Green Daily

10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Home

Switch your lightbulbs! Photo: AFP, Getty Images

The holiday season is just weeks away, the days are getting shorter, and the weather is getting chilly. Between wanting to save some money and trying to keep our carbon footprints in check, many of us are thinking about investing in Snuggies instead of turning up the thermostat -- blankets with arms in the name of energy-efficiency!

Keeping the thermostat low is a good place to start, and there are lots of other easy things you can do to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. Even if you've seen many of these steps, sent out by Plastics Make it Possible, it's is the perfect time for a refresher -- before the truly cold weather sets in, and all of your time gets eaten up with holiday projects.

Take a moment to look around and run through this quick list to see what DIY improvements you can make for a more energy-efficient winter!
1. Check for leaks in common spots, like windows, doors, and places where pipes come into the house. Putting plastic wrap on windows and doors is a quick way to stop leaks before they cost you a bundle.

2. Keep the air moving with a ceiling fan, and in the winter set the blades to turn clockwise, which will create an updraft. This forces the warm air that collects near the ceiling down to where we can use it.

3. Still got some of those incandescent bulbs? Swap them out for compact fluorescent and reduce your electric bills by 10% -- and remember to switch off lights when you leave a room!

4. Insulate your pipes, and you could reduce your energy use by 25%, not to mention keeping them from freezing!

5. Put a blanket around your water heater. This insulation reduces how much energy it needs to function.

6. Window coverings help keep the cold out. Close your blinds to cut down on drafts.

7. Check and change your air filters on heating and air conditioning systems. Dirty filters make your equipment work harder, contribute to allergies, and use more energy.

8. A programmable thermostat keeps you from fiddling with the temperature, and allows you to turn down the temperature at night when you're asleep, or during the day when you're at work

9. Replace old appliances with ones that have the Energy Star logo. In the long run you'll save money on energy consumption, and pollute less.

10. Put a stake in the energy vampires! Unplug unused computers, printers and TVs, which draw energy even in their standby mode.

10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Solar Decathlon

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Alternative Energy

University of Kentucky Uses Innovative Recycled Plastic Decking at the Solar Decathlon from Plastics Make it Possible on Vimeo.

Last month students from around the world gathered on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to compete in the Solar Decathlon, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Twenty teams designed, built and operated solar-powered homes, which were then opened to the public, both to get votes, and to educate people about the latest uses of energy-efficient building practices and materials.

The first, and hardest, part of the competition actually happens before they get to D.C., when the teams design their structures, raise money to build them, and supervise contractors to actually raise them. Then they take them apart -- very carefully! -- and transport them to the National Mall, where they are reassembled on site. The final phase includes the judging, where they are evaluated on 10 different areas:

Architecture - 100 points
Market Viability - 100 points
Engineering - 100 points
Lighting Design - 75 points
Communications - 75 points
Comfort Zone - 100 points
Hot Water - 100 points
Appliances - 100 points
Home Entertainment - 100 points
Net Metering - 150 points

The D.O.E. has several goals for the competition, including educating students about alternative energy solutions, raising public awareness, and stimulating R&D of innovative new technologies.

This year the winners included 2007 champions Team Germany (Technische Universität Darmstadt) in first place, with a home that had photovoltaic panels on every available surface.

In second place was the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a home that combined traditional building techniques with energy efficient technologies.

Third place was awarded to Team California (Santa Clara University, California College of the Arts), with a house that won first place in the Architecture and Communications contests.

All of the entries are pretty inspiring, and offer a great example for anyone considering some home improvements of their own!

The Solar Decathlon originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eco-Friendly Halloween Costumes

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Kids and Parenting

Ghost costumes are easy! Photo: Getty Images/TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/Staff

So what's your Halloween costume this year? Oh, you don't have one? That's okay, we have some eco-friendly and oh-so-clever ideas for you!

Being sustainable doesn't mean you have to wear an unimaginative, boring, hemp bag. Just the opposite, unless you're going as a Wet Blanket Environmentalist.

Get out your creativity, roll up your sleeves, and prepare ready to wow your friends and neighbors with these environmentally smart Halloween costumes.
DIY With Thrift Store Basics:

Sheet = a ghost -- bonus for bamboo or organic cotton
Black tights stuffed with newspaper (which you recycle later) = spider
Garish bridesmaid dress = a princess
Wedding gown = a bride
Flannel shirt & jeans = lumberjack
Flannel shirt & ripped jeans = hobo

Green Theme:

Used candy wrappers stuck all over your body = Ghost of Halloween Litter
Plastic water bottles & rubber duckies stuck all over a blue outfit = the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Walk around naked = PETA celebrity fur protester

Honorable mention for cool idea: a bat costume with wings made of old umbrellas.

