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?

Well, the weekend has arrived. Many of you may be heading off for a holiday getaways or perhaps you have plans to spend time with family. Hopefully each of you will get a little time to log off and enjoy the great outdoors this weekend too! It’s going to be a scorcher here, but we’re looking forward to being unplugged and enjoying the fun and sun!

Image by Rupert Ganzer

However, before we all head out, take a look at this week’s Weekly Greens – the holiday weekend edition:

1) Urban Water Transportation: Introducing the CAT, City Aquatic Transportation. Designed for seaside cities, these vehicles are geared to travel along the waterways in order to help relieve congestion on the roads. To top that off, they are driven via auto-pilot. What do think of these?

2) New Air Powered Car Will Soon Be Floating Around India’s Streets: Here’s another one I thought was pretty cool. This car would have a range of about 300km (186 miles) and would only cost around $2 for “refueling”. It’s no sports car, but when you need a vehicle to get around, run errands, commute to work, etc. it seems like a great option. Oh…it goes up to 65mph too!

3) Stop Idling And Turn Off Your Car: This one is something anyone can do, well anyone with a car that is. If you expect to be idling for more than 15-30 seconds, turn off your engine. If you are sitting waiting for someone, turn off your car. If it gets too warm inside, roll down the windows.

Bonus tip: To further improve your fuel economy and lower your vehicle’s emissions, use a proven fuel additive.

4) Humans Dwarf Volcanoes for CO2 Emissions: Speaking of the subject of emissions, this one definitely gives us something to ponder. No question we can make some changes in our lives, don’t you agree?

5) Wrapping Your Mind Around a Personal 20-20-20 Action Plan: Here’s an idea. Very simple in concept and something that everyone should look at doing. Cutting emissions by 20%, increasing use of renewables by 20% and decreasing energy consumption 20% all by 2020. Are you up for it?

6) Start Growing Your Own Food and Gardening: This one will eventually sink in with everyone. Not only does fresh food taste much better, it’s safer to know what you are eating and it’s fun too. Which reminds me, I need to get some more supplies. The kids and I have some gardening to do!

7) How to Repel Mosquitos Naturally: This one I thought was perfect for the holiday weekend. With temperatures rising, it’s good to know how to stave off those pesky mosquitoes without using strong chemicals and toxic sprays.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this week’s Weekly Greens! One last note, remember to keep these tips in mind when you attend or throw any 4th of July parties. Have a happy and biofriendly weekend!

Wind is one of those resources we find all around us in nature. It’s one of the more environmentally-friendly alternative energies around and has been tapped into for thousands of years. It has a wide variety of uses, some you may be familiar with and others not so much. So, let’s take a look at 5 smart uses for wind-powered energy:

1) Energy-generating wind turbines: Wind turbines are installed to capture the power of the wind and be able to convert it to energy. This can be on a broad scale, such as the wind turbines found on wind farms or can be on a smaller scale, such as individual wind turbines people use to generate power for their home. Companies even want to take advantage of the wind. For example, Sam’s Club was the first retailer reported to install a “significant” number of on-site micro wind turbines.

2) Wind-powered vehicles: You’ve probably heard about this one recently. A car, powered primarily by wind (using kites), just completed a 3,100 mile journey across Australia. While it wasn’t 100% powered by the wind, it was a good example of how cars can also be powered using alternative energies. It used a combination of wind, kite and batteries. In total, it reportedly used about $10-$15 of energy for the entire 3,100 mile journey. Not too shabby!

3) Wind/Kite-Powered Cargo Ships: Another great example of tapping into the power of the wind, can be found with Cargill. Cargill has stepped up and gone with the innovative idea of installing a large kite on one of its cargo ships in order to tap into the power of the wind and thus reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Now, of course wind has been used for hundreds and thousands of year to “power” sailing and smaller vessels, but now it is being used to help power larger cargo ships as well.

You can watch a short video on this innovative emission-saving design here.

