Green Truck Convoy Carries Message

The Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) launched the first ever Green Truck Convoy Tuesday aimed at promoting the use of sustainable fuels and cleaner, more efficient hybrid engines among companies using trucks or buses in the New York area.

The convoy, which rolled through the streets of South Brooklyn, included trucks from several Brooklyn businesses utilizing green technologies and practices — including Quadrozzi Concrete, Greg’s Express, Metro Fuel and Movers Not Shakers.

The convoy started from the SBIDC’s Red Hook office, at 402 Van Brunt St., and ended at Sahadi Fine Foods, at 43rd and 1st Avenue in Sunset Park.

Local supporting not-for-profits on board for the ride included EWVIDCO, South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation (SBLDC), and UPROSE, an organization promoting environmental justice and sustainable practices, which drove its own highly decorated hybrid tour bus in the procession.

“Most residents aren’t aware of local businesses’ pro-active stance when it comes to the environment,” says John Quadrozzi, Jr., president of Quadrozzi Concrete and the board member of SBIDC who envisioned and helped organize the convoy. “This is a fun way to demonstrate our commitment to providing essential services in the cleanest, most eco- and neighborhood-friendly way possible.”

Interestingly, these companies have initiated green agendas on their own, without prompting from legislation or enforcement.  Read Full Story





Join The Green Club





Share

The Red White and "Green" , an Eco-Friendly 4th of July

 With July 4th just around the corner what better time to get this message out to everyone that caring about the environment is patriotic.

Independence Day, one of the highlights of the summer in the United States, brings to mind flags, parades, fireworks, and of course barbeques.


The 4th of July BBQ is a time-honored tradition, one that in addition to food, fun and fireworks can have negative impacts on the environment.

Fortunately, there many things we can do to help minimize these environmental impacts, while still honoring our nation’s independence.

Here are some tips for greening your 4th of July BBQ, or any other outdoor gathering.

1. Bring a cup: Many of us break out plastic and paper cups at BBQ's to cut down on cleanup and ensure there are enough cups for all the guests. Instead of relying on one-time-use materials that end up taking up space in landfills,  – have your guests bring their favorite cup to use for the duration of the party. You cut down on waste, and everyone knows which cup belongs to them.

2. Buy local: You can have a more environmentally friendly barbeque simply by buying locally-grown foods. In addition to supporting the local economy, you avoid contributing to the carbon emissions that are generated by trucks, trains, and boats that bring food from far-off places.

3. Living decorations: If you like to display flowers on the tables at your events, consider using live, potted plants instead. When the party is over, you can keep the plants at home, and they in turn help the planet by filtering carbon dioxide and producing oxygen for us to breathe.

4. Use recycled paper products: Let’s face it, paper plates and napkins are a lot easier to use for an outdoor event. However, we can still be green by looking for plates made from recycled paper products. In addition to reducing the amount of waste in landfills, recycled products typically take a lot less energy to produce than new products.

5. Encourage volunteerism: Since everyone’s outside enjoying the day anyway, why not do something that will make you feel better about yourself. Encourage your friends and family to spend part of your time together volunteering. For example, get together with your friends and neighbors to clean up a local park or other area – a little light work on a hot summer’s day makes the burgers and beer taste that much better!

6. Buy in bulk: When stocking up for your BBQ bash, consider buying items in bulk if possible. Things like large boxes of utensils and large bottles of soda actually use less packaging materials than smaller, individually packaged items.

7. Don’t sweat it: There’s no need to bake your guests or spend money and energy cramming people into an air-conditioned house. Try scheduling your BBQ for a cooler, more comfortable time of day such as dusk.

8. Carpooling isn’t just for work: If you have a lot of people coming, encourage them to carpool when possible. It’s especially easy for guests that live near each other to share a ride and save gas and emissions in the process.


Using Eco-friendly Forest Stewardship Council certified charcoals means that no trees in endangered woodlands are cut to produce the charcoal for your 4th of July BBQ.  It also means that fewer greenhouse gases  are emitted when your charcoal burns and that no unhealthy additives are released into the air or onto your food during your Fourth of July grilling.

Look for brands of charcoal that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Cowboy Charcoal, a natural lump charcoal,  is FSC certified. 

Cowboy Charcoal produces a cleaner-tasting food with out a petroleum after taste. It also produces fewer ashes so clean up is easier too.