Dishonorable mention: anything with a big rubber mask made out of petroleum products

Too much work to make your own? Then do a costume exchange with some of your friends. After all, you only wear that costume for a few hours, and then put it away. This can be a great project to organize through your local school, since kids grow out of costumes from one year to the next.

And whatever costume you decide to wear, remember to green your candy choices!

Eco-Friendly Halloween Costumes originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ed Begley, Jr. Talks to GreenDaily About Going Green for Cheap

Josh Loposer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities, Home

Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images

If you're a "Living With Ed" die hard, you already know that Ed's green living show was picked up by Planet Green for another exciting and environmentally-friendly season. With the premiere already locked and loaded for October 21st at 9PM EST (that's tomorrow!), I was lucky enough to catch up with Ed for a few minutes to chat about the upcoming season, as well as Ed's green living philosophy.

GD: I heard a rumor that you guys are undergoing some major home renovations. Can you tell us whether or not you'll achieve your dream of living completely off the grid this year?

EB: No, I still can't do it. There's a good side of the problem; there's a lot of shading on my roof. I can never get fully off the grid unless I built a second story because of the shade from my neighbors' houses. But the shade actually keeps the heat off the roof, so that's good.

I've got our energy bill down to about 300 or 400 bucks a year. Now that we have three people in the house and I'm putting about 10,000 miles on my electric car doing speeches, the demand is higher than what it used to be. Even on the grid, the power I've got at my house is completely renewable. For only three cents extra per kilowatt hour, I buy power that comes completely from renewable sources through the LA power grid.

GD: I frequently have to toe the line at my house, trying to reduce our footprint while not going so far as to cause marital unrest. Do you have any general advice for those of us who may be living with a spouse that's not completely on board with our vision of a green, hermit-like lifestyle?

EB: I say, pick your battles. I used to fight on everything that I thought would save energy. Like the rain barrel. Rachelle thought it was ugly, so I said, 'Live to fight another day.' I put the cistern underground where it's not visible. I met Rachelle halfway on a lot of stuff. The same thing with our drought tolerant plants. They used to make my house look abandoned. Now, I've got some help and they look great. She's enriched my life. Before, I didn't care about aesthetics, I think I just wanted to live in an energy-efficient bunker.

GD: Since the economy blew an O-ring last fall, have you noticed a significant change in the green movement?

EB: It's a challenge, but it creates opportunity to do the cheap and easy stuff first. Pick the low hanging fruit. Like what I did in 1970s: weather stripping, home gardening, lighting, taking public transportation, riding a bike when weather permits. It took me 15 years before I could afford any of the expensive upgrades like solar panels.

GD: On a scale from 1 to 10, what stage would you say your conflict with Bill Nye is at right now?

EB: There's a certain détente. There's a demilitarized zone in between his house and mine. I just did a grey water system. So, we'll see what happens with that. Even with three people in my house, I'm using less water.

GD: Can you give GD readers your top three effective yet inexpensive ways to go green at home?

EB: Sure! Check all weather stripping around doors and windows, upgrade to energy-efficient lighting, and installing an energy efficient thermostat. That's all very inexpensive and effective.

Another feel-good thing that's cheap and practical is a home energy audit. In many parts of the country it's free. It gives you a heirarchy so you can prioritize what makes sense to do next. Also, you can get $1,500 assistance from the Obama administration for home energy efficiency tax credits.

Ed Begley, Jr. Talks to GreenDaily About Going Green for Cheap originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vaska Laundry Detergent, Good Enough for the Giants, Good Enough For All of Us

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Home

Vaska Herbatergent Credit: Vaska

Here in San Francisco we've resigned ourselves to another year of dashed World Series hopes. But we do have a baseball superlative to be proud of: The San Francisco Giants are certainly the most eco-friendly major league baseball team!

In addition to a solar powered stadium and a water-conserving irrigation system, the team uses Vaska, an all-natural, phosphate-free detergent. The company is even local, based across the bay in Berkeley, California.

Since I'm getting to be something of an expert on green laundry practices, the company contacted me and offered a sample of their herbatergent [TM]. Of course I said yes!
Vaska's herbatergent [TM] is made with real herbs and botanical cleaning agents -- hence the name. It's gray water and septic tank safe, and good for people with sensitive skin because it's chemical-free. I also really like that it's concentrated, so it uses as little packaging as possible.

So does it work? Yes, indeed it does. It even got my laundry-picky husband's highest rating, "I can't tell the difference."

