Green Daily

Remember the days when you wandered door to door, armed with a case of chocolate bars or a catalogue, donning your best smile to raise money for your school? Once in high school, did you donate to bake sales, participate in the auctions and attend the coffee houses?

Four university graduates remember, and have collaborated to create Green Students Fundraising.

Available throughout Canada, students, campuses, groups and clubs across the country are selling green products such as CFL light bulbs and plastic-free water bottles and educating consumers in order to raise money for their projects.

Armed with the slogan, "Raising green that's clean!", you can feel good about fundraising through them. Not only are you earning money to carry out important events and programs, you're also making the world a cleaner, greener place. Check out their Facebook group too!

Gaming has begun to reach out to all age groups with themes and concepts that are very different from what most people picture when they hear you are a gamer. When I describe some of the games I play to older adults, I'm often met with surprise and sincere interest.

Venture Arctic is one of those games. I had the pleasure of demoing it this afternoon.

Once you enter, you'll realize that only you can harness the forces of wind, earth, sun and water. Cruise around the terrain and explore and design as you please!

Of course, there is a catch, and it's a hefty one. You are the one responsible for the ecosystem, for the survival of the many different species in this arctic landscape. Not everyone has what it takes.

The idea of beginning to compost can be daunting. Still, it's extremely important to the planet, and there are plenty of guides out there that can be extremely helpful.

Food makes up an incredible amount of your personal waste. From the produce you didn't eat before it spoiled to the leftovers you couldn't finish, much of that food could be composted instead of trashed. In fact, the average household wastes about a quarter of the produce bought, translating to about $500 per year.

Yale University recently implemented a composting program because a whopping two tons of food waste was hauled away every day from their cafeteria alone.

Not only does composting allow it to break down faster, but it gives the food another purpose. Compost is an amazing way to fertilize your own garden, which can save you money on groceries, increase the value of your property, improve your mood and health with the hobby and the sunlight, and more.

Don't have a garden? Pack the finished product into biodegradable bags and give them as gifts to your gardening buddies.

In fact, you cut down on money spent on garbage bags and garbage removal fees, the amount of plastic going into landfills, and money spent to fertilize your plants.

Here are ten things that I bet you didn't know you could compost!

For the past few months, and especially these recent weeks, the news has been awash with props and criticism aimed at Beijing's efforts at creating a green Olympic games.

Just in case your friends and coworkers aren't sick of the hype yet, you can now sport a daily reminder by purchasing one of these lapel pins from Topazminer Collectibles on eBay.

Whether you'd wear it for the irony, or simply to show your support for the changes they made, it's sure to be a conversation starter.

According to the seller, these are true collectibles, and many of the pins were given directly to athletes and other personnel at past Olympic games.

Of course, considering you can buy the pins for the 2010 games in Vancouver, and the 2012 pins in London already, you probably aren't buying any that have actually changed hands with athletes.

I would also wonder just how these pins are made. While they boast a green graphical design, they leave out any mention of the pins being constructed from sustainable or recycled materials.

Still, what is more fashionable than a pin labeled "environment?"

Although Beijing's environmental efforts might not have been earnest enough, and won't be continued post-games, the changes and innovations made by another entity that is hardly known for its green, socially conscious track record are here to stay.

Nike, together with Team USA and the Chinese Olympic Committee, created high-tech, high-performance sportswear for the 2008 summer games.

For example, the Swift Suit supposedly has reduced drag by 7% from the uniforms Nike designed for the Athens games, potentially knocking off 0.02 seconds from a sprinter's time in a 100m race. Considering that the top ten finalists in any given race often have times less than half a second apart, this is a significant improvement.

The best part? Nike used an incredible amount of recycled polyester, salvaged from soda bottles and post-industrial scraps. In fact, the track and field Swift Suit is made of 100% recycled material.

Even their shoes are going green. Nike has developed Flywire technology, available to the public through their Hyperdunk line. Not only are they 18% lighter than other Nike shoes, they use much less material because they don't use the common layering technique to create support.

