Archive for March, 2011

How to live a “Greener” lifestyle

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Image by Marvel

As earth day is approaching we start to hear how important it is to live a “greener” life.  What does it exactly mean to be green?  I know these are the famous words of Kermit the Frog but I don’t think that is what environmentalists are going for here.

According to Nicki H. over at Brighthub.com, “it’s about making lifestyle changes that reduces your impact on the environment.”  Reducing waste, preserving natural resources, getting rid of toxic cleaning products, etc., are just a few of the ways you can begin living a “greener” lifestyle.

How can one reduce waste?

  • Recycle all plastic products like yogurt lids, milk and water bottles, etc.
  • Recycle aluminum, foil, and glass products.
  • Newspaper, office paper, cardboard, etc., can be recycled.

How can one preserve natural resources?

  • Purchasing energy efficient appliances.
  • Select products that can be recycled.
  • Buy vehicles that get really good gas mileage.
  • Use public transportation or car pool.

What are alternatives to toxic cleaning products?

  • Most alternatives are right in your pantry.  Vinegar and water is good for countertops, bathrooms, carpets, and flooring.  Adding a lemon scent will cut down on the vinegar smell and is anti-bacterial.
  • Lemon acts as a natural bleaching agent.  Try using lemon on all of your cleaning projects if possible.

Other ways we as individuals can live a greener lifestyle is to:

  • Ride and share your bike
  • Reuse
  • Buy a coffee mug and water bottle
  • Turn off the overhead lights
  • Use tote bags at the grocery store rather than plastic bags
  • Shop at Goodwill or Salvation Army
  • Turn off the water
  • Turn the heat down in cold months and dress warmer
  • Only turn on the AC in unbearable heat
  • Wash clothes in cold water

For ideas on how to put these lifestyle changes into effect, check out “15 ways to go green” on Associatedcontent.com.  This post is for college students but it can also apply to everyone.

Source: Bright Hub and Associated Content

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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Posted in Clean Energy, Save 1 Million Trees | 2 Comments »

Plant a Tree with Your Kids

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

As a parent, I’m always looking for fun, inexpensive activities to do with my kids. With spring well underway, I’ve had the urge to spend our days outside, enjoying the sun as much as possible. We’ve decided to plant a few trees, freshening up the look of our yard and giving back to the environment. And for once, we can proudly say that yes – we did in fact plant something ourselves.

The great part about planting your own trees in your own yard is that you don’t need permission from anyone. The environment needs trees, so go ahead and choose the spot you’d like to get started with. Trees certainly don’t come cheap, but you can look around at your local nursery to see which types of small trees they have for sale. With enough time, you’ll find one that is the perfect size and price.

When you bring home the rootball, you’ll need to dig a hole that’s just as deep and twice the size. (If you don’t want to do too much digging, go for a smaller tree)!  Also make sure that the soil around the hole is soft and if it’s not, loosen it with a shovel. Then take out the rootball and straighten out the roots. Place it in the hole and begin filling it up with soil.

Make sure that the soil is firmly packed into the hole, with no air pockets. You can then make a small dam around the base of the tree. It should be as wide as the hole and able to hold in water. Water your tree and get it off to a great start. Don’t forget to name your tree and take some pictures as it grows – your kids will love seeing the transformation it makes!

Image c/o Crusier

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Clean Energy in the 21st Century

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Solar Mirrors


Green energy is a subject that we have become all too familiar with as we venture into the 21st century. Our carbon footprint clearly marks the road we have to take in order to survive.

Fossil fuels are getting less and less and coal fired alternatives produce too much carbon to be sustainable. Large industries have, therefore, started using clean and sustainable alternatives compared to what has been used in the last two hundred years. There are many such creative alternatives; from wind farms to solar radiation mirrors. The innovative capability of human ingenuity seems endless.

Wind Farm

There are even wave farms that make electricity from the natural movement of waves. These have been constructed on the sea bed where large moving panels are swayed by the movement of the sea. This movement is then captured and stored as electric energy which is created without the production of carbon and can be sustainable in the long term with a minimal amount of maintenance.

Agucadoura Wave Farm

Twenty years ago bio-fuel production encouraged farmers to change their crops in order to be able to create oil that could be used instead of petrol. The alternative, however, has proven itself to use too much carbon in the creation of this fuel and has been replaced by viable alternatives. For example, water powered vehicles that simply use a device that you insert into your engine that splits the hydrogen from the water molecule and produces clean energy and battery powered vehicles that can travel 1000 miles before a recharge is needed.

