SierraClubGreenHome' s blog

With eco-conscious gift-giving

greengiftsThe season for giving is fast approaching, and it's time to start looking for the perfect gifts for all of the special people in your life. When we know we selected just the right gift for our loved ones, it gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling, right? Well – as it was once famously put – we are living in a material world; and sometimes that makes gift-giving stressful and expensive. It may sound a little cheesy and cliché, but oftentimes the gift really is in the giving. This year try bringing back that warm and fuzzy feeling of gift-giving by making it a creative and thoughtful effort. You can be more original (and hopefully less consumptive) by thinking like a green, eco-conscious consumer this holiday season.
____________________________________________________________________

Top Tips

* Bag of Goodies. Instead of making a gift basket, use a reusable bag to fill with tons of eco-friendly goodies like a BPA-free water containers, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), soy or beeswax candles, organic cookie and cake mixes, and eco-friendly skin care products. These items are all useful, thoughtful, and good for the environment and...Who doesn't want a whole bag of free stuff?!

* Make great memories. Buying tickets to the theater, a museum or a concert is a fantastic gift because you're guaranteed to find something for anyone. Whether you're shopping for your artsy bookworm friend or your indie rock 'n roll buddy, there are so many options for you to choose from. Depending on where you live and what type of tickets you're buying, they can become pricey, so you may want to save this type of gift for someone really special.

* Consumable gifts. Spending money for a gift that isn't going to get any use besides gathering dust in garage is a waste in so many ways. Selections of organic baked goods, fresh flowers, dried fruit, and organic teas are gifts that are sure to be enjoyed with very little waste.

* Material gifts. If you have to purchase a material gift, just make sure it's something that will get a lot of use. Try to stay away from items that are easily disposable or may not be used often. Just because your sister really likes waffles, doesn't mean she's in dire need of a waffle-maker. If you're going to spend the money, why not buy something the person really needs? If you know the person well enough, you might know of something they are thinking of getting themselves, and maybe just haven't gotten around to it, so beat them to it. You'll know your gift will be thoroughly enjoyed.

* Green Gadgets. This article lists 50 green gadgets that are great gifts for the eco-conscious consumer. They range from eco-chargers to solar-powered tents!

* Does not include batteries. Although batteries have greatly improved since they became a household “necessity” in the 1980's, they still contain harmful chemicals, and still end up in landfills. If at all possible buy items with either no batteries or rechargeable batteries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. If someone is a “gadget junkie” or have children with lots of battery-operated toys, a rechargeable battery set would be a great green gift in itself.

* Beware of packaging. When making gift purchases, look for items that are reusable, use less packaging, and come in recyclable packaging. It will help cut down the amount of excess trash that is created during the holiday season.

* Do it yourself. Look through some of the old holiday cards you have received. If you find a few that you don't mind parting with, you can make gift tags out of them using these simple steps:

1. Make sure the back of the card cover is blank.
2. Rip the card at the crease.
3. Cut the card to your liking or leave it as it is.
4. Punch a hole at the top of the card.
5. Put ribbon through the hole and tie it to your gift bag.

Newspaper comics could make creative wrapping paper as well. It adds color, originality and gives the person something to read while they wait to open their gift.

* greengifts2Wrapping it up. Spend the money on the gift not the wrapping! The holidays shouldn't be about making tons and tons of trash to be shipped to landfills. Keep a box in your closet where you can store used wrapping items to reuse for future holidays. We're not saying you should open your wrapped gifts with a razorblade and microscope. Just try to save and reuse old gift bags and tissue paper that happen to still look new. It's not re-gifting to reuse perfectly good paper.

If you don't have any wrapping material to reuse, look for gift bags that are 100% recycled. Try sticking to gift bags rather than wrapping paper to make it easier for the person to reuse it later.

____________________________________________________________________

Benefits...

...to you

* Making and putting together your own Christmas gifts for your loved ones gives each one a personal and unique touch that they will truly appreciate.
* With the eco-friendly gift bag, you will be giving your friend useful items they can use over and over again, while sending a great message and expressing your own eco-conscious personality.
* By reusing old cards as tags and used gift bags you can get rid of some of that clutter in your closet.
* If you buy a useful gift for someone that they use often, you will get the satisfaction of knowing you gave something that is really appreciated.

