Eat Green on Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it is a day for many of us to give thanks for our many blessings. It is also a perfect day to teach your family members and relatives about your greener lifestyle. After you show them all of the green things you have incorporated in your home, you can share with them a green Thanksgiving meal, no food coloring required! The Washington Post has some tips on how to green your Thanksgiving Day feast. Among them are:

• Choose an organic turkey, farm-raised turkey, which will avoid the antibiotics and hormones of factory raised turkeys.
• Using an energy efficient oven, bake two smaller turkeys at once, rather than one mammoth turkey.
• If your palate is up for it, forgo the turkey and opt for a soy or tofu alternative.
• Of course, to avoid waste, use non-disposable dishes and utensils. Be sure to load up the dishes in your energy-efficient dishwasher.
• Decorate with natural materials, such as pine cones, leaves, and acorns.
• Most importantly, take the time to feel grateful for the earth's resources and continue to look for more ways to be eco-friendly!
  

Greening Up Baby

The Washington Post has tips on how to be an eco-conscious parent and reduce the carbon footprint of your baby!

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Reusable Bags Get Trendy

Kudos to those who are shunning plastic bags on their shopping exploits and are instead using reusable bags and totes! Reusable bags have become fashionable--they are no longer just plain canvas totes with the ubiquitous logo of some conference long attended long ago. From a $10 tote to a $960 Hermes tote, there are a number of options for you to choose from. Join the green movement and stop using plastic bags if you can help it. With stylish, functional options (most of which are under $960!), you'll never want to be without your reusable bag.

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Organic Lawn Care

The Washington Post has a very interesting article on ways that you can care for your lawn organically. The reliance upon pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and other harmful chemicals have greatly damaged the environment. Check out this article, so that you can learn to care for your lawn or garden the greener way.

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Green Living for Pets!

Don't just limit green living to the humans in your family--include your pet, too! The Washington Post has some great tips on how you can get Whiskers or Fido to leave a greener "paw print." This is great advice, as it seems that green-conscious people are among the greatest pet lovers, so incorporate some of these tips pronto if you have a pet at home!

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Hotels check in to being green

More hotels are offering green accommodations and using greener construction. Some have gotten pretty creative and resourceful in their choice of materials. It is a great day when even in our leisure times, people can still be socially conscious and responsible about the environment.

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Green Sports Gear

From natural cleaning products to hemp clothing, the Green Revolution has transformed the contents of our kitchen cabinets and closets. Now, sporting and fitness goods manufacturers are taking the trend outdoors, marketing upscale products that boast a new sensitivity to the environments in which they are used.

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GE Unveils New 'Green' Card

General Electric has a new platinum credit card that allows consumers to help combat global warming. This is definitely an interesting premise, though certainly one that should be examined carefully and cautiously. While is is great that a percentage (albeit a very small one) of credit card purchases can be applied to projects that are fighting global warming, it is not necessarily a good idea that consumers will be encouraged to increase their spending or debt in order to help the environment. It is a good concept. However, consumers should be careful with their spending and definitely consider other hands-on approaches to aiding the environment, by making lifestyle changes, volunteering, or even donating money to environmental organizations.

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Beyond Wind and Solar, a New Generation of Clean Energy

As policymakers promote alternative energy sources to reduce the United States' emissions of greenhouse gases and its dependence on foreign oil, entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly inventive about finding novel ways to power the economy.

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The Green Giants of Wall Street

Big, familiar firms in our corporate landscape are taking surprising steps to help the environment, among other nifty projects.

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A House Made of Straw

A few people in the Washington area have been building things -- walls, homes and even, good heavens, a school --out of straw. Some designers say straw is ideal for "green" building because it recycles farm waste and saves energy by keeping interiors cool.

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Back-to-School with a Recycled Backpack!

Several manufacturers are now making backpacks, satchels, and other bags from recycled materials. There are retread bags, made from old tires and inner tubes. Or, you can try a bag made from recycled soda bottles. Of course, you can always get a recycled luggage tag. For more info check out the ABC News story by clicking the below link.

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Rethinking Flying

Airplanes operate on petroleum fuel, which means they release large amounts of carbon dioxide when they fly. Commercial air travel is currently responsible for a relatively tiny part of the global carbon footprint —just 3.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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Global Survey Shows 'Green' Construction Costs Dramatically Lower Than Believed

This is technically good news..."green" construction actually costs much less than real estate and construction analysts may have initially judged. Apparently costs of green construction were overestimated by 300 percent! Hopefully, now that this information has been clarified more governments and builders will undertake more green construction projects.

Local Government goes Greener

Erie County, New York (population of around 925,000) has passed a law requiring county officials to purchase Energy Star appliances when possible. This is a positive first step by a local government. More local governments need to commit to using more energy efficient appliances and technology. As voters, let's encourage our governments to follow in Erie County's footsteps.

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Green Products are Big for Back to School

Stores are hoping that parents and students will add one more item to this year's back-to-school shopping list: saving the planet.

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The Less It Smells, the More It Costs

Painting may be all about looks, but the price is partly driven by another sense -- smell.

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Evangelicals and Environmentalists Find Common Ground

LONGWOOD, Fla. -- At 8 on a Saturday morning, just as the heat was permeating this sprawling Orlando suburb, Denise Kirsop donned a white plastic moon suit and began sorting through the trash produced by Northland Church.

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Going Green Without Starting From Scratch

Consumer interest in green construction has continued to grow, but few people can afford to build an environmentally friendly house from the ground up. They don't have to, says architect Kelly Lerner, co-author of 'Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House.' To find out more about this design...

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Green Remodeling for your Bathroom

Planning on remodeling your bathroom? Well, give it a green makeover. LoHud.com has some excellent tips on how to make your bathroom at home more green, and, hence, more environmentally friendly. According to Robyn Griggs Lawrence, bathrooms are a great place to start green remodeling because they are small and allow you to do creative things with water. Here are some tips you can use in your new green bathroom:

• Install wheatboard cabinets. Wheat is rapidly renewable. If you insist on a wood cabinet, look for one that has the Forest Stewardship Council Logo certification, which will indicate that it comes from a sustainable forest.
• Use natural flooring products, such as bamboo, cork, or natural linoleum. You may also try recycled glass and porcelain tiles.
• Make sure you use non-toxic paint, with low volatile organic compounds.
• To reduce water usage, try low-flow showerheads, faucets, toilets or aerators.
• You may want to get a countertop made of recycled materials. This is also recommended for tiles.
• Lastly, switch to using compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, rather than incandescent light bulbs.

Using these tips from LoHud.com, will let you live green in your bathroom and allow you to help the environment daily.