I haven’t seen this before - but it’s scaring me that this video is 16 years old and still as relevant as it was back then, if not more. I think the message in this video is so strong that it gives me goosebumps - and I am ashamed that we still ain’t fixin it. I would say it’s a must-see. Enjoy.
Enjoying an eco-lifestyle means living greener in all areas of your life. You may be taking environmentally friendly steps at home, but are you also doing it at work?
People spend almost 90% of their lives indoors, and for those people who work inside that equates to about 40 or more hours at your desk, office or cubicle. Whether you’re a student interning at a major corporation, a marketing associate making phone calls all day or an office assistant handling paperwork, you’re going to spend a majority of your time in one place all day.
So don’t you want your work space to be eco-friendly and energy efficient? It can be if you make some simple changes in your life.
1. Computer Conservation
For many people with desk jobs the computer is absolutely necessary to get things done. It is estimated that people waste over $1 billion in electricity every year just in computer use! To help conserve energy for your computer you can:
2. Paperless is More
Do you really have to print out every email and handout? You can reduce paper waste by going paperless wherever possible. You can try to:
3. Prioritize Your Paper Use
If you do use paper on a daily basis then you can make eco-friendly paper choices. Here are some things you can do:
4. Recycle
There are many things in your office that you can recycle. If you don’t have a recycling station at work, start one on your own! You can get a few bins and post recycling guidelines above them. Some of them may include recycling:
5. The Power of the Printer
The printer is one of the most used office items. Every day it cranks out tons of important faxes, emails and other documents. Here are some ways you make your printer use greener:
6. Air You Can Bare
It’s already bad enough that you have to worry about air pollution every time you walk outside, but it’s also a big priority when you work inside. Here are some ways that you can maintain a healthy air flow in your office:
7. Travel with Care
The first part of your work day starts with you getting to work, and for many people that means driving. Cars emit tons of carbon dioxide gases into the air, contributing to global warming. Here are some things you can do for a green ride:
8. Green Your Desk…Literally
Get a plant and place it on or near your desk. Or, even better, buy plants for all of your neighbors. They will not only see this as a friendly gesture, but they’ll also have cleaner air to breathe! Plants absorb indoor air pollution and increase the flow of oxygen, so get a green accessory to compliment your desk!
9. Food For Thought
Everyone looks forward to their lunch break. If you manage to save money by not going out to eat every day then you probably pack your lunch. You can follow these lunch tips to have healthier eating habits:
10. Spread the Word
The best way to stay involved in the green scene at work is to get others involved. Share your practices and wisdom with your boss and coworkers. You can do this by:
Your work environment has a great impact on your personal and professional happiness and your emotional stability. If you enjoy how greening your life makes you feel, then there’s no better place to keep the tradition alive than at work!
About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.
Moving on and off campus after a stressful semester is never fun. The idea of lugging tons of boxes, spending hours cleaning your old dorm or apartment and driving miles away from school with a jam-packed car, only to do it all again next semester, is more than enough to make the average student cringe.
Not only is it not fun to move, but it’s also very harmful to the environment. You accumulate excess waste from throwing out old possessions and packing boxes, and you release carbon dioxide into the air making several trips in your car to get everything home.
If you practice living green there are several steps that you can take to make your moving experience less stressful and more eco-friendly.
Give to a Good Cause
College students acquire more stuff in their tiny living space than most average people do in a lifetime, and when it’s time to move it takes triple the effort just to get everything packed! Here are some green ways to lighten the load:
Post-Consumer Packing
Cardboard boxes are the standard way to pack up your items. Even though they are recyclable, an even better way to reduce your paper waste is to use an eco-friendly recycled container.
The people at Earth Friendly Moving created the RecoPack, which is a series of stackable moving containers made from plastic containers that were salvaged from U.S. landfills. You can rent them for $1 a week, and the Earth Friendly team will drop them off and pick them up for you!
Get a Helping Hand
If you need help moving you can always hire a moving company. I don’t mean the kind of company that releases tons of greenhouse gases in the air with their huge tractor-trailer trucks, but an eco-friendly moving company. A company like Go Green Moving uses biofuel to power its trucks and earth-friendly moving pads made from recycled cotton.