...to your wallet

* Reusing or using alternatives to wrapping paper and gift bags will save you money, especially if you have a large family and lots of presents to hand out.
* Making specialty baked goods for friends and acquaintances instead of buying items may take a little extra time, but it will save you a lot of money on material gifts people may not even want or need.

...to the earth

* Splurging on gifts like tickets to a concert produces very little waste (if the event is local). The packaging consists of no more than an envelope and the tickets themselves. You've given that person an experience they won't forget with a gift that doesn't end up in the landfill.
* Giving gifts like organic teas and dried fruit will limit waste since these gifts are consumed when enjoyed.
* If you spend a little extra money to buy a high quality item for a good friend or family member that you know they will use often, it will lengthen the time they can enjoy it and lessen the chances of them throwing it out to buy a new one.
* Reusing gift bags or buying recycled (if you have to purchase) will reduce the amount of new trees that need to be used to make these products as well as limiting waste.
* Hopefully, this season, your eco-conscious gift-giving will inspire the receiver to do the same, starting a chain of recyclers eco-conscious consumers.

____________________________________________________________________

Further Reading

Toys

Pretty in Green

Green Gadgets

How fruit is gaining another skin

fruitNewskinWhat to do with a fruit that already has its own protective skin? Why, wrap it in plastic, of course.

Bananas, known for their easy-to-peel yellow skins, are getting another layer, but this time in eco-unfriendly plastic. Individually-wrapped bananas could be the hottest trend if all goes well in 27 7-Eleven stores scattered throughout Dallas, Texas.

Fresh Del Monte created a special plastic wrap that keeps individual bananas from browning for five days, compared to the traditional 2-day lifespan of an unpackaged banana. Bananas ripen when exposed to oxygen, so this special plastic wrap prevents most oxygen from touching the banana, slowing the ripening process while maintaining freshness.

However, environmentalists have voiced concerns over these individually wrapped bananas, saying that extra plastic packaging is not sustainable and a waste for naturally-wrapped fruit. 7-Eleven has asked Fresh Del Monte to come up with eco-friendly packaging that is biodegradable. Fresh Del Monte's VP of Marketing Dennis Christou responded by claiming that carbon emissions would decrease if banana shelf life extended, as less store deliveries would be needed.

This presents an interesting example of the trade-offs that being green creates. It's difficult to determine who's right on this one? In general, however, Sierra Club Green Home's policy is the less plastic, the better.

Top Tips

* Natural remedies to prevent bananas from browning

When shopping, skip the individually-wrapped and buy regular bananas instead. Most grocery stores don't require you to buy a whole hand of bananas. This freedom allows you to buy as few as you need, preventing waste and excessive purchasing.

To slow down the process of ripening bananas, follow these simple tips

* Look for greenish bananas with a hint of yellow, as they will ripen throughout the week
* Cut them up into slices and freeze them. Bananas freeze very easily and last a long time if you put them in freezer bags. They can be used on cereal and are especially good for making smoothies or protein shakes.
* Avoid placing bananas near the sun and fruits like apples and tomatoes
* Hang bananas on a banana stand

* What to do with brown bananas

One day passes by, two days pass by, soon it's the end of week and there are still bananas sitting on the countertop. If you have leftover bananas from the week that are beginning to go south, instead of throwing them in the composter, follow these tips instead

* Use bananas in smoothies
* Make banana bread
* Use bananas for all-natural face masks

Other Considerations

* fruitNewskin2Impact of plastic to the environment. According to SCGH's Paper or Plastic article , plastic bags do not break down completely into organic materials. They go through a process called photodegradation. This means that the plastic is broken down into smaller pieces which can gain mobility and relocation via water, wind, or wildlife. According to the EPA and The Ocean Conservancy, wildlife is significantly threatened by various plastics, including discarded bags.

* Unnecessary packaging. Because of their thick skin, bananas are less susceptible to dirt. If nature provided us with fruit that can protect itself, why do we need to create a skin for them that is not kind to the environment?

Learn More

Paper or Plastic? BYOB

SCGH's Recycling Center

With eco-friendly greeting cards

WriteMessageWith so many options for free e-greeting cards available on the internet; it's surprising how many people still choose to pay for paper cards. According to the Greeting Card Association, 90% of American households purchase paper greeting cards. Sometimes you may want to send that special person a tangible reminder that you're thinking of them. So what's an eco-conscious citizen to do when the occasion calls for a good old-old-fashioned, personalized greeting card?

