One of my resolutions every year is to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I achieve this by making a new goal for the year and taking baby steps at making it become part of my everyday routine.

A few years ago, that goal was to use reusable shopping bags every time I go to a store. The year after that, was to recycle or upcycle everything I could. The next year, I promised to shop more consciously, to look for products that are local, packaged in eco-friendly packaging and are natural or organic.

Now this year, my resolution is to make my home more energy efficient. I currently have an old thermostat that requires me to manually turn up or down the heat. Of course, I often forget to turn it down when I leave for the day or at night. So this year my goal is to install a programmable thermostat and save some energy.

What are your green living goals for 2012?

World’s Best Cat Litter uses the natural absorbency of whole-kernel corn to deliver hassle-free cat care that doesn’t harm the environment. Their formulas are made of 100% all-natural ingredients and contain no synthetic chemicals, additives or artificial perfumes. So it limits odors, clumps fast, scoops easy and is pet, people and planet friendly.

World’s Best Cat Litter Eco-Features…

• Outstanding Oder Control: World’s Best Cat Litter is the only litter made from whole-kernel corn. That means it has a naturally microporous structure that keeps nasty odors and smells inside the litter.
• Quick Clumping: World’s Best Cat Litter traps the liquid and limits the wetness from seeping, sinking to the bottom or sticking to the sides of the box.
• Easy to Scoop: With its patented formula and quick-clumping abilities, World’s Best Cat Litter is easy to scoop. Cleanup is a breeze!
• Long Lasting: Quick clumping keeps the rest of the litter dry. As a result, one 7-lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter may last one cat more than 30 days. That saves you time and money!
• Pet & People Friendly: Because World’s Best Cat Litter is made from all-natural ingredients—with no added chemicals—it’s safe for cats. And unlike clay litters, there’s no silica dust for you or your cat to breathe.
• Planet Friendly: World’s Best Cat Litter isn’t made from mined, drilled, or artificially made ingredients. It’s milled from renewable whole-kernel corn.

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Here’s a breakdown of all the different types of green vehicles that are currently available and also in development.

Hybrids

Hybrids combine two or more different propulsion systems, typically a gasoline engine and one or more electric drive motors. Most hybrids on the road today compliment their gas engines by charging a battery when breaking. Engines running on diesel or other alternative fuels can also be used in hybrids. A hybrid drive is fully scalable, which means the drive can be used to power everything from small commuter cars to large buses and even locomotives. Hybrids get more MPG or miles per gallon than most non-hybrids, and usually have very low tailpipe emissions.

Plug In Hybrids

Plug in hybrids get high MPG, cover many miles on battery power alone, and include a gasoline engine to provide greater range as needed. Plug in hybrids are mostly recharged from the grid, but some plug-in hybrid models can generate electricity when using them.

Electric Cars

Electric cars use one or more electric drive motors, powered by batteries, for zero-emission motoring. Electric cars are recharged by plugging into the grid, either  at home, or with special electric vehicle charging stations. Car manufacturers are actively developing a new generation of electric cars using technologies and lessons learned from electric vehicles developed in the 1990s. Electric cars are extremely efficient and run for pennies per mile, much cheaper than any other alternative fuel.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel made from various sources ranging from waste vegetable oil to soybeans. Biodiesel can be used in most diesel powered cars without modification. Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel than standard petroleum diesel.

Ethanol

Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel made from biomass. As a popular alternative fuel, ethanol is typically used in the form of E85 to power flex fuel cars outfitted specifically to run on this blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. There are  more than 30 flex fuel vehicle models that have been designed to run on two fuels from the same tank. Most ethanol today is produced from corn or sugar cane, although this will change as cheaper cellulosic ethanol made from fast growing woody grasses and other biomass becomes a reality.

Hydrogen Cars & Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Hydrogen is perhaps the cleanest of all alternative fuels, burning with nearly zero emissions in an internal combustion engine and with emissions of only water vapor and heat in an electro-mechanical fuel cell. Hydrogen vehicles are being developed in many forms by most major car manufacturers.

Air Powered Cars

Air powered cars are relatively new to the green car scene. Compressed air is currently being explored as a viable ‘alternative fuel’ to efficiently power car engines with little or no environmental impact.

Natural Gas

Natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, is being used by an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Natural gas is stored and used in its liquefied or compressed states. It is most commonly abbreviated as LNG for Liquefied Natural Gas, and CNG for Compressed Natural Gas. While a variety of light-duty natural gas cars were once available, the only factory-produced natural gas car made today in the U.S. is Honda’s Civic GX. Other car models may be developed and sold in the United States as additional focus is placed on natural gas as a fuel source for alternative fuel vehicles.

Via: GreenCar

Here’s a detailed look inside an Earthship:

Let’s show the Earth how much we care by going green with these top 5 tips for conserving energy, water and waste.

1- Change lights to CFL bulbs
2- Install a low-flow showerhead
3- Use reusable shopping bags
4- Fix all leaky water fixtures
5- Stop using disposable items

Even though Chicago has more than 110 miles of on-street bike lanes, more than 30 miles of marked shared lanes, many miles of off-street paths (including the 18.5-mile Lakefront Trail), more than 12,000 bike racks, and sheltered, high-capacity, bike parking areas at many CTA rail stations; we’re still out ranked by Minneapolis MN, Portland OR, Boulder CO, Seattle WA, Eugene OR, San Francisco CA, Madison WI, New York City NY, and Tucson AZ.

Did your city make the list?

Via: Motorcycle Insurance

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007 as a global climate change initiative, calling individuals and businesses around the world, to switch off their lights for one hour.

• In 2007 – The inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney Australia where 2.2 million Sydneysiders and 2,100 businesses participate in the event.
• In 2008 - Earth Hour was held in 371 cities and towns in more than 35 countries globally.
• In 2009 – Earth Hour was held in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries.
• In 2010 – Earth Hour was held in a record 128 countries and territories.  Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas stood in darkness.

I know I’ve talked about starting your own compost pile before, but if you haven’t started one yet, now’s the time to do it. Just rake a pile of leaves, toss your old carved pumpkin in and viola…you got yourself a compost pile that will supply lots of rich soil for your flowerbeds in the spring.

Don’t have a yard, try the The Worm Factory 360. It’s a composter that can be used indoors. Now, you have no excuses.