Image by Dorena-wm / Creative Commons

Well, the weekend is here and after a long week, I figured it was time to catch everyone up on some of the weekly green news I’ve seen, heard and read about this week. I know many of you keep up-to-date on the latest and greatest in environmental and green news, but here are a few you may not have checked out. Either way, take a gander at this week’s green news:

1) German Government to Oppose Fracking: In what some consider a bold move, Germany has stated they are pulling the plug on plans that were intent on using hydraulic fracturing aka “fracking” to extract natural gas.

2) For all you environmentally-friendly chocolate lovers out there, you’ll be happy to know that the UK’s only carbon-neutral chocolate is transported by sailing ship. That’s definitely one way to travel. Now if they could just get the price down…

3) Only 1 in 10 Americans is a Global Warming Denier: How do you feel about global warming? Do you believe it? Are you moderately concerned? Are you not quiet convinced? Well, according to a recent report only 10% of Americans are convinced there is no such thing as global warming and that what we, as humans, do have no impact on global temps whatsoever.

4) Speaking of global warming, or actually climate change, how about taking a 3-minute journey through the last 250 years of our climate history…

5) Have you been pondering the idea of getting an electric vehicle? With PG&E’s new EV proposal laying groundwork for $1-per-gallon fuel, now might be the right time to seriously consider it. Of course, we’re talking the equivalent of $1 a gallon, but you get the point.

6) Plastic trash altering ocean habitats: There is no lack of information on the importance of recycling, cutting down on the use of plastic materials and working hard to see that trash does not end up in the ocean. Unfortunately we are now seeing “a 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment”. So much so that damage to the world’s oceans may cost trillions.

7) World’s rarest (and one of the most endangered) gorillas caught on film in Cameroon. It’s nice to hear stories about the life and survival of species that we rarely see or even know still exist. What’s even better is getting a glimpse of them in their natural habitat…watch the video and you’ll see what I mean.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to green news for the week, but hopefully it will help to either peak your interest to find out more or at least put a little green in your life. Hope you have a wonderful and biofriendly weekend ahead. Don’t forget to get outdoors and check out some of that green that nature so aptly provides.

Image by Alex Healing / Creative Commons

With the recent earthquakes we’ve been experiencing and hearing about in the news, I thought it would be a good opportunity to touch on whether or not global warming, or climate change, could be contributing to the seemingly increased quake activity and how we can be prepared in case of an earthquake.

Now to start off, you’ve probably heard about the recent magnitude 8.6 earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, followed by an 8.2 aftershock.

Image from USGS

You also may have heard about the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico that could be felt all the way to Mexico City. Did you hear about the magnitude 5.9 earthquake off the coast of Oregon? And what about the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the Gulf of California? How about this morning’s 6.0 in Iwaki, Japan or the 5.7 in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Mexico? Just take a look at the number of earthquakes that are happening on a daily basis. This graph is a clear indication of the location, magnitude and frequency of earthquakes around the world over the past five years.

Accordingly to the USGS, and as of this writing, there have been more than 7099 earthquakes in the last 30 days alone. In the past seven days over 280 of those earthquakes were magnitude 2.5 or greater.

But if you take a look at the graphs below, you’ll see that we are not experiencing any dramatic increase in seismic activity, especially from larger magnitude earthquakes. In fact, the USGS states:

“We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant.”

That means there is no real indication that global warming, climate change, or any other significant man-made factor is triggering more earthquakes. Not to say those things aren’t contributing factors to the stress of the planet, or that they won’t be a significant contributing factor in the future, but at this point none of them are THE factor behind earthquakes.

The fact is that the planet is billions of years old, spinning through space, with an inner core reaching temperatures of up to 9800°F. The Earth is constantly changing. Of course, with more than 7 billion people inhabiting the planet, we are bound to have some kind of an impact on those changes.

That is why it is important to take care of this planet, because it’s the only one we’ve got right now. Earthquakes will continue to happen though, regardless, so while we take actions to reduce, reuse, recycle and care for the Earth, we also need to ensure we are prepared for when those earthquakes do happen.