A Green Clean is a Great Clean
Once everything is packed up and shipped out, you still have one more thing to do: you get to clean up the messy spills and dirty corners. The best way to do this is to use eco-friendly cleaning products that are made of all-natural and organic ingredients. These are safe to use because they don’t release any toxic fumes and won’t irritate your skin. Some great places to get these products are Heather’s Natural & Organic Cleaning Products and Simple Green.
Moving may not be a fun experience, but it can be a green experience that will help you reduce your carbon footprint and save the environment’s natural resources. It just takes a little time and effort!
About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform.
From the age of 12 when I decided to become a vegetarian I understood and felt very strongly about the power of the consumer. Back then it was more about boycotting things (well asking my mum not to put meat in my dinner) rather than using my pocket money to protest because, really, how much weight can you throw around with a few pounds a week?
Nevertheless, now that I’m grown up with a proper bank account rather than a piggy bank those values are still important and this is why the Big Green Purse instantly appealed to me.
The aim of this book is to highlight to women the power of their spending and how they can use it in a way that is positive for the environment and for their health.
Although most of the facts and figures relate to American laws and culture the points in this book will still ring true in other countries as it tackles the issues of every day life.
The beginning of the book starts with some inspiring stories of how consumers have already effected change in the manufacture of products such as cars, nail polish and tea. Diane then asks her readers to pledge to shift $1,000 of their annual spending to green products. That’s roughly £500 right now for us in the UK and I think entirely ‘do-able’ especially when you think of all of the areas of spending covered in your life and this book:
There is a strong theme on personal health as well as environmental health and as this book is aimed at women this includes issues around pregnancy and babies too. Although shocking I think it was necessary to include some of the findings on how the chemicals we’re exposed to can pass on to our unborn children. Even more shocking is the fact that we’re allowed to be exposed to these chemicals but this is very motivating too. It encourages you to read on and find out what we can do about it.
The Big Green Purse shows us how we can shop smarter, how to look out for greenwash, how to understand jargon and acronyms and what the multitude of badges and labels really mean. Throughout the book Diane provides suggestions on good brands to look out for but doesn’t shy away from telling us which companies might need a nudge in the green direction too.
I personally like the checklists which give you the opportunity to think about your own day to day activies and spending such as “How much do you drive?” and “How much [cleaner] do you use?”. This is a great way to get that particular chapter’s subject matter into context for you right at the start.
Diane realistically recognises that greener options such as organic can be more expensive which means sometimes this isn’t a option but her first principle is always to buy less and consume less and I think we would all agree with that. She provides money saving tips and ideas too.
This is a lengthy and detailed book and its clear that Diane has researched it thoroughly but she breaks it down in a digestible way using prompts and symbols which means it could read just as well from cover to cover or as a reference.
What I’d like to see next is a similar book for men. Although Diane’s target audience is women because they “spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace” men are still the big earners and its important for everyone to understand the valuable lessons here.
Check out the website at www.biggreenpurse.com
It’s 1st April, which means all of you pranksters have been working hard at making fools out of friends and family. But did you pull a prank that really packs a punch? One network of environmental organisations did!
Today ‘International Rising Tide’ (a network of groups and individuals dedicated to taking local action and building a movement against climate change) organised a day of action against the fossil fuel industry – the name ‘Fossil Fools Day’.
The Fossil Fools Day website states:
“Roll up, roll up! The climate circus is in town. Confronted with melting ice caps, unprecedented species extinction, droughts and extreme weather, climate change threatens our very survival. The fools at the head of the fossil fuel empire continue to plunder the earth, with the governments as willing court jesters at their side.
They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes - all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. On April 1st, 2008, we’re going to turn the tables and show them who the real fools are.Target a local fossil fool - See the clowns investing in coal - The carbon offset contortionist or the oily strong man? and join with thousands around the world in taking one step closer to dismantling the fossil fuel industry. Find a fossil fool in your community and pull a prank that packs a punch.”
