Preserve the Future of Our Planet for the Next Seven Generations
This lens will cover many sound Go Green Tips. In this lens you can find out what can you do as an individual to become greener. Living green is about consuming less, sharing more and enjoying life.
Go Green Tip #1: Find Your Litter Factor
Small changes such as not buying coffee in a disposable cup or water in a plastic bottle not only are good for your wallet, they actually better the planet. Every year, Americans drink more than 100 billion cups of coffee. Of these, 14.4 billion are served in disposable paper cups, enough to wrap the earth 55 times if placed end to end. Plus, those paper cups contain a plastic lining made from a petrochemical that would produce enough energy to heat 8,300 homes for a year.North Americans spent 15 billion on bottled water in 2006. Stop now, 9 of 10 of these plastic water bottles are simply thrown away, filling our landfills and blowing into our waterways. Is bottled water healthier? Federal standards are higher for tap water than for bottled water. 24 percent of the bottled water we drink (nearly one in four bottles) is actually tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi's brand is Aquafina and it costs nearly 2,500 times more than what comes out of your faucet. San Francisco has banned city employees from using tax dollars to purchase bottled water at work, and other cities are following suit.
Go Green action steps:
* Bring your own coffee cup
* Get a reusable water bottle and fill it with water from your tap
The newest generation of reusable water bottles is from SIGG and from Klean Kanteen (stainless steel bottle).
Gift Someone a Green Book by Al Gore
Our Choice:
A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis
(Paperback)
Learn about environmental science, conservation, clean energy, climate crisis and public policy.
Use Affordable Solar in Your Yard - Protect Your Home
Care free effective outdoor lighting.
Senses motion up to 75ft. away and turns ON
Solar panel has a 15ft. cord for easy mounting on the roof of your house or RV
6 volt system
Go Green Tip #2: Paper or Plastic?
The best answer for the planet is No, thank you. One of the easiest things you can do to save the Earth is to bring your own bags to the grocery store. The positive impact of skipping bags is huge. Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide. As many as 30 billion of them end up as litter-making their way into our oceans, killing birds, marine mammals, and sea creatures by the millions. That's because man-made plastics photo-degrade, which means that sunlight breaks them down into smaller pieces, perfect for wildlife to mistake for food. And they don't biodegrade, meaning they stick around for thousands of years. Several countries have banned or taxed the use of plastic bags including Ireland, Australia, and South Africa. San Francisco banned them in March, 2007.Go Green Action Step
Bring your own bags to the store when you shop. Visit www.reusablebags.com for facts on reusable bags and other eco-friendly packaging, plus a store that offers reusable bags and water bottles that make great gifts. Get your own Reusable Eco-tote.
Link to Help You Calculate Your Carbon Footprint
- Live Earth
- Take 3 minutes to get your Live Impact score and create your ECP account and get started on creating your personal plan! Be part of the solution to the climate crisis!
- Zero Footprint Offsets
- Offsetting is an interim measure that we use to deal with our ecological impact that is difficult to avoid. For example, if your business requires travel and travel is not yet "green", what do you do? You offset the impact with real, tangible, additional benefits to the environment. Offsets in this way sets a price for the services the environment provides and that our economy doesn't reward.
Heaven and Earth Art Print
Go Green Tip #3: Drive Smart, Finish Rich
Nothing will improve the planet quicker than the decisions you make about what you drive and how you drive.According to the Federal Highway Administration, we use 8.2 million barrels of oil per day to fuel the 24.1 million cars and trucks that are on the road in the United States. Burning all that fuel fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year. The United Nations Human Development Report of 2007 reported that the automobile sector accounts for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries.
What can you do? Changing what you drive and how you drive it can save you a small fortune, clean up the air we breathe, and help to turn the tide on global warming.
Go Green Action Steps
* Increase your fuel economy
Find out what mileage you are currently getting. Visit the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide to check your car's mileage. Find a list of the greenest cars here.
* Upgrade to a hybrid
If you drive 15,000 miles per year, a hybrid that gets 45 mpg will use 417 less gallons of gas per year than a standard car at 20 mpg.
* Maintenance matters
Keeping your tires properly inflated, getting a tune-up, eliminating all unnecessary cargo (weight) and avoiding aggressive acceleration and braking can increase your gas mileage by up to 30 percent.
