People move on average every five years. If you are on a tight budget for moving expenses or are a single person with one-bedroom furnishings, then it's highly probable you'll do your own packing. Even if your office moves from one building to another or moving around within the office, the packaging adds up! Imagine all those boxes, bubble wrap and moving wrapping paper filling up landfills?
Companies, such as Arthur Werner, specialize in recycled moving boxes that have a lifespan of 100 movings. Their boxes are sturdier than regular cardboard boxes and when you finish, moving, Arthur Werner cleans and reconverts them again for durable moving boxes. So they are not immediately recycled into trash, but recycled several times for MOVING! What a concept!
Here are a few more green moving companies:
Earth Friendly Moving
Green Movers USA
Movers, Not Shakers
Moving Green
Moving Box Delivery
FrontDoor
Click on this LINK to view the news video by Good Morning America on ABC News to see the actual red crates for green moving by Arthur Werner.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Cow Power Electrifies Vermont
What is it about cows and Vermont that produces innovative processes and stellar businesses? Well Vermont has done it again!
Chewing cud and producing milk is only a minor role these cows play at the Green Mountain Dairy Farm. They also produce electricity. If you're conjuring images of cows walking on treadmills, erase those Ben-n-Jerry's cartoonish cows from your mind and think practical!
Think of the next precious excrement of these animals. Think manure!
Yes cow poop is used for producing electricity. Six dairy farms in Vermont are participating in a new process that uses cow poop to generate electricity for neighboring businesses.
CLICK HERE for the video!
Chewing cud and producing milk is only a minor role these cows play at the Green Mountain Dairy Farm. They also produce electricity. If you're conjuring images of cows walking on treadmills, erase those Ben-n-Jerry's cartoonish cows from your mind and think practical!
Think of the next precious excrement of these animals. Think manure!
Yes cow poop is used for producing electricity. Six dairy farms in Vermont are participating in a new process that uses cow poop to generate electricity for neighboring businesses.
CLICK HERE for the video!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Climate Engineering
In the NY Times today was an article titled 'The Earth is Warming? Adjust the Thermostat".
It starts:
In the face of a warming climate which experts claim is escalating and showing signs of devastating effects on our ecosystem, what was once a science-fiction solution, is now being talked about in scientific-academia circles. It's called Climate Engineering where ideas of spraying sea mist from ships or injecting aerosols into the air sounds more like a made-for-Hollywood film.
Isn't this directly tampering with Mother Nature? Is it similar to a drug to help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women? This isn't just any woman--this is Mother Nature with forces beyond our control and knowledge. Blog Sisters say forget climate engineering and spending millions and billions of dollars, and stick to traditional methods of recycling, composting, and finding fuel alternatives.
Read the article and share your comments below!
It starts:
President Obama and the rest of the Group
of 8 leaders decreed last month that the planet’s average temperature shall
not rise more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit above today’s level. But what if Mother Earth didn’t get the memo? How do we stay cool in the future?
In the face of a warming climate which experts claim is escalating and showing signs of devastating effects on our ecosystem, what was once a science-fiction solution, is now being talked about in scientific-academia circles. It's called Climate Engineering where ideas of spraying sea mist from ships or injecting aerosols into the air sounds more like a made-for-Hollywood film.
Isn't this directly tampering with Mother Nature? Is it similar to a drug to help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women? This isn't just any woman--this is Mother Nature with forces beyond our control and knowledge. Blog Sisters say forget climate engineering and spending millions and billions of dollars, and stick to traditional methods of recycling, composting, and finding fuel alternatives.
Read the article and share your comments below!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Miami Metro Zoo Goes Green with Zoo Doo
Miami Metro Zoo saves green money by going green and scooping the brown! Translation for this code in color: The Miami Metro Zoo is scooping over 500 pounds of animal manure to reuse on the property for planting and landscaping instead of dumping it and buying fertilizer.
The zoo is only of 100 in the nation to recycle animal doo. A lot goes a longer way!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Reviving the Wood Stock
Before you let your hair grow the length of your back, don a bandana, place fingers in V position as sign of peace, the wood stock I'm referring to is not from the hippy 1970's era. Actually this wood stock serves a worldwide cause. It fuels more than fireplaces. This pile of wood is part of gasification-- a centuries-old technology to power an automobile. And you thought Doc's inventions from Back to the Future were all fiction.
