Green Christmas Gifts Keep Giving

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For good news Monday, the message is that green Christmas gifts keep giving long after the holiday season is over.  We now are approaching the end of November, and the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Many of us dared to brave the crowds on Black Friday and throughout the weekend, only to find many of the offerings did not excite us.  A lot of the toys were imported and were not that stimulating and most likely will entertain children for a few days and then end up in toy boxes and closets.  Some were even toxic and unsafe.  The selections in clothes often were pretty boring, and we know that they will end up in a drawer or on a hanger, ignored until the spring yard sales.

This holiday shopping season is a great time to be conscious of green initiatives.  With the philosophy of giving green Christmas gifts that keep giving, Christmas shopping becomes more meaningful.  First of all, this brand of shopping makes gift giving more thoughtful because it requires really thinking about the recipients and then selecting something special for them that you know they  would enjoy but may not likely purchase for themselves.  A gift could be a class for the budding photographer, painter, dancer or maybe ski lessons.  Tickets to an event or show often make great gifts.  Gift certificates to a farm-to-table restaurant is a great way to introduce friends or family to eating green and supporting local eateries.  Membershipsto museums, green foundations and organizations, which offer meetings and special events for members provide opportunities for recipients to learn and be entertained at functions and programs.  Two great sites to check ideas and deals for Christmas shopping is Livingsocial.com and Groupon.

All i want for christmas is you

All i want for christmas is you (Photo credit: Lauren Manning)

So for this holiday season, please try to think out of the box when selecting gifts for family and friends.  Have a green Christmas when it comes to giving gifts.  I guarantee you that this will be less stressful, eco-friendly and healthier for you and the environment.  As always, live green, be green.

Institutional Investors Focus on Climate Change

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The Alliance of Institutional Investors, a coalition of the world’s largest investors have called on governments to focus on climate change and to strongly support investments in clean energy.  This group stated in an open letter that “rapidly growing greenhouse gas emissions and more extreme weather were increasing investment risks globally”.

The alliance’s call for governments to address the issue of climate change more aggressively precedes the start of the United Nations climate talks in Doha, Qatar where approximately 200 countries will convene with the goal of extending the Kyoto Protocol, which is the existing plan adopted by developed nations to curb greenhouse gas emissions and is slated to expire at the end of this year.

The alliance notes that governments can effectively address climate change and cleaner energy by adopting the proper policies that would make investment in clean and efficient energy attractive to institutional investors.  It also voiced the urgent need to issue “strong carbon-reducing policies”.  The letter came with a dire warning that failure on the part of governments to act to address climate change with its warming trends would result in extreme weather occurrences becoming more typical and costly as recently witnessed with Hurricane Sandy.

Hopefully, the United Nations climate talks scheduled for 11/26 through 12/7 will be productive and will result in the establishment of global collaborative policies and plans to aggressively attack the problems of climate change.  With the support of institute investors, governments can expect to make huge gains in the fight to curb greenhouse gas emissions and create cleaner energy efficiently so that we all can live green, be green.

Source for this article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/20/investors-climate-change_n_2162767.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Climate change

Climate change (Photo credit: jeancliclac)

The Game of Green

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I often find myself wanting to be as sustainable as possible. However, in many instances, the information is not available on how my specific choices will impact the environment, or if it is, I feel alone in doing the environmentally friendly thing.  With a new startup called Oroeco, founder Ian Monroe is looking to change the behavior of individuals to act sustainably.  He is doing this by quantitatively showing the environmental impact with each decision made by a person.

The entire concept for the company arose when Monroe saw that the information needed to make ecologically sound decisions was being held by consulting firms and intellectuals rather than consumers. According to Monroe, Oroeco attempts to overcome this challenge by, “…Creating a personal sustainability tool that includes social games, competitions and rewards, in order  to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle. The game will harness information with mobile devises and social networks and games and combine those into a tool that provides information and incentives for making sustainable choices on a daily basis.”