* Get rid of a car
If your household income is $50,000 and you own two cars, you're working four months out of the year just to pay for them! If every family in the United States gave up one car, it would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by around 413 billion pounds a year. (Go to "The real cost of car ownership calculator" at www.bikesatwork.com or www.commutesolutions.com.
* Skip a Trip
40 percent of all car trips we make in the United States are less than two miles. Hike or bike the trip. If every person in the United States cut out just one car commute per week by carpooling or taking public transportation, we'd reduce carbon emissions by 149 million tons.
More Green Tips will be added pretty much weekly so check back regularly. Go ahead, turn over a new leaf!
Vote for the Best Conservation Product
Debbie Meyer Green Bags
Includes 20 bags - 10 medium and 10 large - that c more...1 point
Hunter 44550 Auto Save 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
7 Day Programmable Thermostat1 point
P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor
Connect your appliances into the Kill A Watt, and more...0 points
Lux Products Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat TX1500
Smart Temp, Lighted Heating/Cooling Thermostat, Pr more...0 points
Suncast Recycle Bin Kit BH183PK
"SUNCAST" RECYCLING BIN 3 piece recycli more...0 points
Xantrex Technologies 852-2071 Xpower AC/DC Powerpack Solar With 400 Watt Inverter, Two Outlets, USB Port, And Digital Display
The XPower Powerpack Solar is the first portable p more...0 points
Fun Economical Solar Products - Buy Green or Give Green Gifts
Malibu Solar White Nichia LED Outdoor Decorative Post/Deck Lights, Brown with Frosted Globe 2 Pack #LZ8002-2
Amazon Price: (as of 12/21/2009) 
SOLAR POWERED CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 12/21/2009)
SpareHand Set Of 3 - Decorative Solar Light - Hummingbird, Butterfly, Dragonfly
Amazon Price: (as of 12/21/2009)
Moonrays 93100 2-Sided Address Light Solar Powered Glowing Stake Mount or Wall Mount
Amazon Price: $25.65 (as of 12/21/2009)
Bell Solar Bike Helmet
Amazon Price: (as of 12/21/2009)
Go Green Tip # 4: Buy in Bulk As Much As Possible
Buying in bulk doesn't mean purchasing large cases of individually wrapped goods or buying things you don't really need. It does mean buying the largest size of a product that you were going to purchase anyway. A 64-ounce bottle of laundry detergent is better for the planet than the 32-ounce bottle because it uses the smallest amount of packaging per unit. Containers and packaging make up more than 31 percent of all municipal solid waste-almost 80 million tons in 2006. And it's better for your shopping bill, because the large size almost always costs less per pill, per drop of shampoo, per flake of cereal, and so on.
Check out the bulk-bin aisle at your supermarket (Whole Foods & Vitamin Cottage are great) to dispense dry goods like pasta, rice, cereal, nuts, dried fruit, and spices into your own bags, at much lower prices per unit.
Go Green Action Steps
Join a bulk buying club (Costco, Sam's club, etc)
Find a supermarket like Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage that offer organic foods in big bins Check out www.vegfamily.com or search co-op food buying
Go Green Tip #5: Plant Trees or Shrubs
Here's an incredibly simple way to save on energy costs. Strategically planting trees and shrubs to shade your home can lower surrounding air temperatures during warm summer months by up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit-and can reduce your wall and roof temperatures by 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, keeping your home naturally cooler. In winter, trees can function as windbreaks as well, reducing your heating bill.The average home could save between $150 and $250 on energy costs-simply with smart landscaping. There are lots of other reasons to plant trees. Besides providing food and housing, for insects, birds, and other backyard wildlife, trees protect against erosion and clean the air as they soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Choose species that are either native to or well-suited for your location.
Go Green Action Steps
Go to www.eere.energy.gov/consumer to learn about regional considerations for tree planting. Click on landscaping.
Go to www.nrel.gov for the National Energy Lab's guide "Landscaping for Energy Efficiency" type landscaping into the search box
Go to www.arborday.org The Arbor Day Foundation is offering ten free shade trees when you purchase an annual membership for $15.