4) Wind-Powered Sports: For many, many years the wind has been used to power our love of sports, both literally and figuratively. Everything from simple kite-flying to sailing, wind-surfing, kite-surfing, hang-gliding, para-sailing, wind-skiing and more.

5) Wind-Powered Water Pumps: Using the wind to help pump water out of the ground is not something new. It is however a very helpful and sometimes much needed tool when it comes to some communities and countries. Tapping into the power of the wind makes sense, esp when it comes to the work needed to pump water.

Thankfully the wind is a resource that is abundant in many places across the globe. It is an alternative energy that is catching the eye of many, including Warren Buffett who has been investing BIG in wind power. His MidAmerican utility is reportedly the #1 utility in the U.S. in terms of wind power.

Even kids are getting involved in coming up with bright ideas and designs that allow us to tap into the power of the wind thanks to KidWind. I think I might have to make it to WindPower 2011 and check out what they have created.

You can learn a little more about KidWind here:

Needless to say, wind power is an alternative energy that has a wide variety of uses. It can be collected in many creative ways as well. Personally, I look forward to seeing what the next innovative use for harnessing the power of the wind will be. What do you think the next wind-powered marvel could be?

I’m sure you are wondering how an island can manage to cut their CO2 emissions in half.  Well, it started like this…just a few short years ago the residents of the Isle of Eigg did not have access to 24-hour power. They had to rely on producing their own power through diesel-powered generators, wood-burning, etc.

Image by kevinzim

However, since the Isle of Eigg is owned by it’s residents, they got together one day and decided they no longer wanted to be dependent on diesel and other not so environmentally-friendly forms of energy. That’s when they made the decision to switch over to renewable energy: wind, solar and hydro-electric to be specific.

By banning together, the residents on this 12 sq mile island were able to put together an island-wide energy program wherein each household would be able to pull from a “main grid” that collected its energy from the wind turbines, solar panels and hydro-electric generators set up on the island. Individual homes also received solar panels to power their water heaters. Their renewable energy grid went live February 2008.

Now, as expected with this renewable energy program, residents have had to become much more aware of their energy consumption. Each household is allocated a certain amount of energy and they are only allowed to use 5kw of energy at a time. So in order to keep track of how much energy they are using, each home uses a simple ‘owl meter‘. A great way, in my opinion, to really raise awareness on how much energy any home is using.

Image by L J Cunningham via Wikimedia

Because of the innovation and community initiative taken to make such a major change, this small Scottish island actually won a “Green Energy Oscar” for their use of renewable energy.

These days close to 95% of their energy (and hopefully soon to be 98%) comes from renewable energy sources. As a result of their switch to renewable energy, they also have managed to cut their CO2 emissions by nearly 50%.

Quite an accomplishment, don’t you think? It’s very refreshing to see a community join together and make renewable energy not only a reality but a feasible, sustainable way of life. The residents on the Isle of Eigg have become a shinning example of what the future of energy could become.

As for the rest of the world, it will take each of us demanding a change in order to bring about the kind of renewable energy revolution that people talk about. The Isle of Eigg’s Green Team Chairperson described it well,

“in a community-led scheme like ours, people have more responsibility to save energy, but if it’s led by the government, people just leave it to the authorities.”

Remember this though, there are many places around the world where people don’t have access to energy sources like you or I probably do. So please don’t take your energy for granted. Become aware of how much energy you use. Educate yourself on renewable energy options. Figure out where your home uses the most energy and find out how to cut down.

Basically, lower your energy dependence, cut down on your CO2 emissions and take advantage of renewable energy options accessible to you. Everyone could take a few pointers from the residents on the Isle of Eigg and start reaching for more renewable energy sources.

Welcome to this week’s Weekly Greens! Sorry I missed everyone last week, been a busy past few weeks, but thankfully it’s going along well. There are so many interesting and intriguing articles to choose from, these are just a few that caught my eye this week. I hope you enjoy reading them as well:

Image by Usce

1) Stop Pretending to be Rich!: This is a great one, especially in today’s world. So many people try to live beyond their means or try to appear they are better off, when there is really no reason to do so.

