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Life isn’t always cut out the way we think it should be. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most out of it, right?! As Eleanor Roosevelt so aptly stated: “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” So, with that in mind…here are some simple biofriendly tips for life and living:

1) Don’t regret the past: Regardless of whether or not you’ve made mistakes in your life (which I’m sure we all have), don’t regret what you’ve done in your past. The things you did in the past are part of what made you who you are today.

Learn from your past and use it to help improve your future. You will find that today, tomorrow and many tomorrows will be better for it.

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2) Get outside daily: Even if it is just for 15-20 minutes a day, take the time to get outside. Smell the fresh air, get some sun on your skin (Vitamin D, you know). Look at the beauty of nature around you. Who knows, it might even inspire you.

3) Eat locally grown foods or better yet, grow some of your own: You hear it said all the time. So what’s holding you back? It is probably easier than you think.

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Besides, it doesn’t matter why you want to do it…whether it’s because it is a biofriendly or environmentally-friendly thing to do or because you want to save money or maybe because you realize how great freshly picked food tastes. Fresh fruits, herbs, vegetables, etc. are great for you too. They can be a healthy snack or a smart addition to a well-balanced meal.

4) Cut down on your transportation emissions: Are you aware how much smog and harmful emissions can affect you? Plus, who wants to be breathing in harmful toxins? I know I don’t.

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An easy way to reduce your exposure to these harmful transportation emissions is by cutting down your driving time. Car-pool or ride-share whenever you can. Take public transportation where available. Use a proven fuel additive to further reduce your vehicles emissions and improve your fuel economy. Walk or ride your bike around town. Talk to your office about telecommuting. Have video conferences rather than requiring employees to travel long distances for a company conference or meeting.

5) Get up and get moving: As Sir Isaac Newton taught us as part of his first law of motion: “Every object persists in its state of rest…unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed on it.”

Well, the same applies to your body. You don’t want to be stuck in a continuous state of rest, therefore you need to get moving. Regular exercise such as walking, bike riding, hiking, swimming, playing sports, etc. is a great way to get moving and keep fit.

6) Buy less, save more: We can’t measure our success in life by how much we own. Some people may try to do that, but life isn’t about “stuff”. I mean seriously, how much stuff do you already own that you rarely use? When was the last time you cleaned out your closets or garage?

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Measure your life by what you have accomplished or by how many lives you have touched. The kind words, the helping hand, the smile when someone was feeling down are often a lot more valuable and more memorable than you can imagine.

7) Live life: Every person’s life is worth living…every moment and every breathe. Don’t let one moment pass you by.

While you’ve probably heard that many times in your life, let me tell you there is nothing that makes that point clearer than watching your children grow up. Every moment is precious. Every experience worth having. Nothing is small or insignificant.

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When it all comes down to biofriendly living, recognize the life all around you. Be smart and respect that life, care for the people and things that have a positive impact on your life and create the kind of life you want. You are the only one who can.

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Last year an estimated 98.7 million Americans tuned in to the watch the big game on Super Bowl Sunday. That’s not including the 70,000+ people who actually attended the game. But do you have any idea of the costs, both monetary and environmental, of the Super Bowl? Well, let’s review some of those facts and figures as well as go over some environmental tips for your own personal game day activities.

If you attended Super Bowl I, you would have paid about $6 per ticket. Advertisers paid an estimated $42,000 for a 30-second ad spot. Today if you wanted to see Super Bowl XLIV, you’d pay anywhere between $1275 and $5650 per ticket.  Advertisers are paying an average $2.65 million for a 30-second ad spot…and that’s down from the last two years.

Some past advertisers including General Motors, FedEx and Pepsi, have opted out of this year’s advertising slots. However, despite complaints received by the Treasury Secretary, Chrysler plans on being the only U.S. auto-maker to run an ad during this year’s Super Bowl.

Take a look at this 1969 Super Bowl commercial from Chrysler:

Even though Pepsi is not having an ad during the Super Bowl, they are the official drink of the NFL and are debuting their new energy-efficient, HFC-free coolers at the Super Bowl, so I’m sure they will get plenty of promotion.

As far as the stadium and those in attendance for the big day….there are 20,000 parking spaces available e.g. a potential for 20,000 vehicles. The EPA estimates there is about 19.4 pounds of CO2 emitted for every gallon of gasoline burned. Even if each car only drove 20 miles to get there, that would still be over 7 million pounds or over 3500 tons of CO2 emissions. (NOTE: That doesn’t factor in trucks used to bring in food, supplies or any other CO2 emissions generated during game day preparations.)

When you factor in the trash generated on game day from left-over food containers, promotional flyers, etc you are talking even further environmental impact. Did you know at the 2004 Super Bowl, over 428 tons of trash was collected during the four-day event?

Luckily the the NFL has the “Super Bowl XLIV Environmental Program“ in place this year. Their program is designed to help lower the environmental impact of Super Bowl XLIV.

Solid Waste Management/Recycling: They intend to have recycling containers at all major event facilities where Super Bowl related activities will take place.

Prepared Food Recovery: Excess prepared food will be collected up and donated in coordination with Daily Bread Food Bank. Last year over 65,000 pounds of food was donated, due in part to activities like this and the annual “Taste of the NFL” event.

Materials Donation: After the Super Bowl, the NFL plans to donate as many supplies and materials as possible, so as not to waste them. This includes building materials, non-perishable foods and drinks, decorations, live plants, etc.

Sports Equipment/Book donation project: The “Super Kids-Super Sharing” project will be working to collect used sports equipment and books from local schools and school children for donation to other under-equipped schools and school children in South Florida.

Climate Change Initiative: Last but definitely not least, this initiative has a variety of facets, including using renewable-sourced energy to “power” the stadium and other facilities. Basically, the NFL has teamed up with NextEra Energy Resources who will supply Green e-certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to match electricity consumption during the Super Bowl and related events. They will also be decreasing transportation emissions from the Super Bowl fleet by using hybrid vehicles or alternative fuels. Providing sources for alternative fuels to all vendors and partners, including the broadcast media, for use in powering their on-site generators. Planting trees in coordination with the US Forest Service and local community groups to help offset carbon output, etc.

So, with the NFL doing their part to help lessen their environmental impact on Super Bowl Sunday, here are a few tips for you:

1) If you are driving to another location to watch the big game, car-pool with friends. If you are unable to do so, a proven fuel additive could help lower your emissions.

2) Use recyclable or bio-degradable plates, cups, etc. Try to recycle as much as you can.

3) Make your own game day treats, don’t have food delivered. Delivery means someone has to drive food to your home (emissions) and your food will probably come in non-recyclable containers inside a plastic bag. Be prepared and get your food ahead of time.

4) Don’t waste food. Most Super Bowl parties will have more food than people will eat, so package up what you don’t eat and save it for later.

If you really want to offset your Super Bowl Sunday and help the environment, you can always purchase a “Super Bowl Party Offset” from EarthEra. For $10, they say they will offset 1200 pounds of carbon dioxide. And 100% of their revenues from EarthEra product purchases apparently go to build more solar and wind energy project in the U.S.

What are your plans for Super Bowl Sunday? Do you have any tips you use to help lower your environmental impact on game day? Hope you have a great weekend…and don’t forget to get outside a little bit (before or after the game).

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!