By tracking daily purchases, and quantitatively displaying the impact of that specific decision, each consumer will have the power to make a decision with much more information at hand than previously available. Going further into the mechanics of the operation, Monroe stated, “We automatically link up to all your spending and investment with a website called Mint.com. Through your using your credit or debit card we can calculate your climate change footprint according to what you purchase for groceries, your gas, airfare, health and education expenditures.”

In addition, by constructing the paradigm to be as a game amongst friends and communities, people will want to act sustainably, even for the wrong reasons. The structure taps into two ideas that promote global change and behavior: Incentives and competition. The social media aspect of the business utilizes these ideas by creating rewards for good behavior. As a result of these rewards, more individuals are likely to participate and try to outdo one another, thus creating, in this case, a competition amongst individuals and communities on who can live the most sustainably. The key to Oroeco’s success however will be the aforementioned participation element. In this case, let’s all try to do our part and live green and play green.

Source: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_22031716/local-man-bringing-sustainability-self-examination-market

Wind Power Blows Strong For Red States

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The renewal of the production tax credit for wind energy prior to its scheduled expiration at the end of the year would best serve traditional Republican or red states.  The 2012 election results clearly shows that most Americans believe that clean renewable energy is important and that oil is not representative of energy resources in our country’s future.  This clearly was evidenced by the defeat of candidates backed by polluters and their “dirty energy” dollars.

Presently, the strongest wind resources in the country are in Texas, Kansas and South Dakota, with Texas claiming bragging rights for the most installed wind power at a rate of 10 gigawatts per  hour or the equivalent of five Hoover Dams.  Statistics indicate that 81% of wind installed in America is in Republican districts.

Additional reasons to extend the production tax credit include the following:

  • Its expiration would result in the loss of 37,000 jobs, mostly in Republican districts.
  • Letting any tax expire is commensurate to raising taxes, which would not be good for the nation or for the states that already are heavily invested in these projects.

The production tax credit is good for both the economy and the environment, and it should not be held political hostage during the debates on measures to be taken to avoid the looming fiscal cliff.  The best way to help save this important tax credit is to let your elected officials know your position at the following website:  https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=8744&s_src=612LSCMB01.

The production tax credit extension will serve as clear notice by our elected officials that they are ready to put aside partisan bickering and come together to do the work of the people so that we all can live green, be green.

Sources for this article:

  1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-brune/wind-tax-credit_b_2133428.html?utm_hp_ref=green
  2. http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2012/11/sierra-club-helps-elect-dozens-of-new-clean-energy-champions-with-historic-campaign-efforts.html
wind power

wind power (Photo credit: twicepix)

Happy America Recycles Day!

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All of us at Live Green Be Green are proud to celebrate America Recycles Day.  This holiday was started in 1997 to promote awareness of the need to recycle.  This is a day of celebration and recognition of everyone who has done something along these lines.  A recycling effort could be as small as sorting trash so as not to put plastics in the garbage, recycling used printer cartridges or donating no longer used clothing to charitable organizations.  We all are getting pretty good at this; however, we still have a long way to go.

Over the years since recycling promotions have begun, we have witnessed the institution of both voluntary and mandatory practices put into place by local and federal legislative bodies to enforce recycling.  These include fines for littering, deposit taxes on returnable bottles and cans and supervises use of landfills.  As a result, many recycling practices have become habitual to most us.  Also, we now reap rewards from recycling.  These include rebates on ink cartridges and tax credits for donations of electronics that we no longer want but still are useful and are accepted by charities.

Over the ensuing year, let’s try to take our recycling efforts at least one step farther.  In addition to recycling plastic bottles, we can purchase reusable bottles.  Also, we can downsize our purchases of clothing and household goods.  Let’s learn to live with less.  When making purchases, especially for the home, do some research and purchase products, such as flooring, tiles and even paper products made from recycled materials.

We hope everyone who recycles will give themselves a pat on the back today for taking that extra step to save our planet.  We applaud your efforts to live green, be green!