Gasification dates back to the 1800's and was used to light street lamps and for cooking. It even powered some vehicles during World War II but lost its appeal to the seductive, light-weight black gold--oil soon dominated.
With growing concern for dependence on foreign oil, more gasification projects are sprouting across the country. One team in California modified their Honda Accord and used waste for their gasification as featured below on YouTube. [WARNING: This is not a Hollywood produced film about a modified Delorean that transports you in time. It's a homemade video. The beginning is slow in the beginning but you can jump to 2 minutes 30 seconds to view the car in motion. ]
A Connecticut man, Dave Nichols, turned his 1989 gas guzzling Ford F-150 truck into a wood burning machine to power his vehicle. According to Nichols, he can get it up to 80 mph. He's now logged 10,000 miles without gas. So what is the ratio of fuel to the mile? One pound of wood will fuel his truck for one to two miles which is equivalent to 8 cents the mile. Compare that to 19 cents the mile if the truck ran on gasoline.
Number sound good, but what about looks?
OK so the contraption looks like a mini power plant in the truck flatbed or trunk of your car. All great ideas and inventions are born with purpose in mind, not aesthetics. That comes later.
Was the first automobile a sleek piece of handsome machinery? So the project is still in infancy.
For you science buffs wondering how this works, gasification works by heating organic materials to high temperatures without flames. The resulting chemical reactions produce a hydrogen-hydro-carbon gas mixture in vapor form that is almost as potent as gasoline. Except it expels virtually no pollution.
While mechanics used to laugh at Dave Nichols, today with gas prices escalating this summer again, they're not laughing anymore.
Which gives me an idea--this would be great for your child's next science project!
Tell us what you think! Post a comment below.
[Return to HOME page]
Gasification dates back to the 1800's and was used to light street lamps and for cooking. It even powered some vehicles during World War II but lost its appeal to the seductive, light-weight black gold--oil soon dominated.
With growing concern for dependence on foreign oil, more gasification projects are sprouting across the country. One team in California modified their Honda Accord and used waste for their gasification as featured below on YouTube. [WARNING: This is not a Hollywood produced film about a modified Delorean that transports you in time. It's a homemade video. The beginning is slow in the beginning but you can jump to 2 minutes 30 seconds to view the car in motion. ]
A Connecticut man, Dave Nichols, turned his 1989 gas guzzling Ford F-150 truck into a wood burning machine to power his vehicle. According to Nichols, he can get it up to 80 mph. He's now logged 10,000 miles without gas. So what is the ratio of fuel to the mile? One pound of wood will fuel his truck for one to two miles which is equivalent to 8 cents the mile. Compare that to 19 cents the mile if the truck ran on gasoline.
Number sound good, but what about looks?
OK so the contraption looks like a mini power plant in the truck flatbed or trunk of your car. All great ideas and inventions are born with purpose in mind, not aesthetics. That comes later.
Was the first automobile a sleek piece of handsome machinery? So the project is still in infancy.
For you science buffs wondering how this works, gasification works by heating organic materials to high temperatures without flames. The resulting chemical reactions produce a hydrogen-hydro-carbon gas mixture in vapor form that is almost as potent as gasoline. Except it expels virtually no pollution.
While mechanics used to laugh at Dave Nichols, today with gas prices escalating this summer again, they're not laughing anymore.
Which gives me an idea--this would be great for your child's next science project!
Tell us what you think! Post a comment below.
[Return to HOME page]
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Declutter the Eco-Friendly Way
If you want to get rid of clutter in your home, you don't have to just throw everything away. There are many creative ways you can de-clutter your home and still be green.
#1 - Make some money
The most satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some green. High-end clothes can go to consignment. Collectibles do well on e-bay. Toys, children’s clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers. For large numbers of antiques, china, silver, or porcelain, try an auction warehouse. I just sold a vintage, black jacket that looks like an equestrian riding jacket on eBay for $40.
#2 - Designate a donation corner in your home
Designate the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or your family members 1) don't use, 2) don't love, or 3) have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each month, bag the items and take them to a donation center, or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small household items at your home.
