Posts tagged: environmental
How to spend stimulus cash.
By DIY Maven
John Maynard Keynes calls it the 'thrift paradox', and it's quite the conundrum. Think of it like this: In hard times people save and stop spending, but to bolster the economy, we're actually should spend some cash that might come our way via the next stimulus package. How do we do this without falling back into the abyss that is consumerism? Green Upgrader has some ideas on how to actually spend cash, save the economy which in turn might sav » READ MORE
What will you be doing with any extra cash coming your way via the stimulus package?
Vote now!
Fabric that "Melts" in Water
By DIY Maven
Two professors--one of fashion, the other of science--teamed up to fabricate melting fabric which was then used to make high-end couture-type togs. The dresses are part of a UK touring fashion exhibit entitled 'Wonderland'. The dresses, made of a polymer, are dipped into vessels of water and left to 'melt' into a gel-like substance that can be used to germinate seeds.
Staggering Plastic Water Bottle Facts
By DIY Maven
So we all know that plastic water bottles are bad for the environment, and that’s enough to eschew their usage. However, if you ever needed more specificity to punt the plastic, Green Upgrader has ‘em.
Did you know......
....that plastic bottles take 700 years to even begin composting?
Or that 90% of the cost of the bottle water is due to the bottle itself??
Or that 80% of all plastic bottles used aren’t recycled?
Or that 38 million » READ MORE
Toilets with integrated sinks.
By DIY Maven
Flushing your toilet with sink water isn’t new, but it’s never been this elegant, which means people might actually choose such an item for aesthetic reasons rather than ecological ones. Either way, Mother Nature will be pleased.
From Caroma, which should be available in North America this year. Via.
Amazing Dirt and Straw Homes
By DIY Maven
Blend age-old building techniques with a 21st century vibe and you get some extraordinary structures. Although made of earth and straw, no modern convenience seems to be missing. » READ MORE
5 Green Resolutions for '09
By DIY Maven
Ecofabulous offers up 5 easy and do-able ways to make '09 your greenest year yet.
- "I will stop using plastic bottles and vow to carry my reusable bottle of choice at all times."
- "I resolve to answer the 'paper or plastic?' question with a BYOB solution."
- "Waste: the light green resolution - I will recycle."
- "I resolve to change my transportation habits."
- "I resolve to consider where my food comes from and how it is farmed."
To read mo » READ MORE
Find the right CFL color for you!
By DIY Maven
Switching over to CFL light bulbs can be a bit startling. First there’s the cost. You just have to remind yourself that they’re going to last A LOT longer than regular incandescent bulbs and use less energy to get over that one. Next is the color. When CFLs first came out, they emitted a fairly harsh blue light. Luckily, now there are a variety of CFLs on the market including ones that produce a softer, more incandescent light.
Kelvin Ratin » READ MORE
20 Things You Can Use Before Tossing
By DIY Maven
Tip Nut has an excellent list of 20 things you can use before you throw them away. Some of my favorites are refrigerating butter wrappers to use to ‘grease’ baking pans, using tissue boxes as plastic bag dispensers and turning plastic strawberry baskets into totally awesome homemade bubble machines! For the entire list–including links–visit Tip Nut.
Just say NO to plastic produce bags and hello to BYO Bags!
By DIY Maven
So you've switched from paper or plastic and gone to reusable grocery bags. If you haven't yet done so, it's now time to ditch non-recyclable plastic produce bags for something a bit more earth-friendly too. A great alternative to them are the fabulous BYO Bags. They’re made of a lightweight nylon mesh that’s not only breathable, but durable, washable, quick drying and, of course, reusable. I found my set of 3–one small, one medium and one large » READ MORE
Did you know a roof garden can....