Image by NickStarr

Just live YOUR life. Be proud of your life…it is yours! Besides, think of all the fun things you can do without having to spend lots of money. Trust me, we do it all the time.

2) Empire State Building Gets Energy Retrofit: Saves Tons of CO2: It is estimated they will be able to save 105,00o tons of CO2 in the next 15 years. Additionally, payback on the investment required to do the retrofit is projected to be paid back in about 3 years.

Image by Jorbasa

3) Constellation Wines to Install Solar at Four Wineries in California: Being from California, I always love hearing about new solar and/or wind technology being put to use in California. Once installed the solar panels will be able to generate close to 100% of the wineries electricity needs.

Image by Renee Silverman

It seems like a very solar week this week. Here are a few other great solar stories that caught my eye: Third Installation for Denver Airport, The 8 Most Exciting Solar Projects in the U.S., Calif. solar plant, to be world’s largest, wins key approval, Santa Monica to Install Solar Power Systems at Nine Elementary Schools and of course this one, Obama Administration Refuses Carter White House Solar Panel.

4) How Do You Know Which Foods Are Genetically Modified?: Good question, isn’t it? Luckily not only is there an app for that, but today there are a few thousand grocery products that proudly carry the “Non-GMO” seal.

5) The Navy Calls for More Algae Fuel: The Navy has a goal of getting at least 50% of its fuel from renewable sources by the year 2020. Since they just ordered another 150,000 gallons of algae fuel, it looks like they are on their way.

Image by MSHennessy

6) Why our children need to get outside and engage with nature: As a mother of two, this one particularly hits home. I know when I was growing up, some of my fondest memories were of playing outside and interacting with nature. I want my kids to feel the same way. If given the chance kids love to explore, they love to learn and they love nature. Give them the chance.

Image by Max Z

So, that wraps up these Weekly Greens. I hope you enjoyed and were able to learn something new. Please don’t forget to share your blogs, posts, ideas and links for things you think should be part of the ‘Weekly Greens” (you can even include them as a comment here). I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend and remember to enjoy some time outdoors!

Every day you hear something about harmful emissions and the environment. However, what does that really mean to you and me? Does it mean we need to go “cold turkey” on emission-producing products? To be honest, probably not…considering that would be pretty hard to do.

Let’s take a look though at 10 different everyday things that produce emissions.

Electricity: Unless you’ve got solar, wind or some other form of alternative energy you use to power your home/business, then you are probably relying on your local utility. Most local utilities still use fuel-burning plants to produce their electricity.

The burning of those fuels is still one of the main contributing sources of CO2 emissions in the United States.

According to a study done back in 2004, the average person living in the Midwest was 20 times more likely to die from particle matter emissions from power plants than someone living in San Francisco. Over the last 6 years, I wonder how much those numbers have changed…if at all.

Vehicles: It is well known that vehicles contribute a large percentage of the CO2 emissions found in the U.S., especially in larger cities.

But, if you have a hybrid or electric vehicle, you are most likely someone who has decided to cut down on the harmful emissions caused by driving a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. For everyone else, if you want to cut down on those emissions you should drive less, use a proven fuel additive or check out other sources of transportation.

Other forms of general transportation: Yes, other forms of transportation such as buses, trains, planes, etc also produce emissions.

The volume of emissions of course depends on the transportation being used. But if you opt for the bus or train rather than driving your car to work, you are pretty much guaranteed to lower your transportation emissions.

Shipping Industry: Now of course cruise ships have their own emissions and the shipping industry is no stranger to CO2 emissions. Did you know that each ship has the potential of emitting over 150,000 tons of CO2 every year? One good thing is that the world’s largest container ship operator (Maersk) has recently announced their commitment to lower their CO2 emissions by 20% over the next 7 years.