___________________________________________________________________

Top Tips

* Buy recycled. Is it really necessary to use up virgin paper to let someone know you love them? Not when there are cards made of recycled paper and are just as cute, funny and heartwarming as cards made out of new material. You can find greeting cards made out of recycled paper in just about any store where you would normally by cards. Anything labeled “made from 100% recycled material” is good, but try to look for a label stating the card is made of 100% post-consumer content.
* FSCFSC Certified. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests. They set internationally recognized standards to promote responsible forestry. You can now purchase greeting cards that are certified by the FSC, so if you're going to send a paper card, you can really make a statement – and a contribution – to a good cause.
* Make your own. If you find the lack of personal touch in e-cards unappealing, try getting creative and making your own. By using 100% recycled paper or cardstock you can design and personalized your own greeting card whenever and for whomever you want for any GrowingThePaperoccasion. Since there is so much more about greeting cards – toxic inks and bindings, for instance – that make it harmful for the environment, making your own is a very eco-friendly option.
* Plant them. Grab a pot filled with soil, put the card in, and grow a garden! You can purchase cards laced with seeds so that when the person is ready to discard the card they can plant it in their garden. This is a great idea for party and wedding invitations that people don't typically keep after the occasion. Besides, it's a great party favor for your guests.

___________________________________________________________________

Other Considerations

* Receiving cards. Some people receive cards and keep them “forever”, and sometimes those symbols of sentiment only get thrown away. You can either toss them in the recycling bin with the rest of your newspapers and magazines, or you can keep the love going by reusing them as gift tags. Rip the card at the crease, and if there isn't writing on the back of the cover you can use a hole-puncher, tie a ribbon through it and, voila! Instant gift tag.
* St. Jude Children's Research Hospital accepts donated used Christmas cards. The children trim the cards and glue them onto the used, pre-printed card-backs which are then sold to the public through the St. Jude newsletter, Gift Shop or by word of mouth.
* Internet newbies. In this day in age it's difficult to wrap our heads around the idea of not having e-mail, but when sending cards and invitations electronically it's important to keep in mind the people that may not receive them because they either don't have access or simply never check their accounts.

___________________________________________________________________

Benefits...

...to you

* Not only are e-cards free and eco-friendly, they are quite simple, even for the not-so-tech-savvy individual. So, although you may not want to send Grandma's 87th birthday wishes via the internet, for any other occasion of the year you can personalize and send e-cards conveniently at the touch of your fingertips.
* Making your own cards for the holiday is probably not advisable for your 4 ½-page holiday list of important family and friends, but for birthdays and anniversaries it could be the perfect personalized touch. It also gives you a chance to get in touch with your creative side, so tap into that drawer of glitter, glue, and colored pencils and turn that recycled piece of paper in to a work of art.

...to your wallet

* Did I mention that you can send e-cards for FREE? Many greeting card websites use free e-cards as a way to boost membership, so you can send cards and invitations to as many people as you want whenever you want for FREE. Not to mention, you don't have to pay for postage.
* Making your own cards can also be quite inexpensive, especially if you already have the needed supplies such as markers and colored pencils.
* Recycled store-bought cards typically are not any more expensive than regular cards – and cheaper than those crazy new musical cards.
* Seed cards can cost a little more than regular cards, but they serve as beautiful party favors – particularly for weddings – so you don't have to splurge on too many gifts later.

...to the earth

* Sending e-cards cuts down on paper used to make the cards as well as the fuel it takes to deliver them. While the mailman was probably going to deliver to your area anyway, the added weight of the 7 billion greeting cards Americans ship each year adds to the amount of fuel needed to ship, truck and fly that paper across the U.S.
* Purchasing seed cards keeps more waste from entering the landfills and saves the energy and resources associated with recycling the paper. Not to mention the beautiful plants and flowers they produce when planted.

___________________________________________________________________

Further Reading

Turn Your Wedding Green

50 Green Gadgets

The 3 R's and Beyond

Daylighting Saving Time

Passive Solar 1You probably have a dark secret. No, not the one you begged your friends to take to their grave. It's the one in your kitchen, or bathroom or hallway. It's that spot that always seems to be dark, even with the lights on. The place where no natural sunlight can reach and the place you just wish you could go without the need of a flashlight. Unless your home was optimally designed to take advantage of natural light, odds are you have a few dim spots that could use some brightening.