The USGS recommends you have these supplies on hand in case of an earthquake. Here are also a few other eco-friendly items you might want to have in your earthquake kit. If you have pets, don’t forget to have a pet survival kit for them as well. Your pets will have needs, as you will, so it is important to be prepared to care for them. Just in case, you might want to get a waste bag kit and some poo powder too. You never know how long you’re going to be without standard amenities after an earthquake.

When it all comes down to it, while global warming may not be triggering more earthquakes, earthquakes are going to continue happening, so are other natural disasters. The important thing is to be prepared. Are you prepared? If not, what are you waiting for?

Image by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC / Creative Commons

Saturday, March 31st at 8:30pm marks Earth Hour 2012. Will you be there? Will you be joining in? Will you be going dark for an hour to show that when we, as individuals, ban together we can make a difference? Well…I will if you will.

First of all, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Earth Hour started back in 2007 as a way to show parents, kids, entrepreneurs, employees, businesses, politicians, governments and others that we can make a difference and change the world we live in. Last year, hundreds of millions of people, in more than 5000 cities and towns, in over 135 countries across the globe participated in Earth Hour.

Although Earth Hour is only for one hour, it gives the world a chance to unite under one common purpose to fight man-made global warming and climate change.

No matter what your views are on climate change or whether or not you feel mankind plays a role in global warming, you probably have noticed that things are continuously changing on this planet we live on. Knowing that, it is kind of hard to argue with the fact that there are changes we too could make to lessen the impact, so to speak.

This year’s Earth Hour is a little different however, because in addition to joining the millions and millions of people around the globe who will be turning their lights off at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 31st, people around the world are daring others to make a difference that goes beyond Earth Hour.

Take a look at this challenge from supermodel and Earth Hour global ambassador, Miranda Kerr:

Then there is this one from Australian actress, Isabel Lucas:

This one comes from Guinness World Record holder, base-jumper, Heather Swan:

Here’s another one, this time from foodie, environmental writer, wine enthusiast and a personal friend, Jerry James Stone:

Go here to take a look at some of the other challenges and then either accept one of the “I will if you will” challenges to go beyond one simple hour and do something that will make a difference., or upload your own challenge. As WWF says “Do something awesome for the environment. Get something awesome in return.”

Even the kids can get involved! The Lorax says he’s going to change his moustache green for a whole day if at least 500 children promise to turn their lights off during Earth Hour. And as The Lorax tells us, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

I look forward to seeing some of the other challenges. If you have a good “I will if you will” challenge either share it in the comments below or send it to me on Twitter so I can retweet it for you. Remember to use the #earthhour hashtag when you do. And remember to spread the word.

Image by Fredo / Creative Commons

When you hear someone talking about climate change, what is the first thing you think? Most people immediately think about global warming and the environmental controversy about who is to blame for this so-called “global warming”.

Climate change, however, is believed to come from two main sources. There is a cycle the planet goes through which is altered by natural occurrences such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, changes in the Earth’s orbit, solar events, the ocean’s current, and more. Then there are the actions we take which contribute to climate change and alter the greenhouse gas effect here on Earth. Every time you use the energy provided by the local utility company, fill up at the gas station, heat your home, or any number of other activities which produce carbon dioxide, you are contributing to the greenhouse gas effect.

The question then becomes, what can we do to combat climate change? Well, there are many steps which can be taken, but in this post I thought it would be good to highlight a number of alternative energies which could help us combat our contribution to climate change.

1) Solar Energy: The sun continues to provide us with a natural form of energy day after day. The problem becomes in the capture and processing of this resource. Currently only about 1% of the electricity in the U.S. is powered by solar.

Image by David Trebosc / Creative Commons

2) Wind Energy: The wind is another natural and renewable resource we can tap into. This study was done to look into the stability of wind energy in the face of global warming.

Image by Chuck Coker / Creative Commons

3) Tidal Energy: Tidal energy is another alternative energy which has the potential for becoming a major player in the renewable energy arena. Why? Because the tides will keep coming in and going out. Recently Scotland made a major move to boost subsidies in favor of tidal-power.

Image by Horizon2035 / Creative Commons

4) Wave Power: Like tidal power, wave power is another source of alternative energy which more governments and countries are investing in, in order to meet their renewable energy goals. In fact, the UK is determined to be the ‘Rolls Royce’ of marine energy (wave/tidal).

