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No matter what form of transportation you use, one of the key things you should factor in is cost to you and the environment.  How much does it cost to run that vehicle?  How much is your car polluting the air?  How much will a proven fuel additive help lower emissions and improve fuel economy? Is it better for the environment and less costly to you to use public transportation?  Is time a factor in whether or not you are using public transportation?  How easy is it for you to get to the bus or train station?  Is there a station near your work?  All of those questions are a factor when it comes to deciding what form of transporation is best for you.

We’ve been doing that in our family and continue to find new ways to cut down.  First of all, out of necessity, we became a one-car family.  Even though we have two kids and a 70-lb dog (who goes with us a lot of the time), we just didn’t want to continue to make 2 car payments or pay twice as much insurance, especially since I work from home.  We also recently moved and there are a lot of stores and activities in close proximity to us, so walking is a great way for us to get around (when it isn’t 103 degrees outside).  Getting rid of one car saved us about $500+ per month on just car payments/insurance, not to mention gas, maintenance, repairs, etc.  It also saved about 9 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the environment every year.

Shortly after that we started driving my husband to work one day a week so that we could use the car.  We use it to go visit the kids’ grandparents.  We manage to see two sets of grandparents every time we do it, so it saves us time, gas money and emissions.  To further save gas/mileage, my husband car-pools home from work those days.

Then our most recent step was actually started due to a new program his work set up.  They now pick up employees from Union Station in downtown L.A., if they ride train to work.  His office is about a 10-minute drive from Union Station, so prior to the new program, it didn’t really work for him to take the train to downtown then try and catch other lines/buses to get closer to work.  It took too much time and he would arrive at work late.  But since his company set up this new shuttle service, it has been working great.  He takes the train once or twice a week, when he needs to go to his downtown office, and the company picks him (and others) up.  He likes it because it is a lot less stressful, he gets to relax or work on the train, it doesn’t cost us as much and is less wear & tear on the car.  Oh…and did I mention, when he buys a 10-trip pass and uses it, his company reimburses him for 50% of the cost.

So, no matter who you are or what actions you are currently taking to curb your transporation costs and pollution, take some time to research what else you can do.  You may be pleasantly surprised as your city may have just the right program for you.  For example, in New York there is a group call Transportation Alternatives and their mission is “to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives”.  In the San Francisco and Boston areas, there is a car service called PlanetTran which provides “the Nation’s first public auto service to utilize ultra fuel efficient hybrid vehicles exclusively”.  In Portland, in addition to being a bike/pedestrian-friendly city, they have Tri-Met which includes buses, the Max light rail, WES commuter rail and the Portland streetcars, one of which can pretty much get you anywhere you want to go in Portland.

But no matter where you live, big city or small, you can always check the websites of your local Metro trains, buses and even the EPA has a great “Green Vehicle Guide” to help you cut costs and environmental pollution.  What are you waiting for?

Photo from California Coastal Commission website

Calling all beach lovers, surfers, vacation goers, families and really anyone and everyone who cares for the environment…Saturday, Sept 19th is the 25th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day!  It’s a great opportunity for people to come together from all over CA and do something to make our beaches clean and green again.

Since the program’s conception, over 800,000 Californians have contributed to removing more than 13 million pounds of debris from California coasts.  Just in 2008 alone, over 1.6 million pounds of trash and recyclables were cleaned up from California coastlines and lakes.

Now while that is a great accomplishment, the fact that there is that much trash polluting our beaches and lakes is not a good thing.  It’s not good for the environment and doesn’t reflect well on people’s awareness and ability to take care of the environment and clean it up.

When I was a kid growing up near the coast in Southern California, I used to spend many a weekend with my family at the beach.  It was always a great place to relax, play in the sand or enjoy the Pacific Ocean.  Personally I spent most of my time in the water….there was always something wonderful about being able to swim in the ocean.   