Not too long ago, your only option would have been to cut a large hole in your roof and insert a skylight – literally a window to the sky. Unfortunately, the skylight probably had too many disadvantages to ever become a popular option. They tended to be leaky, they let in too much heat and after a couple of months there was a thin layer of crud blocking the view and you had to risk serious injury or death by climbing up on your roof to clean it. They have improved since those early days, but there's still no good option to keeping them nice and clear other than a ladder and a squeegee. Nowadays we have a few more options for bringing in natural light and you don't have to risk life or limb as most are relatively maintenance free.

Passive Solar 2

Obviously the best way to take advantage of the sun's rays to light your home is with proper design, but for the vast majority the opportunity to design or even extensively remodel your own house doesn't arise. Fortunately, for the rest of us, there's light ducting. You've probably heard of it before, there are a lot of names for it: sun tunnels, light tubes, etc. The technology has been around for awhile, but commercial products are just now starting to gain some traction with the public. You may have even seen this type of lighting in a store and not realized what it was or what it was doing to your shopping habits. Studies have shown benefits to the bottom lines of retail operators and also to mental and physical health of those who work, learn and live with natural lighting.

Top Tips

Passive Solar 3Find the Best Fit. Most new technologies use some sort of ducting to go from your rooftop where the light is collected to the area you want to brighten up. Some products are better than others at transferring light over long distances, so do your homework on the right product for your situation. Some passive lighting fixtures have alternative sources of light installed in them so that at night you can still get usable light from the fixtures with a flip of a switch. Others will need to be supplemented with additional electric lighting.

Brighten Up a Dark Place. These types of daylighting systems work very well in areas that don't have windows such as interior hallways, bathrooms and basements, but are also a good way to brighten up areas that don't really capture enough light from existing windows.

A Bright Idea. Also, remember that this is natural sunlight being transferred inside so the lightmaybe a little too white or bright for some people's tastes. Most manufacturers have diffusers that soften the light or allow you to control how much is coming in. It is best to check the products out in person if a nearby showroom offers demonstration models.

Keep Your Cool. Since the light from the sun is actually one of the coolest sources of light compared with electrical lighting, most of the daylighting systems mentioned here transfer very little heat and block out UV rays. So depending on how much electrical light you can replace with a daylighting system, you can actually reduce your cooling load during warm weather by reducing heat-emitting electric bulbs.

Benefits...

...to your health. According to a MIT study of natural daylighting and the effect on the body, researchers found that our bodies prefer natural sunlight to electrical light to keep circadian rhythms in balance. Sunlight has also been shown to improve productivity and a person's feelings of well-being. This may explain why people at work are so grumpy in the morning. Considering that most people work under fluorescent lighting for about eight hours a day and are indoors the majority of the time not spent at work, bringing some sunlight in to your home might just improve your mood.

...to your wallet. Although the up-front costs of installing one of these systems may seem a little steep – anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars depending on the complexity, size and brand of the system – remember you're getting free light from the point of installation on. The payoff period may be pretty long to be practical, but that's not taking into consideration the health benefits that can be associated with natural light. A typical installation costs about $700 for a fixture that covers nearly 200 square feet. Factor in a 30% government rebate (on most models) and that brings the cost down to around $500. The California Public Utilities Commission estimates that daylighting can save between 23-32 cents per square foot per year. Given those numbers, you can roughly estimate that one of these will pay for itself in about 10 years.

...to the Earth. This is just one more way to reduce your carbon footprint by reducing electricity usage. If you estimate that it would take about five 11-watt compact fluorescent bulbs to light that same 200 square-foot space for 12 hours per day, you would be saving over 500 pounds of CO2 emissions per year with passive lighting. Over the 10-year payoff period, you would also be reducing your carbon footprint by more than 2 ½ tons of CO2.

Getting Started

Unless you're really handy, you can check out our database to find a contractor in your area to install these systems. Most companies that you purchase from will also help with installation, but it still wouldn't hurt to talk to someone who knows what's involved.

How far has President Obama's plan for green living come thus far?