It's always fun to do a product review, but my husband hit on the thing that I think is so fun and exciting about Vaska: it's one more example of how normal, mainstream and effective eco-friendly cleaning products have become. There are dozens from which to choose -- it's gotten to the point where there's no reason use an old-fashioned chemical-laden product.

Don't be afraid, give Vaska and some of the other eco-friendly laundry detergents a try. You really can have green laundry without resorting to baking soda and vinegar!

Vaska Laundry Detergent, Good Enough for the Giants, Good Enough For All of Us originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scotch Brite Sponge is a Cleaner Green - But it Only Comes in Brown!

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Home

Eco-friendly sponges from Scotch-Brite. Credit: Cat Lincoln

One of my favorite things is when big companies finally see the "Green Light" (and by green I mean eco-friendly and potential money-makers) of environmentally responsible products. Sponge king 3M, though its Scotch Brite brand, has clearly picked up on the whole, "Oh, people want sustainably-produced versions of this stuff!" concept. Hooray!

Like all good Green Warriors, when I first heard about the Greener Clean line I was suitably skeptical and suspicious of 3M greenwashing, just because their products use so many chemicals. I mean, there's a picture of a guy with a blow torch and a protective gas mask on their products page!

Very intelligently, they got the new line of Scotch Brite Greener Clean into the hands of bloggers at the BlogHer Conference, by way of the Room 704 gift bags. I got several samples, including scrubbers, sponges and wipes, all made from natural, sustainable, recycled and recyclable materials.From the broad range of products and materials involved, you can see that 3M has invested a lot of R&D in this line.

I tried out groovy scubbers made from 50% agave plant fibers, which are what tequila is made from, so you know there's plenty of that around! I also road kitchen-tested:

biodegradable and compostable cellulose sponges made from 23% recycled paper
an expanding soft sponge, made from 100% natural materials, which is also compostable -- the cool thing about this one is that it takes less space, which equals less packaging
a reusable bamboo cleaning cloth made from rayon and cotton
these bamboo wipes (which are different from the cleaning cloths, above, no really) made from rayon bamboo and corn fibers which can be used wet or dry

I liked them all! They worked really well, just like "regular" sponges and wipes. My only criticism is that they have the serious Hemp Ghetto curse. Everything is craft paper brown -- I mean, couldn't they find some beet juice stain, or vegetable dye, or something? Even chlorophyll green would be cuter. Why must sustainability and responsibility be so dreary?

Also, it turns out that 3M has a pretty good environmental track record. They've had a Pollution Prevents Pays program for 30 years! It prevents "pollution at the source -- in products and manufacturing processes -- rather than removing it after it has been created".

Love the whole 3M practical and responsible approach, I just wish it came in more colors!

Scotch Brite Sponge is a Cleaner Green - But it Only Comes in Brown! originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We Can All Work on the 4th R: "Respond"

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Activism

Recycling on the streets of San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Everyone knows the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Of course the truly green also practice the fourth R: "Respond".

I'm going to give all of you GreenDaily readers the benefit of the doubt, and take it as a given that you all Recycle -- the blue bins are ubiquitous in most cities, and if you really want one, you can even find it in rural areas. Heck, in San Francisco, where I live, we're even required to compost.

In these days of economic uncertainty (also known as "we're all broke anyway") Reducing is common because it makes good financial sense. No one needs to prompt me to turn out the lights when I leave a room, PG&E sends me a monthly reminder!

By the same token, Reusing is just another word for "I'm going to bust a gut if I don't shop for something, so maybe I'll hit the thrift store" and "I'll just fix up the bike that's already in the basement, thanks!"

So that gets us to the fourth R, "Respond" -- just how does one go about practicing it?

It would probably help to start by explaining what I mean. Back in July, I was reading a Smart 2 Be Green newsletter which describes Responding this way:

o. Educate others on the "Three R's."
o. Make your preferences known to merchants, manufacturers, and community leaders.
o. Create your own new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

As far as that first bullet goes, I know I'll talk to anyone about this stuff -- heck I'll tell it to a telephone pole if there aren't any people around. It's much better to call that "educating" instead of "droning on and on endlessly".

But I have to admit I'm a little more shy when it comes to pulling aside the store manager or demanding that a waiter tell me where my ~~veal~~ beef was raised. And I can't remember the last time I dropped by Gavin "Mayor McHottie" Newsom's office to discuss the recycling policy -- although as I just mentioned, the city is doing just fine finding the cutting edge on recycling practices without my help.

In fact, these days my eco-practices are pretty vanilla. Sure, I bring my bags to the store, shop at the farmer's market, use organic beauty products. But I haven't challenged myself to find new ways to reduce my impact on the planet, or lower my carbon footprint.

