As 2011 comes to an end, it is time to reflect on the past and make new resolutions for 2012 and the future.
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.
The holiday season is a great time for fresh starts and new traditions. If you haven’t started living a green lifestyle, now’s your opportunity. Here are the top five tips for creating a green Holiday Celebration.
Eco Holiday Tips:
Cards -Consider switching to emailed holiday cards to reduce your landfill waste. If you would like to send printed paper cards consider a card which is made from 100% post consumer recycled paper and is printed with soy inks.
Trees - Fake trees are reusable but are made from petroleum-derived sources and often shipped from abroad. Real trees, for their part, are typically sprayed with lots of pesticides. Organic Christmas trees are tough to come by. If you opt for a real tree, be sure to bring it to a local recycling center, where it can be chipped for mulch or used whole to stabilize wetlands. A better Christmas tree choice may be to purchase a live, potted tree, which can be planted outside after the holidays. Evergreen varieties such as pine, spruce, and fir work well in many regions.
Lights -Switching to LEDs is 90% more efficient than incandescent lighting. LEDs don’t get as hot as traditional lights, lowering the risk of fire, and if one bulb goes out, the rest of the string still works. They last longer, too.
Decorations - From bamboo placemats to homemade napkin rings, make a commitment to go green by decorating with an eco-friendly touch. Making Christmas decorations at home is another way to get the whole family involved in a creative project.
Gift Wrapping - Get creative with your gift wrapping. Make the wrapping of the gift part of the gift, something that can be used for another purpose afterwards, like a scarf, reusable bag or even a tablecloth.
It’s Thanksgiving week! What better way to celebrate than with green DIY crafts. If you’re looking to green up your table decorations or just have some fun with the kids here are some eco-friendly Thanksgiving craft projects.
Halloween is almost here! Just a few more weeks. Are you all ready? Do you have your pumpkins carved? Do you have your costume picked out? Don’t worry, you still have plenty of time & we’re here to help.
Here are the top 5 eco-conscious Halloween tips for 2011:
1- Buy your pumpkins from local farms
2- Create your own party decorations to reuse year after year
3- Make your own costume from recycled materials
4- BYO trick or treat bag
5- Create a compost pile for your pumpkins on November 1st.
Grillin’ and summer go hand in hand. But how green is your grill? Follow these easy tips by Easy Green TV to make sure your next cookout is earth-friendly!
Earthship is a radically sustainable green building made of recycled materials and powered by the sun & the wind, catching water, treating sewage, heating and cooling through thermal dynamics and growing food. It’s extreme Green living at it’s best by architect Michael Reynolds.
Need some DIY eco-friendly tips to avoid the toxic store bought dye kits? Try dying your eggs with vegetables, spices and everyday items found in your kitchen.
Supplies Needed:
Free-range eggs
Alum powder (available at the supermarket in the spice aisle)
Step 1:
Choose which colors you’d like to dye your eggs.
For blue, use red cabbage
For red, try whole beets (not canned), cherries, or cranberries
For light green, use spinach or fresh green herbs
For tan, brew some strong coffee, tea, or a handful of cumin seeds
For yellow, try turmeric (a spice) and yellow onion skins
For olive green, use red onion skins (the color is produced by a reaction with the vinegar)
For purple, grape juice or frozen blueberries
Step 2:
For each color, fill a saucepan with at least three inches of water. Add in your vegetables or spices. It’ll take a lot…around two cups, packed.
Step 3:
Bring the water to a boil, and add two teaspoons of alum powder – UNLESS you’re using onion skins, as it creates a funky reaction.
Step 4:
Boil for thirty minutes.
Step 5:
Remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool slightly. You don’t want to add the eggs to boiling water, because the shells will likely crack.
Step 6:
Return to heat, and stir in two tablespoons of white vinegar. Add the eggs, and bring the mixture back to a full boil. Reduce the heat slightly, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, and let the eggs cool in the dye.
Step 7:
Remove the eggs from the dye. If you’re satisfied with the color, then allow them to dry. For deeper, richer colors, strain the liquid, and allow the egg to continue to soak for up to eight hours. (Any longer, and the vinegar will start to disintegrate the shell.) If you plan to eat the eggs, put them into the refrigerator.
Chicago is quickly becoming one of the greenest cities in the US, however, it still has a little ways to go when it comes to being one of the most bike friendly cities in the US.
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.
Cinco de Mayo is this Saturday! Let’s celebrate with friends & family by having an eco-friendly party with fun festive food, drinks, and party favors.
Halloween is almost here! Just a few more weeks. Are you all ready? Do you have your pumpkins carved? Do you have your costume picked out? Don’t worry, you still have plenty of time & we’re here to help.
Who’s 
