In this day and age, finding ways to lower our environmental impact are front and center not only in the minds of individuals around the world, but at the state, federal and international level as well. In fact, actions are being taken across the globe to combat the impact we are having on the environment by improving sustainability worldwide.

One of the first steps designers, builders, home owners and others can take is to get educated on, and learn more about the sustainability options that are available. Sustainability comes in many shapes and sizes, so we can all take measures to improve our quality of life, make us less dependent on the finite resources the Earth offers, and make us more independent and self-reliant.

In order to provide a little inspiration for those who are interested in living a little more sustainably, here are some examples of creative sustainable homes:

1 – This first one is a zero-energy home designed by LivingHome and priced with a single couple or small family in mind. It is officially known as the C6, and a portion of the proceeds from each sale go towards supporting “Make It Right“. The best thing about it? The fact that it is easy to build and is “the first Energy Star certified production home with a LEED Platinum level environmental program” makes this home quite a winner. Here is a video of the installation of the Home Depot LivingHome C6 in Long Beach:

2 – This next sustainable living project is titled “Containers of Hope” and involves the use of 40-foot shipping containers to build affordable and sustainable homes. One of the many features that makes these homes sustainable is the incorporation of enough windows to allow the home to have a refreshing level of natural light and a connection to the great outdoors.

Image from benjamingarciasaxe.com

3 – This is one of my favorite ones. It comes from urban designer and architect, Mitchell Joachim, and it involves growing your own home rather than hiring a traditional contractor to build it. Just take a look at the video and you’ll see what I mean:

4 – This next one comes from Habitats Hawaii and is a cool example of sustainability in a small, comfortable and mobile fashion. With an outdoor shower and composting toilet, these types of homes may not suit everyone, but you do have to admit they are pretty cute.

5 – The “Freedom House” comes courtesy of a JMU Alum. This house is a much larger house than the previous one, however due to some key innovations it has been designed and build to be extremely efficient and free from the electric and water grids. Maybe add a living wall out back and you would be good to go.

6 – This next home was a finalist in the Queensland Premiers Climate Smart Awards of 2011. It comes from Wagtail Homes and is built to maximize solar energy, natural ventilation, energy efficiency, material selection and more. Each home is tailor-made to owner specifications and strives to be stylish, unique and most importantly, sustainable.

7 – Now, I know this is more than one home, but I read this article the other day and thought these green portable homes were just too cute to pass up. To me these seem to be designed with the traveling single or nature-loving couple in mind. Even someone who simply wanted a little change of pace could probably find at least one of these to fit their needs.

8 – This last one is from Silicon Valley. I see it as kind of a hybrid home. It has been touted as “The World’s Greenest Home” with all manner of sustainable features including solar panels, rainwater collection, natural and recycled building materials and much more. In addition, it has been fitted with a hi-tech control system geared to keep the entire house functioning smoothly and energy-efficiently.

Most people think about solar panels, rainwater harvesting, wind energy, urban gardening and more when they think about how to become more sustainable. There are, however, so many different ways homes can be made more sustainable. Homes can be built using energy-efficient bricks made from industrial waste, from home-grown mushroom bricks, from recycled materials, from natural materials like seaweed, with living walls and more.

When it comes to sustainability, the possibilities are endless. I personally look forward to seeing Damien Hirst’s plans to build 500 sustainable homes in Devon come to fruition. When it all comes down to it, the key is making the decision to take that first step away from dependency and closer to independence and sustainability.

Image by tanakawho / Creative Commons

Valentine’s Day is typically one of the most romantic days of the year. People all across the globe take time out of their day to honor, cherish and shower those they love with flowers, candy, gifts and romantic gestures. The question is, how can you do all of that with a little eco-friendly twist? Well, here you go…10 eco-friendly Valentine’s Day tips that can help you through not only Valentine’s Day, but any other time you feel like treating those you love to something nice.

