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It’s Not All of CO2′s Fault

January 9, 2012 By

Note that the keyword here is “all”. CO2 is still very much a guilty party in contributing to deterioration of the ozone layer, but researchers have found two new solutions when it comes to reducing global warming — and to saving lives in the process.

Soot and methane are huge factors of pollution, and their reduction can offer more quick reduction of global warming. Methane comes from landfills, farms (and especially from mass amounts of animals in factory farms), drilling for natural gas, and coal mining. Soot, a byproduct of burning things, is a big problem with rudimentary cook stoves and in some diesel fuels worldwide. Soot also is a big health problem, so dramatically cutting it with existing technology would save between 700,000 and 4.7 million lives each year, according to lead scientists conducting the research. Since soot causes rainfall patterns to shift, reducing it would cut down on droughts in southern Europe and parts of Africa and ease monsoon problems in Asia.

Many methods – including capturing methane from landfills and coal mines, cleaning up cook stoves and diesel engines, and changing agriculture techniques for rice paddies and manure collection – are being used efficiently in many places, but reports from NASA indicate that these practices aren’t being universally adopted. This is where I rely on you guys to help me spread the word about this issue.

PS: shifting the pollution focus doesn’t mean that we’d be ignoring the CO2 issue; we need to start implementing ways to fix this growing problem as soon as possible. Splitting our attention in order to reduce methane and soot isn’t the be-all, end-all when it comes to solving climate change, air pollution, and issues like  hunger, but cutting down these pollutants can help to solve all three. And any attempts are better than none, especially with our planet at stake.

Filed Under: Around the World, Green Girls Blog, Green Stuff, Household

Eco-Manners 101

January 8, 2012 By

I’ve already told you about the issue of Americans’ increasing obesity with respect to fuel efficiency, but I’ve found two more reasons to give Mother Nature a break and to want to become slimmer:

- Larger mass per person means that airlines burn more fuel to fly  you places. And I’m not just talking a little — it’ll mean burning 350 million additional gallons of gasoline (that’s 3.8 millions tons of carbon dioxide) per year, just due to all of the extra fat, according to UK publication The Guardian.

- USA Today reports that due to the higher food and fuel demands of these overweight people, 1 billion extra metric tons of carbon emissions from all overweight and obese people in the world are produced per year. Not over the course of a lifetime — over the course of a YEAR.

I, for one, was repulsed before, but this new information disgusts me. I hope that this makes you gag when you even think about going to the drive-thru again (or at least this month, if you’re so dependent on the darn things).

With two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, according to the NIH, I wish that I could tell you that these numbers will be declining in the coming years… but as long as people keep shoving their faces with fast food and neglecting the food pyramid, this number will rise in the coming years (experts, as quoted from ABC news reports, say that by 2015, three-fourths of Americans will instead fit this description). Oh, and this trend doesn’t just apply to the US; citizens of many other countries worldwide are experiencing similar, um, gains. Looks like most of you need to drop the Ben and Jerry’s and pick up some Horton (aka, P90X). If you’re offended, I’m not sorry; in fact, you’re the one offending me for not showing Mother Nature better etiquette if you don’t even try.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog, Household

In Case You’ve Blown Through Your 2012 Resolutions

January 7, 2012 By

Yep, I have more green resolutions for 2012 for you. Think of it as me giving you encouragement after the other resolutions of yours didn’t pan out.

1) Replace at least one grocery item with a local or organic one.

2) Install a programmable thermostat to regulate how much heat/AC you pump into your rooms. Fun fact: reducing your heat – or turning up your AC temperature – by just two degrees will not only save you money in as little as a month, but for CO2 reduction of emissions, you’ll be doing the equivalent of taking dozens of cars off of the road.

3) Go vegetarian for just one meal a week — doing so will save 35 pounds of meat a year, which translates to 84,000 gallons of water, 245 pounds of grain, and 15.5 gallons of gasoline saved. Giving up your grizzly chicken wings will be beyond worth it.

4) Replace single-use batteries (especially those in your camera) with rechargable ones. You’ll save other batteries from being tossed in landfills, causing toxic pollution.

5) Make the switch to CFLs or LEDs (from incandescents). Seriously — do it already. You save too much money and energy in the long run to not.

6) Clean out your garage of toxic waste like paint cans and motor oil containers. No chick will dig a toxic man cave, which is likely where your lair has been forced to reside.

7) Download Earth911′s free iRecycle app for iPhone or Android — it tells you about collection points for specific materials (like toxic waste, aka batteries, and for electronic equipment), among other perks.