5) Plastic Conversion: Per reports, existing technologies could be used to convert all the non-recyclable plastics, that are tossed into U.S. landfills each year, into energy. Those plastics alone could power over 5 million homes a year. Just think what could be done with all the other waste.

Image by Mackenzie / Creative Commons

6) Energy Cane: It seems sugar cane is now front and center, ahead of corn, when it comes to crops which could be grown for energy purposes. The idea is that the sugar cane could be used for biofuel and the fibrous waste could be turned into alternative energy.

Image by Carolyn / Creative Commons

Now, let’s face facts here. Even if a person invests in a variety of alternative energies to power their home, vehicle, working environment and other activities in their life, they are still in some way or form contributing to climate change. This is because there are a variety of factors which cause man-made climate change. Additionally, regardless of our efforts, the Earth’s natural cycle will continue to happen.

Our contributions to climate change, however, can be lessened and we can take steps to help lower CO2 emissions below that critical level of 350 ppm. In my opinion, it’s all about deciding how you want to live and how you want your children, and their children to live. What are your views on the subject?

June is here and World Environment Day 2011 is right around the corner. On Sunday, June 5th UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and millions of people around the world will be gearing their support and activities towards the theme of this year’s WED, “Forests: Nature at Your Service”.

Why was this particular theme chosen? Well, forests cover approximately 1/3 of the Earth’s land mass and over a billion people depend on forests for their livelihood. The trees in forests also play a big role in climate change. They are essential to capturing and storing carbon dioxide while at the same time releasing oxygen into the air. These are just a few of the ways forests are “Nature at your service”:

• They help feed the rivers
• They help maintain soil fertility
• They help provide natural shelter
• They lessen the impacts of weather-related incidents such as storms, floods or fires
• They are home to around half of the land-based plants, animals and insects
• They provide oxygen and help “clean” the air we breathe
• They nurture life and livelihood on Earth itself

Image by Iriskh

Can you imagine life on Earth without forests? Without trees? Neither can I. Take a look at these 29 reasons for planting trees. It’s easy to see how vital they are to our survival. Yet despite that fact, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate of over 13 million hectares (around 32 million acres) per year.

Image by reduse.org

Thankfully, there are still steps that can be taken to reverse this destructive trend. Some of it is simply a matter of changing people’s viewpoints. Possibly even turning forest conservation into a business opportunity. Per UNEP’s figures, an investment of $30 billion to fight deforestation could result in $2.5 trillion in new products and services, not to mention all the new jobs that would be generated.

It’s all about being able to imagine and bring about a world in which forests are part and parcel to sustainable development and intrinsic to green economies. Doesn’t that sound like a world you’d like to live in?

Want to know what you can do to contribute to the actions behind World Environment Day? How about help by planting a tree. If you can’t plant one in your own backyard, then check out these resources to help plant trees in areas that need them most:

• Thank someone by planting a mangrove tree via Grow-Trees.com, a company from World Environment Day’s host country, India.
• Help The Nature Conservancy reach their goal of planting a billion trees in the Atlantic Forest.
• Plant a tree through plantatreeusa.com where they are “Celebrating life one tree at a time™“.

If you’re looking for more ways to “go green” or even help make your day-to-day a little more forest-friendly, check out the World Environment Day’s A-Z list.

Last but not least, if you are wondering what impact your individual actions can have on the world, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon reminds us that,

“Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose, we can make a tremendous difference.“

With forests and nature at our service, doesn’t it make sense for us to be at theirs? Join WED and millions of people around the world to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5th, 2011. And may this one day simply be another stepping stone on the road to a brighter future.

Image by Randy Wood

When it comes to Earth Day I could update you on all the activities and events that are planned. I could go over the idea behind Earth Day and why it’s important to educate people on sustainability and the need to protect the environment. I could tell you all about climate change and why it’s key to lower your environmental footprint. I could do many things, but this time around I decided to give you some simple Earth Day Do’s and Don’ts. So here you go:

1 – Don’t think buying these stamps counts towards the one action you can do to make your life a little more “green”. Do check out these 10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green.

2 – Do grow your own fresh herbs and vegetables. Local Farmer’s Markets and local growers are great options as well. Don’t resort to eating canned or heavily processed foods.

3 – Don’t paint your house green (unless it’s low VOC paint of course). Do pledge a simple Act of Green and be entered in the Billion Acts of Green Sweepstakes.