Go Green Tip #6: Get an Energy Audit
Go Green Action Steps
Use the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick to compare your home's energy efficiency with that of similar homes across the country. Go to www.energystar.gov and click on "Home Improvements".
To find a professional in your area who will conduct an energy audit, start with the local utility company or check the Yellow Pages under "Energy". Be sure to check them out with the BBB. A professional energy audit can cost from $50 on up.
You can do a scaled down energy audit yourself. Visit the Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and click on "Energy Audits" in the quick links section.
Green Tip # 7: Eat Less Meat
You probably know that eating less meat is better for your health-but did you know that it's better on the environment, too? Methane from captive livestock accounts for nearly a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.A 2006 study called "Diet, Energy and Global Warming," by two University of Chicago geophysicists, concluded than switching from a "Standard American Diet" to a vegetarian diet takes a bigger bite out of global warming than trading in your SUV for a hybrid car!
Go Green Action Steps
Go vegetarian one extra day a week. There are thousands of easy-to-prepare, tasty, meat-free recipes on the web. Start at www.vegweb.com.
Find more recipes, plus read more about meat's impact on the environment, at www.goveg.com under "Environment." Click on "Recipes" for menus, nutrition information, and tips on eating meat-free.
Green Tip #8: Cards and Gift Wrap
Believe it or not, Americans spend $2.7 billion every year on gift wrap. That's more than the entire gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries in Africa and Asia. One easy way to green your holidays is to stop buying non-recyclable wrapping paper printed with petroleum-based inks and dyes. Use gift wrap made out of recycled paper-or better yet, use materials around your home (such as the Sunday comics) to dress up your packages.
Next, green your greetings. Nearly 300,000 trees are harvested each year to produce all the holiday cards sold in the United States-enough to fill a football field 10 stories high! Save money, time, and trees by sending free e-cards instead of traditional cards.
You Are Here by Thomas Kostigen
You Are Here:
Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet
Kostigen shows us that, in a world of limited resources, there is no such thing as an insignificant choice. Pushing us from awareness to action, this is an unforgettable story about how, through our choices, we are all tied to one another. -- Alexandra Cousteau
Go Green Tip #9: Plan a Green Vacation
The Global Guide to Green Travel
Support Resorts who incorporate energy saving architecture, and low energy use alternatives. Eat local foods while there in order to avoid the use of fossil fuels in shipping food to you. Put your money where your beliefs are in order to conserve and to protect Mother Earth.
Go Green Tip #10: Green Your Decor
We spend about $78 billion a year on new furniture in the United States, and much of what is on the market today contains PBDEs (flame retardants) that cause health problems. Many types of furniture are treated with finishes and lacquers that release volatile organic compounds (VOC), formaldehyde and benzidine which can cause lung damage and cancer.
Seek out sustainable items made from responsibly harvested, renewable, or reclaimed materials that contain little or no toxic chemicals. They're better for the environment and for your health
Go Green Action Steps
Shop online for sustainable furniture at www.vivaterra.com, www.greenerlifestyles.com, www.pristineplanet.com, www.ecobedroom.com, >www.eyezotica.com.
Look for products certified by GreenGuard,, an independent certification system for products with low levels of toxic emissions.
Look for the seal of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which certifies lumber cut in an environmentally responsible manner.
Go Green Tip #11: Raise Your Children Green
Growing Up Green:
Baby and Child Care:
Volume 2 in the Bestselling Green This! Series
Reviewed by Charlene M. Gormley (Boston Ma)
This is a fabulous book. Easy to read. Great for parents with kids of all ages and for people considering having children or those that care for children. I highly recommend it. It is one of those books you have to buy because you will reference it so often. Great to buy and share with others also!
Go Green Tip # 12 - Stop Reading Paper Books and Newspapers
The Kindle Handheld Ebook Reader Makes Reading A Lot More Fun!Exciting News! Amazon's bestselling 6-inch Kindle handheld ebook reader is now only $259. With this exciting new low price, reading just got a lot more fun!
Amazon's New Wireless Reader with books, magazines and newspapers of your choice.
For the person who has everything. Perfect for the one that likes electronic gagets.
Check Out More Of My Work
-
Roy Neal Astrologer in Denver, Colorado
-
Roy Neal is a professional astrologer, teacher and counselor with a private practice in the Denver area. Roy has been studying and practicing in the areas of psychology, astrology and spiritual development professionally since October 1981. If you wo...
