Busting Five MORE Green Myths

Myth #6: Changing over my lightbulbs will save me money, but the payback on everything else just takes too long.
Actually, many changes (like rechargeable batteries and energy star appliances) payback quickly too...often in less than 3 years.

Myth #7:  Small changes won't make any difference.
Actually, I did a post earlier this year talking about the difference that small changes make when you multiply it by millions of people who are making them.  Everything you do either helps the environment or hurts it.  Something as simple as planting your own garden (even a small one in pots) can reduce your carbon footprint.  Substantial amounts of fossil fuels are used to transport fruits and veggies to you.  You can't grow all the food you need, but you can grow some.

Myth #8: Keeping my old appliances is more eco-friendly than replacing them.
There is a bit of truth to this if you take into account the energy used to produce and transport your new energy efficient appliances.  However, the amount of energy you will save beginning as soon as you install them will dramatically reduce your energy consumption, far offsetting this over the life span of the energy effient (energy star) appliances.

Myth #9: It's better to leave my computer on, turning it on and off wears it out faster.
This may have been true of old computers, but today's computers do not suffer from the same issue.  Turn them off when you are not using them. You'll save money and energy by doing so and your computer will not have a shorter lifespan.

Myth #10: There is nothing wrong with buying things made of plastic, it's all made of recycled plastic now, right?
Wrong. Only certain kinds of plastic get recycled. Vinyl and PVC plastic do not get recycled and leach heavy metals into our landfills.

Busting Five Green Myths!

Many people think it's just too hard to go green. I'm here to tell you that it's far easier than you think.  Here are some common myths about going green:

Myth #1: I can't afford to go green.
You can't afford not to! This can be true for somethings, but is definitely not true for most. Eating organic can be a bit more expensive.  However, using eco-friendly lightbulbs and following some of the tips posted in this blog can actually save you money!

Myth#2: I can only be green if I drive a hybrid.
Are you kidding me? Making some very simple changes to your life like eating one more vegitartian meal a week or washing with cold water and hanging your clothes to dry can benefit the environment more than a hybrid car ever would.

Myth #3: We just need to build more power plants and we'll be fine.
Guess what, we have all the energy we need right now if we would just become more energy efficient. Something as simple as every home in North America changing over their lighting to CFL's (energy efficient bulbs) would remove the need for 24 power plants.

Myth #4: I can't switch to CFL's. I've heard they contain mercury which is a bigger problem.
Yes, they do contain a teeny tiny bit of mercury...but it is less than the amount in a watch battery.  You are in far more danger from the Coal and Gas burning power plants that spew mercury into the air when they make electricity than you'll ever be by using CFL's.  These bulbs are so energy efficient that they use two thirds less energy than a standard incandescent bulb. Less energy used means less mercury spewed into the atmosphere!

Myth #5: Solar panels are so expensive, I could never afford them.
That's ok.  You don't need them.  You'd save far more money and energy by making simple changes around your house to make it more energy efficient.  We've given lots of tips in earlier blog posts.

Eco Friendly Fresh Start for Spring!

With Spring quickly approaching, a fresh start to going green may be on your mind.  If so, here are a few quick tips that you may find helpful:

1. Talk to your children about ways to make your life a little bit greener.  You may be surprised by what they already know. Brainstorm with them and come up with ideas that they can actively do to help make a difference for the environment.  With warmer weather approaching, perhaps they can spend more time outdoors and less time watching TV.  As the days get longer, why not leave the lights off until you really need them. Try not to waste water by leaving taps running while brushing teeth.  These are all types of things your children can participate in doing (or not doing).

2. Talk to your children about recycling and composting. Even in urban areas, there are often opportunities to do both.  There are even counter top composting buckets with filters to eliminate unwanted smells.  Why not turn a lesson about composting into an opportunity to garden with your children using the composted material as fertilizer. Even if you don't have a yard, a small herb garden is possible.  Some "green" or "Leed Certified" apartment buildings even offer the opportunity to have rooftop gardens.