Actually, Nike has released other eco-conscious shoes, most notably Trash Talk, a sneaker developed with Steve Nash, All-Star guard for the Phoenix Suns. This trainer is made entirely from post-consumer materials.

Because Nike is such a powerful force in the athletic scene, and on the shoes, hats and shirts of today's youth, it's nice to see them stepping up to the plate and becoming a green example for other companies. They're proving that successful big business and environmental consciousness can go hand in hand.

Earlier this week, we featured a list of items and people that Madonna will be carting around from show to show, generating quite a discussion in the comments section.

While some of the items seemed necessary, such as the couple boxes of Q-tips and make-up sponges, other items were a bit more suspicious.

For example, I can understand why Madonna and her entourage would need ice packs, but does she really need to ship three giant freezers with her to hold them? Can't the venues supply them, or could they perhaps rent locally?

Regardless, it is difficult to judge what is necessary and what could have been greener, and Plenty Magazine has offered up some perspective on the whole situation.

They cited the UK's Daily Mail as claiming that Madonna and her posse will generate a carbon footprint comparable to that which 160 average people would lay down in a year. Her jet alone will put out 95 tons of carbon.

Starting September 1^st, the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program's Chill Out competition will be starting its third year, and it's shaping up to be better than ever.

Through a partnership with www.GoGreenTube.com, the hunt is on for three minute creative videos of global warming solutions on campus, whether they're shot on your cell phone, video camera, or webcam.

The competition is open not only to students, but to faculty and staff as well, and should showcase what their campus group is doing, or could do, to reduce global warming's impact on our planet.

These groups are eligible to win grant money, and may be featured in the nationwide multi-media broadcast, set to air April 2009, of Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming.

Even if your video does not win, each viewing by a GoGreenTube community member equals one pound of carbon that they will offset through Carbon Fund.

Not only will you be taking part in showing others the way to a more sustainable future, you'll be helping to reduce the effects of global warming as well.

GoGreenTube LLC, a new video sharing website founded in March 2008 and launched in June 2008, strives to be the best source for the world to share and learn through "Green" web videos featuring crucial information about the environment, green technology, products and services.

The deadline for entries is November 30^th, and complete information about the Chill Out competition can be viewed on the official website.

While many eco-trends, such as organic food, may seem too expensive for those on a budget, many others are quite reasonable, and may even help you to better manage your life, and not just your wallet.

Local food
If you can't afford the prices on organic at the health food store, consider purchasing your food locally. There are little to no shipping costs, and you're supporting hard-working people in your community, rather than large corporations.

In fact, you may even find that fruit and vegetables that are in-season are cheaper locally than if they were imported, or shipped from say, Florida to New York.

Green shopping bags
These are easy to come by now a days, as not only grocery stores, but also department stores are selling them, usually near the cash registers. Of course, you can always go hunting for a sturdy tote bag you like better, or check out places like eBay for cheap designer shopping bags.

Growing up, I always chose laundry as one of my chores, because I found it relatively easy. It becomes much more of a hassle, however, when you grow up and no longer "own" a washer or dryer.

Using public laundry facilities is not only inconvenient, but it is also expensive. Fortunately, Miss Eco Etiquette, a new Plenty Magazine blog, has published a great list of ways to conserve laundry water and keep the change.

One of the suggestions involves wearing outerwear like sweaters and hoodies, as well as jeans and dresses, up to a month at a time without washing, provided they stay smelling all right. Pajamas could be added to this list, considering you aren't wearing them out of the dorm anyway.

One way to refresh your clothing is to buy (and use!) an iron, or hang them up after use. To prevent muddy pants, spend the extra few bucks to get your hemlines tailored when you purchase new ones.

When it's back to school time, most students are looking for more than just pens and binders. Whether it is because of a need to keep up with the latest trends, a pure love of fashion, or habits that wear out your wardrobe quickly, clothing is high up on the back to school list for many people.