#3 - Have a swap party
An acquaintance of mine has a seasonal purge party. She and her friends all bring items they no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses, home décor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, these girls bag all the items they don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter. This also works well with a group of moms and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown. I love this idea? If you are motivated to throw a swap party--be sure to invite me!!!
#4 - Re-use your own stuff
Reusing common house hold items for new organizational ways can really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to the way you use common items. For example, empty gift baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine bins, small toy organizers and more. Walk around your house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer? Try to think creatively and objectively.
#1 - Make some money
The most satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some green. High-end clothes can go to consignment. Collectibles do well on e-bay. Toys, children’s clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers. For large numbers of antiques, china, silver, or porcelain, try an auction warehouse. I just sold a vintage, black jacket that looks like an equestrian riding jacket on eBay for $40.
#2 - Designate a donation corner in your home
Designate the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or your family members 1) don't use, 2) don't love, or 3) have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each month, bag the items and take them to a donation center, or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small household items at your home.
#3 - Have a swap party
An acquaintance of mine has a seasonal purge party. She and her friends all bring items they no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses, home décor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, these girls bag all the items they don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter. This also works well with a group of moms and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown. I love this idea? If you are motivated to throw a swap party--be sure to invite me!!!
#4 - Re-use your own stuff
Reusing common house hold items for new organizational ways can really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to the way you use common items. For example, empty gift baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine bins, small toy organizers and more. Walk around your house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer? Try to think creatively and objectively.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Chocolate as Fuel Alternative
If you're a follower of this Green blog, then you might recall a posting, Vibrator for Vehicles--Myths vs. Facts where I mentioned that chocolate may possess potential properties as fuel alternative. Well!
Just today the Associated Press released this headliner and article:
SCIENTISTS UNVEIL CHOCOLATE-FUELED RACE CAR
By MEERA SELVA, Associated Press Writer
LONDON – Scientists unveiled on Tuesday what they hope will be one of the world's fastest biofuel vehicles, powered by waste from chocolate factories and made partly from plant fibers. Its makers hope the racer will go 145 mph and give manufacturers ideas about how to build more ecologically friendly vehicles.
The car runs on vegetable oils and chocolate waste that has been turned into biofuel. The steering wheel is made out of plant-based fibers derived from carrots and other root vegetables, and the seat is built of flax fibre and soybean oil foam. The body is also made of plant fibers.
Scientists at the University of Warwick say their car is the fastest to run on biofuels and also be made from biodegradable materials. It has been built to Formula 3 specifications about the car's size, weight, and performance.
Their claims cannot be independently verified. They hope it can reach speeds of over 145 mph when it is tested on a racetrack in a few weeks time. They have driven it at around 60 mph and are now making final adjustments to the engine before driving it at top speed.
Warwick's project manager James Meredith said their model shows that it is possible to build a fast, efficient, environmentally friendly car.
The car, named the "WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car," will go on display at several races including the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Just today the Associated Press released this headliner and article:
SCIENTISTS UNVEIL CHOCOLATE-FUELED RACE CAR
By MEERA SELVA, Associated Press Writer
LONDON – Scientists unveiled on Tuesday what they hope will be one of the world's fastest biofuel vehicles, powered by waste from chocolate factories and made partly from plant fibers. Its makers hope the racer will go 145 mph and give manufacturers ideas about how to build more ecologically friendly vehicles.
The car runs on vegetable oils and chocolate waste that has been turned into biofuel. The steering wheel is made out of plant-based fibers derived from carrots and other root vegetables, and the seat is built of flax fibre and soybean oil foam. The body is also made of plant fibers.
Scientists at the University of Warwick say their car is the fastest to run on biofuels and also be made from biodegradable materials. It has been built to Formula 3 specifications about the car's size, weight, and performance.
Their claims cannot be independently verified. They hope it can reach speeds of over 145 mph when it is tested on a racetrack in a few weeks time. They have driven it at around 60 mph and are now making final adjustments to the engine before driving it at top speed.
Warwick's project manager James Meredith said their model shows that it is possible to build a fast, efficient, environmentally friendly car.
The car, named the "WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car," will go on display at several races including the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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