Don't Forget:  If you're serving bottled or canned beverages, be sure to put out clearly marked recycling bins.

So use these Eco-Friendly Fourth of July ideas to make your red, white and blue cook out a little greener.





Join The Green Club





 



Share

Happy Father's Day, Top 5 Eco Dad's

With Father's Day being celebrated this weekend, Planet 100 honors celebrity Eco-Dads making a difference.









Join The Green Club



S2US3UZM3X5F

Share

Airplane Turned Into Home

A woman in California takes “going green” to a whole new level…literally. She took an old Boeing 747 and made it into her home.






Join The Green Club Share

A Natural Return To The Earth

‘Green burials’ eliminate toxins and non-biodegradable material from end-of-life rituals — and the movement is gaining ground.

 When J.P. Patterson grasped a strap and helped lower the untreated pine casket holding his wife’s linen-wrapped body into the ground on a clear January day in Georgetown, he felt it was a fitting send-off for a woman of strong faith and simple tastes.

Rita Patterson took joy in the pleasures of participating in Bible study groups and cooking for her family. She never made a fuss about herself.

So when the mother of six died in her sleep after a long bout with colon cancer, her husband knew she’d have no use for a tombstone towering over a pricey casket entombed in a cement vault.

“Even before we knew what it was called, she wanted a simple service,” Patterson said.

It’s called a “green burial,” and it’s part of a growing movement to eliminate toxic chemicals or non-biodegradable materials from end-of-life rituals by forgoing embalming, vaults, tombstones and metal caskets.

Green services cost an average of $4,900, about one-third the price of more traditional options.

Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery near Austin is Texas’ only cemetery to be recognized so far by the emerging industry’s leading organization.

As the environmentally friendly burial movement grows, others, including a Houston land developer who recently bought a picturesque piece of land outside Brenham, are aiming to capitalize on the demand.

The movement’s popularity has increased in the past decade as aging baby boomers — who grew up challenging social norms and examining their relationships to religion, family and the environment — consider their mortality, according to the nonprofit Green Burial Council.

“This concept resonates with Texans more than any other state,” the council’s founder, Joe Sehee, said. Those favoring the green option here often are not doing it as a final act of environmental activism, he said, but out of a desire to be close to the land, to return to biblical practices or as an alternative to embalming without choosing cremation.

Industry on the fence

No statistics are kept on the number of green burials, but their popularity has increased from not being a mainstream option in the 1990s to 21 percent of Americans older than 50 stating they would prefer an eco-friendly end-of-life ritual, according to a 2007 AARP survey.

Gilda Hart is among the supporters. She was turned off from more traditional options when she saw the embalming process up close and when she experienced her mother’s funeral.

When she learned about green burials last year, she gobbled up every morsel of information.

The 58-year-old Houston resident likes the religious concept of “dust to dust” and the environmental benefits of not burying non-biodegradable metals, treated wood and concrete.

“I’m not saying I’m an environmentalist, I can’t say that, but whatever we give back is greater than what we receive,” Hart said.

Others, including the National Funeral Directors Association, are still on the fence about green burials. Though the organization doesn’t discourage the practice, it cautions families not to get caught up in the hype.

“Because green funerals are an emerging alternative to traditional funeral practices, some questions have not yet been answered, such as whether there  See Full Story

Join The Green Club


Share

Green Stadiums Score for World Cup 2010

THE Fifa World Cup 2010 kicked off in Johannesburg, South Africa, last Friday. Ten stadiums were built altogether for one of the world’s greatest sporting event and some feature cutting-edge sustainable building strategies.

Here’s a glimpse of the green stadiums of World Cup 2010:

1 - The Soccer City Complex in Johannesburg, where the first match between South Africa and Mexico was played, is also the venue for the final next month. The stadium transforms the landscape through form, color and lighting. In the day, its earthen color evokes the copper-rich land which has supported the local economy for generations. Night transparent panels in the facade create a unique pattern.


2 - Located in the seaside city of Durban is Moses Mabhid Stadium. The architects took great care to lower the structure’s energy profile with the use of natural cooling techniques, protected day lighting and rainwater catchment. This 70,000-seat facility was designed with future sporting events and concerts in mind and as a seed for a future Olympics bid.