4 – Don’t throw away your bottles and cans. Do learn about and implement ways to reduce waste at home. Composting, recycling and waste reduction can go a long way.

5 – Don’t just sit under a tree on Earth Day. Do plant a tree or make a small donation to have trees planted in much needed areas around the world.

6 – Do work out smart ways to dramatically reduce your energy costs and usage as the weather gets warmer. Don’t think you’re going to make it through the hot months with just a hand-held fan.

7 – Don’t load the family up, drive hundreds of miles only to spend the weekend in a hotel. Get outside. Do visit, appreciate and come to respect the wonders of our national parks. April 16th through April 24th, 2011 is National Park Week!

8 – Don’t think Earth Day has nothing to do with you. Do learn about the history of Earth Day and how each person plays a part.

9 – Don’t just step outside and say you went green for Earth Day. Do ride a bike, ride the rail, go for a hike and then when you are done figure out how you can adjust your “normal” transportation habits in favor of a more environmentally-friendly transportation routine. Even riding one of these would be pretty cool:

10 – Don’t think kids and schools have no place in Earth Day. Do learn about why greening schools is so important to our children’s future.

And remember that moms always say they know best when it comes to tips or tried and true ways to do things, so this Earth Day take a look at these 20 Green Summer Tips…Mom-Approved. In all honesty though, when it comes to the Earth, every day is Earth Day. So, take a look at how you live your life and see what simple changes you can start making to help live a more sustainable life!

Image by Tambako

Well, the week has come and gone so this edition of Biofriendlyblog’s Weekly Greens will be a Saturday Edition. Now, if you are anything like me you try and keep up with your RSS feed, twitter feeds, FB feeds and other sites that give you the latest and greatest. Unfortunately we’re not always able to keep up. So, for a little dose of green at the end of the week, here is this week’s Weekly Greens:

1. How to Plan and Plant an Organic Community Garden: If you don’t want additional additives or pesticides on or in the food you are eating, then starting an organic community garden might be perfect for you. It’ll take some work, but in the long run, all who contributed will be able to reap the rewards. Yummy rewards!

2. Alternatives to lawns for better water conservation: We’ve become so accustomed to grass in front yards that we sometimes don’t consider the better alternatives. In a time when natural resources need to be conserved, planting yards with native trees, flowers, etc. or even creating an edible garden can go a long way. Beautiful and environmentally-friendly all in one.

3. Scientists Make a Plan to Block Out the Sun to Stop Climate Change: Well, that sounds pretty dramatic, don’t you think? To add to that, such drastic measures could apparently result in humans never seeing a blue sky again. Hmmm…I think on an immediate basis we can all think of other emission lowering actions we can adapt into our lives.

4. Components of a Sustainable Business Culture: Many times executives are looking for a quick fix and in this day and age they view sustainability as that fix. In reality it should be part of a change…part of their sustainable business culture.

5. Architects Imagine a Utopian Paris in 2100, a Little Warmer and a Whole Lot Greener: Some cities are taking great strides to make changes that will make them greener, more walkable and keep them alive and flourishing even with climate changes. Take a look at what Paris is planning.

6. Oil Rigs: The Salty Future of Sustainable Housing: Speaking of where things are heading in the future. Is sustainable housing on oil rigs that far fetched? What about reusing/refurbishing other buildings and existing properties to provide sustainable living environments? Instead of building new, how about rebuilding the old?

7. Future planes to get a ‘magic safety skin’: There are so many ideas when it comes to the future of transportation. Since we know airplanes aren’t going to become a “thing of the past” anytime soon, check out this idea which would make flying not only safer, but a lot greener too. (Of course, in the meantime, a little Green Plus™ could make a nice dent on those emissions.)

8. New ‘shock wave’ engine could revolutionize hybrid vehicles: That’s a pretty big statement in it’s own right, but this new Wave Disk generator is lighter and more efficient than traditional combustion engines. Apparently they will also be able to reduce emissions by up to 90%! Awesome!

There you are…a few of the many, many green and environmental articles that caught my eye. And in case you missed it, check out 8 Environmentally-Friendly Ways to Lift Your Spirits! You may just find a tip, or two, that you can use to help brighten your weekend or week ahead.  Don’t forget to give you and your family some unplugged time to enjoy the great outdoors!