1. Name something, or plant something, on behalf of the one you love. If you don’t want to buy a physical gift to give your loved one on Valentine’s Day, how about naming something on their behalf. You can name a star after them, plant a tree in their name, adopt a wild animal, donate to a non-profit, or if you want something a little more out of the ordinary, you can name a cockroach after the one you love. (Image: Casey Fleser / Creative Commons)

2. Want to exchange gifts? Go vintage. Rather than spending money on a brand new watch, necklace or pair of earrings, try going a little more classic and find something at a vintage clothing or thrift store. There are so many options available and you might as well “recycle” people’s treasures and make them into new treasures of your own, don’t you think?

3. Give a long-lasting plant instead of cut flowers. If you are thinking of giving your loved one a bouquet of flowers, how about opting for a long-lasting plant instead. There are so many flowering plants you can choose from including mini roses, orchids, hibiscus, even herbs are a great option. The bonus? They will last a lot longer than cut flowers, so your loved one will be able to enjoy them day after day. (Image: Jennifer Feuchter / Creative Commons)

4. For all you chocolate lovers, go divine, Divine Chocolate that is. Chocolate is one of the primary gifts associated with Valentine’s Day, so if you want to stick with traditional, then opt for fair trade. Divine Chocolate is one of the leading fair trade brands, with companies in both the UK and the U.S.

5. Make a Valentine’s dinner from scratch. We all know how crowded restaurants are on holidays such as Valentine’s Day. Why not skip the crowds this year and have a romantic meal at home. Weather permitting, you could even go out and have a picnic lunch. TreeHugger’s Green Wine Guide has a variety of recipes to choose from if you are not quite sure what to make.

6. Relax at home with some sexy valentine cocktails. Again, there is no reason to go out when you can make some tasty drinks right in the comfort of your own home. It saves money, saves time, there is no need to drive anywhere (unless it is too far to walk to your local store for supplies) and you get to test out your bartending skills. (Image: Lori L. Stalteri / Creative Commons)

7. Indulge in a few at-home spa treatments. Whether you want to pamper yourself before your date, or you want to set up a romantic at-home spa for just the two of you, here are some spa treatments you will want to check out.

8. Write your special someone a poem. It’s a lot more personal than going out and buying a card and it will let them know how you truly feel about them. To top it off, you can use recycled paper or even a piece of fabric (one that may have a particular meaning to you or them).

9. Take a hike. Rather than spending the day indoors, why not plan an outdoor activity with your friends or loved one, such as going on a hike. Going on a walk or hike is a nice way to spend time with someone. You can walk, talk, enjoy the beauty of nature around you, and breathe in a little fresh air. (NOTE: If you like it, you can make it a regular occurrence.)

10. Go camping. Last but not least, if you and your loved one want to have a quiet, yet romantic weekend away from home, go camping. It’s a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors and get some alone time in the bargain. Try to find places nearby though, the less traveling you have to do, the better. (Image: Adam Campbell / Creative Commons)

Whatever you decide to do for Valentine’s Day the key is to show your loved one how much you care. So if you are looking to celebrate, while having as little environmental impact as possible, I hope one (or more) of these eco-friendly tips will be able to help you have a wonderful and happy Valentine’s Day.

When it comes to living environments everyone seems to be looking for something different. Some need room for a large family. Others want to be close to work. Some want yards or swimming pools. Others are more concerned with living in a greener home and cutting down their environmental impact on the world around them.

Image by destination arctic circle

Regardless of what you are looking for in a home, here are 5 small, cool and green living environments you might enjoy checking out:

1) First there is the Earthbag home. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s the “Crazy Green Earthbag Home”. Designed by Lisa Majors and being built by Lisa and her husband Paul, the Earthbag home is green upon green. They are building it using tires, cans, bottles and other recycled materials. It does not have a wood frame, there is no central air, there is a water collection system built in to the design, the home will essentially heat itself…I could go on and on.

But take a look at this little video the Majors put together to give you an idea about how green their Earthbag home will be:

2) Next there is this cute little “shotgun shack” for a family of three. It’s 320 square feet, cost under $20,000 to build and it’s fully paid off. Yes, mortgage free! They had the home built to their needs, so it has what they wanted and needed to function as a family. If there is one thing anyone can take away from this particular home it’s that a key to green living is not having to have a lot of “stuff”.