One of the things that made it so nice was that it was clean.  The sand was relatively clean (the occasional cigarette butt or can left lying around) and the water was pretty much free of trash – just water, sand, rocks and sometimes seaweed.  A key for us was my mom taught us to always clean up after ourselves.  We always picked up our stuff and tried to leave the beach clean for the next people.  Trash cans were never very far away, so it wasn’t a hard thing to do.  Others obviously practiced the same simple rules as well.

But in going to those same beaches over the years, I have noticed an increase in trash/pollution, both on the beach and in the water itself.  For some reason people aren’t caring for the beach like they used to do.  It’s a sad sight to see and one that needs to have attention brought to it.  That is why I wanted to raise awareness on Coastal Cleanup Day.

What about those of you who don’t live in California, but want to contribute to Coastal Cleanup….well, you’re in luck….Saturday, Sept 19th is also International Coastal Cleanup Day!  It is the perfect opportunity for anyone who lives near, visits or wants to visit the coast to help keep it clean. 

And remember, when you are enjoying the beauty of the beach and ocean please keep these simple steps in mind….a) clean up after yourself, b) use re-usable containers for food & drinks so you don’t have a lot of trash, c) if you see trash, pick it up and throw it away.  The beach is a great place for all of us to enjoy….let’s keep it that way!

I hope many of you will take a few hours out of your weekend and go down to the coast to help make our beaches a little more clean and green!  I’d love to hear your stories or see your pictures of your Coastal Cleanup Day adventures – I’ll post mine!   

Image from PortofLosAngeles.org

America’s Port, aka the Port of Los Angeles, is making headway on its quest to significantly lower emissions and improve air quality.  This is even despite it being one of the largest U.S. Harbors, handling more cargo and international shipments in just a few weeks than most North American harbors do in a whole year. 

Last year I wrote a blog titled “Nitrogen oxides coming to a port near you” about the volume of pollution being generated from ships coming in/out of ports like the Port of Los Angeles.  So, I figured it was about time to see what steps are being taken by the Port of L.A. to improve the environment around it:

• The Los Angeles Harbor Board just approved the first terminal lease under the San Pedro Bay Ports “Clean Air Action Plan”.  Not only will this bring more construction and regional jobs to the area, but it takes one of the most obsolete container terminals and turns it into a “state-of-the-art facility by which TraPac will be able to implement cutting edge environmental mitigation technologies.”    They are even building an energy-efficient administration building which will meet LEED “Gold” standards.  Per estimates, these upgrades alone will reduce NOx and SOx emissions by 62%.
• TraPac (the company doing the upgrades) will also become eligible to receive an additional $1.5 million.  These funds would be ear-marked towards technology that can capture harmful emissions from ships not retro-fitted to plug in to the shore-side electric power while they are in port.
• NOTE: Capturing harmful emissions from ships who aren’t or can’t afford to be retro-fitted to make use of the shore-side electric power while in port, is a key step.  But, ships and shipping companies can implement simple and immediate cost-effective technologies such as using fuel additives proven to lower emissions in both heavy fuel oil and marine diesel.  Every step taken to lower emissions helps.
• A ”Water Resources Action Plan” was just adopted.  It is designed improved water quality in the port…a much needed improvement.  The plan zeroes in on littering, sediment pollution and other potential contaminants.
• Since implementing their “Clean Trucks Program” in October 2008, The Port of Los Angeles reports that almost 60% of the over 177,000 cargo moves done in June 2009, were done by clean trucks that meet or exceed the EPA’s 2007 emission standards. 
• In Feb 2009, the port took possession of the first 25 heavy-duty all electric trucks from Balqon Corp.  Balqon Corp built these electric trucks exclusively for the port.  Each truck can haul a 60,000 lb. cargo container at speeds up to 40mph.  The battery has a range of 30-60 miles, so obviously they are designed for local hauling.  Each battery charger can fully charge 4 electric trucks within a 4 hour period, but can also provide up to 60% charge in just an hour for peak delivery times. 