English: Recycle logo

English: Recycle logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Licensed Women Drivers Overtake Men

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"The world turned upside down" (gend...

“The world turned upside down” (gender-role reversal) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, female licensed drivers outnumber their male counterparts for the first time in automotive history.  This study examined gender trends in driver’s permits between 1995 and 2010.  As of 1995, male registered drivers outnumbered female drivers with permits 89.2 million to 87.4 million.  By 2010, however, 105.7 women had driver’s licenses compared to 104.3 million men.  Results indicate that “[w]omen are more likely than men to purchase smaller, safer and more fuel-efficient cars; to drive less, and to have a lower fatality rate per distance driven”.  These findings effectively place women in the driver’s seat, having assumed a position to take control over the country’s direction in matters of efficient affordable transportation and clean energy relative to it.

Certainly, these findings also impact automobile design.  However, it is noteworthy that the role of women in car design is not a new phenomenon.  In the period of more than 120 years since cars have been on the road, women have been instrumental in automobile design but largely were rendered invisible in this role by automakers.  In the 1960s’, auto companies, such as Ford, advertised cars for women, but the “woman’s car” generally was either smaller, cheaper and cuter than cars geared to male buyers, or it was the oversized family transport vehicle.  This notion directly reflected the perceived role of women in society in terms of participation in financial contributions and decisions.  Volvo set out to court women car buyers in 2005 with the “Your Concept Car“, which addressed automotive design features important to women, showing that these same features, i.e., interior space, position of front end and windows for better field vision, etc., also were important to men, thus leveling the playing field regarding cars in this price range.  Other than this, the role of women in the automobile industry basically was reduced to a “sex sells” mentality with car show images of beautiful women alongside gorgeous cars in an attempt to lure men to buy.

Now, fast forward to 2012 where truly “you’ve come a long way, baby!”  Women now outnumber men in college attendance and are commanding higher salaries (though they still lag behind men at a rate of 77 cents per dollar).  Women now are seen in the boardroom more often and assume higher positions in Fortune 500 companies.  Also, they are behind the wheel in professional auto racing.  Women were a deciding factor in the 2012 presidential election.  It is a normal progression for women to have a major impact on economic trends in America, including the auto industry.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of discussions and compromise on legislative issues regarding clean, affordable, safe and efficient transportation, as well as other green initiatives.  Hopefully, the major organizations in the green movement will work hard to include women in the dialogue and to gain their support to advance their many causes, particularly in the area of transportation.  As the primary nurturers in our society, women are a captive audience for the message to live green, be green.

Sources for this article:

  1. http://www.insideline.com/car-news/more-women-than-men-have-drivers-licenses-study-shows.html
  2. http://herstoria.com/?p=9
  3. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/volvo-concept.htm

Have Yourself a Green Christmas

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Nativity scene at Sacred Heart Catholic Church...

Nativity scene at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in the historic Barelas neighborhood, Albuquerque, NM, Jan 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Black Friday is approaching fast, and with it comes the official start of the Christmas shopping season, which we hope will culminate into a great green Christmas.  Now is the perfect time to put into place a game plan to ensure that this hectic time of our lives can proceed as smoothly as possible.  Also, with some planning, we can have an enjoyable holiday without disrupting our commitment to live green.

A great place to begin with our holiday planning is in the selection of retailers to shop for holiday foods, gifts and decorations.  A good source to make this determination is Newsweek Green Rankings.  This website provides several listings, including the greenest retailers in America, the World’s greenest companies, as well as the least greenest companies.  Additionally, listings per industry, such as food and tech companies also are provided.  In reviewing these entries, the savvy green shopper can see how publically traded companies in the United States are globally rank “based on their actual environmental footprint, and sustainability communications“.  These rankings have been produced by Newsweek in collaboration with Trucost and Sustainability, two leading environmental organizations.  Making this list is not a matter of choice, and companies cannot opt out of inclusion.  These evaluations provide green-minded consumers an excellent resource to make informative decisions on businesses worthy of their dollars.