Trucking Industry: The U.S. trucking industry alone is estimated to be more than 15 million trucks strong. One of the most heavily traveled areas for truckers in Southern California is the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The pollution, which you can often see blanketing the horizon, is due in part to the trucking/shipping industry.

In an effort to lower the emissions of trucks coming in and out of the port, the Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program was put in place. And apparently it has been very successful so far.

The Port of Los Angeles recently reported: “In its first year, the program reduced the rate of port truck emissions by an estimated 70 percent.”

Manufacturing: Aside from the plants which are there to produce electricity and energy, there are many plants used solely for manufacturing. Manufacturers of products such as steel, iron, cement, chemicals, etc. produce a large volume of emissions during the chemical process involved in making their product.

There are also petroleum based products manufactured, including those used in plastics, solvents and lubricants which can dissolve or wear out over time thus generating further emissions.

For those of you who are interested in a more in-depth report on not just manufacturing emissions, but trends in all greenhouse gas emissions, check out this 2010 draft report from the EPA.

Wood-Burning Stoves/Home Heating Oil: Anyone in a cold weather climate (and even some warmer ones as well, has probably used either a wood-burning stove or home heating oil to warm their home during the cold winter months. Both of these methods, while often considered “greener”, still produce emissions.

Now there is nothing quite like a wood-burning stove and during an especially cold winter, home heating oil is sometimes the only feasible option. But you might want to look into how to reduce your emissions and lower your home heating oil costs.

Animals: Well, it’s pretty common knowledge that most animals produce some form of emissions. Cows and dogs, in particular, have recently been singled out for their contribution to harmful emissions.

One study went so far as to say “a medium-size dog leaves a larger ecological footprint than an SUV“.

And did you know a single cow can produce up to 1000 litres of toxic gas each day?

But one positive note is that reports state you can lower those emissions by changing the animal’s diet. Don’t you think the same should hold true for humans as well?

Gardening/Farming Equipment powered by gasoline/diesel: Just as with the cars we drive, any gardening or farming equipment powered by gasoline/diesel is going to produce emissions.

Take this tractor for instance, it produces emissions every time it gets fired up. One cool note though, is that this tractor is hauling a manure spreader. So at least it’s taking the animal waste and putting it to good use. That doesn’t mean one necessarily cancels out the other, but it’s definitely a plus.

Basically, no matter where you live or where you go, there is some form of emission being produced. However that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to panic or try to immediately stop using anything that generates emissions, because that would be fruitless.

However, it is good to know what produces emissions, so you can be more aware of them and adjust your habits and uses accordingly. What everyday things do you use that produce emissions? And do you feel you need to lower your emissions? Why?

With more people becoming aware of their actual impact on the environment, we have begun to see major strides being taken by individuals, businesses, buildings and even governments to lower their environmental footprint. One of the ways to do that is net-zero energy buildings.

It’s not just about “going green” or getting LEED certification anymore (although I’d recommend both). These days, people want to get their homes and businesses completely off the grid. It’s about generating more energy than you need or use. Just like you need to burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight, same goes for energy conservation. Generate more renewable energy than your building uses and you’ll save money and break the unhealthy bond between you and your utility provider.

One great example of a net-zero energy building is the Boutique Hotel Stadthalle in Vienna, which features these as part of their self-sustaining charm:

• Its solar panel wall can heat up enough hot water for the entire hotel.
• Rainwater is collected on the roof and used to water the roof-top gardens and grounds, as well as being utilized to flush the toilets.
• Electricity is provided by a photovoltaic solar power plant and three wind turbines.
• Drinking water is vitalized by natural stones.

But I digress….what’s really exciting is the fact that the first net-zero energy public school is scheduled to open this year in Warren County, Kentucky.

The Warren County Public School System is no stranger to saving energy though. They received the 2009 Andromeda Star of Energy Efficiency Award for their ongoing commitment to reducing energy in their schools while at the same time educating their students on the benefits of energy efficiency. Their accomplishments included saving more than $4 million in energy savings over the prior 4 years, 28% reduction in energy usage, Energy Star ratings on fourteen buildings and more.

