Archives for September 2012

Your iPhone Case – Cradle to Grave

by

If you have an iphone, we all want a cool case that reflects who we are. The types of cases are endless, from Hello Kitty, to sports teams, to rhinestone bling. Most of these, however, are made from plastic (which will be in landfills for hundreds of years) and it’s pretty hard to find one that isn’t. However, I did find this Incipio ECO Case through AT&T (http://www.amazon.com/Incipio-ECO-case-iPhone-3GS/dp/B001AV35RS) which is made of a sturdy canvas, and I also found several made from bamboo wood.  The more we demand products that are eco-friendly the more available they will become. And always be sure to recycle your cell phone itself which may contain heavy metals—some Whole Foods have recycling containers for used phones, and your local town may also have e-waste pickup.

Look what I Found at Staples!

by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last time, I was excited to report about some earth-friendly products I found at Target. Now I have an equally exciting find in Staples, the office megastore: Scotch tape made from recycled plastic! This is so cool, and makes perfect sense- why use brand new plastic for something that most likely will just be thrown out or stick behind a picture? (Cost= $3).

Also found scissors by Westcott with handles made from 70% recycled plastic (Cost=$7), AND “Ecolutions” white out, by Bic, that is water based as opposed to solvent based. This means lower VOCs- volatile organic compounds, and therefore lower odor than regular correction fluid. (Cost = $4 for 2; See biecolutions.com).

Pretty exciting to see these products available at all, but especially in such a large office supply chain! Though it may cost a bit more, if we can afford it, it is worth paying slightly extra to support efforts companies are making to reduce our overall impact on the planet.

The Green side of the Golden Gate City

by

Clary Sage Organics
Earthsake
Muir Woods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my recent trip to San Francisco, I visited some shining examples of the area’s trademark eco-friendliness. At Earthsake (www.earthsake.com) in Berkeley, I was able to order a great quality organic cotton mattress, that does not contain toxic fire retardants. They offer natural latex mattresses, bedroom furniture, and organic cotton linens for both adult bedrooms and kids’ rooms.

After dining at the vegan restaurant Greens in Fort Mason (www.greensrestaurant.com), with a lovely view of the famed red bridge, I headed to Clary Sage Organics (www.clarysageorganics.com). There I encountered a full array of unique organic cotton and sustainably made clothing, some bearing the store’s own label. The owner, Patti, has been highly committed to promoting sustainable clothing for years, and the store also features wellness formulas and body care products, for natural beauty inside and out.

San Fran city has also made efforts to help dry cleaners to switch to less toxic cleaning methods, and has committed to providing 100% of the city’s energy needs with renewables by 2020. Of course not forgetting the magnificent Muir Woods nearby with its stand of gigantic sequoia trees, the City by the Bay is a treehugger’s dream.

Repost from Climate Reality Blog: 100% Renewables Now!!

by

Happy to have contributed to the Climate Reality Blog, on a report released by the organization I work for, Renewable Energy Long Island.

100% Renewable — 100% Doable

09/10/2012 // 2:00 PM //

Source: Renewable Energy Long Island

 

This is a guest post by Beth Fiteni, Program Manager at Renewable Energy Long Island.When Al Gore challenged the nation in his famous 2008 speech to achieve 100% renewable electricity within 10 years, Gordian Raacke listened. As a Climate Reality Leader and executive director of the advocacy groupRenewable Energy Long Island (reLI), Gordian was already powering 100% of his home with solar energy. But he didn’t want to stop there.

He picked up on Mr. Gore’s challenge and wondered whether Long Island could meet the electricity needs of its 3 million people with renewable energy technologies available today. With funding from two foundations and supported by a coalition of organizations including national groups like 350.org, reLI hired Synapse Energy Economics to get some expert answers.

The result is the Long Island Clean Electricity Vision, which found that by 2020 it is possible to meet 100% of Long Island’s residential electricity needs from renewables, and by 2030 to have a 100% renewable, zero-carbon electricity supply. The study finds the cost to be modest: Average customer bills are estimated to increase by roughly 8-12%. On a typical household’s monthly utility bill, this amounts to between $12 and $18, or the price of a pizza. [Read more…] about Repost from Climate Reality Blog: 100% Renewables Now!!