Those are just some of the steps the Port of Los Angeles (and Port of Long Beach for the most part), have recently been taking towards lowering harmful emissions and improving air quality around the ports.  I don’t know about you, but it looks to me like they are serious about…..”The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.”   

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There are many different kinds of pollution, some being more obvious than others of course.  For example, when I’m sitting in traffic heading over the 405 freeway into Los Angeles, air pollution and smog are pretty obvious pollution.  When I pass by the LA River and see trash piling up along its banks or graffiti along the walls, that’s another obvious form of pollution.  When I go down to the pier and see plastic bottles, paper, cans, plastic bags, etc. floating in the water where kids are swimming, that’s another obvious forms of pollution.

These different forms of pollution got me thinking…how polluted is my neighborhood?  I figured I’d go online and check with Scorecard.org, a great site that lists itself as “The Pollution Information Site”.

All you do is type in your zip code and away you go.  It breaks down your “Pollution Report Card” by categories like toxics, air and water.  Then it gives you information on how you can DO MORE to make a difference and help improve the air pollution and other forms of pollution in your community. 

One downside was the report was a little broad as it listed my neighborhood as all of Los Angeles County, but I checked it out anyway.  Needless to say, there is a lot of air pollution and other forms of pollution in LA.  But after getting these specifics for myself, I really encourage you to take a moment to find out how your neighborhood/county ranks.  Then go to the TAKE ACTION section of Scorecard and see what you can do to make a change.  Let me know how you do.

Image by WalkingGeek 

If you are looking for a better, more biofriendly way to get around Manhattan’s West Side, how about using the High Line.  What is the High Line you ask?  Well, it’s an environmentally-friendly elevated park which runs for about 1 1/2 miles through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen.

The High Line features an integrated landscape which combines concrete walkways with naturalistic paintings all within a beautiful park filled with plants, trees, flowers, etc.  It also has fixed and movable seating as well as nice lighting and other appealing features.  Running high above the crowded Manhattan streets, the High Line literally rescues pedestrians from the crowded, exhaust-filled streets below and transports them into a pleasant walking park 30 feet above.

The original High Line was constructed in the 1930s as part of a massive project to lift freight traffic 30 feet in the air, thus getting dangerous freight trains off Manhattan streets.  Last used in 1980, the tracks have been barren and unused for almost 30 years.  But back in 1999, a community-based non-profit group formed to save the historic structure, which was under threat of demolition.  That group, “Friends of the High Line”, worked in coordination with the City of New York and managed to preserve and refurbish the structure.

If you’ve ever been to New York, you’re familiar with the crowded streets, taxi cabs running everywhere (most in serious need of a good fuel additive to at least lessen the exhaust they produce) and crowds pushing along trying to get where they need to go.  The High Line cuts through that and takes walking in New York to new heights.

In a big city like New York the fact that city officials and private citizens are taking their time and effort to figure out green and eco-friendly uses for an old elevated track is a good sign.  That it also gets pedestrians up and off crowded city streets and walking through a freshly landscaped park, all the better.

Hopefully we’ll see more biofriendly plans like this coming to fruition in crowded, high-pollution cities.  Anything that can be done to take an obviously non-green structure and turn it into a green, eco-friendly structure, is a good thing.  It means more people are starting to think about recycling and re-using on a bigger scale.  Do you have any structures in your city that could use a “green” redevelopment?

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They state they are “Cleaning the air we breathe…” and their program is designed to provide information to people to help them make smarter personal transportation decisions.  Decisions that will be better for the environment and help improve air quality.  Who are they?  Cleanairchoices.org.

Have you ever heard about them?  Well, I found out about them while driving home one day.  I saw an SUV that was basically a cleanairchoices.org promotion, so I figured I’d check them out.

The website itself mostly provide links and information from a variety of agencies and organizations.  But one of these was a link to greenercars.org.

