I’m wondering, how do you feel about wearing your environmental views on your sleeve (or chest, or leg?) It’s a bit different than a bumper sticker, a little more permanent than a pin (like the one I received from the Sierra Club which proclaims, I’m here to save the planet)  which I have yet to wear. I’ve also noticed a proliferation of going green t-shirts and apparel – Target, of all places, had a wall full of “green” tees, as did several other department stores. Right next to the designer jeans and other junior apparel.

So tell me, do you sport any green tees? Do you have any visual markers of your dedication to the environment and your health?

*Source: Sierra Magazine, July/August 2008, volume 93

Post from: Blisstree

How Do You Feel About Wearing Your “Green” on Your Sleeve?

I’m not an Oprah fan, but don’t you dare try to pull mom or dad away from their TV at 4 p.m. on any given weekday. They love the Oprah. But they neglected to tell me that in an effort to eat “more consciously” that their favorite talk show host is eliminating animal products, caffeine, alcohol, bread and sugar for 21 days. Of course, she’ll chronicle her near-month experiment on her show and on a blog dedicated to it at www.Oprah.com. There are also recipes, meal plans and bulletin boards dedicated to the topic there.

How does Oprah’s eating relate to Daily Tomorrow? The Sierra Club’s Green Life blog makes the connection:

Raising animals for meat is one of the most environmentally destructive practices, according to a 2006 report published by the United Nations. The report calls raising animals for food “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”

And we all know, what Oprah eats/wears/reads is the start of many a conversation. I know that I will now be able to broach the subject of sustainable living and eating better now with my parents. Why? Because it was on Oprah.

I’m not a vegan, but Michael and I are trying hard to follow Michael Pollan’s advice to Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Oprah’s vegan adventure will perhaps open some die hard meat and potatoes eaters (ahem, dad) to try to add a little more green to their plates and, by default, to their daily living.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Oprah’s 21-Day Tryst with Veganism

But most of America will be going somewhere.  And odds are this year’s Memorial Day vacation will cost more than last year’s, especially if you plan on driving. What can you do to maximize your dollars spent on gas? Here are some ideas:

1. Drive slower. And I’m not just being a back seat driver. In a study done by the U.S. Department of Transportation, slowing from 70 to 60 mph improved average fuel efficiency by 17.2 percent. A big slowdown – from 75 to 55 mph – improved fuel efficiency by 30.6 percent.

2. Don’t bother with the high test; Just use the regular. Despite what my in-laws say, you don’t have to use the premium grade every time you fill up, even if the owner’s manual says so. The Buick is not going to keel over if it tastes regular unleaded. How do I know? The Car Talk guys said so.

And while we’re hanging out with Click and Clack, they also recommend

3. Shifting to higher gears quicker

4. Anticipating stops so you brake less

5. Trying not to idle (burning gas while going nowhere = burning money) and

6. Losing the excess baggage (and baggage carrier) if you don’t need it.  No, that doesn’t mean you can leave your little brother at home.

Not sure whether to fly or drive to your holiday destination?  Take this Sierra Club quiz which asks, How Green is Your Getaway? Not to brag, but I got 100% (the quiz is pretty easy.)

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Maximize Your Gas Money This Memorial Day

What I love about Muir, besides the fact that he helped preserve the beautiful Yosemite Valley and has influenced generations with his essays and efforts, is that when I walked into his house a few years ago, he had the same house plants as me.

Been thinking about joining the Sierra Club? Today and tomorrow, you can join for $15 and get a free rucksack as part of their Earth Day celebration.

The Sierra Club isn’t the only place offering discounts for Earth Day – check later for more!

photo credit

Post from: Blisstree

Happy Birthday, John Muir!

Teams compete against each other with challenges like “go one week without using any disposable coffee cups” or “unplug your computer every night for one month”. By accepting challenges and incorporating carbon reducing ideas into their daily lives, individuals boost their team efforts while creating a collective effort to cut back on carbon emissions.

The idea came from Massachusetts Sierra Club activists Jason Karas, Stan Ward, Bill Filler and Steve Barrett. Karas wanted to create an fun, interactive and engaging catalyst that would allow consumers to fight global warming so the four environmentalists brainstormed and Carbon Rally was born.

The site is great, easy to use and its free to sign up. Anyone 13 years or older can join, get involved with a team or just peruse the ideas for inspiration. The community is great, lots of team spirit to save the planet.

Just a few months old, Carbon Rally has attracted 1,255 people who have reduced their collective CO2 emissions by over 67.34 tons so far, the equivalent of turning off the electricity of 47 homes for about 1 month! It’s US-based right now, with a Google map of teams and impact, but global rallies are in the works.

Carbon Rally

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Carbon Rally: Team Up on Climate Change!

Production of junk mail consumes natural resources and energy to make the annoying, unsolicited, endless attempts to sell you things you don’t want. And then it’s your problem to sort through and recycle. Not to mention the added risk of identity theft which will cut into the dollars you were planning to send to Sierra Club.

Get Help:

• 41pounds will reduce your junk mail & support your favorite charity
• Green Dimes will reduce your junk mail & plant a tree
  
• Earth Class Mail online mail, they’ll recycle the junk & forward the good stuff

Do-it-Yourself:

• Obviously
• Consumers

Read More:

• Reclaim Your Mailbox at TreeHugger
• Mailbox or Mausoleum at Ideal Bite

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Green delivery: no more junk mail