Lifestyle

Like my co-blogger Enviro-Beth, I too have a pet peeve. Mine is plastic. I'll admit it - When the canvas bag started making an appearance, I didn't really 'get' it. (I wasn't always green - before, I could only recycle the newspapers. As a kid, I tried sneaking in my old homework into the newspaper bin until my Dad broke the news that the township wouldn't take them. It hurt my feelings to put those in the trash.) So why are reusable bags important?

Check your local recycling program for what number plastics it recycles. (Plastic products are numbered 1-7.  Philly accepts all of them (updated 12/10).) When out to buy your next shampoo bottle or dish-soap, choose products you can toss in the recycle bin instead of the trash...

Paper... yep it's inescapable ... we use it constantly to communicate and to maintain records. It's used in packaging materials, cleaning products, even occasionally as a food ingredient. It's certainly a necessary resource. But do we have to use so darn much? Some people save practically everything in paper form. Now, I'm not talking about the sentimental stuff like old concert ticket stubs or birthday cards. I'm referring to those of us who keep piles of memo’s from '05 that they still haven't gotten around to reading , their dry cleaning bills for the past decade, Us Weekly's from the Jen Aniston and Brad era... some people may call these folks hoarders, I call 'em paper junkies.

Another reason to love Entourage! Some of you (I know I am!) are highly anticipating Entourage’s return to HBO September 7.  Here’s another reason to love Adrian Grenier a.ka. Vinnie Chase … he’s green! Vinnie Chase has installed solar panels in his Brooklyn...

Red meat production causes more environmental harm than any other food. Why? One reason is animals are often fed unnatural food … then create large quantities of waste which run into bodies of water, leading to contamination of fish & other aquatic life. Mix...

Reduce the amount of waste you create.  When purchasing products, try buying the biggest size you’ll be able to use. Typically you save $ on the larger sizes, reduce your runs to the grocery store and bulk sizes use less packaging....

Laptop’s use on average 90% less energy than the standard desktop. If you work in an office consider hitting up your IT department for a laptop (hint: push the ‘I’ll be more productive cause I can work anywhere now!’ angle.) If you still...

I never thought I'd be able to compare myself to Kermit the Frog - a muppet? But I there is one unmistakable similarity. I'm green. While I'm not physically green, I am trying to make environmentally conscience decisions. Going through this lifestyle change, it's interesting how often I find myself explaining green-friendly decisions to others. Many friends and family are adjusting their habits to go green, while others challenge some behaviors. Which is why I'd like to give some guidance to others facing this same dilemma - how to explain your enviro-ways...

The term "Carbon Footprint" is becoming more common these days. Basically it refers to recognizing that actions you take produce greenhouse gases, or carbon dioxide 'emissions' that impact the environment. For example, if you drive X miles to work each day, you will put Y tons of carbon emissions into the air from your driving. You can calculate an estimate of your carbon footprint on various websites such as CarbonFootprint.com So, how do you reduce your carbon footprint?