Greenercars.org is the official website for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Green Book – a unique consumer resource that provides Green Scores on the environment friendliness of every vehicle on the market.  They also have some great “green driving tips” such as:

• Avoid “jack rabbit” starts and aggressive driving.  Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates.  One second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as a half hour of normal driving. (Really?!…I didn’t know that)
• Take a load off.  Carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by about 1%.  Take a few moments to unload your cargo area.  (I’m sure this doesn’t apply to having another person – extra pounds – in the car from car-pooling or ride-sharing, as you save by taking one car rather than two.)
• Combine trips.  Warmed-up engines and catalysts generate much less air pollution, so combining several short trips into one can make a big difference.  (I try to do this as it saves time, money and with two kids it’s definitely easier to combine trips.)

They also have maintenance tips, careful fill-up tips, prudent parking tips, information on “commuter choice” programs and more.  For more information you can go to their website.  So, when it comes to keeping the air we breathe clean, any tips you can learn and adopt into your life, will be all the better for the environment.  Take a minute and see if you can learn something new.  If you have any good tips for green driving, improving air quality, etc. I’d love for you to share them here.

Image by biofriendly  

I’m sure you’ve noticed the price of gasoline is on the rise again.  The price for unleaded gas where I live in Southern California is right around $3.00/gallon whereas a little over two months ago (on April 16, 2009) it was “just” $2.25/gallon.  In two months it’s gone up about $0.75/gallon…that’s quite an increase.

But what can you do to ensure you aren’t wasting the gas you do buy?  Yes, you can do smart things like car-pool to work, use public transportation, limit your trips, walk, ride your bike, etc.  And of course if you have an electric car, you don’t need to worry about that.  For those who don’t have electric cars, how do you know whether or not you are wasting gas every time you drive your car?

Well, to make it simple, there are hydrocarbons in gasoline and diesel that tend to bundle together.  When they do this, oxygen can’t fully reach the fuel and thus it can’t burn completely.  This results in exhaust and the partially burnt molecules contribute to pollution and the harmful emissions that come from your car.  Basically you are wasting gas and harming the environment by not ensuring you get a more complete burn from your gasoline.

How do you get that more complete burn though?  I’m sure there are various ways, but thankfully a good fuel additive like Green Plus™  (created by Biofriendly Corporation) will help the hydrocarbons in your gasoline or diesel to unbundle.  The unbundling exposes them more to oxygen and therefore allows them to be able to burn more completely.

The result is not only a better use of the gasoline you are paying for, but you reduce the harmful emissions from your car and get better fuel efficiency as well.  It’s a win-win all around.  So before you burn a hole in your wallet from rising gas prices, make sure you car in completely burning your gasoline instead.

Image from GreenisUniversal.com 

I first heard about iBloom when a friend of mine sent me a link to download it the other day.  She knows I have a lot of interest in environmental and green activities and knows I even have a (Lil) Green Patch on Facebook.  So she thought I might appreciate the new Green is Universal iBloom application.  Unfortunately since I don’t have an iPhone I didn’t download it, but it did get me interested in finding out more.

For those of you not familiar with GreenisUniversal.com, it was launched by NBC Universal last November to show their commitment to bringing “an environmental perspective to our networks, our platforms, our audiences, our communities…in fact, to everything we do.”

The iBloom application is one of their latest “green” activities.  The iBloom application apparently allows you to virtually plant a seed and watch it grow.  You can water it, feed it and protect it from pollution so it can grow into a happy flower and you can make it to the next level.  Sounds kind of cool….personally I like the Facebook (Lil) Green Patch application though because for every ten friends you send a virtual plant to, you are helping to save 1 square foot of actual rain forest from deforestation.  (I’ve saved over 70 sq ft so far.)  Maybe the iBloom application has a similar feature that allows you to do something for the environment not just virtually but in reality too.