3. Walk the Talk.  Teach your children not to litter by setting the example.  Teach your children about endangered animals by doing research with them on the internet or taking them to see them at the zoo.  Teach your children to care, by showing that you care.

And, as in all things, make sure you have fun!

Top 3 Eco Tips For The Holidays

With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I would share a few quick ideas to help 'green' your holidays.

When you filter through all the information, there are some really interesting ideas available on the web that you can take advantage when planning your holiday season:

1. Holiday Greeting Cards: The most environmentally friendly option is, of course, to send your family and friends an e-card.  This saves the eco-cost of manufacturing and transporting an actual greeting card.  If you look online, you'll even find that most of your favorite charitable organizations (e.g. World Wildlife Fund) have a selection of e-cards that you can send that reflect your personal beliefs. I use e-cards for family and friends that live far away. I, personally, still like to give people a hand written card face to face.  My favorite find for Christmas Cards this year are seed paper cards that bloom when you plant them.  If you google, you can find many companies that make them.  I just love the idea that the card I give out can be planted and will grow wild flowers. I also have to admit that the 100% recycled paper and the soy & water based inks help to sell me on the cards from Bloomin.com.  If you research, you'll find a variety of companies that sell seed cards with designs that are truly adorable.

2. Decorating:  If you celebrate Christmas, you may expect me to tell you that an artificial tree is the most envirnomentally friendly solution because it's reusable year after year. Would you be surprised to find out that it's not?  Artificial trees require a significant amount of energy and petroleum products in the manufacturing cycle--not to mention that most are made overseas and shipped to North America.  A real tree is actually an eco-friendly choice provided you take care with how it is handled after the holidays.  One of our favorite family traditions is to take our children to a local tree farm to pick out and cut down our own tree.  We can feel good about it because it is a farmed tree, so we are not impacting the viability of local forests, and we are only transporting it a relatively short distance to our home.   Our local municipality has a recycling program for Christmas trees, but they can also be put through a chipper and makes good mulch. Another alternative, if you don't mind a small tree, is to buy a potted tree that can planted outside when the weather warms up. That's the best recycling program of all! Another way to 'green' your decorations is to move away from traditional string lights and choose energy efficient  light strings instead.  Some LED light strings are as much as 90% more energy efficient than traditional and look just as good. Further, they have almost double the life of traditional light strings which means less frustration. When decorating your tree, you can choose ornaments that are handmade from natural materials.  Often they come with less packaging which reduces waste.  Search the internet and you'll find sources for Fair Trade ornaments which are a wonderful solution and are both unique and beautiful. My last inexpensive but lovely decorating tip comes from my Grandmother. She used to cut fresh pine boughs to decorate the house.  It's a tradition we still enjoy...the smell is wonderful.

3. Gifts: If you are looking for sustainable and eco-friendly gift ideas, there are plenty available if you know where to look. One of the most popular questions is about how to manage gift giving. In recent years it's become much easier to find great designs in 100% recycled wrapping paper. You can also choose the option of cloth gift bags. My personal favorite this year for gift giving will be seed paper gift bags...I just love these products. With regards to the gifts themselves, ideally you simply want to make the more sustainable and eco-friendly choice when shopping for gifts in order to 'green' your holiday.  Organic cotton sheets are a lovely alternative to the ordinary.  Bamboo is one of our most interesting sustainable resources and they make wonderfully soft environmentally friendly bedding as well. Organic and sustainable toys can be a great solution for those special children in your life. For the techie in your family who loves their gadgets, there are some great gift ideas that are good for the environment and fun to use.  One of the green gadgets on my list this year is the Novothink Solar Charger for iPod and iPhone. I sure hope that the big guy in the red suit leaves one under the tree for me this year!

I'd love to hear how you "green" the holidays.  Please feel free to leave a comment or chat with me on Twitter.


*Photo by D Sharon Pruitt.