Perhaps the second largest area of importance to consumers during the holiday season is decorating.  Starting with Christmas trees, it is important to remember that there is nothing green about an artificial Christmas tree.  Even the color is not natural.  Generally, they have been imported from China, and they are made from petroleum-based chemicals and often contain lead.  Most importantly, they cannot be recycled.  On the other hand, a real Christmas tree provides a beautiful and fragrant decoration for the holiday season, and it can be recycled into mulch or purchased with a ball root that can be planted.  Imagine a grove of trees representing past Christmases celebrated by the family.  Another point to mention is that the purchase of live trees often can be made from local harvesters, thereby providing economic support to the community.

Tree lights and decorations also are important.  This year, please try to use LED lights.  They burn 10% of the energy of older incandescent bulbs, and they are safer because they run cooler in temperature.  LED lights can be used indoors and outdoors.  When purchasing other greenery, try to avoid plastic wreaths and garland because they contain harmful compounds.  Visit local nurseries and buy natural products that can be recycled.

When it is time to shop for gifts, try to break out of the box this year.  Support local holiday fairs and fair trade bazaars to purchase unique gifts while simultaneously supporting these artisans.  With the popularity of online shopping, please consider online gift cards and email Christmas cards.  These items reduce the need for paper and transportation for delivery, thus reducing the carbon footprint.

Christmas is a beautiful time to celebrate life and family.  It also is an excellent opportunity to recognize the beauty of our Earth and the need to preserve it for future generations.  To that end, let’s use this time to renew our commitment to live green, be green.

Sources:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/08/green-rankings-2012-frequently-asked-questions.html

http://greenliving.about.com/od/thegreenfamily/tp/green_christmas.htm

 

Sandy Forces Rethinking on Living Near Water

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As the recovery and rebuilding from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy continues in the northeastern region of the United States, so must rethinking the plausibility of living close to waters.  While it is understandable that the city flooding in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut was unavoidable and qualifies for federal funding for repairs, maybe this is an opportune time to reconsider living in beachfront communities.

It appears that the realization of the burdensome costs of storm damage in beachfront communities is in the crosshairs of the Obama administration.  This past summer, President Obama signed a bill that makes changes to the National Flood Insurance Program.  This law allots $105 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the administrative agency for the National Flood Insurance Program, to update flood plain maps and to “adjust federal flood insurance premiums to reflect real risks”.  This law also includes provisions for efforts to remove vacation homes and repeat claims from the protection of federal insurance.

While programs such as these face opposition by long-time residents in flood-proned areas, they are supported by liberal officials because they represent acknowledgement of the reality of climate change and its effect on global warming.  Also, conservatives support these measures because they reduce federal spending.  It is important to note that the federal government is not restricting citizens from living in flood-proned areas.  Rather it is transferring the overwhelming financial burden of storm damage, which is expected to occur at greater frequencies, from all taxpayers to the residents in these communities.

During the 2012 presidential election campaign, we witnessed FEMA and its huge deficit become a point of contention.  While it is mandatory that federal monies be spent for natural disasters, consideration must be given to the argument for the necessity of some controls along these lines.  At the time the last transportation bill was signed, FEMA was $18 billion in debt.  Hurricane Sandy has pushed this debt closer to the agency’s cap of $20.8 billion.  The conversation to reduce the federal deficit and to address the looming fiscal cliff must include compromise on both sides of the aisle, and Congress would be remiss to not include measures to address the costs of devastation to communities by violent weather.  Of course, states and localities could adopt legislation to build sea walls to protect residents living near water and/or to provide state insurance funds to pay for rebuilding after storms, but this cost can no longer fall totally on the shoulders of the federal government.

Living a green life requires making choices, some of which are difficult but necessary.  To protect our families, communities, businesses and our very existence, let’s live green, be green.