-
Samuel Lewis - Sufi Sam
-
As an environmentalist Sam was a soil scientist and horticulturist and was concerned with feeding the world's hungry. His hope was to improve the quality and quantity of food production planet-wide by promoting organic gardening, seed exchange, sea w...
-
I'm Going Green Are You
-
I created this lens to focus on Going Green. It's actually a pun. But it might not be exactly what you were expecting! It's mostly about the color green and about green fashions, green decorating, and green travel. I might add some conservation tips...
-
Finding Time for Peace In Your Life and On the Planet
-
I have been involved with the Peace Movement ever since the Vietnam War, which I opposed. Currently I am involved with four significant peace organizations which I wish to highlight in this lens. They are all worth joining and participating in. So re...
-
Colorado Christmas Ornaments & Memorabelia
-
I'm so proud to live in Colorful Colorado! We have the greatest sports and sports teams on earth here. Sports paraphenalia make great gifts for the kids, your boss or co-worker or any other sports fanatic. There are also some o...
Green Consciousness Reader Feedback
-
Reply
- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 26, 2009 @ 7:52 pm
- I did a green lens too and love yours! Blessed by an angel!
-
Reply
- paperfacets paperfacets Aug 23, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
- Very comprehensive. When buying bulk I thought I was just saving money, but larger packages does mean less. But of course, I look at greeting cards differently. lol If the P.O. is delivering junk mail anyway, go ahead and toss in your handmade greeting card.
Thanks for visiting.
-
Reply
- twodogs2 twodogs2 Jul 25, 2009 @ 11:10 am
- Great lens,we need to help Mother Earth
-
Reply
- poddys poddys Jun 21, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
- Great ideas, very nice lens. 5***** We all ought to be thinking about being more green.
-
Reply
- GumboWriters123 GumboWriters123 Jun 15, 2009 @ 12:39 am
- A wonderful lens!
- Load More
A Little More About Me
RinchenChodron has been a member since December 17 2007, has rated 1,053 lenses, favorited 370, and has created 112 lenses from scratch. Marsha Camblin donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund and Women's Peace Campaign. This member's top-ranked page is "A Funny Christmas Story". See all my lenses
Follow My Tweets
- mcamblin
- aka mcamblin
- 275 followers
- 191 following
-
- I just joined RedGage where I can get paid for my content. http://www.RedGage.com/surefoot
-
- Send someone some distance reiki today. The Bonpos Discovered Reiki / http://tinyurl.com/559wre
-
- I recently saw the movie Amelia - have you seen it yet? Very enjoyable Richard @Gere Activist and Actor / http://tinyurl.com/5mhhsp
-
- Be loving to your family, friends and co-workers & Give the Gift of Peace - remember you are powerful! http://tinyurl.com/ra5vqx
-
- Support the Pink Glove Dance for @Cancer Research / http://tinyurl.com/5e9bw5
c'mon...join me on RedGage! Get Paid To Book Mark Your Content!
If you decide to join RedGage, put me (surefoot)
down as your referrer so I know you're there.
Join me thru this RedGage Invitation link
and it will make you and I friends automatically! I'd like to see YOUR work!
Donations for Ecology
Ecotrust is a conservation organization committed to strengthening communities and the environment from Alaska to California. We work with Native peoples and in the fisheries, forestry, and food sectors to build a regional economy based on social and ecol
by RinchenChodron
I'm Marsha Camblin. My Buddhist name is Rinchen Chodron. I publish the following websites http://www.geocities.com/rdtibet and http://... (more)
Explore related pages
What Not Recycling Will Do To You- Recycling isn't exactly a new idea, but it's only moved to a more important aspe...
How to Properly Dispose of Paint
- The correct way of how to dispose of household paint hasn't been widely advertis...
Reusable Water Bottles- Eco-friendly water bottles are getting a lot of attention lately. After all, it'...
My Quest For A Greener Life- The first thing I'd like to make clear is that I'm not, by any means, a poster c...
Negative Carbon Footprint- A carbon footprint is the sum of an entities carbon waste, most specifically in...
Climate Change is happening
- Climate Change is happening I believe the world is a self-regulating programmed...