To check out more green, environmental and other interesting information, follow me on Twitter and check out my Biofriendlyblog Daily. Have a green and biofriendly weekend!

Earth Hour 2011 is being held, Saturday March 26th at 8:30pm. Millions of people across the globe will be turning off their lights for an hour to show their support in making a stand against climate change. But is there really a biofriendly reason behind Earth Hour or is it simply a gimmick to get people to “protest” climate change?

Well, some people would say it’s more of a gimmick or something done strictly for publicity sake. I mean, why bother turning off your lights for just one hour? What kind of real difference is that going to make? People are probably going to go back to their usual habits the next day anyway, aren’t they?

However there are those who believe that getting the message out about climate change, and how individuals can combat climate change, is what Earth Hour is all about. For those people, Earth Hour is simply the chosen time when millions of people from countries around the world join together as one to show their combined support.

Personally, I think it could be a little of both. But, I do feel those who fail to take the time to learn about the purpose and history of Earth Hour are actually missing out. Earthhour.org explains it well when they say:

“Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of sustainability issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future for our planet.”

So whether or not you believe in climate change or are even concerned about it, you need to ask yourself…What kind of condition do you want to leave this planet in for your children and grandchildren? The biofriendly idea behind Earth Hour is all about doing something of benefit to the planet. Taking steps, no matter how big or how small, to prolong the survival of Earth as we know it.

With that in mind, it’s clear that Earth Hour is much more than one symbolic hour. It’s all about people going beyond the hour, taking the extra step to make a change in their life.

Consider Earth Hour your next step in making a difference. Then follow that up with further steps, including but not limited to the following:

1) If you’re truly interested in cleaning up and preserving the planet, then there should be no more global warming, just global cleaning.

2) Practice water save techniques. Conserving water is something every one of us can do. And remember, while you may have easy 24-hour access to water, not everyone in the world does.

3) Start growing some of your own food. There’s no better way to ensure you are eating organic food than to grow it yourself. Additionally, growing your own food is something you can do to combat rising food prices.

4) With gas prices on the rise, many people are looking at ways they can cut down on their gasoline consumption. Of course, getting an electric or hybrid vehicle would help. Using a proven fuel additive helps increase fuel efficiency and lower emissions too. Then there is carpooling, car-sharing, public transportation, etc. Whatever option fits you best is something you can do to lessen your pain at the pump. Please remember to keep these 10 Not So Biofriendly Motorist Mistakes in mind as well.

When it all comes down to it, instead of celebrating Earth Hour because everyone else is, go “Beyond the Hour” and decide what action(s) you are going to take to combat climate change and make the world a more biofriendly place to live.

Image by Mahanga via Wikimedia Commons

Well, the big game day is almost here and if you’re like most football fans, you’ve already been plotting and planning for a game day get-together. However, did you know there is a lot more green going on in and around the Super Bowl…other than just the Green Bay Packers being there of course.

Before we get into that, let’s start with some facts and figures about game day consumption (as it is not necessarily the greenest of days):

It is estimated that over 8 million pounds of guacamole and 14.5 tons of chips are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. More than $50 million dollars are spent on food during the big weekend. Popcorn is another hot item and ranks up there with the volume of guacamole consumed.

Image by bowena

Other than Thanksgiving, there is no day that Americans eat more food than on Super Bowl Sunday. One main difference though is in the set-up. While Thanksgiving is more of a sit-down, bring out the best china and crystal type of day, game day parties tend to opt for plastic cups, plates, disposable plastic-ware and paper napkins. Needless to say a lot of waste is generated on game day. Just in the stadium alone, past Super Bowls have generated an average of 65+ tons of trash each. Note that I’m not even taking into account all the leftover food that goes to waste.