“So we have a choice to make. We can remain one of the world's leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stop it. We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity.”

- President Obama, March 19, 2009

barack-obama

Many green organizations cheered with joy about the potential “change” that newly inaugurated president, Barack Obama, had promised the country. Environmentalists for years have hoped for a day when their issues and voices would be heard and acted upon. But almost nine months into his term, has the president held true to his promises of moving America in a greener direction?

According to grist.org, Mark Longabaugh, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at League of Conservation Voters, states that Obama is "by far one of the most compelling and knowledgeable politicians on the environment I've ever sat in a room with. I've been playing national politics for more than 20 years and I quite literally can't remember one person I've met -- even on a national level -- who was more in command of facts, more eloquent, and more passionate on these issues than Sen. Obama."

Jack Darin, who is the director of the Sierra Club's Illinois chapter, has worked with Obama on a number of these issues. "He's an incredibly quick study. He's not a scientist, but remarkably adept at analyzing the details of complex environmental issues, asking the right questions, and ultimately making the right policy decision for public interest," said Darin.

The Progress from www.whitehouse.com

*

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included more than $60 billion in clean energy investments that will jump-start our economy and build the clean energy jobs of tomorrow, including:
o

$11 billion for a bigger, better, and smarter grid that will move renewable energy from the rural places it is produced to the cities where it is mostly used, as well as for 40 million smart meters to be deployed in American homes.
o

$5 billion for low-income home weatherization projects.
o

$4.5 billion to green federal buildings and cut our energy bill, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
o

$6.3 billion for state and local renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.
o

$600 million in green job training programs – $100 million to expand line worker training programs and $500 million for green workforce training.
o

$2 billion in competitive grants to develop the next generation of batteries to store energy.
*

Increasing, for the first time in more than a decade, the fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 cars and trucks so they will get better mileage, saving drivers money and spurring companies to develop more innovative products.
*

The President issued a memorandum to the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators. Through this step, over the next three decades, we'll save twice the amount of energy produced by all the coal-fired power plants in America in any given year. WHAT ABOUT THE CASH FOR APPLIANCES PROGRAM?
*

Supporting the first steps of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.
* On Earth Day 2009, the President unveiled a program to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable America, for the first time ever, to tap into our ocean's vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.

The progress from www.whitehouse.com

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included more than $60 billion in clean energy investments that will jump-start our economy and build the clean energy jobs of tomorrow, including:

* $11 billion for a bigger, better, and smarter grid that will move renewable energy from the rural places it is produced to the cities where it is mostly used, as well as for 40 million smart meters to be deployed in American homes.

* $5 billion for low-income home weatherization projects.

* $4.5 billion to green federal buildings and cut our energy bill, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

* $6.3 billion for state and local renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.

* $600 million in green job training programs – $100 million to expand line worker training programs and $500 million for green workforce training.

* $2 billion in competitive grants to develop the next generation of batteries to store energy.

* Increasing, for the first time in more than a decade, the fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 cars and trucks so they will get better mileage, saving drivers money and spurring companies to develop more innovative products.

* The President issued a memorandum to the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators. Through this step, over the next three decades, we'll save twice the amount of energy produced by all the coal-fired power plants in America in any given year.

* Supporting the first steps of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.

* On Earth Day 2009, the President unveiled a program to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable America, for the first time ever, to tap into our ocean's vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.

The Skeptics

Obama-scores-high-on-environment-pollNine months into his term, and with healthcare reform and other economic recovery efforts among other issues filling his plate, many of Obama's green supporters are curious as to when they will see real environmental change.

According to an article posted on marketwatch.com, many economists wonder how specific green proposals will fly in today's economy.

* Which industries will be the beneficiaries of these jobs?

* Will any of these funding initiatives be able to provide a foundation for a true U.S. green economic boom in the U.S.?

* Just how much will it cost taxpayers to create these jobs?

These are all great questions that would have to be answered by President Obama before his plan for a greener America comes to fruition. Nine months in, the jury is still out on whether or not his stance on making significant legislation to protect the planet will come to pass, however, most environmentalists don't doubt his best intentions.

Other Reading and Related Stories

Obama the Environmentalist
New Energy For America
Going Green, a Long Term Obama Goal by the Washington Independent
The Greenest White House
The White House Stance