3) Then there is this passive solar straw bale home built by a single mom about 10 years ago for around $50,000. It’s a green home and is extremely energy-efficient. Needless to say, a lot of work went into this home. Take a look at the process she went through and the terrific end results:

4) Next we have another example of a straw home. Anyone else getting a “Three Little Pigs” flashback here? But don’t worry, this particular home is as sturdy as they come and it’s an eco-friendly home to boot. It’s been painted with non-toxic paint, has solar panels on the roof to collect natural energy and much of the structure itself was put together using recycled or reclaimed materials.

5) Last, but not least by any stretch of the imagination is this Lego-style apartment. Talk about making the most of a small space. This apartment may seem scarce at first, but just wait until you see how this home transforms:

Of course there are many more examples of these types of homes out there, but the ones I mentioned above are just a few I thought were worth reviewing. Which is your favorite? Do you think you could live in one of these small, cool and green homes? Who says you have to live big to live happy?

The world continues to change on a daily basis from climate change, global warming or whatever you choose to call it. Some of those changes adversely affect our food and water supplies. Due to that fact, restaurants have often been singled out for their sometimes massive impact on the environment.

Thankfully many restaurants are now entering the world of green in order to lower their impact and help make a difference. What does that really mean though? How do restaurants go green and lower their environmental impact? What measures are restaurants taking? Here are a few examples who are lowering their impact on the environment:

1) Portage Bay Cafe in Seattle, WA works on the philosophy “Eat like you give a damn”. What does that mean? That means they care and want their customers to care about where their food comes from, what they put in their bodies, how their food is handled and/or raised, how it tastes and of course care about the environment.

2) In San Francisco there is Greens Restaurant. Its name pretty much hints about its environmentally-friendly measures. Located in a converted warehouse, most of the restaurant’s wide variety of wood has been reclaimed or recycled. They are a high-quality vegetarian restaurant with organic produce coming from a local farm less than 15 miles away.

3) Then there is Founding Farmers in D.C. To start with they have received LEED® Gold for their green building. On top of that, they have also been recognized as a Certified Green Restaurant™ by the Green Restaurant Association for the environmentally-friendly measures they have taken. Just take a look at this video to get an idea of what they are doing:

4) Fast food restaurant Click-fil-A is working on going green. They’ve actually made their newest “restaurant” a lab for environmental innovations so they can work on improving the sustainability of their restaurants. Their measures include building using recycled materials, including low-flow fixtures, rainwater collection, energy-efficient appliances, etc.

5) My last example, but definitely not least is a restaurant I recently had the privilege of visiting. It’s a local restaurant called the “Egg Plantation”. It’s the first certified green restaurant in Santa Clarita. Let me tell you, the fact that they are going green serves to not only lower their environmental impact but it has improved their image, quality of food and service as well.

Here are just a few of the steps they have taken to green their restaurant:

• All their take-out boxes are made from sugarcane materials instead of Styrofoam
• Their to-go cutlery is biodegradable
• They use 100% recycled napkins and hand towels
• Water is only served if a customer requests it
• All their eggs come from cage-free chickens
• They use non-toxic cleaning materials
• They use low-flow toilets
• They have a full scale recycling program in place
• They use Energy Star products
• They have sensors that monitor lights
• Their kitchen floors are made from recycled plastic
• Even their t-shirts are made from sustainable materials.

Additionally, Egg Plantation has already earned a Two-Star Certified Green Restaurant® seal and are working on additional steps to eventually reach the three- and four-star certification. Here’s what they’ve done so far.

So, congratulations to Simon and the Egg Plantation! I appreciate your actions and efforts. I also love your food and will definitely be back! Here’s to hoping more restaurants will follow in your green footsteps. (TIP: If anyone is in the area, get over to the Egg Plantation…you won’t regret it.)

NOTE:  For those of you who happen to be in, or would like to get in the restaurant business, here are 10 ways to build a green, eco-friendly restaurant. Additionally, here are some food service waste reduction tips and ideas.

Now on an individual level, growing and preparing a lot of your own food helps to cut down on your personal environmental impact as well. Even getting fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers or farmers markets help. But when you do go out to eat, try to find green restaurants. To help locate green restaurants near you, check out the Green Restaurant Association’s website. I know I definitely added a few new restaurants to my list.

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).

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!