Most people have a certain vehicle in mind, or at least an idea of what they are looking for, before they go car shopping. In fact, many people already have the make and model picked out before they even step foot on the lot. But who is to say that particular vehicle is going to be what they really need and want? Who is to say that vehicle was made with their particular needs in mind? Does it have eco-friendly features and technology designed to assist them on the road to fuel efficiency? Well, that’s where four moms from GM come in with the Malibu Eco.

Never before has a vehicle like the Malibu Eco been designed from the get-go, not only based on what the company feels the consumer is looking for, but with direct insight, input and hands-on engineering expertise from real-life moms. With safety, comfort, eAssist technology, fuel-efficiency and the peaceful quietness that all moms long for, the Malibu Eco is a truly joint effort on behalf of moms (and dads) everywhere.

First let me cover just a few of the features of the new eco-friendly Malibu Eco:

• eAssist technology which aids in increasing fuel efficiency by cutting off fuel to the engine during deceleration,
• a regenerative lithium-oin battery pack recharges when the vehicle brakes and powers the vehicle during stops,
• the battery then starts the vehicle’s engine when accelerating from a stop,
• the energy from the battery also provides a boost to the engine in order to increase fuel economy,
• the entire exterior of the vehicle is designed to deflect the wind and thus increase the vehicle aerodynamic capabilities,
• there is an eco-efficiency gauge so you can tell how well you are doing on staying “green”,
• an electric auto stop indicator lets you know when the vehicle is running on the battery during the stop/start mode and more.

Although the Malibu Eco is not 100% electric, with the technologies it incorporates, it allows owners to travel approximately 580 highway miles between fill-ups, despite having only a 15.8-gallon fuel tank. That’s close to 37 mpg, not too shabby for a combustion engine. I’d even add a little Green Plus® to further assist in decreasing my harmful emissions and increasing my fuel economy.

Now let’s get to the four moms, in particular, who have had a direct hand in bringing the new Malibu Eco to life:

First we’ll start with rocket scientist, Aerodynamic Development Lead Engineer, and roller derby skater Suzanne Cody. Suzanne is one of GM’s aerodynamic engineers and, just as importantly, she is a mother of two. While Suzanne has worked on a number of GM vehicles, she had an intrinsic role in directly shaping and forming the Malibu Eco in order to reduce wind drag and increase fuel efficiency. Her chosen field and desire to make sure the Malibu Eco is exactly what moms (and dads) alike are looking for is what drove her to combine her passions to bring the Eco to a whole new level.

Next comes Kara Gordon, mother of two and Noise and Vibration Performance Development Engineer. Kara brought a unique feature to the Malibu Eco in the fact that she brought the gift of silence. Although having two young sons doesn’t necessarily bode quiet, Kara did a tremendous job of incorporating the calmness of her daily yoga routine and the peacefulness of her organic garden into the Malibu Eco. She went to extremes to identify then eliminate the wind, tire, road and other vehicle noises in order to make the Malibu Eco one of the quietest vehicles ever.

Now we come to Julie Kleinert, mother of four, grandmother of two and the North American Child Safety Technical Lead for the new Malibu Eco. As you can imagine, Julie has one of the most important roles at GM, and in particular with the Eco. She is in charge of integrating key vehicle safety technology into the vehicle in order to make it safer for children. As a parent, I value her work tremendously, because I know there is nothing more important to me than the health and happiness of my two kids. That is why I’m glad Julie is on the job. She has authored three technical papers and has an industry-first patent for a safety technology currently under review. She has also co-authored two technical papers comparing real-world crash conditions with those in manufacturer crash tests. Needless to say, she has really made a difference in the industry and specifically with the Malibu Eco.

Last but definitely not least is Tracy Mack-Askew, international traveler, mother of two and the Vehicle Line Manager on the global platform for the Malibu Eco. Tracy has worked at GM for 13+ years and has played a role as a design engineer, mechanical engineer and harmony engineer for a number of GM vehicles. On the Malibu Eco she was fully responsible for bringing engineering and manufacturing together to see to the end product available today.

With their combined skills, hard work, dedication and commitment these four women have truly shaped the future of GM and the Malibu Eco.

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 Atli Haroarson / Creative Commons

For 42 years Earth Days have come and gone. What makes this one any different? To start, today there are more than 22,000 Earth Day Network partners in 192 countries participating in the Earth Day mobilization movement. In addition, more than 1 billion people around the world will be taking part in this year’s Earth Day activities and events.