3 - The elegant Green Point Stadium is situated at the foot of Signal Hill between downtown Cape Town and the Sea Point neighborhood. The high-profile location demanded a sensitive aesthetic design. It’s clad in a translucent silvery-white membrane that takes on the color of its surroundings while producing a soft glow at night. A truss-and-cable system supports a semi-transparent roof that lets light in but limits solar heat. The stadium has a capacity of 68,000.


4 - Loftus Versfeld Stadium is located in Pretoria. Built in 1928, it is an impressive building. Steady upgrades over the years have resulted in a classic building that seats 50,000.

5 - The Free State Stadium is in the city of Bloemfonteinin the heart of South Africa. It was completed in 1952, refurbished in 1995 and was retrofitted again last year for the Fifa Confederations Cup. A great example of green renovation, the stadium seats 45,000 and is now a major...............Read More







Join The Green Club



Share

How To Green Your Child- Watch Video

5 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Child

Join The Green Club



Share

If it’s green, we’ll drive it — that’s the motto of a new weekly video show

If it’s green, we’ll drive it — that’s the motto of a new weekly video show for GigaOM TV and Earth2Tech called Green Overdrive, where the Earth2Tech editors drive the latest green vehicles, from a plug-in motorcycle to a biofuel-filled bus. In our launch episodes we drive Zero Motorcycles electric motorcycle, the Chevy Volt and Ultra Motor’s A2B electric bikes. Hot damn, the green vehicle revolution is here and we’re going to be riding it! You can keep up with this new weekly series by visiting Earth2Tech, but right now check out our latest video of the Zero Motorcycle below!



Read more:






Join The Green Club




Share

5 Ways To Have an Eco-Friendly Child

Frοm tһе moment tһаt tһеу’re born, children аrе mass consumers. Tһе lists tһаt уου mаkе οf аƖƖ tһе things tһаt уουr new baby needs soon turn іntο tһе lists οf аƖƖ tһе things tһаt уουr young child wаntѕ. Bringing уουr child up tο bе eco-friendly mау bе a ƖіttƖе daunting, bυt іt’s achievable bесаυѕе tһеrе’s more tһаn enough һеƖр out tһеrе fοr аƖƖ οf uѕ. Here’s јυѕt 5 οf tһе many ways tһаt уου саn һаνе аn Eco-Friendly child:
1 Bеɡіn аt Home – Encouraging уουr child tο grow up living аn eco-friendly lifestyle, bеɡіnѕ аt home, wіtһ tһе entire family. Set tһе standard аnԁ lead bу example. Mаkе sure tһаt уου recycle уουr plastics, washing аnԁ crushing аnу bottles аnԁ piling up аnу paper οr cardboard tһаt саn bе taken away tο bе recycled. Wһеn уου һаνе a household recycling point іn уουr home, уου саn educate tһе whole family аbουt wһаt, wһеn аnԁ һοw tο recycle.
Tip: Wһу nοt turn іt іntο a game οr competition аnԁ mаkе іt fun аt tһе same time?
2 Clothing – Yου саn avoid mass-manufactured clothing сrеаtеԁ bу 11 year-olds іn sweatshops іn Asia, bу seeking out companies tһаt sell eco-friendly аnԁ ethically produced children’s clothing.
Choosing clothing fοr уουr baby οr child tһаt encourages sustainability аnԁ іѕ manufactured wіtһ a low impact οn tһе environment іѕ a ɡrеаt way fοr уουr child tο bе eco-friendly οn a daily basis. Look out fοr eco-friendly clothing tһаt іѕ free οf chemicals аnԁ uses 100% natural fibers.
Tip: Tһіnk аbουt choosing sustainable fibers such аѕ organic cotton οr bamboo
3 Skin Care – Young babies аnԁ children need a lot οf Ɩονе аnԁ care. Creams, lotions, shampoos аnԁ soaps аƖƖ һеƖр keep tһеm healthy, сƖеаn аnԁ һарру. Bυt many οf tһе traditional skin care products fοr children come іn plastic, non-recyclable containers аnԁ аrе manufactured using inorganic ingredients.
It’s bееn shown tһаt over 60% οf wһаt wе рυt οn ουr skin іѕ absorbed bу tһе body. A young child’s immune system shouldn’t һаνе tο contend wіtһ аƖƖ tһе nasty chemicals tһаt come іn standard skin care products.
4 Eco-Toys – Eco friendly toys аrе mаԁе frοm natural, safe materials tһаt ԁο חοt impact negatively upon еіtһеr tһе environment, חοr introduce harmful chemicals іחtο уουr home. If уου’re looking fοr a toy tһаt уου feel confident fοr уουr ƖіttƖе ones tο chew аחԁ teeth οח, look fοr a guarantee tһаt חο pesticides οr chemicals аrе used іח tһе production process.
Yου ѕһουƖԁ look out fοr toys tһаt аrе mаԁе frοm 100% natural fibers аחԁ уου’ll bе mаkіחɡ уουr eco-friendly contribution tο tһе planet.

