Green Thinking Blog

Man, I guess I am on a Pickens kick. 

This time though, the focus is on T. Boone Pickens, the oil tycoon turned renewable.  He has launched a nationwide campaign to promote alternative fuel sources to help America quit its addiction to foreign oil.  You may have seen his commercials aired on the television. 

He is currently in hot pursuit of wind energy and is in the midst of creating the world’s largest wind farm in Texas.  The farm near Sweetwater, Texas, will produce 4,000 megawatts of wind power, enough to double the United States’ wind energy output. 

Pickens Plan is to find enough renewable energy sources to bide time while we create better technologies for fuel sources.  If we better utilize our natural gas and create wind generation facilities, we will have the opportunity to replace 1/3 of foreign oil in ten years.

T. Boone plans to take this campaign to the new President of the United States and to make sure the voices are heard within the first 100 days of his presidency.  He is calling for your help to be heard, click here to read more.

Remember our previous post about Fort Pickens?  The mystery of the solar panels atop an abandoned building? Some of you thought those panels powered a meth lab, others an emergency shelter, and some of you guessed right (yes, you).  The mystery has been solved!  Thanks to a Roxanne, a representative from the Gulf Islands National Seashore.  Those panels, seen below, have been used to power fans, also seen below, to keep air filtering through the building after the affects of Hurrican Ivan.  Throughout the park, there are 20 fans or so all powered through sunlight.

Pretty awesome huh?!  Thanks for the knowledge Roxanne!

Just about everyone is annoyed with junk mail. We don’t want to see it in our email boxes, but its even worse in our physical, snail mail boxes. How many days a week do you get junk mail? If you’re like me, you get it every day and there’s at least two pieces that you have to shred or throw away. So what can we do about all the wasted paper resources and piles of trash that junk mail causes?

First, go sign the petition to stop junk mail at DoNotMail.org. You can remain anonymous or you can include your info and rant about why the junk mail really makes you angry.

Second, take some action to “opt out” of the junk mail you receive. Visit the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service page and follow the three steps to register. The service costs $1.00 and its estimated that it can reduce your junk mail by 75%. PrivacyRights.org also has an informative page about reducing your junk mail from specific types of business or services. They usually advise you to contact companies directly and ask to be removed from their contact list.

Third, designate a box in your home or a corner of your desk where you can stack junk mail. As long as it doesn’t have any of your personal information, toss the mail in that pile and drop it off for recycling once a month. Of course, if it does include your personal information, shred it and throw it away.

Have some ideas or advice of your own? Share with us!

Okay Happy Campers:

Summer is just around the corner & for those of us in the warmer climates - it is already here!  That can only mean one thing for those who love the outdoors…it is CAMPING TIME!  A group of Laurel & I’s friends got together to partake in a little R&R in the best gift you get ever get…the great outdoors.  It got me thinking, green thinking that is, that while I am enjoying the outdoors, some products I use to get me there could have actually harmed it in some way.  Check out the list below for some eco-friendly camping gear to enjoy the environment all the way around.

Essentials:

• Tent - Eureka! Camping gear features a tent that uses solar power.  The Solar Intent will provide electricity during your stay in the great outdoors by using the natural powers of the shining sun. 
• Sleeping Bag -The EcoPro line by Marmot features sleeping bags made from and filled with recycled materials.  These bags are a part of Marmot’s UpCycle products, the shell is made of recycled soda cans and the insulation is made of post-consumer waste.
• Clothes - Need something waterproof?  Check out the water-based waterproofing system of Nikwax
• Bug Spray - GreenYour.com had some excellent homemade remedies to keep those pesky bugs away, but still alive. Another idea: Remember to eat garlic like you will never kiss another soul again - this is a tride & true method to keeping flies & mosquitos away.  Another idea from the Technical Advisor with the American Mosquito Control Association sais to try a concentrated formula of oil of lemon eucalyptus, or purchase Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Spray (Real Simple July 2008 p. 54.) .  Yummy!

Reminders:

• Be sure to pack plenty of biodegradable dishes and utensils (check out Bioplast and our previous post Break it Down, Break it Down Now)  if you don’t bring reusables
• Set up a recycle area
• Use environmentally safe soap
• HAVE FUN!

Pangea Day was on May 10th. It was “a celebration of the power of film. It featured films that were funny, sad, gorgeous, stark – and powerful. Voices that had never been heard before. Things many had never seen. Scenes from worlds few had visited. A cross-section of our amazing, complicated, noisy, beautiful world” (pangeaday.org). If you didn’t get a chance to watch any of the short films on TV or online that day, the good news is that you can still watch the full program, or any of the videos on their own, at the Pangea Day website.

I’m so glad the films and powerful interview clips are still available for us to watch online. Whenever you get a few minutes, watch some of them and share how they made you feel. Personally, I was really inspired by the films, and I learned so much myself and other people in the world. But, the best thing Pangea Day did for me was remind me of the universal themes among humans. It reminded me of our commonalities instead of the differences that cause so many problems.

