eco-friendly
why not hose off the driveway? well, based on tips from ideal bite…
- Avoiding runoff. Junk that you hose off your driveway can eventually get to waterways.
- Water savings. Hoses use 25 gallons every five minutes.
- Burning calories. You’ll burn about 173 cals an hour sweeping versus 86 as a hoser.
those all sound like solid reasons to me.
on a slightly different topic, i’d also advocate to eschew using leaf blowers on your driveway. they use energy, kick up dust all over the place, and are noisy. this is another great opportunity to try the sweep method and burn off a few calories without driving to the gym, and do the environment a small favor.
enjoy your planet.
i came across an ingenious program while reading bike bits (adventure cycling’s newsletter).
Bicycle Benefits partners businesses with cyclists by offering them a reward when the cyclist shows his/her helmet sticker, which the customer purchases for five dollars at any participating business.
pretty slick. rifling through some of the madison shops, the deals include 10% off, $1 off a tap beer, free drink with sandwich purchase, etc. i hope they get some businesses signed up in minnesota soon.
Tags: adventure cycling, bicycle benefits
if you’re interested in learning how to do something with computers, gadgets, iphones, food, the internet, etc., check out wired’s how-so section. there’s something for just about everyone here, but it’s more geared toward the techie crowd. and my favorite part? you can subscribe to the rss feed. good stuff.
Tags: how to, wired magazine
want to know if the products you use are safe, healthy and green? then check out goodguide.com, a site that rates a plethora of consumer products. knowledge is power, so perhaps you’ll discover some eco-friendly alternatives to stuff you currently use.
rating details include:
- a health performance rating (is it carcinogenic, does it have any short or long term effects, etc.)
- an environmental performance rating (is it toxic, does it pollute, etc.)
- a social performance rating (philanthropy, labor practices, etc.)
good shopping.
yes, it’s only september, but… the days are getting shorter and the harsh reality of colder weather looms: pretty soon, i’m going to have to turn the heat on.
i do not participate in a payment averaging progam, so the full reality of heating payments shows itself. in the summer my energy bill is $60/month (i do not have air conditioning). in the winter, it’ll top $300. that seriously cuts into my mad money. and nobody likes a dearth of mad money. so here are some things we can all do to save our dollars and energy.
- check for air leaks. i have a wood-burning fireplace; i know where my air leak is. :p once you have identified leaks, fix them; use weathersealing or caulk as necessary. the fireplace stays. it’s priceless.
- ensure you have proper insulation in your attic.
- set your thermometer a few degrees cooler, and snuggle up in a blanket on the couch. snuggling is fun, right?
- get a programmable thermostat. these things are awesome. it’s warm when you get back from work, and you didn’t waste energy and money heating the place while you were away.
- use space heaters. i love the one i have one in the bathroom - i jump out of bed in the morning, grab my clothes, turn the heater on, and get dressed while toasty warm air blasts on me.
- keep the blinds open on the south side. let the sun do its thing and help warm your house.
- cook something. it’ll toasty up your kitchen, anyway.
- make a fire. this is the best space heater of all - and one reason to be glad it’s getting colder out. just make sure you close the flue damper when the fire is out.
want your web hosting to be cheap, easy, reliable and eco-friendly? look no further than hostpapa, whose servers get their energy from wind generated power.
hosting plans are based on 1, 2 or 3 year increments, and the hosting packages are jam packed with goodies like free domain names, free web site builder, free blog software, mailing list programs, customer support, and a host of other niceties. note: available in the u.s. or canada.
Tags: web hosting
disposable plates and silverware are great for parties. use them once, then throw them away, and never think of them again…except that they’re sitting in a landfill somewhere.
to mitigate the lasting environmental impression your grand affair makes, check out verterra dinnerware. they have bowls, plates and platters that are made from 100% renewable and compostable plant matter. they contain no chemicals, waxes or dyes, so there are no harmful toxins to leach into your food. and the product degrades in only 2 months.
as a bonus, verterra is also a socially conscious company that uses fair trade labor practices, so you can feel good about how they were made.
bon appetit!
Tags: disposable dishes, eco-friendly, verterra
happy earth day!
get stuff (or give it) for free, all while helping reduce waste on the planet. just enter your zip code to find a local freecycle group. http://green.yahoo.com/earth-day
if you’re in the st. paul/minneapolis area, there’s also the tried and true http://twincitiesfreemarket.org
i bet you find something you like!
Tags: earth day, green