Tip: Wooden and organic cotton toys аrе ɡrеаt fun and very eco-friendly

For #5 click here


Join The Green Club






Share

Trash To Energy

When it comes to environmental discussion, waste management is an environmental concern that many feel needs to be addressed. Many also feel that clean energy innovations are needed to ensure a greener earth. Yet, what many fail to realize is that the solution to the garbage and clean energy problem may be garbage itself.

Denmark has installed a number of garbage plants that take trash and make it into energy. These plants are at the forefront of waste/energy technology. How they operate is that the waste taken into the plant is incinerated which creates heat that generates steam for a turbine that goes on to run generators that create electricity and even heat. Statistics have shown that plants like the ones in Denmark, while creating new forms of energy, also help to cut down on waste caused emissions. 0.56 metric tons of CO2 is emitted from these conversion plants, which is considerably smaller than the 3.35 metric tons of CO2 that is emitted from landfills. Denmark has shown that there are other answers to waste problem than the common practice of landfills, but some countries like the United States are still hesitate to make the change.

There are over 13,000 active and inactive landfills in the United States alone. These landfills make up 54% of the nation's waste management, which compared to the 4% in Denmark shows the differences in the way garbage is taken care of between the two countries. The negatives of landfills are that they take up space, have been known to leak toxins, and have almost six times the emission rate than that of trash energy plants. So what is stopping the United States from embracing the change? Well, it may be coming from an unlikely opponent: environmentalists.

Some environmentalists feel that incinerators, even ones that help to create energy, are counterproductive to the cause. In their opinion, incinerators promote a waste culture instead of a culture based around recycling. Yet, many American organizations like the Clinton Global Initiative (an international aid and philanthropy organization started by former President Clinton and advisor Doug Band back in 2005) see carbon emissions as the true environmental problem regardless of where it comes from. This is why CGI has worked tirelessly to create green initiatives that cut down on CO2 emissions.

What the waste conversion plants in Denmark have shown is that there are plenty of solutions to environment worries around the world waiting to be utilized. The United States may not be eager to join just yet, but the victory is that the world is thinking of ways to create cleaner energy even if it's from a trashy source.

Full Story....Read More

join the green club

Share

5 Ways To Reduce Your Environmental Impact This Summer

Don’t give up on your green goals just because it’s hot and you might be traveling. Summer is a great time to recommit to a healthier, planet-conscience lifestyle.

Summer is usually a time of family get-togethers and outdoor fun. But with all that hot weather and togetherness also comes the desire to make everything as easy and carefree as possible. But you don’t have to lose your sense of eco-responsibility. Just follow these easy summer tips to keep you and your family on track all summer long.
Rethink - and reduce - your consumer choices.
By becoming more mindful about the amount of plastic, paper, glass and aluminum you’re consuming, you automatically reduce the amount of trash you’re creating.  This is good year-round advice, but with summer heating up, you might need to rethink things like the standard paper plates you use at your yearly BBQ. Use traditional plates, or at least choose one of the newer, more eco-friendly disposable dinnerware types like LeafWare for serving. You might also want to rethink the number of glass bottles of beer and cans of soda you haul to the lake or beach on weekends.  Can you bring homemade iced tea or lemonade, served in reusable cups? Can you switch all those bottles of beer for a small keg instead? If you have the room, a keg - which will not only save you money per serving - will last a lot longer that a six-pack.
Reuse and Recycle.
By making a conscience effort to recycle everything you can (and reuse what you can’t recycle) you lessen your impact on the environment. Get into the mindset of stretching the use of everything you buy, whether it’s a pair of jeans or a garden pot. Reuse those worn out jeans for summer decorating projects like a neat beach tote or pillows for your patio. And any garden pot that has seen better days can easily become useful drainage material for the bottom of another pot. Or break that old pot apart and use the pieces to make an artsy tabletop design. Think durable, not disposable.
Just say no -- to plastic grocery bags....... Read More  

join the green club





Share