protected and offer wonderful recreation opportunities. Support these parks and reserves. Leave these areas as you found them. Take your trash with out with you!
• Stay on trails during hikes. Enjoy the variety of plants and be sure to leave them in place.
• Recycle. Newspapers, magazines and beverage containers can all be recycled. Reduce the number of plastic and paper bags by carrying totes and other reusable bags.
• Choose hotels and motels that have good environment practices.

These are just a few tips to keep in mind when traveling. Do you have a tip to share? Be sure and comment back and let us know! We would love to share it with our readers.

Top Ten U.S. Cities Ranked by Use of Renewable Energy

An interesting short article discussing the top ten larger cities using renewable energy. It's nice to see some progress in this area although there is still much work to be done.

"A newly released study conducted by SustainLane Government concludes that Oakland, California, generates the highest percentage of renewable energy out of all U.S. cities, producing 5 percent more energy than any other city surveyed.

Leading the nation with 17 percent of its electricity produced by sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, most renewable energy generation in the city comes from commercial and residential photovoltaic (PV) systems. "


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Climate change a threat to Indonesian agriculture, study says

Rice farming in Indonesia is greatly affected by short-term climate variability and could be harmed significantly by long-term climate change, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin. The results are scheduled for publication the week of April 30 in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. With the climate changes that are occurring, the typhoon seasons are expected to be more severe, while the summer season may be exceptionally dry. Not a good scenario for farming, food sources, or the economy.



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Eliminate Plastic Bags to Save Wildlife and Reduce Pollution

This site discusses how plastic bag pollution often ends up in the waterways and chokes and kills sea birds, sea turtles and other animals. It offers alternatives to using plastic bags to shop. Really interesting information, photos, and resources.



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