Non Toxic Vision

Food prices rising to record highs

 

This is an interesting video found on YouTube. To listen to the video in English simply click in the upper right hand corner - English VO button.

5 Basic Sustainable Practices for a Business by Louise Baker

I recently received a request for a guest posting by Louise Baker. Louise is a freelance blogger and journalist who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and online degrees. She most recently wrote about where to get the best online psychology degree.

In modern days we recognize the damage that is done to the environment with our everyday routine. Many people are taking the necessary steps to reduce this damage by increasing sustainability in our daily lives. In today's market, many businesses are recognizing the need to also scale back the carbon footprint and bring more sustainability to their practices. Of course there are many things a business can do to make themselves a little more environmentally friendly and many of them are simple and cost near nothing.

1. Reducing Paper Usage.

A very easy sustainable practice for any business is to reduce the amount of paper being used. Paper, as most know, come from trees and uses a lot of energy to both produce and transport the paper to the office. To reduce the amount of paper being used a business should encourage double-sided printing and copying, using paperless methods where possible and using paper with a high recycled content.

2. Recycling

Another very easy sustainable practice for any business is to promote recycling amongst their employees. Many businesses have something they can recycle. Whether it be the paper waste, cardboard, or simply the cans, bottles and plastic containers from employee lunch breaks. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that fills the landfills and will allow valuable resources to be reused, reducing the mark on the planet.

3. Reduce Energy

Reducing energy is the third basic sustainable practice a business can do. Reducing energy can be as simple as insuring that everything that can be turned off is turned off before the last person leaves the building and replacing defective appliances with more energy-efficient options. However, if a business would like to receive maximum energy savings, replacing all appliances and goods which require the least amount of energy to run. Reducing energy consumption is important because most energy runs off of non-renewable sources, often which harm the planet through greenhouse gasses. Not to mention, it saves a bit of money to use less.

4. If possible, use Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is on the rise in today's marketplace. Common sources today are wind and solar. A solar panel on the roof of a business, even if it is only able to power the business' lights, is a sure sustainable practice for a business. Renewable energy, unlike non-renewable energy, does not produce greenhouse gases and occurs naturally in the environment so there is no middle man making renewable energy a perfect practice for any business wanting to leave a smaller mark on the environment

5. Promote Carpooling

A business promoting carpooling with perks such as a parking spot closer to the door will not only save on the greenhouse gases cars produce, but will help employees to overall save money on the gas required to go back and forth to work. While this might not directly affect the company's sustainability, it promotes sustainability among those who work at the company which has a positive effect on the planet.

Green Love

 
A few weeks ago I received an email with suggestions on how to make ecologically sound LOVE. Since I believe green issues knows no limits I make Paul's suggestions available to you: Here you go.

"Slash bills and save the World" - an article in the FT

The Financial Times published this very insightful article in this weekends edition: "In January this year, the UK government-backed group Zero Carbon Hub made little fuss when it published an important statistic. In the Zero Carbon International Compendium, the group announced that homes across the globe now account for up to 25 per cent of all man-made CO2 emissions. What should have followed was a rush by all the many government-funded Green Building Council networks across the world to announce some agreement to reduce this figure."

I suggest you go out and get the paper right away...

Brooklyn Ecopolis on Smith Street

 
I was standing in front of an architectualy amazing looking building on Smith Street in Brooklyn and was wondering "What's going on here?"

Right after it opened I met Patricia Simino Boyce, founder of Brooklyn Ecopolis, who aims to provide easy access to education and information on products and resources for energy efficient and sustainable living. The café offers great products (starting with direct trade coffee and small nibbles) and a free, community-accessible space to learn and explore practical information on how to incorporate cost-effective, energy efficient, affordable products and solutions into everyday living.

This model is community-centered, focused on promoting and interpreting local opportunities for sustainable living, and will be available to all members of the community, regardless of income, race, ethnicity or previous exposure to green products or sustainability practices.

Ideally, Brooklyn Ecopolis will bridge the “green divide” that currently exists between those with ready access to information and services and those who perceive energy-efficient measures and eco-friendly alternatives as cost-prohibitive or difficult to adopt.

Facebook will reward your Green Ideas

 
Got any ideas? And no plattform? Bulbstorm hast created the Great Green Idea Challenge on Facebook...

As of today there have been over 150 awesome and innovative green ideas submitted, ranging from creating a rain barrel to collect and reuse rain water, to reusing foil when cooking at home to “weatherizing” windows…and many more ideas!

Check out the Great Green Idea Challenge for yourself...

(and possibly even win a $1,000 buygreen.com gift card)

Eco-friendly Yoga Mats

Let me introduce you to my new fav yoga mats..... The clever people of YogaRat put fun in boring mats. How about a super-ohm or skeletons practicing yoga there with you. Those mats also make for quirky gifts.

A Green Depot on the Bowery

It has finally opened it's doors in Manhattan, NY: the Green Depot. (located right on the Bowery)

Green Depot - a leading supplier of environmentally friendly and sustainable building products, services, and home solutions. Their goal is to facilitate green living and building in communities so that it is easy, affordable and gratifying. A especially developed "Green Filter" screen every single product. The result is then shown in form of various different icons, such as: Air Quality, Conservation, Local, Energy and Responsibility.

Shop on www.greendepot.com - you'll be amazed how many products you can choose from.

THANK YOU Green Depot for coming to NYC!!

Green BBQ

Summer officially starts tomorrow and with it comes a season of long awaited for BBQs.
I found some great alternatives to bringing your own plates and utensils to the BBQ-place (in case you chose to gather away from home): Products made out of Sugarcane, Corn, Potato and Bamboo - and in case you forget them on the site you do not need to feel bad about it.

Sugarcane:
Plates, bowles and cups made of sugarcane pulp are sturdier than most paper ones. Go to: www.clearcreekcomp.com and www.branchhome.com

Corn:
Made from cornstarch and enzymes, corn-based knives, forks and spoons usually break down within two months in the compost. www.biodegradablestore.com

Potato:
Molded out of potato starch, sleek smooth-handled utensils biodegrade within 180 days. www.worldcentric.org

Bamboo:
Salad servers and trays are handmade from organic bamboo, the fastest growing plant. www.bambuhome.com

New great reclaimed jewelry

The whimsy™ interchangeable bead rings are made entirely of reclaimed sterling silver, 14-karat gold and gemstones. Because mining is one of the dirtiest industries in the world, this is a very thoughtful way of stopping the mining madness (for more information and stats on the incredible environmental devastation wrought by mining, visit www.NoDirtyGold.org)

It is important to note that the sterling silver, 14-karat gold and stones that are used in the production of these rings is not post-industrial waste (used in various manufacturing processes and then sold by large companies) but is actually what is considered “dormant” material. That simply means that the metals/stones have already been mined and are dormant somewhere (think about broken chains or earrings without mates that are sold for scrap). This is an important distinction, because the use of dormant materials does not involve further mining. Also, the use of the glass beads, while a manufactured process, is less invasive than gem mining. So substituting the glass bead for a mined gem is a much more ecologically sound choice.
For more information go to: www.whimseyworldwide.com