By DIY Maven
Triple the life expectancy of a roof membrane? How about reduce air-conditioning load up to 25%? Besides these cost-saving factors, garden roofs also reduce noise pollution, reduce stress via horticultural therapy, provide habitat to wildlife and a spot to grow food. These are just a few reasons, that we might consider greening up our roofs. And if you think you need a flat roof for a garden, you’d be wrong. Apparently rooftops with a pitch of » READ MORE
The Most Versatile Soap in the World
By DIY Maven
After spotting Home Soap Household Cleaner at the co-op, I decided to give it a try. After all, it’s purported to be the most versatile soap ever made. What does it clean? Just about anything you can think of, but the label suggests trying it on:
the car
the barbeque grill
fruits
vegetables
fabrics
paint brushes
the dishes
counter tops
the stove
floors
walls
and the dog
Made of ‘a blend of purified water, coconut derived surfactants and pure essential oi » READ MORE
100 Ways to Save Water
By DIY Maven
Not surprisingly, the website Water Use it Wisely is all about water conservation. What is surprising is that it makes adopting a water management plan fun. You can simply click on the 100 water-saving tips page, or you might want to take a home water audit, then click on the monthly planner which offers a year full of conservation tips. Follow them all and by the end of 12 months, you'll be a water conservation expert. And just for the kids--o » READ MORE
Turn Green: 15 Ways to Reduce your Eco-Footprint.
By Chrisjob
You might not be too big, but your environmental impact might not be as small. It's becoming hip to measure your resource consumption as your "ecological footprint". Wikipedia claims, "Ecological footprint (EF) analysis attempts to measure human demand on nature. It compares human consumption of natural resources with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate them. It is an estimate of the amount of biologically productive land and sea are » READ MORE
14 Creative Ways to ReUse Your Garbage.
By ChrisjobLook into your garbage can: see anything that might still have some life left to it? Here's fourteen suggestions from the Simple Dollar to use your refuse in new and creative ways.
Use covers from issues of The New Yorker as gift wrapping.
Add used dryer sheets to your stored clothes.
Make kitchen scrubbers with rubber bands from the Sunday paper and the mesh wrapping from fruit.
Use orange and lemon peels as air fresheners.
Use empty Kleenex b » READ MORE
Environment: Compute Your Savings
By Ken Hoyt
I frequently leave my computer on, sometimes for days at a time. I know that it's not a great practice, but I justified it by subscribing to the erroneous belief that it had little impact.
Apparently I was wrong.
There is some wear that occurs when a machine is left running. Turning it off expands the usable life. Even more it eats energy. I never suspected how much just turning your computer off for the night will save, on average, about $90 pe » READ MORE
10 Ways to Go Green Through Design
By DIY Maven
Communications design agency Thomas Matthews designs sustainably, which they define via their manifesto. Here it is in ‘rule’ form.
- Re-think
- Re-use
- Use friendly materials
- Save energy
- Share new ideas (through Curbly!)
- Design to last
- Stay local, buy ethical
- Support what you believe
- Inspire, have fun (on Curbly!)
- Save money
For further information regarding Thomas Matthews’ manifesto, visit their website.
Image from 'Do All The Good You Can' at Allpost » READ MORE
Drip Dry
By Ken Hoyt
Sun-kissed laundry is seasonally-challenged luxury. I love the smell of bed linens fresh from the line, and I enjoy the ritual of hanging laundry out to dry. The sight of sheets billowing gently in the breeze feels as summery as iced tea, open windows and bare feet.
I'll admit that I miss that summery feeling even more when I open the utility bills in the winter. Dryers are second only to refrigerators in energy consumption (line drying can sav » READ MORE
21 Environmentally Friendly Home Improvement Ideas.
By Chrisjob"Your Construction Connection" tool site Toolbarn.com has assembled a list of suggestions of (moderately) simple DIY tips to make your house a little more environmentally friendly. Some of them are pretty obvious, and a couple are repeats, but there's a few gems worth pursuing.
- Install solar panels
- Use compact flourescent bulbs
- Roof improvements
- Use motion detector lighting
- Don't waste water
- Use a low-flow shower head
- Compost
- Aluminum storm door
- Autom » READ MORE
Vertical Farms:The next big thing?
By beccajo
This is so exciting and simple, I just had to post about it. We don't have our meals in pill form yet, but this would be just as convenient!
Who wouldn't want to live near a vertical farm? They sound just dandy!
What's wrong with PolyVinylChloride?
By SurlyI have been seeing a trend with the Greeneys wanting to stay away with PVC citing it's bad for the environment. Specifically vinyl siding. They also say aluminum and copper are good alternatives. I'm no expert but I know that the process of making aluminum and copper uses ridiculous amounts of power not to mention the mining of bauxite and copper. I'd love to have copper siding on my house but I'm guessing it's cost prohibitive. Also, if you want » READ MORE