All in all, Earth Day is a great way for the people of earth to join together in a common purpose to “help Mobilize the Earth™”. It is one day when “People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection.”

I, for one, am all behind doing that because I truly enjoy certain aspects of this planet and I want my children and their children to be able to enjoy them too. Unfortunately, after Earth Day is over, many people are going to go right back to their “normal” non environmentally-friendly habits and routines.

There are a few actions, here and there, that will seep in. Actions that people will take home with them. One of the simplest things EVERY person on the planet can do though, is to pledge to do an act of green. I don’t mean you should make a one time pledge, but rather a pledge to do an act of green that you can continue to do each and every day throughout the year. Here are some examples of pledges you can make this Earth Day:

• Reduce your food waste. (Tip: It all starts with planning)
• Plant and maintain a vegetable or herb garden.
• Plant a tree.
• Set your thermostat to save on energy costs associated with running your air conditioning (recommended is 78 when you’re at home and 85 when you are away).
• Save water. Try these 10 simple ways to conserve water.
• Make more fresh, local and organic meals at home.
• Go for a walk every day.
• Help keep your park and neighborhood clean.
• Donate your unused clothes and household items.
• Carpool or take public transportation at least once a week.
• Switch to natural cleaning supplies to clean your home.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Here are a few more energy-saving tips that will also help you get through Spring and into Summer. (I know it feels like Summer here already.)

It all starts with making one simple pledge, one simple change in your life and lifestyle. Then this time next year you’ll be a lot further along and you’ll probably find your simple “act of green” has become the new normal.

Almost 993,000,000 people have pledged to do an act of green this Earth Day. What act of green are you pledging to do this Earth Day and beyond?

Image by Joe McCarthy / Creative Commons

St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays where it doesn’t really seem to matter whether you are of true Irish decent or not. People from all across the globe love to join in the celebration when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day. Of course there are people who have their Irish traditions, handed down from generation to generation, while there are others who are fully content to go hopping from bar to bar in search of the greenest beer in town.

In order to give you a little head start on your holiday plans, and to instill a bit of the Irish spirit in you, here are a few green St. Patrick’s Day traditions:

1) Drinking green beer. Although Guinness beers are not commonly dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day, mostly because their dark color doesn’t allow the green dye to show through, Guinness does have a fairly “green” beer in that their Guinness Extra Stout – North America is vegan-friendly. That makes it a nice addition to one of your St. Patrick’s Day meals.

Image by Lynn Fennell / Creative Commons

2) Planting shamrocks. One of the more traditional symbols of St. Patrick’s Day is the shamrock. Legend has it that St. Patrick used to use the shamrock, also known as a clover, in illustrating The Holy Trinity. Today the Irish, and many others around the world, consider the shamrock (especially the four-leaf clover version) to be a symbol of good luck.

3) Eating your greens. Bacon (nowadays corned beef) and cabbage is a tasty Irish meal that is often served on St. Patrick’s Day. If you haven’t eaten it yourself, I’m sure you know of someone who has has eaten it. For those meat-lovers, it is a great way to combine meats with your greens and have a relatively well-balanced meal. For those of you who would rather have a vegetarian or vegan option, here are 10 Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes for St. Patrick’s Day.

4) Last but definitely NOT least, getting outdoors. People love an excuse to celebrate and if you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, regardless of whether or not you are Irish, what better place to do it than outdoors? The backyard, a local park, the beach, a campground, or another outdoor destination of your choice.

Image by Nina Matthews / Creative Commons

Whatever you decide to do, I hope your day is filled with green from morning to night. Here’s to a happy and truly green St. Patrick’s Day!

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 Triple Tri / Creative Commons

The big game is almost here and if you are any kind of football fan you’ve probably already figured out who you are watching the game with, where you are going to watch it, what you are eating and most importantly which team you want to win. With all of that figured out, I wanted to give you a few friendly tips to help lower your environmental footprint just a bit. Don’t worry, they are easy to do and won’t cramp your style. You game?

First of all, many people are planning on attending parties, get-togethers or gathering at a local bar/restaurant in order to watch the game. Needless to say, there is going to be a lot of food at most of these places. You will probably have your choice of tasty snacks, drinks and other foods.

Image via Netta S on Pinterest via Facebook.com

That being said, it is important not only to not eat too much, but to not waste food either. Take a look at some of these shocking facts about how much food we waste. My tip is to a) make less, b) send friends home with leftovers so they don’t go to waste, c) compost any other left over food, and d) recycle all bottles and cans.