Now, in collaboration with CMTA, (a leader in engineering energy-efficient, green and highly sustainable buildings and schools) and the LEED Accredited Professionals from Sherman Carter Barnhart, Warren County is gearing up to have the first zero energy public school in the United States - Richardsville Elementary School.

Some of the key features in this zero energy public school include: insulated concrete form wall construction, geothermal HVAC with CO2 monitoring, daylighting through light shelves and Solatubes®, compact two-story design with reduced building volume, thin roof-adhered thin film photovoltaic system, energy-efficient lighting, reduced plug loads for computers, reduced energy use in the kitchen, solar water heating, bioswales, etc.

As you can see in this design, the school has been laid out so it can reap the most rewards from renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind. (School images courtesy of Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects)

With the renewable energy sources on site, Richardsville Elementary will produce enough energy every year to cover 100% of its estimated energy usage. Additionally, they expect the new building will reduce energy consumption by 75%.

But remember, this zero energy school isn’t just about the building, it’s about the students too. They want their students learning about how energy works, how to be more energy-efficient and more.

So…laptops are recharged in the “solar hallway” where students can actually see how much energy is being received from the solar panels. The “geothermal hallway” has colored pipes and temperature gauges. In the “water conservation hallway” students can see how much rainwater has been collected and used to flush toilets in the school’s restrooms. The “recycling hallway” shows students how they are doing at recycling around the school. They even have a weather station out on the patio, which they plan to incorporate into math and science studies.

It’s pretty cool when you think about it. I definitely look forward to seeing this net-zero energy public school once construction is completed and its on its way to being completely off the grid! If you are interested, you can follow the construction of the school via the Warren County Public Schools’ website.

Do you have a school near you, maybe your kids’ school, that is taking measures towards being more energy-efficient and working on educating its students on how to so the same? Contact your state school board, maybe there is a net-zero energy school on its way in your area.

Image from superbowlflorida.blogspot.com

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).

I understand lowering emissions is probably not on the top of your list this holiday, but there is no reason it couldn’t be or shouldn’t be factored in. There are many different ways you can lower emissions this holiday season and I’m not just talking about emissions from your vehicle either. Emissions come from many sources: vehicles, animals, people, factories, food production, etc.  You can make your holiday great while at the same time being aware of the emissions you are generating.

Now, you may be expecting to read tips or ideas that include not traveling, using less electricity, buying local, not using your dishwasher or washer/dryer as much, getting a live tree, not buying as much in general, etc.  Those are all valid tips, but I figured I’d narrow it down to give you just a few travel and a few personal tips to get you through the holidays.

So, if you plan to do any traveling in your vehicle over the holidays, these tips can help make sure your trip is not only a safe one, but a low emission one as well:

1) Get your tires rotated and tire pressure checked. 90% of tire blowouts are caused by under-inflated tires. Having properly inflated tires not only helps with fuel economy and lowering emissions, but helps ensure you and your family have a safer trip.  Here are a few more tire safety tips.

2) At the same time you get your tires rotated, you should get your oil changed and fluids checked/filled up. Regular maintenance done on your vehicle will help keep it running better and running longer.  By getting your oil changed regularly, you help prevent sludge and carbon buildup that could increase harmful exhaust emissions and potentially cause serious damage to your car.  Additionally, use of a proven fuel additive can further reduce harmful emissions and improve fuel economy.

While they may be simple steps, each one can help improve your vehicle’s fuel economy, lower your emissions and keep you and your family safe this holiday. Now onto a few tips for helping to lower your emissions on a more personal level:

1) Pass up the meat this holiday…instead of having your usual holiday meal, have something that doesn’t include meat.  One of the largest sources of methane emissions comes from animal agriculture.  If you do plan on having meat, go for ham (pork) or poultry.  Apparently they generate significantly less CO2 emissions in their production than beef.  One kg of beef generates about 13 kg of CO2…essentially the same amount generated from 6 liters of gasoline.

