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m o r e (good business)More and more companies are getting interested in the triple bottom line of people, planet, profit. And with the world economic situation at present, looking to doing good to keep you going is a motivator indeed.
Enter B Corporations--companies that want to B the change they wish to see in the world and get certified as people who sell things, but who are interested in the public good as well.
Going beyond lip service to "corporate responsibility," if you choose to procure a service from a B Corp, you know it's the real deal.
The only thing better than shopping local this holiday season would be shopping local and shopping businesses with an eye on more than the traditional bottom line.
m o r e (books)I am personally not a big fan of Kindle--even with its use of trees, I believe there's nothing like the feel of a real book in my hands or the gift of one specially chosen for me from a friend. Plus, having a digital device for all our reading material could easily put independent booksellers--the lifeblood and modern-day salon of many communities--out of business. (Here's a letter from a CA indy best bookseller on the subject.)
That said, I was intrigued when I stumbled on EcoBrain. It sells environmentally-themed books in digital and MP3 audio formats so you can read or listen to them online or with your ipod. Its goal is to save paper, but also to cheaply publish unknown writers and make little-known ones more accessible.
I have a feeling many of the books offered at EcoBrain aren't even at most bookstores in paperback or hardcover editions.
And, I'm still a huge fan of swaptree.
m o r e (second life shoes)Since we're supposed to get new kicks every year or every 600 miles if we're dedicated runners or walkers, what do we do with the pairs we replace? Most clothing you can give away, but crusty, old pairs of athletic shoes--not so much.
That's where Nike's Reuse a Shoe program comes in. You can simply drop off your sneaks at a Nike store near you--they can be any brand, by the way as long as they don't contain metal or spikes--and they'll put them to good use. Ground up, your old shoes make excellent sports surfaces for kids like playgrounds and basketball courts. Over 21 million have already resurrected.
m o r e (riches all around)This site, GlobalRichList, will tell you your rich-rank in terms of the world. If you find that you're actually richer than you thought--most Americans are probably in the top 1-10% and the rich are now 82 times richer than the poor-- it gives you ways to give a little to help out somebody who's way farther down the list than you are.
Living large just may be going out of style in these times. And it could be a good thing.
According to David Wann in Simple Prosperity, the "average American's 'ecological footprint' (the land needed to provide the materials supporting his or her lifestyle) is 30 acres, or roughly thirty football fields of prime land and sea, year after year--which is roughly twice what the average Italian or German thrives on."
Unfortunately, our fair share should only be about 4.3 acres if we want everybody to have a piece of the planetary pie. If we pare it down a little, maybe we can help spread some of that around and help save the planet while we're at it.
l e s s (trees cut down for throwaway mail)A project of Forest Ethics, the Do Not Mail registry (similar to the national Do Not Call service) helps you reduce the mail you get that ends up in the recycle bin, for free. Let's stop this cycle before it gets started.
If, like me, you've every tried getting the addresses or phone numbers of junk mailers and sending numerous letters their way, you know what a pain it is. At this site, you just enter your info and it produces a handful of postcards for you to sign, stamp, and send on their way. A huge help indeed!
m o r e (swapping)I love a good bargain and barter. For books, there's swaptree, for video games, textbooks, and all sorts of stuff, there's commuto.
Now, for clothes and accessories (and even some furniture), there's what's mine is yours. It's based in the UK, but swaps can be carried out internationally.
It's a place for style-minded folks to get the satisfaction of dapper clothes without putting a damper on the environment. What's mine is yours means more folks are trading (or buying used) instead of buying new. Suave swappers get the fun of both surprise and sharing all the while. You just sign up and start swapping.
[via budget ecoist]
l e s s (throwing away)Reviving the old ways of bartering with objects is not such a bad idea. And in a climate of just plain too much stuff while there are still people who need it--why not just throw it their way?
Throwplace makes it easy, giving you tools to find places to throw your stuff, places other than the landfill!
You can find a good home for unwanted belongings at charities here and abroad and with individuals looking for just that thing. All you have to do is sign up.
more (putting things to good use)What's one of the best materials to soak up oil after messy, environmentally-disastrous spills? Hair. Human hair.
Just like when we neglect shampooing for a few days, we (I anyway) end up with greasy tresses--that stuff is absorbent.
There are thousands of oil spills every year, not any as extensive as the Exxon Valdez in 1989 (which recently got wrapped up), but damaging nonetheless.