Instead of getting down about this, I decided it really means that we all have room to grow when it comes to our relationship with the environment, the earth and world around us. The important thing is to stay aware of how things are changing, and keep pushing yourself to change, too.

(PS - that veal reference was a joke! I would never eat veal! Do they even make it in the U.S. anymore?)

We Can All Work on the 4th R: "Respond" originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly

Kristen Seymour — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Home

How To Make Your Bathroom Eco-Friendly on Howcast

How clean and green is your bathroom? It's easy to rely on toxic, chemical-laden cleaners to make sure we get rid of all the icky germs in the bathroom, but those chemicals aren't good for you or the environment. Add to that the amount of water that gets wasted and all the crazy ingredients in your shampoo, and this little room starts to have a big impact.

From choosing the right light bulbs and showerhead to using the right cleaning products, the video above has tips for making your bathroom as eco-friendly as possible.

Got some tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Should Enivros Embrace the Aluminum Bottle?

Josh Loposer — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Food, Home

(Photo by Abqtrucker, Flick)

Popping the top off of a cold longneck may be part of the quintessential American experience (it certainly is a part of mine), but is it in line with your efforts to go green? Like it or not, some of your favorite glass-bottle beverages -- from beer, to Coca-Cola, to (gasp!) wine -- will soon be living in one of those weird-looking aluminum bottles as they await their fateful date with your gullet.

You may have already seen a few of these funky bottles lurking around your local grocery store. Anheuser-Busch has been using them for a couple of years now as well as some of the other beer giants. A few months ago, Coca-Cola announced plans to start rolling these babies out in limited venues across the country. Now, Rexam, a huge consumer packaging company, has jumped into the aluminum bottle market. So, I'm guessing that we're destined to see a lot more of them.

The good news is that, in terms of sustainability, aluminum bottles look like a clear winner over glass. For starters, one of these new aluminum bottles weighs in at about 20 grams, whereas a comparable glass bottle weighs about 180-200 grams. Obviously, weight plays a huge factor in an item's carbon footprint, so we're talking about some serious reductions in shipping emissions. Not bad, eh?

Another advantage that comes with aluminum -- aside from its energy-intensive extraction process -- is that it's recycled at a much higher rate than glass. Nearly 45% of aluminum cans are recycled versus only about 25% for glass bottles. On top of that, aluminum cans generally contain more recycled materials, since about 2/3 of all aluminum ever produced is still in use.

I guess I should take this opportunity to point out that the greenest way to go is almost always local. A bottled beverage that doesn't have to travel vast distances to quench your thirst is going to have a much smaller footprint than an import -- no matter what kind of container it's in. Even greener still is anything produced locally that flows from a tap.

Still, when it comes from distant state or nation, the aluminum bottle is preferable to glass. My advice: don't fear the metal. I was recently at a ginormous water park -- at which they had the good sense to both serve alcohol and avoid glass containers -- where I had the chance to give one of these cold ones a test drive.

I'll say this, it wasn't too much like drinking from a can, but it wasn't quite like the glass bottle experience either. It was something new. I was impressed by the construction of the aluminum bottle and, most importantly, it was cold. I dare say that it was colder than many of the glass bottled beers I've enjoyed.

Should Enivros Embrace the Aluminum Bottle? originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Easy Being Green - Yes, I Changed My Mind

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Natural Body Care

(Photo by Envirosax)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post complaining about how hard it is to be green. But after thinking about it a little bit while I'm doing my daily life, I take it back: there are lots of things about being green that are easy!

Reusable straws -- I use straws for hot and cold drinks. Even at home. Believe me, the used straws start to stack up quickly. I was feeling guilty about my daily hollow plastic contribution to the landfill when my best friend gave me some cool acrylic straws from Crate & Barrel. I wash them, like cutlery. It's actually no big deal, and one little way to avoid producing needless waste. While still being OCD and orally fixated.

Recycled paper towels -- They are available everywhere, with several choices at all of my local supermarkets. My husband (who objects to "those gross brown ones") has even bought them by accident, thinking he was sneaking contraband virgin paper fiber into the house. Yes, I just said that it's so easy even a husband can do it. By accident.

Earth-friendly laundry practices -- I threw that little laundry experiment (from earlier in the week) together in five minutes without even trying. Most brands offer at least a less-harsh-chemical version for people with sensitive skin, and the truly "natural" brands are increasingly ubiquitous -- and more importantly, the same price as "traditional" detergents.

All-natural and organic makeup -- it's not just rusty, clay-colored "mineral makeup" any more. You can get awesome, high quality, pretty organic makeup. Physicians Formula's organic mascara rocks, and Sephora has a whole natural and organic makeup section of their site. You've probably even bought organic makeup without even realizing. Yes, I just said that it's so easy even a painted hussy like me can do it. By accident.