But, regardless of whether the application has actual environmental benefits like cleaning up pollution/trash at your local beach, or cutting down harmful emissions by using an effective fuel additive, or conserving water, or recycling your bottles and cans or even planting a real tree in your own yard, the launch did make a difference.  As part of the iBloom launch, Green is Universal (in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation) committed to donating 10,000 trees to parks and schools across the U.S. during Earth Week.  So long as someone waters the real-life trees, feeds them and protects them from pollution, I’d say that’s a good benefit.

The air pollution restrictions proposed last month by the EPA to the International Maritime Organization to establish a 200 nautical mile virtual perimeter around the lower 48 states, Anchorage and the seven populated Hawaiian islands are a breathe of fresh air.  The new restrictions would require ships including tankers, cruise ships, cargo ships and many other large vessels to use low-sulfur fuel or new technology which would ensure they emit less sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and soot within 20 nautical miles of the U.S.

With ports across the U.S., including many major ports right here in Southern California, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, bringing in the vast majority of all U.S. imports, establishing air pollution control for ships is long overdue.

According to the post from the Journal of Commerce, the Port of Long Beach is gearing up towards a $750 million dollar Middle Harbor redevelopment project.  The Long Beach Harbor Commission is scheduled to cast their vote on April 13th for the proposed project which apparently increases marine terminal capacity while reducing pollution.  Diesel emissions are estimated to be reduced by 50% through a series of planned environmental measures including vessels being required to operate from shore-side electrical power while at berth.  Vessels will also have to use low-sulfur fuel in their main and auxiliary engines as they transit to and from berth.

Another company right in line to help with the new proposed air pollution restrictions for marine vessels is Biofriendly Corporation.  With years of sea-trials already complete and certified test results from accredited laboratories, Biofriendly Corporation’s Green Plus™ has been proven to not only improve marine vessel emissions and fuel economy but reduce maintenance needs as well.

Marine vessels ranging from harbor tugboats and ferries to 150,000 dwt oil tankers and container ships have already achieved results by adding Green Plus to their heavy fuel oil or marine diesel.  So, as the new air pollution restrictions get put into place to clean up our ports and the air around them, shipping companies would be wise to check out using a proven marine fuel additive such as Green Plus.

On March 2nd, I wrote a blog “Global Warming: Calculate your own pollution“, where I brought up that before I decided to go out and spend money that I don’t have to pay someone else to offset MY carbon impact, I wanted to check out other biofriendly options I could take.  So, here are a few more ways I found to help offset carbon impact:

a) Turn down the heat in your home and/or increase insulation.  Not only will this help reduce your carbon impact but it will help you save money too.

b) Don’t just turn off appliances and computers, but unplug them when you are done using them too.  Most appliances that remain plugged in continue to use up small amounts of energy.  I heard on the news the other day that billions of dollars are wasted every year in the U.S. due to the fact that companies don’t have their employees properly shut down computers each night.

c) If you are able to, set up a wind turbine or add solar panels to your home.  Doing so can reduce your household carbon impact down to almost zero.  Some alternative energy solutions produce more energy than you can even use, thus allowing you to be able to “sell” your energy back to the power company.

d) Install a filter on your faucet rather than using bottled water.  You save money and it reduces the amount of plastic waste…even if you recycle the bottle.

e) Go plant a tree.  You can do this on your own property or help out a local non-profit to help rebuild or re-beautify your area.  Now through May 31st is Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, so it’s a good way to help clean up your parks/town by helping to plant a tree or two.

f) Ride your bike and/or walk to places as much as you can.  Getting your car off the road even if for a few hours or a day, helps lower the emissions that are calculated as part of your carbon footprint.  Besides, getting out and getting some exercise is good for you too.

Now, I know it’s April 1st, but these are actual ways you can personally offset your carbon impact without just paying someone to do it for you.  Besides don’t you want to know the biofriendly steps you take ARE in fact offsetting your carbon impact?  What better way to know that than to do it yourself!