Matter of Trust partners with hair salons who sweep up their customers' brittle ends and send them to a facility that makes the hair into oil-soaking mats for clean-up efforts (creating green jobs while it's at it).
It's such a great idea, and the perfect opportunity to pass on to your stylist or barber next time you're in for a new do. According to the organization, hair salons end up with about a pound of hair every day. At over three hundred thousand across the country, that's a lot of lovely locks doing more than going to the landfill.
You can also sweep up your own and send it their way in an envelope.
more (time spent on two feet or two wheels)
And if you're still not on board, try this car cost calculator to see how much you spend on your car every year and how to put that money to good use elsewhere. After all, the average American spends 17% of his/her income on a car--that's the second highest percentage behind paying rent or a mortgage.
more (documentaries at your door)Earth Cinema Circle is book club meets Netflix, with a conscience. Every other month, you get a DVD with four films delivered to your door that you can hang onto. And, rest assured, the packaging is recycled and the shipping is carbon offset.
Its offerings are full of lively little films that you aren't likely to see anywhere else and that will surely broaden your knowledge of what's going on in the world and what you can do about it.
more (green design)
Designers have a whole lot of power to improve the state of things with what--homes, gadgets, and so forth--they design. So, she's asking them to sign on and get greener to make a difference, offering green analysis to clients, engaging in sustainable product development, and being educated and transparent about their or their firm's environmental impact. Three cheers!
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more (green bargains)
Its site is devoted to sniffing out deals, bargains, and giveaways for the things you want to buy so that you don't have to.
Not to create a frenzy of stuff-getting here, but if you're in the market for something, especially something good for you and the world, you may as well get a deal if they're offering.
more (sharing)
Pair for pair, the company has given over 10,000 over the last ten years.
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more (calls and chirps)It describes Bernie Krause, a scientist who listens for a living--in places like the Amazon. And what he's been hearing lately is disturbing: along with tree frogs, his recording equipment picks up the sounds of industrialization--airplanes and Hummers, for example.
We can probably all relate to this--just this morning I was practicing Qi Gong outside and while I could hear squirrels and birds, I could also hear traffic, a jackhammer, and the sound of plumbers working upstairs. And while humans are affected by unruly urban sounds and many a leaf blower interrupts lunch conversation, for animals in the wild, the effects can be much worse.
According to Krause, Biophony (animal noise) is being replaced with anthrophony (human-made noise) in our environment, and animals' ability to communicate with each other is suffering. Thus, the spadefoot toads in Yosemite may be disappearing because of low-flying military planes buzzing that region.
We could all stand to go without our noisemaking machines a little more often.
Here's something cool: a website, thanks to Krause, that lets us listen in on remote parts of the world that are still far away from our buzzing, humming, pounding, and roaring.
This new and improved quiz will tell you how many earths it would take for everyone on the planet to live like you. In other words, it measures how much area of ocean and land you use for your goods, travel, and food at this moment.
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You or someone you know (aka dad?) can receive a new six-pack sampler every month for three, six, or twelve months featuring a variety of certified organic microbrews.It's a great way to support small breweries who are shunning pesticides while getting a taste of the artisanal world of microbrews to find your favorites.
Right now, they ship to California only, but you can contact the company to see about shipping elsewhere.
Terrapass has a new air travel calculator and it takes into account the airline, route, connections and even which class you're flying when it calculates how much carbon your trip will generate.
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That way, you can choose to travel by the least offending airline and route (and of course buy offsets at TerraPass or elsewhere while you're at it).
If you're looking for a way to share your talents or your time, Earthshare.org can steer you toward an environmental organization near you that needs them.(I did a search at Network for Good and returned five pages of animals/environment orgs within 20 miles of my zip code.)
300 million sets of shoes are thrown into U.S. landfills every year. That's the same number of children worldwide who have never owned a pair. I have a feeling a decent number of tossed shoes are still wearable, walkable pairs.
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Enter Soles4Souls.
It was originally started to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Right now, the folks there are coordinating a donation of 25,000 boots and shoes (used or new) to Myanmar for those affected by Cyclone Nargis, which has devastated the country, killing over 22,000 people in a recent count.
If you're considering going solar on your property, or are just plain curious about what's out there and how much it would cost you, check out www.findsolar.com.There, you can find an installer or a particular kind of solar home product.