Bringing my bag to the grocery store -- this is actually convenient! The bags are bigger and easier to carry. I keep them in the car, and don't even have to think about it. Keys, wallet, grocery bag. And probably my favorite green item of all time is my Envirosax bag, that rolls up smaller -- and lighter -- than a deck of cards, and is always in my bag. The best $8.50 I've spent in years.

It's really a glass half-full or half-empty thing. Which one do you want to focus on? Seeing as it's Friday, and a beautiful mid-summer Friday at that, I'm going for the optimistic answer. Since this is a democracy, you are invited to share your opinion through the handy poll below.

It's Easy Being Green - Yes, I Changed My Mind originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Eco-Angle on Poop

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Health, Home

(Photo by Getty Images)

In the end, it always comes back to poop, doesn't it? I was catching up, scrolling through my "green news" feeds, and there they were, one after another, on Huffington Post, Reuters, and the Lazy Environmentalist: stories about eco-friendly toilets.

The green issue, i.e. the least green thing about toilets, and therefore poop, is water. It takes a lot of water to wash away each person's daily "production." And in a world where fresh water is in increasingly high demand ... at some point the discussion becomes, "Do we prioritize drinking water or toilet water?"

But we green folk are nothing if not inventive, so of course there are solutions. For ages, one of my favorite eco-home-porn items has been a grey water toilet. The concept is simple enough: you collect the water from showers, face-washing and tooth-brushing and use it to flush toilets instead of valuable drinking water. Two people using a grey water system can save as much as 14 gallons of water per day!
As neat as that idea is, toilet developers with green, um, brains, have branched out further, taking it into the realm of non-water toilet solutions. For example, the Huffington Post just ran a story about compostable toilets, which dehydrate and convert human waste into garden friendly fertilizer. An interesting way to make your garden grow! Perhaps the Obamas will consider something like that for the White House garden.

But wait, the ideas get even more space age: an industrial designer named Virginia Gardiner is working in London to create a waterless toilet that converts poop into energy. It uses an "anaerobic digester" to produce methane cooking gas from the poop. Which ironically would get used to cook food, which would be eaten, and then turned into waste, which would then be turned into more energy -- yeah, it's a magical closed loop energy system! Go watch her explain it in a video, it's so cool!

See? Poop talk isn't just for fifth graders anymore. It's a bona fide eco-topic! So get smart about it, and bring it up next time you're at a dinner party. People who get the green movement will be impressed with how sophisticated you are. And if there are any 5th graders around, chances are they'll be pretty impressed, too.

The Eco-Angle on Poop originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting Your Laundry Clean and Green

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Home

(Photo by Heinz)

Recently I visited my sister in North Carolina. While there is much to love in the southern state, it's is not what you would call the most "green" area of the country -- they don't even have curbside recycling at her house!

But she does have the softest and best smelling laundry in the world, because she uses a ton of fabric softener, something I gave up ages ago because of the negative impact on the environment. Still, you have to admit, that stuff really makes a difference. Toweling off after a shower, I was ready to say, "Screw the environment, bring me a gallon of Downy!"

But of course I didn't. Sigh. Instead I'm redoubling my efforts to find the ultimate green laundry products. In the interest of research, last week I did four loads of laundry, using four different combos, in search of clean, green laundry satisfaction. Did I find it? Well ... sorta.

Load #1: Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquid plus vinegar

Why I picked it: Well known and easy to acquire "green" brand, plus the go-to kitchen solution for every seemingly every cleaning need.

Contents of the load: a bunch of towels

Cost: my husband bought it on sale at Walgreens a while ago, probably under $10

Green Cred:

Made from plants
Non-toxic & biodegradable
Hypoallergenic
Free of phosphates & optical brighteners
Not tested on animals
Kosher-certified
Removes "blood, grass, wine" -- really, what else is there?

Verdict: Relatively soft, but no delicious scent. Of course, no bad stinks, either. A draw.

Load #2: Win Green High Performance Sport Detergent

Why I picked it: The product was offered to me by a PR person, and I was intrigued by the whole "cleans sporty stuff without the chemicals" angle.

Contents of the load: a bunch of sweaty gym clothes

Cost: they sent me a sample, but the retail cost is $25.99 for 4 bottles (84 fl oz, 56 loads)

Green Cred:

dye-free, fragrance-free
all ingredients are from natural, fully renewable sources
biodegradeable and hypoallergenic

Verdict: It worked, got my gym clothes clean and fresh, although like the first load, no nice scent. However, it's sort of weird and non-green that it comes in packs of little bottles -- maybe it's meant for athletes who travel a lot? Anyway, it would be greener to offer a "big bottle" option. Also a draw.

