1. Replace home light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs to decrease the energy used by approximately 90%.
   



2. Replace your home appliances with Energy Star rated appliances if possible to use approximately 20 to 40% less energy.
3. A Programmable thermostat moderates the temperature of your home so that it can turn off the air while you are away and have it still be cool or warm when you return. This can greatly decrease the amount of energy that is used to keep your home at your ideal temperature.
4. Rather than using regular air filters, use green air filters for your air conditioning system to increase air quality and air conditioning efficiency.
5. A HEPA air filtration unit in your home increases air quality and decreases air particles that can cause your air conditioning to use more energy.
6. If you are going to repaint your walls, use low volatile organic compounds, aka low-VOC, paints to increase air quality.
7. Dual flush toilets decrease the amount of water used in your home decrease the amount of water used compared to a normal toilet by around 25%.
   



8. Use recycled materials to make over your floors and kitchen! If you need to redo your floors, there are many environmentally friendly options including: reclaimed wood, bamboo, cork, and natural linoleum, which is made out of flax seed, linseed oil and other biodegradable materials. Some of these options, along with veneer, can be used to make new cabinets as well. If you desire new kitchen countertops there are many options including recycled bottles and glass, reclaimed wood, stone, and metal. Icestone is one example of a company that is known for their beautiful and unique countertops made from recycled glass.
   
9. Home composting systems, specifically for indoor use, because if you live in an apartment or condo…you probably do not have a yard where you can keep a compost pile.
10. Smart surge protectors. When you are not around to use your electric appliances, why do they need

    power? These surge moderators have two outlets that always stay on, while the other outlets turn off throughout the day and night to save energy. Some are moderated by occupancy, (So that if someone is in the room, they turn on. But if there has not been movement in the room in a while, they automatically turn off.) others are turned off by remote, and some are manually turned off. The more high tech, the more expensive, but overall a great way to reduce energy usage at home!

We hope you found these 10 tips to green your apartment or condo helpful, and let us know what you think! Got a better tip? Leave a comment!

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Motor Development International, a French based company, is developing the vehicle, promising air powered cars with serviceable top speeds and decent ranges. The Airpod, weighing in at 450 pounds and capable of carrying up to four passengers, is supposed to have a top speed of 43 mph and a range of 135 miles. AirPod’s engine is single-pistoned and the air tank can hold up to 175 liters of compressed air and be refilled within minutes. Best of all, steering is controlled via joystick!

Some experts pooh-pooh the idea in this NY Times article, saying that compressed air vehicles aren’t efficient enough to work.

It’s definitely a must-see to watch the over-the-top skepticism of Glen Beck with CNN…money quote is at 1:15, where Beck calls it a “coffin on wheels”:

…and check this one out to see the AirPod in action:

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One of our favorite greener trends is portable sustainability.  An incredibly practical (not to mention cool) product that is available online and in stores around the world is the Solar Backpack, part of the line of solar powered bags from Voltaic Systems. At first glance, the line of solar powered bags look like your typical backpack, laptop bag, and messenger bag, but they are really innovative products that support the green movement.

These bags have solar panels on the outside which soak up solar energy when the bag is in direct sunlight. The solar energy charges the battery, included with each bag,  and the adapters transfer the energy to your favorite electronics, including your camera, iPod, cell phone, and even your laptop! (Adapters are also included with each bag).

Even the fabric that the bags are made from is green. It is made from recycled PET.  The one caveat is that the battery inside the bag does not get wet.  However, this would probably prove difficult since the solar panels and bag material are waterproof.  This is a wonderful way to save a little on your utility bills (especially when combined with the Kill-A-Watt), and also makes you a little more eco-friendly!  Just imagine going on a hiking or camping trip and not worrying about your cell phone, GPS, and digital camera running out of battery power!

Also, in case you were wondering, only the Generator bags produce enough power to charge a laptop, but other smaller electronics such as your cell phone, GPS, iPod, and digital camera can be charged by any of the other Voltaic bags. This video gives more information about the Voltaic Systems bags.

This is a great product and could be an interesting and practical gift for the holidays.

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1. Reusable bags! Rather than buying a new plastic bag or paper bag each year. Buy a recycled bag and reuse it every year! It is more economical, because you do not have to keep buying more and more bags… and it is better for the environment! Plus, you can make it into an arts and crafts activity, turning a pillow case or bucket into a trick or treat bag. Kids will love it!
2. Pumpkins! One of the trademarks of Halloween can also be a more sustainable decoration. When making jack-o-lanterns, you can keep the seeds and toast them. Pumpkin seeds are actually considered a superfood because of the amount of protein, fiber, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc in the seeds. Known for being favorable for arthritis, prostate health, and bone strength, the pumpkin pulp has the same nutritional qualities as the seeds. Plus it can be made into pies, bread, dip, soup, pancakes, and pretty much anything else you can think of. And after the kids go to bed, you and your lover can enjoy another “benefit” of eating pumpkin…