2) Don’t make too much food.  I know my family always tried to ensure they had enough food on the table during the holidays, but did you know that the “US per capita food waste has progressively increased by about 50% since 1974“?  That’s a lot of food going to waste and since emissions are generated not only in the production and preparation of the food, but also in the decomposition of any leftovers, that is definitely something worth factoring in.  It’s better to make a little less to ensure that everyone has enough without food going to waste.

I won’t get into any further ideas for lowering emissions that can result from the holiday season, as I figured these few should give you a good start.  Let’s be honest, nobody needs a huge list of things to do in addition to all their existing holiday preparations.  But if you follow these simple tips, they can contribute to a happy holiday for yourself and the environment.

There is so much talk these days about “going green” or “being green” for the holidays that some people may wonder how they could ever pull off a great holiday and still have it be environmentally-friendly.  Well, to be honest, it’s not as hard as you’d think.  Your holiday can be just as green as the next guy if you do it right.  Here are a few tips for making your holiday as memorable as ever…and green too!

1) Plan your holiday meal out ahead of time:  Planning your meal allows you the time to pick up fresh produce, fresh herbs and buy locally grown foods for your meal.  For example, rather than running out and buying some canned vegetables, get fresh ones.  Fresh corn tastes great, is good for you and looks just as appetizing (or in my opinion, better) on your holiday table as canned corn.

A fresh salad made with local produce looks great and tastes wonderful.  It doesn’t take much to get fresh instead of pre-packaged either.   If you are looking for high quality, without the high cost, I recommend local growers.

Then after your meal, be sure to package up any leftovers in re-usable containers and have your guests take them home.  Why waste food, right?

2) Get creative on your gifts:  You can give someone the gift of a tree that they can enjoy in their home over the holidays and then plant outside after the holidays.  You can give homemade food – many people love receiving the gift of a homemade meal or dessert.  Make your own gifts; my aunt makes ornaments every year and sends them to the entire family.  She makes them using old pieces of material/fabrics and bits and pieces of things she has around the house.  They are actually very creative and resourceful.  They don’t cost much to make and its one of my favorite holiday memories to be able to see what “new” ornament she sent so we could put it on the tree.

Now as far as the kids are concerned, these types of gifts might not cut it.  Like my kids, they probably want toys and the latest popular ones at that.  But, you can always do what we are doing this year.  I told my daughter that in order for her to get new toys for Christmas, we needed to go through her old toys and find the ones she didn’t use anymore.  Then we could donate her old toys to kids who didn’t have many toys or who wanted some like she had and then we would be able to get new toys.  She was very excited and wanted to ensure good kids got her old toys.

It’s a great solution for parents….cleans out the toys the kids don’t use anymore, gets them into the idea of giving and sharing with others and makes room for any new toys.   And remember their “new” toys don’t need to come from name-brand stores either.  There are many good toys to be found at discount stores and/or consignment stores that may not be 100% new but are clean and new to your kids.  So be smart when you do your holiday shopping.

3) If you are traveling for your holidays take steps to lower your CO2 emissions.  If you have to fly, have a shuttle service take you to the airport. If you are driving, see if you can car-pool with other family members and/or use a proven fuel additive to cut down on your emissions or even rent a zipcar for your trip.  Each of these could help lower your impact on the environment, while still ensuring you have a fun trip!

4) Remember to clean with natural cleaning products.  Especially if you are having family into your home, you’ll want to ensure it isn’t filled with chemical fumes and toxins.  Your home can be just as clean with natural home-made cleaners.  Besides they are usually cheaper and without the added chemicals.  Then fill up your home with the fresh smells of homemade cooking – you’re family will love it.

I could go on and on as I know there are many other “green” steps you could take but I wanted to give you just a few simple steps so you can see it doesn’t take much to make your holiday a little greener.  It may not be as green as it could be, but it’s a good place to start!  What are your tips for making your holiday greener?