If you are the host of a game day party, or if you are going to a “potluck” party, then here are some organic recipes that may help you out. I know we all have our favorite, go-to snacks, but there is no need to indulge in 100% fatty foods when you can add in some fresh, yummy, organic alternatives. Feast away!

Now, you may not be aware of this, but for the last 18 years the NFL has been taking steps to “green” the Super Bowl, and this year is no different. Green Mountain Energy Company is going to be the company supplying 15,000 megawatt hours of “renewable energy certificates” designed to help offset some of the electricity (and resultant greenhouse gas emissions) that will be used at seven of the primary NFL venues on game day.

If the NFL can do it, so can you. My first tip is to to carpool wherever you are going. Second, if you don’t have plans for the game, make them – 10 people in one room will use a lot less electricity than those same 10 people being in 10 different rooms watching the game. Third, if you’re planning a big get-together, you and your guests can choose whichever Green Mountain offset product best suits your needs and take steps to offset your environmental footprint for the entire day.

Ditch the disposables. Instead of going out and getting plastic forks, knives, spoons, plates and cups, my tip is to ask all your guests to bring their own. Trust me, it’s not that hard. Besides, if someone forgets, you can also have some reusable supplies on hand to help them out.

Well, that about covers it for now. If you have any other helpful tips, please feel free to drop a comment and share the wealth. For those of you who missed it, here was last year’s green facts and figures surrounding the Super Bowl. Here’s hoping you have a great and biofriendly weekend. Enjoy the game!

Image by Ben / Creative Commons

People are constantly talking about “going green” or being more environmentally-friendly, but what does that really mean? Does it mean you have to change the entire way you live your life? Should you get rid of everything from your cleaning supplies to your car in order to lessen your environmental footprint? Well, in actuality no, you don’t need to do that.

People shy away from adding “green” actions into their daily lives for a variety of reasons. Some think it takes too much time, others think it will cost more money, and other people believe there is no real reason to change because what they do doesn’t really matter. The thing is, what you do does matter. Even the little things add up quickly. And no…before you start grumbling, you don’t need to move mountains or go to some crazy extreme in order to make a change.

Start with implementing these 7 ways to green your everyday routine, and then go from there. How far you go is your decision. What kind of an impact you want to make is up to you.

1. Waste not, want not. Buying in bulk may work for some families, but it doesn’t work for everyone. How many times have you purchased food at the store to only have it later go bad in your fridge leaving you with “nothing” left to eat? Or you make a large meal and end up tossing part of it because your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

An easy way to prevent this is to plan ahead. Plan your meals, work out your recipes and buy only what you need. Europe is taking a stand on food waste. In fact, Parliament recently called upon the European Commission to take measures in order to cut food waste in half by the year 2025.

2. If you can’t buy eco, at least buy well-made. Not everyone wants to buy eco or organic, even if they do they may not be able to afford buying the “green” items they need. In cases like that it is best to buy well-made. Buy items that will last for years and years to come, not disposable items that have to constantly be replaced.

Image by Joshua Hoffman / Creative Commons

3. Toss your work waste out the window. Not literally, of course. What I mean is while you are at work, take a look at some of your daily routines. Becoming aware of what you do day to day will allow you to see what wasteful actions you can remove from your routine. Do you print documents only to then toss them because you no longer need them? Do you buy bottled water rather than filling up your cup or mug at the water cooler? Do you leave your computer on at night? Do you turn off the lights when leaving a room? All of these things add up.

4. Walk away from your problems. Now this I mean literally. If you are feeling down, maybe a little blue or your having trouble resolving an issue at work or home, go for a walk. Going for a walk can help you clear your mind, allow you to get some time outdoors, add a little exercise into your day, and to top if off, you may just find yourself relaxed enough to be able to resolve those issues.

5. Cut down on water waste. Admit it, wasting water is something most of us do without even thinking about it. You turn on the water to brush your teeth, wash a dish, water the plants, etc. and all of a sudden you notice the faucet has been running a lot longer than it really needed to be.

The easiest way to cut down on water waste is to be aware of your actions. Turn on the water, use what you need, turn it off. Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine half-full. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Take shorter showers. Don’t leave your sprinklers running on rainy days. A bonus for cutting down on water waste is you’ll probably notice a drop in your water bill too.

Image by Diego Torres Silvestre / Creative Commons

6. Fresh air is your friend. Many people spend the majority of their day indoors. Indoor air pollution is a big problem. You may not know how it affects you, but indoor air pollution is often worse than outdoor air pollution. One of the simplest ways to lower indoor air pollution is to air out your home by leaving your windows open at least once a day. Here are a few more ways to reduce indoor air pollution.

7. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Okay, that is really three things, but they really go together. One of the most basic ways to green your everyday routine is by taking a look at your regular actions and determining how you can either reduce, reuse or recycle. How can you reduce your vehicle emissions? How can you reuse that material you are about to throw away? What can you recycle?

When it all comes down to it, many of us have “green” actions built into our daily routines right now. Take some time and see how you can make your daily routine a little greener. Then let me know – I’d love to hear what you are doing to green your everyday routine!

Image by Charles Cook / Creative Commons

With Google recently investing a hundred million dollars into the world’s largest wind farm, alternative energies continue to be a hot topic amongst environmentalists, businesses, corporations, governments and investors alike. Opting for a greener, more environmentally-friendly method of powering our world is something many people are actually beginning to take seriously.

Wind and solar power are two of the front-runners when it comes to alternative energy, although there are a variety of other energy sources which could prove viable. Each major source of alternative energy has not gone without its critics however, and freak accidents such as this tend to inspire people to look for safer and greener options:

Incidents like this should not discourage people from seeking out wind energy collection systems which can prove, and in some instances have proven, to be safe and environmentally-friendly. Here are a few examples where wind energy collection goes far beyond the traditional turbine:

The first is a design which was done for the Solar Parks Works – Solar Highway Competition. It is a bridge aptly titled the “Solar Wind“. The bridge consists of a solar roadway on top, for the cars to travel across, and a selection of 26 different sized turbines below, which also serve to decorate the lower portion of the bridge. This combination bridge is estimated to be able to produce enough electricity to power 15,000 homes a year.

Image from the Solar Park South Online Competition

This next wind turbine design recently won a CleanTech Open sustainability award. “Invelox” is a truly non-traditional turbine which has the appearance of a gigantic phonograph, and with its velocity increasing features, can produce 3x the power of a traditional turbine. It also has the capability to capture wind when the speeds are as slow as 2mph.

This next is an interesting idea centered around the idea of getting further off the ground in order to tap into the constant flow of the wind. Although I’m not completely sold on this particular wind energy collection system, you have to admit, it is an innovative idea.

The Gullwing Twin Wind Towers are a creative idea to combine wind collection within the structure of a building. Instead of requiring a large, empty space to place tall turbines out in the open air, the turbines are fitted to the outside of the building. Placed on circular guides, which are then moved by the strength of the wind, these turbines can then power the buildings they encircle.

Image from Giacomo Sanna’s Portfolio

The world’s first official wind tower comes from ZENA System, however. It doesn’t surround an office or residential building, but it does allow the power of the wind to be captured from any direction. Some of its key features are:

• It is a 360-degree hexagon that can capture the wind from any direction,
• It is relatively easy to maintain, thus lowers maintenance costs,
• It is 2.5x more efficient than a standard turbine, and
• It is a safe and flexible alternative energy storage system.

Image from ZENA System Co., LTD

In terms of a personal wind turbine design, this particular turbine is good for both rural and urban settings. The fact that it is relatively quiet is no longer a bonus, but a must in this day and age.

This is something I’d like to see, a solar-wind hybrid turbine. Why simply harvest wind energy when you can harvest solar energy at the same time? It is also easy to clean and maintain. Sounds like something we should see a lot of, don’t you agree?

Here is another extremely innovative wind collection system in that it not only collects wind energy and solar energy, but hydro energy as well. A trifecta if you will. Designed by JMDesign, the Skydrain is “an energy collection product that is focused on providing clean renewable energy to the existing sprawl condition and other urban sites“.

Image from JMDesign

The ideas and designs shown here go to show that the ability to come up with innovative collection methods for wind energy has gone far beyond the traditional turbine. The options are limitless. As the world leans more and more towards alternative energy sources, wind energy can and more than likely will, play a key role in our future.

Image by Creativity103 / Creative Commons

The year is coming to a close and while some people may be fearful of making New Year’s resolutions, because they rarely keep them, here are 10 resolutions you’ll probably find pretty easy to keep. The key is to keep this in mind: go small and go simple.

I think it is important to make resolutions you can include in your daily routine. Whether your resolution is to recycle your water bottle, switch to using reusable bottles, or turn off the water when you brush your teeth, just pick one small, simple action per day. These little actions will add up throughout the year until you’ve actually made some fairly significant and smart, green changes in your life.

1. Smile. Once every day, for no reason at all, smile. Even laugh a little if you feel like, and definitely if you don’t feel like it. You will find a smile or laugh will brighten your day and your mood. Try it, it really does work.

