When you hear someone talk about biofriendly driving they aren’t just referring to lowering your emissions or saving money. Biofriendly driving is about doing what you can to lower the “footprint” you are leaving as a result of you driving in the first place.

Now, someone who drives to work is obviously going to emit more emissions than someone who rides their bike or car-pools to work. And, of course, someone who drives a hybrid is going to emit less emissions than a gas-guzzling co-worker. But what’s the difference in terms of environmental impact and are there specific driving tips that can help lower that impact?

1) First tip, before you buy a new vehicle, do a comparison. Take a look at key points including cost of the vehicle, MPG, cost of fuel, estimated fuel consumption (don’t forget to factor in savings if you use a good fuel additive), carbon footprint, EPA air pollution score and more.

Fueleconomy.gov has a great comparison tool where you can see all this information at a glance. Take a look at the difference between a 2010 Ford Fusion, a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and a 2010 Ford Fusion FFV (Flex-fuel vehicle).

2) Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving actually wastes gas. Driving sensibly can improve your fuel economy between 5-30% on average. It also helps lower the wear and tear on your brakes and tires. There is no reason to rapidly accelerate if you know you are going to have to slam on the brakes a moment later.

3) Follow the rules of the road. Speeding, running red lights, not paying attention to pedestrians, texting while driving, etc are all things that will adversely affect not just you but people around you. This simple tip can save time, gas, money and lives.

You don’t want to be a Mr. Wheeler…

4) I’ve said it many times before, but if you are going to drive please ensure you keep your vehicle properly maintained. Getting regular oil changes, rotating your tires and ensuring they are properly inflated, checking fluid levels, basic maintenance, etc. all help extend the life of your vehicle. Proper maintenance also cuts down on repair costs.

Using the correct oil can also help you save money and improve gas mileage. Did you know there are even “Energy Conserving” oils? But don’t be fooled, even though oils with that designation have passed tests showing the oil has the ability to conserve energy, the API states “…a particular vehicle operator may not experience a fuel savings as a result of using these oils.” Doesn’t say it won’t help, but you might want to check your owner’s manual.

5) When traveling long distances, try using your cruise control. Maintaining a constant speed can sometimes help save gas. Using your cruise control also can help keep your legs from getting sore on a long trip.

6) Drive less. It may sound like a funny way to drive, but driving less saves you money, gas and save on the harmful emissions your vehicle releases into the environment. I don’t mean you have to sit at home. Walk to your destinations. Ride your bike. Car-pool or ride-share. Take public transportation.

Try it….leave your vehicle at home one day a week and see what a difference it can make.

7) Tap into your GPS navigation. People who use their GPS to figure out where they are going ahead of time, typically spend less time on the road and less time looking for their intended destination. Saves time, money and frustration.

For those of you who are looking for more, you might want to check out a backseat smart driver:

Do you have any biofriendly driving tips that help you save? I’d love to hear them. Remember, drive safe and drive smart!

Image by Wayne National Forest (via Flickr)

When it comes to “going green” you’ve probably heard companies use the excuse of cost as a reason for not switching to a more environmentally-friendly method of doing business. This is true of individuals as well, but is this really just an excuse or is it the truth? Is the cost of going green too much for some businesses or individuals to afford?

Let’s take a look at a few examples of some real costs of going green:

Solar Energy: We all know there are costs involved in turning your home or business into a solar-powered one. Of course these costs depend on what kind of solar power you are looking at installing. Are you looking for a solar water heater? Solar panels for your roof? Or are you looking at tapping into solar energy in a more passive way?

As of right now there is a 30% federal tax credit on solar energy systems including solar water heaters and solar panels. Many local utilities also provide incentive programs for individuals or businesses who install solar panels. In Los Angeles, the Department of Water & Power caps their residential incentive program at 75%, but per their website, most customers have received a payment of between 30-50% of their solar system costs.

So let’s say your solar panel installation costs were about $9-10 per Watt to install. With the average installation being approximately 3 Kilowatts (3000 Watts), you are looking at anywhere between $27,000-$30,000 minimum costs.  With the 30% federal tax credit and let’s say only a 30% tax incentive from your local utility, that cost comes down to around $12,000.  Factor in how much you will save on monthly/annual utility bills and installing solar panels becomes a lot less costly than originally thought.

Water Conservation: Water conservation has many facets, you can go all out and get a solar water heater, low-flow or tank-less water systems, replace all the water fixtures in your home with water-efficient ones, etc.  You can also go simple and do things like take showers instead of baths, turn off the water while you brush your teeth, use bath water to water your plants, run the dishwasher only when it’s full, etc.

If you want to take it to the next level you can buy things like this Deluxe Water Green House EcoKit™. For less than $60 you get water-saving tools such as a hand-held massaging showerhead (that uses less water without sacrificing water pressure), leak detection tablets (to help you find any leaks your toilet may have), a swivel aerator for your kitchen (to help save water while washing dishes), toilet tank bag (which can displace 0.8 gallons per flush) and more.