Load #3: Sweet Grass Farm Lavender Essential Oil Laundry Powder

Why I picked it: I've been sent a ton of products from this brand over the past year, and I love the fresh lavender scent so much that I actually bought more of this, and the dishwashing soap, after my samples ran out. And when you're a blogger who gets this stuff in the mail every day, that means a lot!

Contents of load: a bunch of stinky sweat socks and undershirts

Cost: 4 pounds $12.95 - (good for 58 loads)

Green Cred:

biodegradeable
plant-based cleaners
scented with essential oils -- no chemicals
low-sudsing formula is kind to the environment
hardly any packaging -- the powder comes in a paper bag

Verdict: Clean clothes, nice (although very mild) scent, but not super soft. I will try adding vinegar next time.

Load #4: Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent, Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender Scent, 2x ultra

Why I picked it: I saw it at Target and it seemed like a good way to round out this experiment with another "nice" smelling product.

Contents of the load: grimy jeans, dirty t-shirts, sweatshirt

Cost: 50 flz, 32 loads, $11.99

Green Cred: See #1 above, plus a pretty fragrance

Verdict: Everything got clean, the smell was nice but much more subtle than when you're sniffing it like glue on the aisles of Target. Like the Sweet Grass Farm powder load, not that soft, would probably benefit from some vinegar.

My Conclusion
This probably won't shock anyone who's been reading my posts here, but I still crave the Earth-killing Downy. None of the "natural" alternatives come close to the softening and perfuming abilities of that chemical bomb.

The big winner in this experiment was vinegar. I am totally going to pick up a gallon on my next trip to Costco. It seems to actually deserve the raves it gets from everyone! My advice is to pick your favorite green-friendly detergent -- scented or not -- and add a couple of glugs of vinegar for maximum eco-friendly laundry happiness.

Getting Your Laundry Clean and Green originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's Energy Independence Day!

Cat Lincoln — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:04:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Polit-eco

(Photo by Getty Images)

In this country, we're lucky to have the freedom to choose to act any way that we please -- whether it's good or bad for the environment.

Fortunately, more and more Americans are picking energy smart appliances, walking instead of driving, and encouraging our elected officials to support legislation that creates clean energy jobs.

On that last note, Repower America has a 4th of July pledge on their site, letting you declare that you want our country to:

1. create jobs here at home that stay at home
2. end our dangerous reliance on foreign oil
3. do right by our children (i.e. save the planet from self-destruction)

The signatures on this pledge will be delivered to the Senate, to encourage them to pass the groundbreaking Clean Energy Bill that Congress passed last week.

Other ways you can declare your Energy Independence and celebrate the 4th of July include:

ride your bike to the fireworks instead of driving
bring a refillable water bottle (for some of us, a.k.a. "flask") instead of buying individual bottles or cans
check out this list of energy-efficient ways to stay cool from Sustain Lane.

Enjoy the holiday!

It's Energy Independence Day! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green Your 4th of July Celebration

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Food, Home

(Photo by Solo)

My favorite traditions for the 4th of July involve eating outdoors. Picnics, BBQs, coolers at the beach, nothing says summer holiday like the smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty goodness of a crispy hot dog.

And while I must admit a weakness for Cool Ranch Doritos, as a rule I like to keep my al fresco dining practices in line with my "regular" organic, sustainable and local habits.

One place where that's most important -- and easy -- is in the "meat/not-meat" main dish department:

Meats
Resist the simplicity of a package of Oscar Meyer franks, and check out the alternatives:

Niman Ranch Sausages -- delicious sausages made from humanely raised and slaughtered beef, pork or lamb, all guaranteed free of antibiotics and hormones
Applegate Farms uncured, organic, grass-fed beef dogs -- they also do frozen organic turkey burgers and grass-fed beef burgers
Free-range Chicken -- look for the words: organic, sustainable and hormone-free. I'm loving my favorite local chicken brand, Petaluma Poultry, for moving to styrofoam-free packaging!

Not Meats
Hey, vegetarians love their country -- and get hungry -- too!

Vegan Hot Dogs -- options include soy and veggie dogs, some of which are organic and tastier than you'd suspect
Veggie Burgers -- Amy's makes several flavors of veggie burgers, all suitable for grillin'.
Chik'n Patties -- the folks at Boca offer a range of good-for-you, soy-based "chicken" in several delicious flavors.

Also, while you're shopping for supplies, check out all of the cool eco-friendly options for plates, utensils and cups:

Bambu Veneerware -- single use plates and utensils that are sturdy enough for a "nice" outdoor party, made from a renewable resource
The new Bare by Solo line -- includes renewable, compostable and recyclable plate options
Compostable beer cups from Eco Products.