3. Online Invitations! If you are having a Halloween party, send online email invitations rather than paper ones! You will save money on postage and paper and you will prevent paper waste. Evite is an easy and free choice for your green Halloween invitations.
4. Costumes! This is a great way to prevent waste and go green this Halloween. Did you know the average person in the United States spends approximately $60 on their Halloween costume each year? There are many ways to be green with costumes. 1. Switch last year’s costume with a friend, and you can recycle each other’s costumes so that you each have a new one! 2. Make a costume with old shirts, tape, cardboard, aluminum foil (for a burrito costume…and yes, the rumor is true, not just in California), electric tape, sheets, and many other things! Some great ideas for homemade costumes are here. What is great about a green costume, is that you can also use it to spread awareness. For example, you can be a beluga whale to spread awareness of the newly endangered species or have a family member (or pet…) dress as a honeybee to spread awareness about how pesticides are decreasing the honeybee population.



5. Flashlights! More than likely, if you are running around the neighborhood trick or treating you will be using a flashlight. Well, use rechargeable batteries! Less waste and more economical for your household.
6. Trick or Treat for Cell phones! No, not to get you a free Iphone…although, I guess it could happen… The idea is that you leave notices on your neighbor’s doors ahead of time saying you are collecting old cell phones on Halloween to be recycled by the Good Deed Foundation. When you go around trick or treating, ask for the cell phones. Good Deed Foundation provides the box and the shipping and Voila! You helped the environment by preventing waste and a great foundation!
7. Reverse Trick or Treating! While you trick or treat, hand out fair trade chocolate with a flyer to help end abusive labor conditions on cocoa farms for children and adults while also supporting Fair Trade organizations, like Divine Chocolate, that provide higher wages and healthier conditions for their cocoa farmers.



8. Trash and recycle bags! While you walk around the neighborhood, have your family pick up trash and anything that can be recycled along the way to encourage a clean environment.
9. Candles! Using soy or beeswax candles rather than the normal petroleum-based paraffin candles made by popular candle companies. These types of candles cause air pollution from neurotoxic fumes and even the soot is full of carcinogens, neurotoxins, and reproductive toxins. You can prevent all of this if you use soy or beeswax candles in your pumpkins and in your home this Halloween and the rest of the year.
10. Halloween Masks! Stay away from Halloween masks this year! Most of the Halloween masks out there are made from Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Not only is PVC a non-recyclable plastic, it is also known for releasing dioxins that cause cancer, and what is used to make the PVC flexible is correlated with male genital development…(Yikes!) Do you really want this material near yours, your friend’s, or your child’s face?

I hope these Greenertrends’ tips for a Green Halloween have been helpful to you! Enjoy this Halloween and remember to be green! Let us know what you think, leave a Comment!

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With the holidays coming up, parents are starting to wonder what the next big thing is for their kids this year for Christmas. One company stands out to us, and that is Green Toys Inc. This is a company that sells toys for children that are made from 100% recycled plastic milk bottles and other environmentally friendly materials. Green Toys Inc has already been recognized by Parenting Magazine as one of their 2008 Toys of the Year and Dr. Toy’s 2008 Top 10 Best Socially Responsible Products.

The toys that are made are fairly simple but are also classic toy designs including the Tea Set, Indoor Gardening Kit, Sand Play Set, and Cookware and Dining Set. These toys are sold through a variety of retailers, from Target to Amazon.com, and you can find a complete list of retailers here.

I found this company impressive because not only are their products green, so are the boxes that they use to package the toys, and ship the toys which are made out of100% recycled cardboard. Green Toys Inc. manufactures all of their toys in a factory in Santa Clara, CA, because they believe it is more environmentally friendly than outsourcing production in another country. This video from CBS Early Show has one of the partners of Green Toys Inc passionately talking about his company and the toys they product:

I love to see these kinds of companies because not only are they focused on being environmentally friendly; they are continuing to spread awareness of the green movement.

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http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org

Greenwashing is defined as misleading environmental ads which project to the public that the organization is green. In other words, they are the result of a marketing strategy to boost the organization’s image in the eyes of the public. As a result, these ads give the public a false impression of the corporation/politician/government/industry/non-government organization.

Brainwashing with misleading green ads = Greenwashing

According to the Greenwashing Index, greenwashing ads fall into three groups of misleading messages.

1. What our company does (to help protect/save the environment).
2. What our company can do (what technologies are available for our company to improve our product or service that will help protect/save the environment).
3. What you can do (to help protect/save the environment).

The first group of ads is about what the organization or person is doing that is environmentally friendly and protecting the environment. This is probably the best type of greenwashing because the organization or person is at least backing up their claims of being green. At the same time, some people say that these types of ads often are used to cover up how the organization is also hurting the environment, often after there is bad press about the organization for this type of allegation.

The second group is very misleading. They can all say what they want about what the organization or person “can” do, but are they really doing it? Will they do it? Were they ever planning on doing it? These are all questions that are not answered in these ads and therefore give a false impression that the organization will do great things to protect the environment in the future. When in reality, they may never have planned on doing these great things in the first place. This is misleading and is a new method organizations are using to portray a false green image in the eyes of the public.

