As I have been admiring the efforts of the Princeville Resort to recycle plastic bottles, it has made me think about the bigger issue of plastics and the environment.  I think most of us know that plastic products are prone to abuse the environment because they are often not recycled.  It is also important to realize that in certain instances it is not even possible to recycle certain plastics.

Going Green on the Island of Kauai

I am in Kauai enjoying the magnificent scenery and appreciating the earth’s amazing ecosystem.  What I feared was going to be a terribly non-green vacation has actually turned into one that is rather eco-friendly.  The Princeville Resort where I am staying is committed to conservation and stewardship of the land and ocean.  The resort initiated the first plastic recycling program on the island.  In addition to recycling plastics, cardboard and glass, they also make an effort to conserve water and energy by giving guests the option to wash linens and retrofitting the rooms with low energy light sources.

Recycling and conservation of natural resources are some simple ways hotels can help the world.  Like any other business the more customer demand they receive the more motivated they will be to take steps toward conservation.  From now on when I travel I am going to investigate the hotel to see if they are eco-friendly.  It is going to be one of my criteria for future travel.  I always shop around for the best deals and now I will add eco-friendly to my research questions.  This is a simple thing I can do to help the world.  I am not going to change my travel plans or spend a week in a mud hut without air conditioning but I will make the most eco friendly decision possible. 

If the Princeville Resort can establish the first ever recycling program on the island of Kauai I am sure other hotels in major cities can do their part to demonstrate concern for the environment in their area.  Money talks and I am putting my money on eco-friendly hotels.  I hope you will join me.  If enough of us become eco-demanding, hotels will feel the economic pressure and will make changes.  So help the world on your next vacation by supporting eco-friendly travel options.

“Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” meteorologist Edward Lorenz.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance.  It is an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of America’s fallen from the Revolutionary War to the present.  These men and women gave their lives for the love of their country.  They fought for something greater than themselves.  Memorial Day makes me think about what I am willing to do for my country and planet and what sacrifices I am willing to make.  Am I willing to look beyond my personal convenience to something greater and bigger than myself?

There are a lot of articles and blog posts about ways to make your Memorial Day more green by reducing carbon emission through green grilling methods and reduced meat consumption.  In addition to reducing our carbon footprint I also think it is important that we think about our green consciousness on Memorial Day.  We can pay tribute to our fellow Americans who gave their lives so we could live a better one by honoring the interconnectedness of everyone and everything on the planet. 

Just as the butterfly effect in chaos theory postulates that the small flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can lead to drastic outcomes in Texas so too our Memorial Day picnics with our charcoal barbeques, plastic bottles, and meat filled feasts could have significant consequences. 

Don’t just go green this Memorial Day.  Think green as well.

If you are interested in helping humanity it is easy to feel a little down after watching the news. After all, it would seem like most of the news on television is usually quite morbid. There is a reason for this: negativity and alarmism is often what drives ratings. Sadly, providing tips on how to make the world a better place little by little just doesn’t sell on cable news. No worries, however, we can provide a few solid tips right here. None of these tips center on anything complicated and they can all be done over the weekend with little effort.

1. Go to a Farmer’s Market. The farm industry is in a mild depression these days and is often reliant on government subsidies. When you purchase directly from a farmer’s market you are putting your money directly in the pocket of the farmers. Plus, you get to walk away with decent organic food as well!

2. Visit the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army shops provide a valuable service providing clothes to those who are disadvantaged. The Salvation Army, however, can not succeed if no one donates clothes. So, why not clear out your closet and give your extra clothes to the Salvation Army. They need your help and you would be doing the community a great service.

3. Donate Old Reading Material. Sadly, many people throw out their old magazines. This is unfortunate because libraries and senior centers would really welcome the donation. If you are an avid reader and have a number of old magazines why not give it to those who would welcome them.

4. Give Blood. There is a reason why there are so many blood drives during the year. This is because there is always a need for blood and blood shortages can prove very problematic. (In cases of natural disasters such shortages are dangerously problematic) As such, donating blood over the weekend would be a huge benefit to humanity. The American Red Cross has many locations which are open on Saturday.

5. Drive peacefully. Yes, sometimes it is the simple things that work the most. Driving safely makes the roads safe and averts accidents. Driving politely and sanely is always a good choice.

What are you doing this weekend to help the world?

Recycle your old cell phone and help the world

I love my iPhone. It makes me happy every single day. With my iPhone in my palm the world is my oyster. However, peeking out at me from under a pile of papers on my desk is my old Treo. I feel guilty every time it catches my eye. My Treo was my compadre for many years. We had some good times together. I sent my first text message on my Treo. (You never forget your first.) But, alas, my needs changed, we grew apart and I upgraded to an iPhone.

So what am I supposed to do with my beloved Treo sitting on the shelf? I am green enough to know I am not supposed to throw it in the garbage and pollute our already toxic landfills. I would love to give it a new home but it has always seemed too complicated to figure out how to do that.

Finally, I found an easy and environmentally responsible solution to the old cell phone dilemma. CollectiveGood is a mobile devices recycling network. They take donated phones and attempt to put them into reuse in developing countries often offering third world families their first form of modern communication. Through CollectiveGood cell phones can be donated to any one of fifty charities. The process couldn’t be simpler. There is an easy submission form on the CollectiveGood homepage. You select the charity you want to help, submit your information so you can get tax credit and send them your phone. Three easy steps and you’re done.