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You can also make use of the handy solar calculator to find out a roundabout figure as to how much going solar might cost you. I calculated a solar electric system for me and it told me that after city rebates and federal tax credits, my net cost would be only $3500! And then I'd stop paying a dime in electric bills from there on out. If only I owned my place, I'd be making some phone calls right now.
I'd say the best option for moms' day flowers if your mom really, really digs blossoms, is to get them from you local farmers' market. If she lives far away, that can make things more complicated.So, if you go this route on the biggest flower day of the year, Organic Style has some good, organic options from which to choose that keep mother earth in mind.
This grower is mindful of environmental impact, sustainable growing, and fair labor practices with every bloom. They even ship each bouquet in a biodegradable corn-based sleeve and all the packaging is recycled. They're also offsetting the shipping of each package.
Not being single, I hadn't thought about this, but of course! Green dating services. If I were single, I'd want to find someone with shared values, practices, and passions.
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You can now take your pick from a few dating services that attract members who are earth-friendly and looking for love.
Check them all out!
Veggie Love (for vegetarians and vegans)
Happy mingling!
According to First Global Xpress, when the other guys ship, they take the scenic route. With their New York-based shipping operation, they claim they can save you 10,000 pounds a year of carbon emissions by shipping from point A to point B, without all the stops in between.
In a high fuel price climate like this, how much gas your car guzzles per gallon is a matter of the environment and your pocketbook.
You can visit MPG Genie to calculate the MPG of a car you're considering buying (no matter what label or praise it's getting) or figure out how much your current car commute is going to cost you and how you may be able to work around it.
I happened upon the website, treesaregood.org this week and it was an incredible find. It has all kinds of resources for tree-lovers: arborists in your area, tree care, tree planting, and fun arborial facts.
So, if you have trees that need some care or are looking to plant some new ones in your yard or community, check out Trees Are Good first. Trees are good.
I heard about Credo Mobile Phone Plans through National Geographic's Green Guide. This cell phone provider uses the Sprint network, but while giving the service and plans you're used to, lets you give something back.
Credo donates 1% of all your charges to nonprofits working for change like the Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace and Human Rights Watch.
The Sundance Green Channel has e-cards you can configure and design yourself.
If you're trying to use all the groceries you came home with last week so as not to let any morsel go to waste, this just may be the site for you.
At Big Oven, you can enter any three ingredients and it will come up with a recipe for you to make with them.
Let's say you have some fresh basil, almonds and chicken broth. Well, it will generate 250 possibilities for you to try using them.
(Granted, it does assume that you have more than just those three items in your kitchen, but it's still a cool way to make one grocery run go farther and to think outside one's own box.)
A couple of weeks ago, I brainstormed an idea of a website that helps walkers navigate their neighborhoods to find hidden, walkable gems.
Since I'm not a web database designer, lucky for me somebody has already thought of this.
At Walk Score, you can type in your address or the address of a place to which you're considering moving. The site then tells you all the places within walking distance--theaters, grocery stores, restaurants, libraries, and the like.
It also gives a walking score, one determined by how feasible it would be to live there and not own a car.
It's a great tool to use when considering a move or when you're looking to get around more on your own two feet and may have missed a couple of subtle stores hiding right around the corner.
My neighborhood gets an 82. Once the library is finished this summer though, I think it will be rise at least 5 points.
According to Clean Life, it takes 25% more energy to display white than black on your computer screen. It's from them that I heard about how Heap Media invented Blackle, a black-screened version of Google.
The search engine site could save 750 megawatt hours a year, with almost no effort on the part of searchers beyond setting it as their new homepage.
It works the same way Google does, just with a twilight kind of feel.
Here's another great resource for figuring out your toll to the planet. As much as one person making changes isn't going to amount to a whole lot, a lot of people making changes, getting the word out, and realizing how everything they do is connected to the world outside of themselves will.
So, you can take this ecological footprint quiz from Redefining Progress to find out how heavily (or lightly!) you're treading. Then, pass it along.
If you're getting married someday, you may be looking for ways to green your big bash.
A dear friend of mine is planning on growing her own flowers between now and hers. If you don't have the ambition or garden space for that, consider some of the ideas in this green wedding article from Annie at Care2's Healthy Home.
It includes tips for using less and the right kind of paper in invitations, sustainably-made wedding dresses, organic wines, and green stores with which to register.
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