2. Unplug. I don’t just mean at the end of the day. I mean at various times throughout the day. Whether it’s deciding to unplug while you enjoy your lunch break, unplug while you take a quick walk, unplug while you run to the grocery store, or whatever. The key is to get unplugged. Yes we live in a technology-driven society, but that doesn’t mean your electronic devices need to define who you are and what you do.

3. Grow something of your own. I mean grow some vegetables, or maybe a few herbs to add some new flavors to your food. If you think you have nowhere to grow anything or don’t know how, check out UrbanOrganicGardner.com. My friend Mike has some wonderful tips and ideas, stemming from his personal experiences, for growing food right on your balcony.

4. Even if you are not a vegetarian, nor have any desire to become one, try skipping meat at least one day a week. Opt for another type of protein. It’s a relatively simple thing to do and if you need some good recipes, I recommend the recipes at Green Wine Guide. Jerry can take almost any food and make it look and taste good.

5. Cut down on your water waste. This one has many facets. You can turn off the water when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, use bathtub water to water plants, put your lawn sprinklers on timers (or opt for native plants instead of a lawn), only wash dishes with a full dishwasher, only run your washing machine with a full load, use a waterless car wash and more. You simply need to act.

6. Be a smarter consumer. Whether this applies to food, goods, materials, clothes or whatever, the idea is to buy only those items which you and your family will truly use. If you don’t need to buy a bulk package of carrots, don’t. Be honest with yourself and figure out which items you tend to let go to waste, then make a change to become a smarter consumer. I’ll bet you notice your costs will go down and the amount you throw away will go down too.

7. Go outside. I say this a lot and I really mean it. Every day resolve to go outside, look around and soak in the beauty of nature around you. Not only will the light of day do you some good, but you might find you like it and then you’ll spend even more time outdoors.

8. Ditch the car. Wait…before you start ranting about how you cannot do that, all I’m talking about here is ditching your car for one day a week. Try going car-less at least once a week and see how you like it. Walk, ride your bike, jog, take public transportation, whatever will get you where you need to go without driving your car.

As an added bonus, for those of you who are interested, Biofriendly Corporation has a proven fuel additive that can help you lower emissions while improving your fuel economy (on those days you do drive).

9. Throughout the year, take any good deed another does for you and pay it forward instead of backward. Do a selfless act for someone else. Not because it would be cool, or because you expect to get something in return, but because it’s a good thing to do. Can you imagine all the good will if we all took steps to pay it forward? If you need help, here are 3 Eco-Friendly Ways to Pay it Forward.

10. Last but not least, as my friends at EcoSalon put it so well, “Hope Less. Realize more.” This one is pretty simple when you think about it. Stop hoping things will happen and take responsibility for making them happen. This is probably one of the most basic resolutions anyone can make.

There are many green New Year’s resolutions you can and probably will make today, tomorrow and throughout the year. I say, if you’re going to make them, make them simple so you can actually get them done. Wishing you and yours a truly happy and biofriendly New Year!

Image by asenat29 / Creative Commons

Now that Christmas is over and many people have completed their inventory of the gifts and presents they received, it is time to discuss returns. If you are like most people you have probably already returned some of those gifts you either have no use for or don’t really want. However, there are other ways to “return” your gifts too.

Well, I guess technically I shouldn’t say return. Let me go over a smart green way to exchange those presents you don’t really want or need: trade them. Trade them with someone who has something you want, or trade them with someone who wants something you have.

It is kind of like the gift exchanges done in many businesses and companies these days, where each person gets to pick a wrapped gift, then once you open it you can either choose to keep the gift or take someone else’s unwrapped gift and give them yours.

Image by waferboard / Creative Commons

Whether you trade with friends, family, neighbors or via a trading website like Craigslist or any of these barter sites, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you find a way to breathe new life into an item that would otherwise be discarded or left unused.

Having a garage sale or taking your items to a consignment store could work as well, but in many cases it takes a lot more effort than you may want to invest. Of course anything is better than simply throwing the gift away.

Image by Bob n’ Renee / Creative Commons

If you are determined you don’t want the gift, and that you don’t know of anyone else who does, why not donate it? It is one less thing that goes into the local landfill and one more thing that is available for someone else to use and enjoy.

After the holidays, and throughout the entire year, anytime you want to acquire something ‘new’, take a few minutes and find out if there is anything you can trade. It is a green and relatively simple way to get the things you want and get rid of the things you don’t, without anything making its way to the landfill. Sounds like a win-win to me!