Sources for this article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-safina/hurricane-sandynot-over-b_b_2109657.html?utm_hp_ref=green

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/appropriations/264639-hurricane-sandy-puts-fema-budget-in-campaign-spotlight

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/265179-groups-say-sandy-could-spark-more-flood-insurance-reform

FED - FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency

FED – FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency (Photo credit: Inventorchris)

Green Initiatives Threatened by Looming Fiscal Cliff

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Tax

Tax (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

Any discussion of the looming fiscal cliff must address the impact on green initiatives as any budget cuts or tax increases will adversely impact the efforts of both families and businesses to go green.  With the realization that compromises will have to be made on both sides across the aisle, it remains important that our elected representatives focus on the fact that governmental spending need to include investment in human and physical matters that will pay dividends in the future.  A green economy qualifies for such investment because its tenets lead to a healthier society and an environmentally friendly world.

Several of the tax incentives for living green were derived from the Bush era tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year if not renewed by Congress, thus creating the looming fiscal cliff.  A few notable ones to mention are as follows:

  • The residential energy efficiency credit.  This credit is given to homeowners who purchase high energy-efficient appliances and home improvements.  Many Americans have received reductions in tax liability through the use of these credits while at the same time making their homes more energy-efficient.
  • The American Opportunity Credit.  This credit provides a $2500 tuition tax credit, thereby enabling more people to go to college.  This opportunity directly affects the potential pool of trained people needed in the research and development of green technology and the direct training needed for operation of green industries.
  • The payroll tax credit.  Taxpayers will see a decrease in their take home checks if this credit expires, thus impacting their ability to exercise healthier choices in the purchase of foods and organic products.
  • The production tax credit (PTC).  This credit subsidizes wind power by 2.2 cents a kilowatt hour.  This is important to states and localities working hard to establish wind power as an alternative energy source.

As the discussion and bargaining proceed over the next few weeks, it is important that we advocate our positions on green initiatives which will be affected by budget decisions.  Now is the time to contact your congressmen by phone or email and state your position on these issues.  Today’s investment of time will reap tomorrow’s dividends.  Let’s live green, be green.

Sources:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324073504578104464153878672.html?mod=rss_economy

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/wind-power/index.html

 

Clearing the Obstacles from the Green Path

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With the dawn of the new political environment, the first duty of the green movement is to design a comprehensive strategy to ensure that its voice will be heard in the anticipated dialogue on climate change and global warming. The primary focus must be on advocacy with the goal of keeping the problems associated with climate change in the national spotlight.

A preliminary and ongoing requirement of the roadmap to a green path remains the removal of obstacles from this pathway.  A successful model to accomplish this task can be found in the work of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV).  Since 1996, this organization has worked hard to expose and defeat elected officials and candidates (regardless of party affiliation) who deny the realities of climate change and consistently vote against legislation for clean energy and conservation.  Prior to every election, this group identifies opponents of green initiatives through voting scorecards and targets them for defeat.  In the 2012 election, the LCV played a vital in the defeat of Mitt Romney.  Additionally, it was instrumental in the defeat of the following elected officials, dubbed the “Dirty Dozen“:

Hopefully, members of the green movement will remain vigilant of local, state and federal activities regarding green initiatives, making it a priority to contact representatives to voice support or opposition to any proposed legislation.  Of course, this will require research and fact-finding in order to understand the issues at hand.  This action, however, will serve notice to representatives of their responsibility and accountability to their constituents.

Finally, it is mandatory that supporters of green initiatives use the power of the dollar to get the change they want and need to protect the environment.  Consider supporting local farmers, who provide fresh fruits and vegetables that are healthier for you.  Check out local businesses who do contract with local artisans and who sell organic and/or fair trade products.  Avoid doing business with companies who incorporate business practices that pollute the environment, destroy the land or treat employees unfairly.

The pathway to a green life begins with small, but consistent and determined steps.  Try to do something each day to make your pathway greener.  Let’s live green, be green!

Source:

http://www.lcv.org/elections/dirty-dozen

http://www.truthandpolitics.org/congress-scorecards.php