8) Start at least one DIY reuse project. turn an old pair of jeans into a cute tote, make a quilt out of your old high school shirts. You’re on your own when it comes to making a DIY out of your empty beer bottles or old Madden video games.

9) Start composting. Get a compost bin, and turn your garden into earth’s natural form of recycling (which means gratis fertilizer for you green-thumbs).

10) Hypermile — aka, use better driving practices to maximize your car’s MPG — or use public transportation. Or, you could be daring and actually walk/bike places. Talk about a shocker. In case you don’t know how to, or in case your car doesn’t have a feature to tell you how to hypermile yourself, learn how to hypermile here.

2012 doesn’t judge, but it does love it when you make more than one resolution, so have at it. Make me proud, guys.

Filed Under: Automotive, Gardening, Green Basics, Green Girls Blog, Green Stuff, Recycling

Say Goodbye to Snow

January 6, 2012 By

Recently, people have been hating on the west coast (ahem, California, in particular) for normally being much warmer than other states during the winter. Hate all they want, but we now have  a reason to be concerned: the little snow left in California’s Echo Summit (near Lake Tahoe) is rapidly disappearing. Not only does this spell disaster for tourism, which is what this region largely relies on for income, but it could mean possible droughts throughout the upcoming year. Thankfully, the fall’s record-high rain levels have replenished the water supplies for the state.

Now, you might be asking why this matters to those outside (or, hey, even inside) California. For those of you who are skeptics of global warming, I don’t care if you keep covering your ears every time those words come up — you can’t refute the fact that many states like California are losing their amounts of snow this winter due to warmer weather. You can ignore climate change, but you can’t ignore your kids when they complain that your packaging-peanuts rendition of snowfall isn’t as realistic when you have to resort to it because ski resorts’ snow is thinning.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog

Detox Your Home for 2012

January 5, 2012 By

But wait, Angry Green Girl — my home doesn’t need another clean sweep. What are you talking about? (If you even thought this, then think again.)

Common household items like paint/nail polish, air purifiers (yep), cleaning products without “biodegradable” or “plant-friendly” labels, and even carpets, cabinets, and furniture pose dangerous threats to the air in your household. You heard me — carpets (can contain formaldehyde from the manufacturing process) and cabinets/furniture (pressed wood has formaldehyde in its glue) can cause air pollution in your house by letting off small bits of formaldehyde at a time into the air. Even cooking on a stove, especially a gas one, can cause unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide to be released into the air (this one’s a simple fix: just turn on the fan above your stove to let the gas vent out of your home).

Sites like icestone.biz, paperstoneproducts.com, and teragren.com offer green, chic, affordable alternatives to cabinets and furniture that can otherwise cause scads of health problems later. While some alternatives may cost more than what you can find at Ikea or a yard sale, you’ll be investing in a product that will last — and maintaining a healthy home is so worth it.

Also, for more links to stores that sell green-friendly office furniture, click here.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog, Household

Resolutions That Stick

January 3, 2012 By

It’s the day after New Year’s, and if you’re like most, you’re probably blazing through another Biggest Loser marathon, eating leftover cake and swearing that your diet plan will work next year, instead. Well, here’s some good news for you: this year, try a few of my feel-good, do-good resolutions that aren’t hard to stick to — and, hey, they’ll probably put money (and time) to better use than the plans that you know’ll be hard to last a year.

- If you haven’t started using tote bags or recycling older grocery bags when you go shopping, do it. It’s not hard, but it does a whole lot of good for the environment — and many stores will give you additional club points or rewards just for doing so.

- Bike to work. Or, hey, walk. And if work is too far to even take the bus, then try biking or walking to the store or to some of your errands when possible. The exercise sure couldn’t hurt, and you’ll be saving the atmosphere of carbon and smog emissions.

- Go on a detox. Check your cabinets for toxic products like household cleaners, paints, and even nail polishes (which contain formaldehyde, known to cause asthma and cancer). Instead, swap them for more natural items — like hydrogen peroxide, vinegars, baking soda, and borax, or anything plant-based/biodegradable — that don’t stay behind and cause indoor pollution or poisoning. Formaldehyde, chlorides, and other volatile organic compounds can be in many household items, such as carpets, furniture, personal care products (often the cause of “fragrance”), and adhesives. Okay, so a little research is necessary to see if you have any items that fit this description — but imagine the health/home benefits that’ll arise from getting rid of these toxic items.

