Plant a tree!

Planting trees is such an easy way to combat global warming and I'm definitely going to start donating to charities who plant trees but I'm also going to get my hands dirty and plant a few myself. Please click the following link if you'd like to learn more about the initiative to plant one billion trees worldwide and here are some tips on how and when to plant trees.

Is making your office energy efficient, cost efficient?

A show I watch on MSNBC called Your Business had a segment this weekend with the founder of Green Order, Andrew Shapiro. Green Order shows companies how making your office more energy efficient is actually cost efficient. Some of the items they discussed were:

* Hybrid Solar Charger (by Solio) - Solar charger for for cell phones, MP3 players and GPS (learn more)

* Solar backpack - Energy cells in your backpack energize your mobile media (learn more)

* CFL Light Bulbs - Everyone seems to know that CFL light bulbs last 10 x longer then normal light bulbs but most people don't go out and buy them. If you haven't please click the following link to learn more about CFL light bulbs.

* Indoor plants help clear air of pollutants...

* Cellulose tape doesn't use petroleum...

* Use unbleached coffee filters (learn more) or buy a gold coffee filter that requires no filters.

* Ask your utility company for an energy audit. They are usually free and can help save you lots of money.

* Get off junk mail lists...

* Use paper more efficiently by setting your printers to print double sided.

* Want some more ideas on leaving a smaller carbon footprint? (click here)

buy local - what does that mean?

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Would you believe that the only brand of apple juice you buy in the united states, who actually uses American apples, is martinelli's? The rest come from China!

It's hard to believe but true. On top of the growing concern over where the ingredients for our produce and prescription pills come from is the idea of keeping things local. The more local you keep the things you buy, the smaller the carbon footprint you will personally leave on the environment.

Patagonia is a wonderful company with a strong commitment to protecting the environment. On their website you can track the journey, from start to finish, of a single piece of clothing, shoe, etc.. You'd be amazed at how many different countries play a part in creating a piece of clothing, electronics or even the food on your plate at night. Obviously the longer the distance your item travels to you, the greater the carbon footprint.

Farmers markets are an easy way to ensure you are buying things local but looking at the labels on the brands you are buying can help too. It just doesn't seem necessary for your bottle of apple juice to be coming from china.

BEST alternative energy is...

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"Of all the alternative (energy) possibilities, solar energy is by far the best. (With solar energy) you aren't stuck with one plant, you are your own plant. And there's a special thing about solar energy...nobody's going to own the sun...and that means you have a collective source for everyone."

- ben warner, communication manager, gas terra

forest fires in the western united states -

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"Climate change, global warming has increased temperatures in the West one degree and that has caused 4 times more fires. Within some decades to a century as warming continues and we continue to get large scale fires we could lose half of the forests in the West."

Tom Swetnam - one of the world's leading fire ecologists

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"You know there are a lot of people who don't believe in climate change." (Scott Pelley - 60 Minutes)

"You won't find them on the fire line in the American West anymore 'cause we've had climate change beat into us over the past ten to fifteen years. We know what we're seeing and we're dealing with a period of climate in terms of temperature and humidity and drought that's different than anything people have seen in our lifetimes."

Tom Boatner - the chief of fire operations for the federal government

migratory birds - which way do I go George?

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"Many creatures are mistiming their migrations (due to a warmer climate), or failing to bother as changes between seasons become less clear. The shifts make them vulnerable to heat-waves, droughts or cold snaps. They are the most visible warning signs -- indicators signaling the dramatic changes to our ecosystems caused in part by climate change."

- Lahcen el Kabiri, deputy head of the U.N.'s Convention on Migratory Species

NUMBER ONE cause of global warming is.....

The number one contributor to global warming? It might surprise you to learn it's not that SUV you're driving (although that's a big problem too) but the number one contributor to green house gases is actually what sits on your dinner plate. A united nations report and a prior university of chicago study have both concluded that industrial farming is the the main contributor to global warming. That might not shock an animal activist but to most it's probably a surprise.

You can read some of our past blog posts about:

eating organic

buying local produce

renewable energy

riding a bike

energy efficient light bulbs

environmentally friendly bags

adding vegan and vegetarian meals to your diet.