Green Daily

I've mentioned some of the ways to recycle plastic shopping bags before but wearing them is a new concept to me! Apparently there are a lot of wearable crafts that can be made from shopping bags.

One trip over to Etsy and I found hair rosettes, a crocheted purse, and earrings. Plastic bags can be made into yarn and even fabric by fusing several layers together. The creative possibilities are endless. Now if only I could find the time to make my own fabulous creation.

The term "organic" gets tossed around a lot these days. There is no doubt that not using poisons on food is the healthier choice. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has taken notice and declared organic farming a good thing.

Citing the decreased reliance on non-renewable resources, the FAO believes that a global shift to organic farming will help to put an end to world hunger and stop global warming. According to their studies, conventional farming is responsible for emissions of 30% of the CO2 and 90% of nitrous oxide worldwide. The FAO also seems to believe that organic farming will help the smaller farmer get more money for their crops which is especially important in developing countries. Of course, I'm not sure that me, here in the US, buying produce shipped in from Zimbabwe is the most ecological route to go but the UN might be on to something otherwise.

Morals are a funny thing. They can often be flexible depending on the person. Take a criminal in Tulare County, California for example. After stealing some items from an industrial pump company, he was spotted trying to recycle them at a nearby center.

Granted, the recycling center probably offered a pay out for the items but I prefer to think that Mr. Jesus Rabago was doing the right thing with his extra materials. Instead of throwing them in a dumpster, he sought a better life for them. Once the cops started chasing him he "recycled" a nearby bicycle as well to make his escape. He was caught in the end despite his best efforts.

When compact disks were first introduced they were rare and relatively expensive. Now that they are a common method media storage, you can get great big bundles of them for cheap. Many companies send them in the mail hawking their wares and before you know it, you have piles of unused unneeded shiny discs.

Throwing them away seems wasteful so you can recycle them or you can build some new furniture. Spanish designer Belen Hermosa has unveiled her new "Panda Chair" made of hundreds of compact discs. I'm not sure how comfortable the chair could possibly be but the slide factor could make it a lot of fun.

Years ago I was told that by not eating meat a vegetarian saved one acre of rain forest per year. I don't know if that's true or not but raising livestock does take its toll on the land. In addition, there are plenty of questionable practices in commercial farming that cause terrible diseases (Mad Cow anyone?). Is a vegetarian diet the best for humans? Is it best for the environment?

Cornell University has released its results from a new study saying that a diet consisting of a small amount of meat and eggs uses less land than a 100% vegetarian diet. Using New York as an example, the authors claim that while vegetables are growing one area, cows can graze and fertilize areas unsuitable for planting. As long as people consume only 63 grams of meat and/or eggs (less than half the current average per person), a proper balance can be maintained.

I used to work in a law office. The amount of paper that we went through in a day was astounding. We had little blue bins for recycling but not everyone used them. Huge trash cans were filled by the end of the day. Xerox has found one way to address this issue by introducing Xerox high yield business paper.

Xerox estimates that 40% of printed matter ends up in the trash. The company has found a way to produce a lighter paper requiring fewer resources. The new recipe uses more of the tree than traditional methods therefore requiring fewer trees in all. It also requires less water and fewer chemicals than before.

Compost piles and gardening seem very romantic to me. I daydream about spending the day in the dirt harvesting my own vegetables and turning my food waste back into the earth. Then I remember that I can't keep a simple houseplant alive. However, I am toying with the idea of planting a garden next spring but I'm going to need all the help that I can get.

Gomestic has a new article outlining the best way to build your new organic garden. Though brief, the article addresses plot placement, fertilization, compost and harvesting. The Helpful Gardner also offers some nice tips.

If you are considering home renovations, now would be the time to start looking at greening up your residence. The IRS is offering tax incentives to people who make their home more energy efficient this year. This is the last year to qualify for a $500 tax credit for newly installed high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, windows and insulation.

Unfortunately these credits only apply to renovations on existing structures, not new construction. Your state may offer specific incentives though for new buildings as well as appliances though. You can find this information on the DSIRE website. It never hurts to get all the deductions you can come tax time.