- Go organic. Choosing this option when possible is worth the extra few cents if it means skipping ingesting pesticides and whatever else they cover the food with to prevent insect infestation.

- Don’t even go near BPA. Bisphenol-A, found in #7 plastics and in the metal lining of canned goods, has been proven to cause cancer, diabetes, infertility, developmental problems, and heart disease. If you must opt for food that isn’t fresh or frozen, get it in a glass jar or in cans that are marked as BPA-free.

- Protect endangered wildlife with the click of a button. Visit wwf.org to donate programs that will enable endangered species like the snow leopard, the mountain gorilla, and the tiger to live to see next year.

I’m sure that I’ll think of more, but here’s a good list to get you started — or at least through January.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog

Green Ways to Shrink Your Taxes

December 26, 2011 By

That’s right: Uncle Sam’s giving you another reason to love being green. I have twelve ways, listed below, in which you can help your household be more energy-efficient, all while earning tax write-offs as you go. This may be the one time where it sounds (but isn’t) too good to be true. But quick — these need to be done by New Year’s Eve to still impact 2011′s taxes.

- Biomass stoves: $300
- Central air conditioning: $300
- Electric heat pumps:
- Furnaces and boilers: $150
- Advanced main air circulating fan: $50
- Insulation: 10% of the cost, up to $500
- Roofing: 10% of the cost, up to $500
- Gas, oil or propane water heaters: $300
- Electric heat pump water heaters: $300
- Windows and skylights: 10% of the cost, up to $200
- Doors: 10% of the cost, up to $500
- Or, you can donate to wwf.org or other wildlife charities (and if tax credits and write-offs are your only incentive to donate, thankfully, the polar bears won’t know the difference

If my list isn’t long enough for you, or if you don’t believe me, visit energysavers.gov for more tax credits like these.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog, Household

Take That, Rainforest Killers!

December 5, 2011 By

Brazilian government officials released a report yesterday that destruction of its Amazon rainforest region has reached its lowest in 23 years! About time! Now, let’s see if we can top that record next year….

Filed Under: Around the World, Gardening, Green Girls Blog, Green Stuff, Household

Getting Girls to Go Green

November 8, 2011 By

Sounds like an oxymoron — when most people think of the green movement, they imagine young women like me that love to write [inspiring, entertaining] blurbs to persuade people to go green. However, many university and government officials around the world (and including in the US) lament at the lack of women in the fields of science and technology. This is unacceptable.

Guys, you like women. If for no other reason, why not persuade them to join your workplace? It’ll create some friendly competition (until it gets fierce), and it’ll surely make Christmas parties more exciting. Ladies, you know that you can beat your guyfriends, boyfriend, husband, etc in any kind of challenge or on any form of test. You’ve done it for forever and a day, and you’ve won your fair share of back rubs, dinners, and the like as a result. Why wouldn’t you want to step up to such a challenging yet influential field? The same skills honed in Scrabble and Risk (and yes, even Twister) are applied in similar manners in scientific and engineering-related problems. So, you have the power to level the playing field — show these men that engineering and science was not just made for men! (PS: talking about racecars and robots drive men crazy and are bound to be never-fail pick-me-ups. Just sayin’.)

Filed Under: Electronics, Green Girls Blog, Technology

PETA: Shamelessly At It Again

September 30, 2011 By

Yep, it seems as though PETA is continuing to obliterate the reputation of vegans — again. Besides making me lose IQ points with every new ad that comes out, PETA has once again pissed me off. These boneheads have a new ad out: a shark has a human leg in its mouth, and scrolled across the top is “Payback is hell. Go vegan.” Oh, and did I mention that this was just days after shark attack victim CJ Wickersham, who had 800 stitches in his left thigh to combat the bite?

Look, I kind of see what they were getting at — their claim was that Americans kill billions of animals per year, including fish, both for food consumption and carelessly. If only 5 people died from sealife attacks, they go on to say, then maybe others will see that the animals suffer more from us than we do from them. But to rub this in the family’s face after such a deadly, harrowing attack? I don’t care if the only publicity that you ever get is from others’ occurrences and not your own; this does NOT mean that you should use that to shamelessly launch your own stupid, pointless, and inconsiderate campaign. Learn some freaking respect and boundaries, PETA, and spend your time throwing fake blood at KFC-goers or writing stupid “proposals” that are based on your own opinions, not facts, to try to get people to go vegan. Not like your campaign helped that cause at all.

Filed Under: Green Girls Blog, Green Stuff
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