Saturday 28 February 2009

Lights off on 28 March 2009

It's Earth Hour on 28 March 2009. What's that about? It's about showing you care for earth by switch off your lights on that day from 8.30-9.30pm.

Archana has details of it on her slideshow.



For those of you who find it difficult to switch off because of your children, consider taking them to a movie and leave your home in the dark for Earth Day. Get your neighbours to join you too.

What's in? Eco freindly bags.

Do you know what some Hollywood stars are carrying at the beach or while marketing these days? It's "Bags on the Run" in their bid to stop using plastic bags!

"Bags on the Run" are reusable eco-freindly bag that you can even use at the library as they are strong enough to carry a weight of 22lbs (10kg)! So, if you are working on raising funds for your school, church, or organization consider making a custom order for "Bags on the Run".

Yes, be good and green and help "Bags on the Run" in their efforts to reduce wasteful plastic bag consumption. Remember that some stores do offer you discounts for using reusable bags.

Look out for such stores, do your sums and you may find that your efforts are being paid for many times over financially and environmentally.

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Used tea bags to the rescue.

There is a settlement in Mandela Park, outside of Cape Town in South Africa where people live in homes that are built out of bits of tin and wood nailed together. These people were living in poverty with no education to lead them out of it till Jill Heyes discovered their talent and started the "Original T-Bag Designs" workshop at Cape Town’s Waterfront Market.

So, what could they be making in the workshop that could allow some of them to buy proper homes for themselves? Listen up. They paint on used tea bags then assemble them into greeting cards, notepads, journals, ornaments, candles, coasters, trinket boxes, and tea light holders.

That's unique. So, it's no wonder that their workshop is now a tourist destination and you can even find their product selling in Europe and the United States.

The next time you throw away any packaging, think again. It may well be your ticket to a better lifestyle!

Sunday 22 February 2009

No water? What would you have to do?

Actress, Jennifer Connelly, shows what she would have to do if there is no drinking water in New York, where her family lives.



You do not have to be famous to highlight the efforts of Charity: Water. Take a leaf off members of Twitter.

On 12 February 2009, members from Twitter community in 202 cities around the world held "Twestival" and raised USD250,000 (and still counting) for Charity: Water. That equates to clean water for just over 17,000 people living in Ethiopia, Uganda and India.

You don't have to crack your head for ideas on what you can do. Just visit Twestival or Charity: Water.

So, how did I come to know of this? My Twitter friend, Oiver Ding, emailed me a video of Twestival in New York he attended.


charity:water @ Twestival: NYC from Oliver Ding on Vimeo.

He even wrote about it in Mandarin on www.TEDtoChina.com. Way to go, Oliver.

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Saturday 14 February 2009

Valentine Day? Not for lovers only.

Who said that Valentine Day is a day for lovers to express love only. Here we have someone expressing his love for earth.



What a great way to express love for earth. What are the alternatives to gifts? How about a good night's sleep for your love ones. Yes, sex does help one to sleep well and you don't have to pay for that service if you work on it yourself. Remember to turn off the lights too if you love earth.

Thursday 12 February 2009

Tap water. Taken for granted.

When water is always available at a turn of the tap, we tend to take it for granted. Here are some facts to help you review your usage.



If you wonder if it is likely possible that 80% of all sickness in the developing world is due to water-related disease, think about what could possibly make water too dirty for safe consumption. Think; as the population increases with industrialization and development where do the human, animal, and chemical wastes flow to?

Greening your home?

Greening your home has noting to do with growing plants all over your house. Archana shared on SlideShare how it is done.



If you like this energy and cost saving ideas, also watch "World's Greenest Homes" hosted by Emmanuel Belliveau on HGTV or Discovery Channel.

Tuesday 3 February 2009

Home destroyed? Create art.



Hurricane Katrina destroyed Lori's home in August 2005. What can she do with the bits and pieces that were left of her home?

She created collage work out of them as a reminder to all about the disaster and became known in the process. Her lovely creations are for sales and you can see them on her blog, The Katrina Collection.

What would you do if you were in her shoes?

In the news...

A disaster for those in the recycling business as it tumbles with economical slowdown.

In the news...

Recyclers Getting Stuck With Trash.

"Stoltman said the market for recyclables is so bad many haulers are having a tough time covering collection costs. So to get around the downturn of the prices, Stoltman's company has rented a huge warehouse in Rogers and is stockpiling sorted paper, plastic and metal."

It's a gamble for haulers to rent space to store recyclables. What if the price for recyclables continue to plunge? How long can recyclables like used paper be stored before pests like rats get to them?

Can you see another disaster happening? What if it becomes too expensive for haulers to collect used paper? Will we have to discard them?

Can one disaster be used to resolve another. Martin at Make Papercrete shows you how by making building material out of waste paper.



Now haulers who can't afford to rent space for their scrap material can consider offering their more perishable used paper to organizations who are working on building homes for those displaced by natural disasters.

As an incentive for haulers to give away their scrap paper, allow them to advertise on one side of the wall of new home.

Monday 2 February 2009

100 Ways to Save The Environment

Check out the "100 Ways to Save The Environment" posted on (SEQL) Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life.

If you like to share the suggestions given there, email its link to your friends. You can also print link to a .pdf copy for your file or for friends who are not able to access it on the web.

If you are going to print copy, start collecting A4 size promotional flyers or discarded paper that are printed on one side only.

Why bother? Here's why.