Protests have taken place in over 100 locations throughout the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom which was organised by International Rising Tide partner ‘People and Planet’.
Whilst it is too late for you to attend the protests (sorry about not featuring this earlier) you can still be part of the revolution that is trying to topple the coal industry:
Ideas include:
Don’t be a fossil fool - ensure that you are not part of the reason for the demand for new coal burning power stations and avoid financing the fossil fuel industry, for example:
- Reduce your energy use as much as possible; avoid having unnecessary electronic devices and make sure you always turn appliances completely off when not in use.
- Change to a green energy company or if you can generate your own energy
- Reduce or even completely stop purchasing products made out of fossil fuels / oil / petroleum etc
Target fossil fools - such as energy companies and financial institutes which invest in coal. Contact them telling your concerns about what they are doing and advise them that you are not a fossil fool – thus will be boycotting their services and encouraging others to do the same.
Organise a meeting with your MP - to discuss your concerns about the
UK government considering providing permission to build a new coal power station in Kingsnorth. If this plant is allowed to be built, then it is possible that seven more will follow, which means that we can wave goodbye to any hope that the
UK will be a world leader on climate change. You can ask for a meeting with your MP through the Parliamentary Switchboard on 020 7219 3000.
If you have participated in a Fossil Fuel protest then it would be great to hear about it, and if you have targeted fossil fools then share your outcome.
Earlier this month Pope Benedict XVI declared pollution a sin. I laughed and clapped, but it got me thinking about eco-sins I commit fully knowing that what I am doing is bad yet refusing to give up.
What eco-sins do you commit?
I’ll go first. I refuse to give up my long hot showers. I take one every morning without guilt. I also loathe public transportation. I take it on days when I have to, not because I want to.
Edinburgh MP Mark Lazarowicz has introduced a new Bill titled The Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill, which if introduced would improve the regulation of ship-to-ship transfers of oil and other hazardous cargos throughout UK seas, thus helping to protect the UK’s marine habitats and wildlife from potential oil spills.
Why is the Bill needed?
Ship-to-ship (STS) transfer is a process by which cargo is transferred between ships at anchor, this includes oil! The transfer of oil currently takes place at Scapa Flow Orkney) and Sullum Voe (Shetland).
However what is very worrying is that there are new proposed STS sites around the UK including include Falmouth Harbour (Cornwall), Southwold (Suffolk), the Firth of Forth (SE Scotland) and Nigg Bay (NE Scotland). Lyme Bay (Devon/Dorset) (remember that Lyme Bay is already suffering from commercial scallop dredging as reported in the post titled ‘Help save the seaside’)
Currently, STS operations are insufficiently regulated. The UK Department of Transport (which is responsible for shipping matters) has failed to fulfil repeated promises to introduce stronger measures.
Mark Lazarowicz’s Bill would require the Secretary of State for Transport to bring in new regulations controlling STS transfer of cargos, including strict safeguards to protect our seas and sea life. STS transfer is not addressed by the forthcoming Marine Bill (which I wrote about in the post titled Can we have the Bill please’) , so separate legislation is necessary and extremely important.
Please act now
The Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons will take place on 25 January and as this is a make-or-break time for the Bill, the Wildlife Trust is urging people to email their MP asking him / her to support the Bill and attend the debate on 25th January.
4 simple steps to help secure the bill
1) Visit www.theyworkforyou.com and type in your postcode to locate your MP.
2) Click on ‘Send a message to…’.
3) Write a short message in your own words, using the following notes to help you:
- The Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill, introduced by Mark Lazarowicz MP, would improve the regulation of ship-to-ship transfers of oil and other hazardous cargos throughout UK seas.
-This would allow strict controls on ship-to-ship transfers, helping to protect the
UK’s marine and coastal habitats and wildlife from potentially catastrophics spills.
-The Bill’s Second Hearing is on 25 January.
-More information about the Bill can be found on Mark Lazarowicz’s website: www.marklazarowicz.org.uk
4) Email the Wildlife Trust Marine team marine(at)wildlifetrusts.org to let them know that you have done it and please put STS as the subject and let them know who your MP is.