And remember to pick up some 100% recycled Reynolds Wrap foil to send leftovers home with your guests. Or, even better, tell them to bring their own containers from home!

Green Your 4th of July Celebration originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Help Your Pet Enjoy the 4th Despite Loud, Scary Fireworks

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Plants and Wildlife

(Photo by Nature\'s Inventory)

It makes sense that so many dogs, cats, birds, and ferrets find fireworks utterly terrifying and unbearable -- they are loud, unpredictable, and jarring -- and a delightfully patriotic celebration of our country's deeply martial history, don't get me ~~started~~ wrong.

Obviously you can't stop your local municipality from setting off a 20 minute light and explosion show set to bombastic classical music. But you can help your pet be safe, and hopefully shorten the length of time Felix, Fido and Lance the Lizard hide in the closet, under the bed and behind a rock, respectively.

The LA Times had a great article with suggestions for doing your animal friend a 4th of July solid, including:

Leave your pet at home -- no pet wants to see fireworks up close
Make sure all pets have a collar and ID tag (that's smart all the time)
Ask your vet for advice on keeping your pet calm -- music, low lights, a comfortable bed, could all make a difference.

I would add, if you're going to be talking to Dr. Feelgood Veterinarian, consider requesting a prescription for doggie Ativan. Or, if you're more into holistic, herbal remedies, there is this Doggie Calm Wellness oil, which is basically lavender and patchouli. It's organic!

And of course, catnip won't calm your cat down, but he might thank you just the same. Everyone -- even pets -- enjoy a little herbal indulgence on a holiday weekend!

Help Your Pet Enjoy the 4th Despite Loud, Scary Fireworks originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sometimes It's Hard Being Green

Cat Lincoln — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Local

(Photo by Getty Images)

It's time for Green Confessions. I was just cleaning my microwave and had an urge to toss it out and buy a new one.

It wasn't that dirty, it was just taking more elbow grease and energy than I had at the moment to get the mysterious dried stuff off the walls. And new stuff is shiny and pretty!

Don't worry, I finished cleaning it, with all natural biodegradable soap and water. But I have to admit, the temptation was there.

Probably a worse temptation happens when I'm cleaning out the fridge and I don't feel like scooping the weird moldy cottage cheese into the composting bin, then putting the container in the recycling bin. I just want to throw the container in the regular trash, without ever opening it up!

But that would be unforgivable. So I grit my teeth and scoop away.

At least I compost! My foodie friend "doesn't feel like having rotting food on the counter" so she just throws out food scraps. Even though in San Francisco you can compost everything, even bones.

(I'm talking about things like chicken and steak bones. Don't get any murder mystery ideas!)

The point is, there are so many things a "good greenie" is supposed to do that the day-to-day maintenance can be a grind. Back in April, we did a series of "Eco-Pinions" polls, including one that asked "What's the hardest part about being green?"

Your answers were interesting and revealing:

Walking or biking instead of using the car: 47%
Spending more money for organic food: 21%
Using recycled toilet paper: 14%
Taking shorter showers: 11%
Giving up bottled water: 7%

Now I'm curious to hear from you readers: What's your worst Green Confession? Do you let the water run while you brush your teeth? Drink bottled water every day? Drive two blocks to the store?

We're only human. Share in the comments and get the guilty green weight off your chest!

Sometimes It's Hard Being Green originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eco-friendly Wedding Ideas

Cat Lincoln — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:14:00 EST

Filed under: Fashion, Home

(Photo by Getty Images)

June is the wedding month, and my family is taking it to heart! My brother, sister and cousin are all planning weddings, so lately every family get-together has turned into an advanced bridal idea exchange.

A lot has changed since I got married seven years ago. People are much more open to the idea of eco-friendly options, like email save the dates and using recycled paper (or the kind with wildflower seeds that you can plant) for invitations.

Over at Yum Sugar, Gail Simmons from Top Chef shared her favorite eco-friendly wedding tips, like skipping all of the extra envelopes in the invitation, giving out eco-friendly reusable shopping bags as favors, and sending the floral centerpieces home with guests.
The Smart 2 Be Green newsletter recently offered up more green wedding tips, like:

use organic fruit or beeswax candles for center pieces,
stick with digital-only photography,
go on a green honeymoon.

They also had links to some awesome sites like Great Green Weddings. They have some fascinating articles and ideas, like getting rings made from recycled metal or sending uneaten wedding banquet food to a local shelter.

