Don't let Mother Nature sing bad songs to you

Happy Earth Day!

Here are simple things you can do to help the environment.

The last two years have seen me:
--started using cf bulbs
--started recycling, big time
--when doing dishes, turn water off when not rinsing.
--turn off lights not in use
--turn off computer when leaving office
--when needed, chose an energy star clothes dryer
--bought real plate, silverware and started using and resusing at work, instead of using and throwing away plastic/paper
--started using insulated lunch box, rather than plastic shopping bags for daily lunch
--bought resuable grocery bags and refuse to take bags for any other purchases whenever possible.
--recycling paper at work on my own. (co-worker takes it all to recycle at his son's school)
--add insulation to the attic
--replace a couple of really drafty windows

My next goals are:
--Buy produce from farmer's markets. they're cheaper, they help small, local farmers and they reduce the number of exhaust spewing trucks delivering stuff across the country. Oh, and it would be good for me to eat more fruits and veggies. you can find one here.
--Start using rain barrels to water plants, grass.
--Investigate smell proof composting containers.

Song of the Day: Ha Ha You're Dead

Let's warm up for Earth Day tomorrow by imagining what Mother Nature would say/sing toward all of those who roll their eyes at protecting the environment if she were a vengeful, spiteful bitch. Try their best, those folks won't outlive the planet, though their actions make it a place that will eventually be uninhabitable for humans.



The fact that the song is by Green Day is a bonus. Lyrics here.

Dinner warming without global warming

Meet the Kyoto Box. Technically, it's two boxes, one inside the other. Cut the top off the big box and put a piece of clear plastic in its place. Line the inside of the big box with foil. Paint the inner box black. Put a pot of water inside the little box, put the whole thing in the sun and it'll boil.

No, probably not an alternative for most. But in Africa, it's better than cutting down trees for a fire. And it allows boiling water to purify it.

Beantown to Greentown, Part II

More good news from the giant office buildings in Boston. They're going to shut off the lights from 11pm to 5 am. You know, when there's nobody in there?

Can you imagine the impact this will have? It'll be like adding several thousand mothers and fathers to the world, walking around the house yelling to everyone, but nobody in particular: "shut off the lights when you're not in the room! we don't own the power company, you know!"

If you work in one of these buildings--or even if you don't--you can help by shutting off your computer when you leave the office at night. Also, if the bathrooms in your office don't have timer lights, hit the switch if you leave the bathroom empty. Little things that become habits make a difference.

Beantown to Greentown

Good news in the Globe today.

The city's largest property owner - spurred by high energy prices and rising demand from tenants - is seeking "green" certification for all of its office buildings, marking a major milestone in Mayor Thomas M. Menino's push to make Boston the nation's most environmentally friendly city.

Equity Office Properties Trust, which owns 20 structures in and around Boston, is outfitting its buildings with features ranging from energy-saving heating and cooling units to new bike racks as part of a multimillion-dollar effort to stamp its buildings with the green label.

They're doing it as a social responsibility thing (it's a good thing to do) but also as a marketing and bottom line thing. They say clients are demanding green buildings when they shop for office space and that energy prices are getting so high that their initial investment in the work they do to "green" the buildings will pay off in the not so long haul.

And here's another motivating factor for companies looking to squeeze more out of workers. Modern benefit: this one won't kill workers.

Studies have shown that implementation of green technologies can increase productivity between 10 and 15 percent, according to the State Environmental Resources Center, an organization that tracks the impacts of green energy policies. The group cites research showing that cleaner air quality and better temperature control improves alertness of employees and decreases absenteeism.