Another fact is early football were made out of pig bladders, but now all footballs are made from cowhide. In fact, it takes around 3000 cows to make enough footballs for one NFL season. Here are a few more interesting facts about the Super Bowl:

Now let’s get into some of the green actions taken in preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl. The NFL has actually continued to work on environmental actions every year over the past 17 or so years. They are intent on walking the walk when it comes to green, environmentally-friendly actions. This year’s preps all started with a tree:

Following that a full-blown environmental program was put into place and included initiatives designed to minimize the environmental impact of the upcoming Super Bowl. These initiatives were such things as:

• Solid waste management and recycling
• Prepared food recovery
• Materials donations
• Sports equipment and book donations
• and a Climate change initiative

As a result of these programs and initiatives, some of the following events have already transpired or are soon to transpire:

• At least 1/3 of all buses being used for Super Bowl XLV transportation will be powered by biodiesel
• Renewable energy credits are being used to “power” not only Cowboys Stadium, but all the main NFL venues and team hotels as well. This is being done through Just Energy to ensure Super Bowl XLV is the greenest yet.
• Around 6500 trees were being planted around North Texas through a variety of different planting projects to help combat carbon emissions.
• In coordination with the Salvation Army, a large donation event took place wherein students donated items they no longer needed to other kids in need. The program – Super Kids-Super Sharing.

You can get a more in depth look at green lessons to be learned from Super Bowl XLV here.

Cowboys Stadium itself even took some large steps to green their operations:

• They reduced solid waste by 25%
• They reduced energy by 20%
• 90% of the old stadium construction waste was recycled
• They use recycled plastic seats
• They have a very efficient LED display (reportedly the World’s largest)
• They use native plants and trees for landscaping
• They also have recycled bins throughout the stadium

Another example is they partnered up with Totally Green, an environmental innovation company, to really step up their sustainable actions. A bio-composting reactor (the ORCA Green™ Machine) was installed in the stadium and apparently can take up to 2400 pounds of organic waste per day and turn it into nutrient-rich grey water. By doing so they are keeping that waste out of landfills. Take a look at how the machine works:

All in all, when it comes down to it, whether you’re routing for the Packers or the Steelers, remember that a lot of green went in to making Super Bowl XLV a little more environmentally-friendly. So please be sure to do your part to keep your impact on the environment to a minimum as well. Enjoy!

Image by Rob Lee

With the holidays here, the hectic schedule has taken over my calendar and is keeping me busy. However, there were a number of great green articles I came across this week that I thought were definitely worth sharing. So here is this week’s dose of “weekly greens”:

1) Ikea gives free bikes to 12,400 employees: Love it! A terrific green and eco-friendly gift. Hopefully Ikea thought ahead enough to be able to provide a secure place for the employees to lock their bikes once they ride to work too.

Image by {eclaire}

2) Hitachi Plans to Recycle Rare Earth Magnets to Avoid Shortages: It’s always great to hear about companies think ahead, especially when they are thinking about being “greener” by recycling materials vital to the future of technology.

Image by foskarulla

Image by heatherlyone

3) Mountain Gorilla Population Increases: Good news! It looks like conservation efforts are having a positive impact on the Mountain Gorilla population. They aren’t out of danger yet, but an increase is definitely a step in the right direction.

Image by YXO

4) Island Nations Plead for Their Lives As World Dawdles at Climate Talks: As climate talks continue to move along, many smaller island nations are already feeling the dramatic effects of climate change. They’re now hoping for some quick action. Hopefully the climate talks can deliver.

Image by gavindjharper

5) What’s Not to Love About Strawbale Construction?: Okay, I haven’t seen or heard much about strawbale construction recently. But because they are built using renewable, recycled materials and they provide great insulation and help with indoor air pollution, I’d agree they are pretty eco-friendly.

Image by Mr. T in DC

6) Why Is There Not A National Recycling Law?: Good question, isn’t it? Makes you wonder. Americans are making progress in that a few decades ago less than 10% of solid waste was recycled and today an estimated 32% is being recycled. But there is a lot of room for improvement.

7) How to Prevent Food Waste: This is one we all could probably use a little refresher course on now that we are in the midst of the holidays.

Image by Kara Allyson

Now, this isn’t a new one, but one I thought was worth mentioning again, especially during the holidays. Remember to be an eco-parent. Our children learn by the example we set, so please be sure to set a good example for them.

Well, there are just a few of the interesting green articles I ran across. Remember if you are doing any holiday shopping this weekend, do some prep work first. Make a list, research out the best sales, check out your local consignment stores or online places such as Craigslist to see if you can get a gently used gift rather than having to buy new and of course, plot your route to cut down on your emissions.

Hope you enjoyed your dose of weekly greens! Have a productive and enjoyable weekend!