I was especially moved to read about Brides Against Breast Cancer -- you can donate your (gently used) gown. The organization resells the gown and donates the proceeds to help women with breast cancer. And, of course, your bridesmaids should donate their gowns to Donate My Dress, which helps girls who couldn't otherwise afford it get a special dress for a special occasion.

If you're practicing reduce, reuse, and recycle in your everyday life, there are lots of resources to make your wedding equally eco-friendly. And if you are a recent green convert, planning wedding is a great way to learn about sustainable practices that you can continue to use long after you've finished picking the bird seed (we don't use rice anymore, it's bad for the birds) out of your veil.

Eco-friendly Wedding Ideas originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sustainable Goes Mainstream in the Kitchen

Cat Lincoln — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Food, Home

(Photo by Reynolds Wrap)

It might sound crazy, but lately I've been really enjoying commercials. Yes, those (usually) annoying ads that interrupt a perfectly interesting show about lawyers or dancers or ER doctors. But instead of scowling or taking a bathroom break, I've been watching with fascination as mainstream companies finally jump on the recycled, sustainable, compostable bandwagon. Happy Days are here!

Reynolds Wrap has a new 100% recycled foil available, in regular and heavy weights. The foil is made of pre- and post-consumer aluminum, the boxes are made from 100% recovered paper and printed with water-based inks. According to the site, this recycled product takes 80% less energy to make than when they use virgin materials. And it produces fewer emissions and reduces landfill waste.

And now Ziploc has a new line of sandwich and storage bags made with 25% less plastic than regular Ziploc bags, and work exactly the same way. The "evolve" bag is made from a new resin blend, and manufactured using at least 50% renewable wind energy. Packaging is 100% recycled paperboard carton with a minimum of 35% post-consumer content.
I haven't had a chance to try these two new products -- I just saw the commercials last week -- but I have them on my shopping list. Which goes to show that commercials do work, when companies are selling something that we the consumers want.

More importantly, it shows that major corporations are recognizing the value of creating products that help us live in a sustainable, environmentally conscious way. I'm sure that sales of these products will be huge. If there is a eco-friendly choice from a trusted name, why would anyone choose the "bad for the environment" product?

Sustainable Goes Mainstream in the Kitchen originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beat the Heat Without A.C.

Kristen Seymour — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Home

You might feel like you couldn't possibly live without air conditioning. I know the feeling -- I just worked up a serious sweat walking out to get the mail. However, running the a.c. at full blast isn't exactly the most energy efficient way to live, is it?

There are lots of ways to chill out without cranking up the air. Check out the video above for some simple tips that might surprise you (like eating spicy foods -- who knew that cooled you down?), and then be sure to weigh in with a comment telling us about your favorite way to cool down when the mercury starts rising.

Beat the Heat Without A.C. originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Natural Swaddling - Like a Safe, Organic Hug for the Baby

Cat Lincoln — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:08:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Kids and Parenting

(Photo by aden + anais)

Parents can get pretty intense when it comes to picking the most natural, safe, and beneficial products to use on or have around their newborns. And rightly so, although this puts a lot of pressure on people picking baby gifts -- you don't want to be the bad friend who put the vulnerable little angle in any danger!

Just like with products for adults, in the past five years it's gotten easier to find high quality organic baby products that are also stylish.

One great source for organic, all natural baby gifts is peek a green. This site was started by a mom who was hunting for safe and eco-friendly baby gifts. She packaged her finds into collections, like bamboo, newborn essentials and safe $10 gifts. She also has them categorized by activity, price, and age.

In addition to ensuring that all of the products offered are made in fair-trade environments, the clothing is all 100% certified organic cotton, the wooden toys are all from renewable and sustainably managed sources, and you won't find a BPA or PVC molecule anywhere near the bottles and eating accessories.

Swaddling blankets are always a great shower gift, and peek a green has a very nice Dreamsacks bamboo swaddling gift set that includes a blanket, hat, and socks. The stylish color block design is great for the mom who wants to avoid cutesy flowers and baby animals in the nursery.

Aden + Anais offers a line of organic muslin swaddling wraps that just won a fourth iParenting Media Award. The line was created by two Australian moms who moved to the states and couldn't find swaddling wraps that were made of muslin, which is particularly breathable and comfortable for babies, regardless of the weather and temperature. They are also cute enough to give as baby shower gifts, with interesting and pretty patterns.

Over at eSwaddle you can shop the entire SwaddleDesigns collection, including the Organic Ultimate Receiving blanket which was designed by a nurse. It comes in a swell kiwi green mod design, and has the swaddling instructions sewn onto to the blanket. The organic flannel is GOTS certified, and totally free of harsh dyes.

All Natural Swaddling - Like a Safe, Organic Hug for the Baby originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 28 May 2009 12:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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