I must admit, however, the thought of packing up my phone, finding a box and packing materials and going to the post office made me pause. Even though it is for a good cause it sounds like a hassle. So I found an even better solution. CollectiveGood has a partnerhip with Staples and Fedex/Kinkos. You can drop off your old cell phones at one of these stores and they will take care of the rest. That I can do.

Box checked on old Treo disposal. Have you found any other good cell phone recycling solutions?

Ignorance is bliss. Since I started this blog I have become increasingly aware of my little ripple in the world. Every time I accept a plastic bag at the grocery story, I am seized with guilt. When I lazily toss a plastic bottle into the trash, I feel shame. Next week I head to Kauai for a fabulous vacation that I have been looking forward to for six months and I am trying to bat down the thoughts of my carbon footprint that keep cropping up in my mind.

I feel like I should be strapping on a backpack and jumping in my Prius for an eco-friendly camping trip where my carbon footprint would be next to nothing. Instead I am going to a fancy resort where they will be blasting the AC 24/7, laundering around the clock and wasting tremendous amounts of food (breakfast buffet here I come.) As much as I want to do my part to help the world, I am just not a tent pitching, backpack wearing, nature loving vacation kind of gal. I love resorts. I love to be pampered. And I really love Kauai which can only be reached by a huge, emission spewing airliner. Sigh!

So I am going to toss aside my guilt, get on a plane, leave a massive carbon footprint, and enjoy Kauai but I will do a few simple things to go green even while I am on a non-green vacation. I vow to do the following because I can easily work them into my Mai Tai drinking, golf playing, beach lounging schedule on the island.

1. No laundry service: I am only going to be there a week. I do not need fresh towels and sheets every day.

2. No natural souvenirs: I will not disturb the natural ecosystem by bringing home any rocks or shells to decorate my hall bathroom.

3. Be green even if the hotel isn’t: I will turn off lights and air conditioning when I leave the room. I will not take more than I can eat from the buffet even if it all looks really, really good.

4. Carbon offset my flight: At Climate Friendly I can neutralize my carbon emissions by purchasing green energy credits that are used to support new renewable energy projects. According to the site calculator, my trip from San Francisco to Kauai will result in 2.3 tonnes of carbon emissions. By purchasing $51.26 of green energy credits I can neutralize my carbon hit. Small price to pay for guilt free travel.

5. Unplug appliances at home: Since I will be making a huge carbon imprint away from home, I will reduce my carbon footprint at home by unplugging all my appliances. According to the Department of Energy 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.

On the bright side I will not be using any gas while I sit on the beach and the Mai Tai’s come in glasses so no plastic to worry about.

What ways have you gone green on a non-green vacation? I am leaving in 7 days and can use all the tips I can get.

Did you know simply purchasing coffee can greatly enhance efforts to fight poverty and reduce global degradation?

Ok, some may be shaking their head at this notion. It just seems like too simplified of a solution. Well, it is simple and it is a solution. If you don’t believe it, it is because you are not familiar with the efforts of Fair Trade Coffee.

Unfortunately, many of the conditions under which coffee is grown in the world are not exactly designed to promote the betterment of humanity. Sadly, segments of the world’s agricultural industry rely on very unsafe sweatshop style labor. Worst of all, the payments to the coffee growers are so pitiful that even those who toil for hours and hours a day earn very little money. Fair Trade Coffee, however, has provided an alternate route to this situation.

If you purchase Fair Trade Coffee, then you are supporting a better way. Fair Trade Coffee (promoted by Global Exchange) requires that those from whom they purchase coffee follow several stringent criteria. This includes paying a minimum price per pound (essentially, guaranteeing a minimum wage for farmers); promoting organic growing which promotes improvement of health; and insisting on certain international standards designed to protect the earth when farming.

Isn’t it amazing what can be achieved from something as simple as your choice of coffee? No, purchasing coffee will not change the world but it can create a ripple effect to make improvements where it can. This is one low impact way to have a high impact effect.

The following companies carry Fair Trade coffee:

Starbucks
Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Seattle’s Best Coffee
Dean’s Beans

There are over 20,000 retail outlets across the country which carry Fair Trade products, including Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Albertson’s, Publix, and Harris Teeter.

May is National Bike Month in the United States. Every year the League of American Bicyclists sponsors a Bike to Work Day to raise awareness about reducing air pollution.

Riding your bike instead of driving is a simple way to help the world. With a few pushes of the pedal you are doing your part to simultaneously reduce air pollution, decrease oil dependency, ease urban congestion, and fight obesity. It is not always feasible to ride your bike but sometimes it is. Those quick trips to the store, bank or post office could often be done on bike.

By biking a few places instead of driving you help reduce air pollution by not sending emissions into the air. Additionally, the less gasoline that is burned the less supply will be used. This creates more supply and more supply will send fuel prices down.

There is much that each one of us can do to reduce carbon emissions. If everyone who lives within 5 miles of their workplace were to cycle to work just one day a week and left the car at home, nearly 5 million tons of global warming pollution would be saved every year, the equivalent of taking about a million cars off the road.

Today is a good day to switch gears and bike your way to a better world.