Shop Green

Here are a few quick tips for becoming a green shopper:

1. Switch to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. the use of conventional cleaners exposes your family and our environment to some very nasty toxic chemicals.

2. Be as conscious about the packaging as you are about the product. The production and disposal of packaging takes a heavy environmental toll. You can eliminate 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year by simply reducing your waste by 10%. While you're at it, bring your own shopping bags.

3. Buy in bulk. If you regularly buy a certain product, consider buying it in bulk. It usually has less packaging, is more affordable, and requires fewer trips to the store.

It's The Little Things That Add Up...Electronic Files

Creating portable document files (PDF's) of online bills, contracts and receipts on your computer and keeping them in folders on your hard drive saves paper and ink. It will also keep your home a much tidier place! Be sure to back everything up on an external hard drive because it's more than likely at some point your computer will crash.

Paper makes up more of our garbage than any other type of trash at almost 40%.

Give it a try, check out some of the following to get you started:

Try www.googledesktop.com to keep your computer organized

www.cutepdfwriter.com is free and converts files 

Extreme Yard Makeover

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jun/06/ready-set-bulldoze-cinderella-yard-now-cleared-nea/

Driving along US 41 the other day I noticed a massive sign that said Extreme Yard Makeover. I was expecting to see one of the stars from HG TV pop out into the street. There is a house along Trail Blvd. (runs paralell to US 41 across from Pelican Bay) that is getting a total yard transformation with a focus on enviromental responsibility. Go check it out!

Reducing Your Baby's Footprint

Trying to think of an easy way to reduce your baby's footprint at home? In the world of baby drama, it isn't easy, but I have managed to find a way to feel less guilty about the whole diapering dilemna without being completely impractical. Check out http://www.gdiapers.com/ . The diapers can be composted, flushed or tossed. No landfill required for these diapers. 50 million disposable diapers enter the landfill every day, where they sit for up to 500 years.

Jumping On The Bandwagon

I went to Wynn's Market today to buy my lunch and they were offering reusable shopping bags for 99 cents! It appears that all of our local grocers are jumping on the reusable bag bandwagon. Wynn's will give you a discount (25 cents I think) for not using plastic or paper bags.
www.wynnsonline.com

"LEED" - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it's the most widely accepted stamp of approval to certify that a building's green. LEED provides standards to look for when building or buying a house, helping us determine what's really green. LEED buildings - which take into account the site, water, energy, resources, and indoor environmental quality - reduce CO2 by 30%-40%. Green buildings typically cost more to build intially, but you will recoup your costs with lower utility bills. Fewer than 1,000 homes have been LEED certified so far by the U.S. Green Building Council.

U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

Green Home Guide
http://www.greenhomeguide.org/

Green Building Certification Institute
http://www.gbci.org/

Organic VS. Locally Grown

I noticed the last time that I was at Wild Oats http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/wildoats/ that they offered both organic and locally grown produce. Call me crazy, but wouldn't purchasing locally grown produce make less of an impact on the environment than produce organically grown in Peru? Just a random thought!