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How You Can Give Better Holiday Gifts AND Be More Environmentally Friendly
It's the holiday shopping season, and Grinning Planet would like to point out that the holiday phrase "Ho, ho, ho!" also relates to being green--it's the Jolly Green Giant's tagline. Well, OK, that doesn't exactly get us to the "eco-friendly"...
Identify the ways to save energy
People have started to be more and more aware about the fact that they need to save energy in their household for a variety of reasons. The first reason, which is in fact the one that mostly affects them, is related to the financial aspect. Thus, by...
National Parks - Get Out of Your Car!
The national park system in the United States is full of beauty
and surprises. Still, you'll be wondering if they're worth it
when you run into the crowds of other visitors.
Road Side Viewing
Sure, millions of people visit our national...
Solar Cooling - Air-Conditioning From the Sun
At first glance, solar cooling looks like an oxymoron. However,
the same energy that can provide heat in the wintertime can also
provide cooling during the summer.
Several passive cooling systems have been developed and tested.
At their...
Tower of Power: Tallest Man-Made Structure on Earth
Enviromission's collossal Solar Tower of Power is a proposed 1000-meter tall tower, and, if it passes through Enviromission's final feasibility phase, it will be the largest manmade structure on Earth . You can view the promotional video here...
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The "Reduce" of Recycle and Reuse
Most of us are familiar with recycle and reusing, but how often
do we think of the third R - REDUCE?
"Reduce" is probably the most important of the three Rs because,
if we reduced, it would limit the need to recycle and reuse. By
reducing, we cut down on the resources that we use which results
in less garbage being produced. Reduce takes us back to the
basic question:
"Is it a need or a want?"
So often, our wants result in impulse buying. It is amazing if
you ask yourself the question, is it a need or a want before you
actually buy. Many things end up being a want, not truly a need.
To help us "reduce", a second question could be asked:
"Can I rent or borrow this item, rather than buying it?"
By renting or borrowing an item, you fill the "need" and
perhaps the "want", but you end up fulfilling your need and
returning the item.
One other area that helps reduction is "packaging". Are the
items you are buying packaged to protect the item, or packaged
to market the item. So much garbage is a result of packaging for
marketing purposes. Buy products that limit the packaging to
protection rather than marketing.
There
It Takes Time To DIY
Over at <em>The Record</em>, NPR arts editor Tom Cole has an interesting thought about the new self-empowered music economy and jazz artists. Not that creating an online profile is a good or bad thing, he writes -- just that it takes a minute to do right.
are many ways to "reduce" and here are just a few:
- reduce your paper consumption...only print what you need
otherwise read online; use both sides of paper for taking
messages; leave off the cover sheet of a fax and write all info
on the main page
- have your name removed from junk mail.
- reduce the use of plastic bags by taking cloth bags with you
when you shop
- purchase energy saving appliances
- use the new compact fluorescent lights bulbs (take 75% less
power and burn 10 times longer than a regular incandescent bulb)
- when buying toys for children, purchase toys that do not
require batteries
- if you do require batteries, buy rechargeable ones
- buy in bulk, thereby reducing packaging
If we all did only one thing to "reduce", it would help in our
efforts to recycle and reuse.
About the author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of Stress Relief by a
Simple Life http://www.stresslesscountry.com Stories,
thoughts, inspirational quotes, and poems on reduce, recycle,
reuse, simplicity, being more frugal, crafts and more.
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