Here are a few of my favorite short films from the four-hour program:

Elevator Music, directed by Serdar Ferit, U.K.

Papiroflexia, directed by Joaquin Baldwin, Paraguay (LOVE this one for green thinking!)

Combatants for Peace, directed by Jehane Noujaim, Egypt/U.S.

The Americana Project: Cuba, directed by Topaz Adizes, U.S.

You can also watch Pangea Day by specific segments such as Love, Fear, Universals, Laughter, Tears, Anger, and Reconciliation. Nokia gave several hundred mobile cameras to people all over the world in places such as schools and refuge camps where people don’t have the funds to buy cameras to make their own films. Some amazing footage came back and was featured on Pangea Day. Click here to view the program by segments.

Fresh off our experience at the 2008 Green Earth Expo, Kate and I are bursting with ideas for simple and functional green products. After some extensive research, we tried to pick things that are affordable and easy to add in to your lifestyle in the near future. Read on for our top ten green products to buy now.

1. Stainless Steel or Aluminum Water Bottle - Cut down your waste and avoid sending more plastic bottles to our landfills (those suckers take hundreds and hundreds of years to decompose). Try out a reusable bottle and make sure to buy a skinny scrub brush so you can thoroughly clean it. Many grocery stores are selling their own bottles, or you could try one of these: Sigg Silver Traveler Water Bottle or Klean Kanteen Water Bottle. Bring it to work, bring it to school, or anytime you leave the house.
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2. Green Cleaning Products - It’s spring time and you’re probably doing lots of cleaning. Why not clean with some products you can feel good about (those which are environmentally safe, made from natural cleaning agents, free of toxic chemicals/phosphorus/bleach, and hypo-allergenic)? Kate and I tried Clorox Green Works products and we love them so far ($2.99-$3.39). Choose from All-Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Surface Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Dilutable Cleaner, and Bathroom Cleaner. We also like Seventh Generation products, though I don’t recommend the Automatic Dishwasher Gel. It’s just too gentle and it fails to get your dishes really clean.
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3. Reusable Shopping Bags - If you haven’t done it already, its really time to get some reusable shopping bags to cut down on our plastic waste. You can read Kate’s post on canvas tote bags where she talks about some fabulous, fashionable bag options. Or try out Baggu — they come in 19 different colors at $8 for one, $22 for three, or $38 for six.
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4. Natural Skincare - Not only do we have to protect our impact on the environment, we’ve got to protect our own bodies and reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins we absorb. Skincare is so important and its a topic we think a lot about here in sunny Florida. Try these or look for natural products free of parabens, perfumes, colorants, alcohols, and preservatives: Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 15 Burt’s Bees Radiance Lip Shimmer (LOVE this stuff!) L’Occitane Shea & Organic Cotton Cleansing Milk
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5. Energy Efficient Light Bulbs - We know you’ve heard about these before, but have you switched out ALL of your light bulbs yet? Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) help you save on your electric bill, they use about a quarter of the energy that traditional bulbs do, and they can last for years! Visit Energy Star’s website and click on their “Choose a Light Guide” to help make a list of which bulbs you need for your home.
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6. Rain Barrel - Get a rain barrel made from recycled plastic and catch some clean, healthy water during the rainy months. Your garden will love you for it, and you’ll cut down your water usage. Clean Air Gardening has a 50 gallon barrel designed to blend into your landscape. They have a cheaper 60 gallon barrel too, but it’s bright blue. If you’re clueless, read this Rain Barrel Guide for help.
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7. Energy Saving Power Strip - Pick up one of these power strips that will automatically switch off power to your devices when you’re not using them. Energy-efficient power strips are a great option for those of us that just can’t take the time to unplug and re-plug everything day in and day out. We read great reviews of the USB Ecostrip, but it’s currently sold out in the US. Smart Strip is another good brand.
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8. TerraPass - If you can’t afford a hybrid or flex-fuel vehicle just yet, opt for the TerraPass to offset your carbon emissions. You can also offset your flights, wedding, home, or office. Read our post here for more info. TerraPass’ profits fund clean energy and efficiency projects like wind farms.
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9. Low Flow Showerhead - Switch to a low flow showerhead to cut down your water usage by half. The Roadrunner has ShowerStart™ technology that shuts off flow to a trickle once the water heats up. When you’re ready to get in, just switch on the valve to enjoy your shower. You can also get regular showerheads at Home Depot with easy switches on the head to turn water flow on and off while you’re soaping up.
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10. Organic and Local Food - We know it’s not practical or affordable for most of us to buy ONLY organic food, but every little bit helps. Organics are not only much healthier for you, but organic practices are healthier for the environment and animals too. They reduce the amount of toxins, pesticides, and pollutants that seep into the ground and air supply. Restaurants and grocery stores are carrying more organic foods as each day passes, so try them out when you can. A few easy options: Amy’s Natural and Organic Frozen Meals Stonyfield Farms dairy products Grow your own veggies (ex. hanging tomato plant) Also, purchase local produce whenever you can. Check out our post on farmer’s markets and local co-ops here.