Of course if you are going to go all out, check out this EcoLogic™ toilet. It’ll run you about $300, while other eco-toilets can run anywhere between $100-$2000 a pop. However this one received the EPA’s WaterSense® label for using at least 20% less water than a standard 1.6-gallon toilet, while still maintaining strict flushing performance guidelines. (Which we all know is a good thing to maintain!)

Cutting down on chemicals/toxins: For an individual or family, this can be as simple as getting rid of your toxic cleaning supplies and buying eco-friendly cleaners. Or better yet, making your own cleaning supplies.  Cutting down on our use of chemicals and toxins is a simple way to go green. However, for some businesses, it may not be so simple.

Take for example a dry cleaner. Cost is a real concern for an independent dry cleaner who is looking to turn over a green leaf. Many dry cleaners still use perc machines to dry clean clothes (although I’m not sure why considering the EPA classifies perc as a Toxic Air Contaminant). If they need to purchase a brand new machine, it could cost them upwards of $175,000.

However there are a few options…if a dry cleaner is currently using a hydrocarbon machine, they could potentially convert their machine over to a greener cleaning method, such as GreenEarth® Cleaning, without having to purchase a new machine. Other options include switching over to a CO2 dry cleaning machine or wet cleaning equipment. All are greener choices than using perc, so take a look at this chart and see which you would prefer be used on your clothes.

Another example of someone cutting out chemicals is the Organic Farmer. You’d think it would be simple to switch from growing fruits/vegetables using toxins or pesticides and become an organic farmer, right? Well, did you know in order for the USDA to certify a farm as organic that farm has to submit a list of all substances applied to the land for the previous 3 years? That means it has to be free of all prohibited pesticides for 3 years running in order to be certified as an organic farm.

I also came across this document from the California Certified Organic Farmers about the costs involved with and the importance of Handweeding in Organic Farming.

There are many more examples I could give you, but hopefully you get the idea. Going green doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money. Yes, there are costs involved as you move over to a more eco-friendly building or business. But if you do your homework and research out potential tax credits, your costs may soon balance out.

As a final note, I suggest checking out these smart conservation tips that can save you a lot without costing you a lot! And if you have been considering making energy-efficient changes to your home, please take a moment to figure out what changes best suit you and why now may be the right time to make those green changes.

Image by Edwin Land (via Flickr)

There are many changes you can make in your life in order to better the environment. But did you know your choice of beverage can also impact the environment? Here are a few beverage choices you might want to consider in your quest to drink your way to a better environment:

1) Water: Okay, this is an obvious choice. But should you drink tap or bottled water? To be honest the choice is yours, however I lean more towards tap water (with a filter) than bottled water. A key factor to consider is “Tap water is regulated by the EPA as well as state and local governments, but bottled water is only checked by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Besides, why pay the extra money (pennies vs. dollars) for bottled water, when you can get the same or sometimes better quality water from the tap? Tap water requires less production/distribution and there is no plastic bottle to get rid of/recycle when you are done.

If you do have a concern about the quality of your tap water either at home or on the go, yet don’t want to carry around a water bottle with you, get an iStraw. The iStraw purifies your water as you drink, leaving it 99.9999% safe to drink. And it’s small enough to fit in your purse or pocket.

2) Alcoholic beverages: When you go out to the bar or make drinks for your friends at home, you probably don’t consider which alcohol to use based on which is best for the environment. Do you? Well, it’s something you might want to consider before your next get-together or party.

For example, McCormick Distilling Co. makes an eco-friendly vodka, Vodka 360. The vodka in every bottle is quadruple-distilled through their energy-efficient process. They even profess to utilize every bushel of grain, letting nothing go to waste. They promote using 100% recycled content, the processed paper they use is chlorine-free, their bottles are 85% recycled and their vodka is 4x distilled and 5x filtered.

If you consider yourself more a wine person than a vodka one, I’d suggest taking a look at this list of the “6 Eco-Wines to Try“. I won’t even begin to say I’m a wine connoisseur, so if you know of any other great eco-wines, please add them below in the comments.

For those of you looking for a good organic beer, Wychwood Brewery is the United Kingdom’s #1 producer of organic beers. Green Daily also put out a good list of some of the top organic beers you might enjoy. If you don’t see your favorite organic beer, don’t forget to add it in the comments below so the rest of the us can get in on drinking a better organic beer. But whichever way you go, remember…one good tip in determining whether a beer, wine or other drink of choice is good for the environment is whether or not it is brewed locally. Don’t forget to check out your local brewers, you may just find a new favorite!

3) Coffee or Tea: For you coffee and tea drinkers, let’s take a look at how you can do your part for the environment by drinking your tea or coffee. Like with almost any other beverage these days, coffee and tea can also be found in an organic or environmentally-friendly brand. Some of the best choices come from Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms. The Rainforest Alliance works with farmers and farms throughout the world to ensure their goods are environmentally- and socially-friendly. A few good ones include the Organic Shade Grown Mexico sold by Starbucks or Lipton’s PureLeaf Iced Tea. Huffington Post also recently posted their “Fair Trade and Eco Friendly Coffee, Tea and Cocoa” favorites.

So, do you have a favorite eco-friendly drink? What about one you’d like to try? Either way, please remember when it comes to doing what’s best for the environment, don’t forget to factor in what you are drinking.