Unfortunately, for the eco-conscious, bold, comfortable clothing that stands out and makes a statement can be difficult to acquire in sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, bamboo and soy.

When you do find designers who work with the material, the prices are often steep. A quick look at your student loan, and you're off to a superstore to buy ten shirts, five pairs of underwear, two packages of socks, a sweater, and a new pair of jeans for the price you'd pay for two or three items at an eco-friendly store.

This is where CROW comes in. A new store launched in May 2008, they offer a unique and affordable way to buy green clothing and accessories that are great looking, comfortable, wearable fashions at a price that you choose.

This weekend, Whole Foods Market voluntarily issued a recall on all fresh ground beef sold between June 2nd and August 6th. Seven cases of E. coli infection in Massachusetts and two cases in Pennsylvania were linked to the product, although none of the recalled beef has shown to be contaminated so far.
Whole Foods Market purchases their beef from Coleman Natural Beef. Their Nebraska Beef processing plant has previously been subject to an E. coli-related recall, although assurances have been made that there is no link between the two batches of beef.

Although the infection seems to be relatively confined to two states, Whole Foods has broadened their recall in the spirit of being cautious. The recall is being issued in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington D.C., New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Canada.

You might be familiar with the following scenario. You pack up and head out to a vacation spot, you see the sights, eat the local cuisine, and amass a bag full of items for you, the kids, your Great Aunt Mildred, and the mailman.

Unfortunately, the "I got tipsy in ___" shot glass, the blow-up purple whale, and the key chain just don't seem as appealing when you get home.

Don't you have thirty key chains, and didn't you give up hosting drinking parties when the kids were born? Where on earth are you going to put that whale, and why is it purple?

Sadly, many of these unwanted items will end up in landfills, and the plastics and other materials used to make them aren't biodegradable. So what should you do?

While staycations are all the rage right now, the trend doesn't indicate that travel is becoming a thing of the past. When choosing your lodgings, you should be inquiring about green practices along with pricing, location and other amenities.

Many hotels do not offer recycling in-room. Between trips to the vending machine, using the disposable cups they offer, and the plastic bags and packaging that come with your souvenirs, you can end up with bags of recycling by the end of a couple of days.

Bring some 2L bottles of soda, reusable water bottles and coffee mugs, and consider requesting a room with a refrigerator for long stays. Pack some dish soap, and you won't think twice about having to use these items.

Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean that you can switch over to a wasteful alter-ego. Don't leave your green shopping bags at home, and if you can't find accommodation with in-room recycling, inquire about whether or not the cleaning staff could do this for you. Pack a blue recycling bag or two to clearly indicate recyclables. If you're driving home, just bring the bags back yourself!

Don't forget to ask about hotel power usage, water usage, and other wasteful practices. If they do their part for the environment, then paying them $100+ per night will weigh less heavily on your shoulders. If you have in-room climate control, then watch your thermostat like you would at home.

Check out these other tips for greener travel this summer.

The cast of the hit television show, Gossip Girl, are greening up their act. In addition to banning plastic water bottles and cups from the set, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley have starred in some fun, creative video clips with a green message.

Trend-setting, wealthy socialites on-screen, the trio teamed up to add a Gossip Girl flair to green living, potentially hitting the 13-25 age bracket more effectively than other eco-videos.

The clips were sponsored by the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Stop Global Warming, and The CW.

While we've spotlighted green book sources before, I do believe that Better World Books might be the only place you'll be shopping in the future.

Here's what makes them so great, and my new top pick for book buying:

1. All books sold help fund high-impact literacy projects around the world.
2. Not only do they sell new books, but they collect and sell donated books as well. Not only is this a great way to reduce/reuse/recycle, it also has helped to generate $4.5 million in funding for literacy and education. So far, over 6,000 tons of books have avoided landfills.
   
3. To date, Better World Books has donated over 1 million books to literacy programs.
4. Every order is shipped carbon neutral, using offsets from Carbonfund.org.
5. The company was started by college students who knew first-hand about the importance of passing on textbooks, literacy and business with a social conscience.