It seems that there will soon be a way to convert our cars’ engines to be able to adapt to the many alternatives of fossil fuel. But, while the world is waiting desperately for a constructive alternative for clean and efficient energy, time is running out.

Images:
Greenpeace
Planet Science
H2Logic.com

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Posted in Clean Energy | 2 Comments »

Bottle caps and recycling

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Image by J.smith

Don’t toss those bottle caps in the garbage, believe it or not they are recyclable.   My daughter’s school just recently had a bottle cap drive.  They encouraged all of the parents and children to save bottle caps for this purpose.  If your child’s school doesn’t have this program you as a family can recycle bottle caps and make some very interesting things with them.

Getting creative with bottle caps

In my efforts to find fun crafts for my kids I came across some very creative ones on the family craft section of About.com.  It’s truly amazing how creative you can get with just using and recycling bottle caps.  Check these out:

  • Bottle cap alien magnet craft-  All you need for this cute little craft are: bottle caps, pom-poms, wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner, ribbon, glue, magnet, and scissors.
  • Message in the bottle cap magnet- All you need for this cute little craft is: bottle caps, glitter glue, alphabet beads, craft glue, magnet, and scissors.
  • School Bus Craft- All that is needed for this fun little craft is: small pint milk carton, construction paper, markers,  4 bottle caps, craft glue, hot glue with glue sticks, and scissors.
  • Bottle Cap game pieces- Click the bottle cap link for more details on how to make bottle cap game pieces.

If you would like to find more fun family crafts you can do with bottle caps check out arts and crafts on artistshelpingchildren.org.

Have you ever recycled bottle caps?  Why recycle them anyways?  Well, according to earth 911,  if we recycle these items we prevent marine life and wildlife from eating them and getting sick and possibly dying.  Keep in mind it’s the plastic ones you are to recycle since they are made from a different kind of plastic and have different melting points than that of bottles.  This plastic contains contaminates.

So, if you remember to please recycle those plastic bottle caps.  You will be doing wild life and marine life a big favor when completing this small little act of recycling!

Sources: Earth 911 , Artists Helping Children and About

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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Posted in Wildlife | 6 Comments »

Japan’s environment after massive quake

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Image by Sofwathulla Mohamed

As many of you have probably heard by now, Japan was just hit with a 8.9 quake.  Tsunami waves have killed hundreds.  This enormous quake has wreaked havoc on the environment in catastrophic proportions.

After experiencing such a natural disaster what kind of other damage can be done to an environment?  Well, like I stated the quake caused a tsunami that wiped out homes, businesses, trees, etc.  How can the environment recover from something so major and devastating?

Well, according to Think Quest, the environment first off has to be in precise conditions for a tsunami to even occur.  In this case the earthquake that hit Japan is what caused this tsunami to develop.  How does this directly effect the environment?  Unfortunately, it is all behind the scenes where no one would even expect it.  “Fluids from damaged buildings can harshly effect the environment from entering into the oceans.”  ”Ocean life can become destroyed by this leakage.  It can also get into farm lands and just completely destroy perfectly good soil.”  This sounds worse than you probably thought right?  And you may be thinking, okay so it hurts ocean life and farms.  Well, it also targets us too since it can totally disrupt the economy.

For more information on how the environment can be tampered with after a tsunami, go to thinkquest.org for more details.  These “projects are by students for students.” 

Source: Think Quest

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Posted in weather and environment | 1 Comment »

5 tips for a greener school

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Image: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Is your child’s school recognized as a “green” school?  Many schools are participating in greener school programs nationwide in the attempt to educate children about the importance of protecting our environment.  What are some ways that these schools are recognized? 

  • By making school grounds enhancements.
  • Conservation of energy and water.
  • Involvement in the community.

And the list goes on.  If you are unsure if your child’s school takes part in this program, contact your child’s principal or even the school district to find out if they are working towards this goal.

What are some tips that may help a school become “green?” 

  • Reusable lunch containers
  • Buy snacks in bulk vs. individually wrapped.
  • Educate your child of the importance of not wasting food.
  • Encourage healthy, wholesome, lunches.  Organic is the way to go.

This may not seem like a whole lot but believe me, just these tips alone will definitely cause your child’s school to become “greener.”  Also ask your child’s teacher about recycling paper, bottle caps, etc.  Many schools participate in these causes to contribute to a greener lifestyle.

Sources: Our Green Schools, US News

Image: Free Digital Photos

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