Attention non UK citizen’s whilst you wont be able to do the above steps I see no harm in you contacting Mark Lazarowicz and offering support to this Bill, his contact information can be found on his website.
Thank you
Gosh…China has taxed plastic bags !!! I have just read that from June of this year shops in China will not be giving away plastic bags. If shoppers need a bag they will have to buy one. I think this is fantastic news….lets hope it wont be long before other countries follow suit.
Plastic bags have been popular for many years because they are relatively cheap to produce, waterproof and durable.
However, it’s their durability that makes them so unsuitable as disposable items. They are made from polyethylene, a product of petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource.
They are not biodegradable and are almost indestructible. They take an incredibly long time to break down and when they do, it’s into a “plastic dust” which contaminates animal life, the soil and the water, the oceans and the seas, forever.
Around a trillion plastic bags are used world wide every year (10 billion in the UK alone). They are environmentally unfriendly in the extreme, filling up landfills, blocking drains, littering the land and the oceans.
Many plastic bags are not recycled; they are dumped in landfills and escape into the environment by wind or water action. In South Africa, plastic bag litter is so common it is called the ‘national flower’.
Plastic bag litter has a devastating effect on animals, birds and marine life. They mistake them for food & die after ingesting plastic bags which have obstructed their digestive systems. Birds become trapped in plastic bags hanging off bushes and trees. Whales, seals, turtles and countless fish become entangled in them & suffocate or starve to death as a result. Prior to death, they probably suffer severe discomfort and pain. After death, their bodies decompose and the plastic is released back into the environment where it may kill again.
Plant life on land is smothered and killed by plastic bag litter. In the oceans not all plastic floats, much of it sinks to the bottom where it smothers and kills marine plant life as well.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Use long lasting biodegradable shopping bags: Natural cotton shopping bags are an excellent alternative to single use plastic shopping bags.
Re-use: All plastic bags, including any existing plastic single use bags in the home or business, should be re-used as often as possible, then recycled when no longer usable.
Recycle: This seems obvious and it may be assumed that everyone is already recycling, however, many are not.
Compost: Reduce the numbers of plastic bin liners you use by composting all biodegradable waste e.g. egg shells, fruit, vegetables etc.
Pick up plastic bag litter: Discard any litter picked up responsibly e.g. in a recycle bin.
Encourage others: Encouragement to do all of the above would probably work better than enforcement through legislation. Many people are becoming resentful of the word ‘green’ as they feel that it is just another form of stealth tax.
Seanid M. Marchant
http://reusablebags.letsbeegreener.co.uk
The Car-Wash Fundraiser is about as American as apple pie. I don’t know of a student, boy/girl scout, or church group that hasn’t participated in one. It’s a favorite way we like to raise money, not to mention just to have fun. Sometimes I think it’s more about the fun than the “funds”.
So why are environmentalists trying to put a stop to this all American pastime? It’s a particular hot issue here in the west where many feel that the run-off of soap and grime run into streams and poison the fish and wildlife.
The issue isn’t with commerical car wash facilities, since that water goes into the city’s sewer treatment system, but with the bucket and hose groups. You see them in front of the church holding up hand made signs as you pass by! They’re the ones being shut down.
Some cities are in the process of proposing a ban on washing your car in front of your home. City officials have been known to say, “it is one of the biggest water-wasters and pollution generators.” (source:wall street journal)
People are mad at this ban and say it’s overblown and ridiculous! One opponent is upset because if a dog does “it’s business” in front of his house then he can’t hose it off. Of course, that’s the point! Scoop it up and put it in the trash. Why do people insist on using the water hose in front of their house as if it were a broom. I see it ALL THE TIME!
Cities are proposing people change their habits and consider alternatives to water for their car-wash fundraisers, such as using waterless cleaners. I even found online a steam cleaner for cars that uses one cup of water! This is a hot topic that is going to make it’s way to the east coast soon, for the mean time someone needs to just hose down the naysayers!