The final group is about what you can do to protect or save the environment. In this case of greenwashing, the organizations are only lecturing us about what we can do to save the environment. I have nothing against spreading awareness of how to change our lives to be more environmentally friendly, but it is hypocritical for an organization to teach others about protecting the environment in order to create an image that they are green. In other words, these ads are designed to portray that the organization’s image is green without any proof besides that they know how to give us advice on how to live environmentally friendly.

We have covered this topic before and focused on policies other countries’ governments enact, such as Norway banning the word ‘green’ from automobile ads, since all vehicles are bad for the environment.   For now, we need to be aware that greenwashing happens quite frequently, and WE need to call it out and stop supporting the organizations that bend the truth.  When you see a “green ad”, you must ask yourself:  What is going on in this ad? Is it telling you what the company does? What the company can do? Or what you can do? Look for these signs to see if the organization is really green or just wants you to think it is green.

What do you think of this commercial for Wal-Mart?

Is it greenwashing or not? Comment and let me know what you think!

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My jaw dropped, and I realized I was a friggin’ idiot because he was saving himself $400-500 per month, at least, on gas, which is exactly what I spend right now commuting to my various work and play places. BTW, I live in Orlando, where public transit sucks, everything is heinously spread out, and I own a SUV that I can’t get rid of. Right now I’m wishing I had a scooter.

No, it’s not a battery powered motorcycle, but it’s relatively cheap (his Vespa LX 50 is MSRP’ed at $3299), tops out at 40 mph, and is perfect for short range commutes to work, outings, and errand running. My pal scoots 7 miles each way and he takes back roads to avoid those scary, high speed highways.

More savings, as he works downtown and gets FREE parking because it’s a scooter and can be parked anywhere. And let’s not forget about the car payment with accompanying insurance that he ditched.

I think this is an absolutely kickass way to cut down on gas usage, save money, and look cool doing it. I guess those Euros know what they’re doing.

Ah, the good life!

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Clinton spoke extensively about the financial crisis and the US economy, and he flat-out said the number one priority in the United States is creating a clean and sustainable energy economy, which I think we can all agree on here at Greener Trends.

Here’s a Youtube vid with 9:35 of the speech (the whole thing lasted about thirty minutes)…he talks about energy at the 7:00 mark. The video quality isn’t the best, but you get the idea.

Anyone watch The Daily Show? Of course you do…Clinton was on last week and his dialogue with Jon Stewart was similarly themed, where he talks about the economy and alternative energy. Watch this, it’s awesome.

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However, now there is a product out by NatureMill that at a steep starting price of $299, makes home composting truly easy and convenient. Plus it’s not smelly and you do not have to worry about attracting any bugs or rodents… gross. You can keep it in the cabinet of your kitchen, outside in all temperatures, and it only takes 2 weeks for it to turn into compost!

And you can add to it all the time, so whenever you are cooking or done eating, you just throw the scraps in the NatureMill home composting system and it takes care of the rest. Although a little pricey, I think this is a great way to reduce waste and fertilizer costs at home.

The Plus Edition costs $299 and is an excellent home composting system for any family.

The PRO Edition costs $399, is available in a variety of colors, has stainless steal internal components, has a foot pedal for hands free use, and has a Vacation mode option that optimizes energy when not in use.

Wondering how the product works? After dropping your food scraps into the machine, they start out in the upper chamber where they are heated up mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture.

The waste is then dropped to the lower chamber separating new food scraps from older food scraps.  A small amount of sawdust and baking soda is added to the mixture to reduce odor and cause a brown color.

There is a fan inside that constantly gives oxygen to the mixture and a carbon filter removes any excess odors. The machine is powered by electricity and uses 5 kWh / month, or about $0.50/month, and therefore is definitely affordable to maintain along with having little impact on the environment.

What do you think, know of a better option out there? Ever tried this product? Leave a Comment and let us know!

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1. Portland
2. San Fransisco
3. Seattle
4. Chicago
5. New York

And coming out in the bottom five were:

1. Memphis
2. Las Vegas
3. Tulsa
4. Oklahoma City
5. Mesa

Now, at least a couple of the top five greenest cities shouldn’t come as any surprise to those of you who keep up with greener trends.  However, what I find fascinating is how UNAFFORDABLE these cities are.

The big trend in business today is adopting sustainable technologies and business practices, which will in turn translate to a better bottom line and more value for shareholders.  And to a large extent this is true.  I would also argue that this is the way it needs to be because to make any environmental goal sustainable it must be directed by the market.

So, what is so surprising is that the top 5 sustainable cities are also in the BOTTOM 20 of the top 50 affordable cities in America (San Fransisco is dead least)!

Now, there’s no doubt that cities will inevitably move towards becoming more sustainable, and this in and of itself will help make living more affordable in the long run (this could help lead to the next big boom in alternative energy).  However, as we progress towards that goal, cities must also take into account the shorter run costs associated with adopting green practices and balance them out.  Because, at the end of the day, no matter how much we may praise cities for going green, most people will still re-locate based on job and affordability factors.  Our cities must reflect this while becoming sustainable.

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