There is a lot of information available now about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Many environmental campaigns and websites have been devoted to every American changing at least one conventional bulb in their house to a CFL. CFLs require less energy, give off less heat and last ten times longer than regular light bulbs. However, CFLs contain a small amount of mercury prompting the question, "what's the best way to dispose of a fluorescent bulb?"

Most CFLs sold to date are still in use as they last up to five years. Within the next couple of years though the United States could be looking at 100 million light bulbs flowing into landfills along with their mercury. The first step in disposing of your burnt out CFL would be to call your waste service to see what they recommend. If you don't get any answers from them, contact your city directly. Another option is to bring the bulbs back from whence they came and see if the store offers a recycling program. Lastly, the EPA offers a handy website where you can look for recycling centers in your area.

Yep, you read that right. McDonald's in the United Kingdom, which operates separately from its US counterpart, may be receiving an award for improvements made in regards to the treatment of animals used for their products. McDonald's is on the list for the RSPCA Good Business Award along with nominees like Whole Foods and Lush cosmetics.

I do remember some time back McDonald's calling for better conditions for chickens in the United States but it seems odd for a company that makes its living off from the flesh of cows to be nominated as an animal do-gooder. Apparently though McDonald's UK has made efforts to use only free-range eggs in their products -- even the mayonnaise. They also have change the design of their McFlurry container to keep hedgehogs from meeting an untimely demise. If a global giant is willing to change its ways then there is the hope that other farms and restaurants will follow suit.

When I recently visited Arizona I was impressed with how the homes reflected the environment. Terracotta roofs were everywhere and I saw that several hosted solar panels. What better place than the desert to utilize the power of the sun?

This must be what the founders of Scottsdale's Green Building Expo considered ten years ago when planning their first event. 600 people came that first weekend. Attendance has been growing every year since and this year it could reach 12,000 participants. The exposition focuses on sustainable living with over 100 vendors hawking the newest advances in building materials. Expos such as this are popping up all over the country as people take an interest in cutting energy costs and lessening their impact on the environment.

Green is popular, there is no doubt about it. With more companies going the environmentally friendly route, you might be tempted to take another look at your stock portfolio to make sure that it reflects the change.

There is some debate though as to how volatile green stocks are since they are a relatively new commodity. Companies that don't offer green products but lower their operating costs by using solar panels and obtain government credit for doing so fall under the "green" umbrella and are worth taking a look at. Mutual funds are recommended but you could also invest in your favorite organic food company, solar panels, or even coffee. As with all investments, it pays to do your homework first.

The walrus spends much of its life on the water or perched on the ice. In the Northwest region of Alaska, walruses come to shore annually in late August as the summer melts away their floating habitats. This year the walruses started to come to shore even earlier causing crowded conditions and increased competition for food.

The early migration of this large mammal is blamed on the 10% loss of sea ice every year since 1979. The deterioration is attributed to greenhouse warming.

I'm a big fan of the garage sale. I've managed to rid my home of extra televisions, VCR's, and other outdated devices as I acquired the newest version. However, garage sales require some planning, long hours in front of a cash box and dealing with the neighbors. So what's another option for all of those old game consoles, Blackberrys and digital camera's stuffed in the back of your closet? Try selling them on SecondRotation.

SecondRotation will give you an online quote of what your device is worth then pay for the shipping charges. The company then turns around and sells your item on eBay for a profit.

You may know him as "Hiram" from Six Feet Under or as "Dr. Hastings" on 7th Heaven. His most notable role was as "Dr Victor Ehrlich" on St. Elsewhere which got him six Emmy nominations. Ed Begley Jr. is an accomplished actor and he's very green.

Ed Begley Jr. is so green in fact that he has a stationary bicycle hooked up to his house to provide electricity to his appliances. His yard is fenced with milk jugs and he prefers to travel around town on his bicycle. Begley's television show, Living with Ed, has entered its second season on HGTV.