Is There Anything I Can Do For Global Warming

What is global warming? Why is it so scary? Global Warming is the effect of toxic green house gases, such as burnt fossil fuels, becoming trapped in our atmosphere. The green house effect keeps water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, etc. in our lower atmosphere, regulating the temperature closer to the base of the atmosphere, and surface of earth. Now, fossil fuels among other gases we use, are being trapped in our atmosphere, and as a result of deforestation, it is not being cleaned out by nature at the same rate. As well as the gases nature would normally have cleaned out in the past.

Now I know, is there anything I can I do? The first step is, be frugal. We want to limit our usage of the the planets resources. Try to throw away as little as possible. Especially electricity! Take shorter showers, use compact florescent light bulbs. Weatherproof, and insulate your home.

Stop throwing things away. Using reusable items oppose to disposable. Natural items oppose to chemically made ones. Paper over plastic. Start a compost, and use that compost for all organic waste: eggshells, coffee grounds, etc. With that compost you can grow healthy vibrant plants.
Does growing plants help? Yes! growing plants native to your area helps the environment and air you breath, as well is limits water and energy usage. Try growing your own fruits and vegetables and save the cost of shipping those items to your local produce isle.

Reduce your fossil fuels. Use public transit, walk, switch to an ethanol or hybrid car. Inflate your tires, do what you can to increase your mileage. Lastly, if you have the money, consider buying solar panels, not only would this save money in the long run, but it may save your grandchildren, mother nature, and every animal you’ve ever went “aw” towards it’s existence.

Recycling For Profit

There is an effort afoot to encourage recycling. Most of it stems from environmental concerns, but many people have found out that it is possible to recycle for profit. The amount of revenue you can receive from recycling is totally dependent on your own efforts.

If you live in a state that has a redemption value placed on certain bottles and cans and all you do is merely recycle the empties you purchased at the grocery store you are not making profit – but merely getting reimbursed (remember you paid a deposit for those Coke cans). But if you actively search out empty bottles and cans – from your neighbors or along the roadside, anything you turn in to a recycling center is profit.

But recycling for profit doesn’t just mean bottles and cans. There are a number of items which can be recycled for cash. If you don’t mind digging around in your garage, basement or attic, you can collect scrap metal and sell it to local recycling centers. Most metals such as copper and aluminum can be recycled for cash. It’s all done by weight. So fill up the back of the pick-up and start earning money. If you are up for it, drive around the neighborhood and offer to remove your neighbor’s scrap metal as well.

Another less physical method to recycle for profit is by selling cell phones. However, not every cell phone can be recycled for profit. Locate a reputable cell phone recycling company – let them know what phone you have and if it’s one that has recycle value send it in – and they will buy it straight away.

Don’t forget recycling for profit can also mean selling your unwanted items through the Internet (Craig’s List, Ebay) or by holding a garage sale.

Tips On Going Green

One important action you can take to make an impact on our environment is to purchase items with less packaging. While it is true you can choose products with cartons that can be recycled, such as plastic or paper, it is even better to choose products that have little to no packaging in the first place. As you shop for fresh produce such as vegetables and fruits, take along your own green bags. These are reusable bags that prevent fruits and veggies from spoiling as fast. Wash the green bag after use and use up to 10 times per bag. As you purchase other items, keep in mind which ones contain the least harmful packaging and which ones use less of it. You’ll be doing our landfills service by shopping consciously.

To extend your eco-friendliness even further, shop at natural health food stores such as co-ops and other grocery stores that specialize in health food, local food or organic food. Here, you can fill your own containers from home with dried goods such as lentils, beans and other staples. This also reduces the amount of packaging used and it is often made locally and organically, which is a positive for both you and the earth.

Shopping at health food stores also allows you to “vote with your dollars”. It is a common phrase that refers to the economy reflecting where you are spending. If you shop at major grocery stores that are globally dangerous, then that is what will be mass produced. However, if you decide to use your money to purchase goods that are eco-friendly in practice, this will reflect upon the economy as well. Choose products that are made with less preservatives, less packaging and less dyes. While it may be more expensive now, it is more beneficial to humans and the earth in the long run.

For further reading, we recommend this article on Green removals.

Simple Ways We Can All Go Green

Lately, there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on conserving our planet’s resources, recycling, and saving energy. Below, we will examine some simple ways we can all go green.

Plastic and styrofoam drinking cups are difficult to recycle, and the disposal of these cups are detrimental for our environment. This problem can be solved by purchasing a reusable water bottle. A stainless steel bottle is a good choice, and most are lead free. Packing your lunch is another simple way to cut down on food costs in your household. Brown bagging is planet friendly if your lunch is packaged in reusable lunch bag, stainless steel water bottle and stainless steel sandwich holder. The result is a healthy and delicious lunch, and there is no paper to throw away. Another simple way to go green, is to set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter, and a few degrees higher in the summer. This will add up to savings at the end of one year. Washing your clothes in cold water is also a good green tip. 85%of the energy used in machine washing clothes, goes to heating the water. Unplugging appliances when not in use will add up to a significant energy savings, that includes the cell phone charger. Many homes have three or four cell phone chargers plugged into the outlets at one time, due to many family members having their own cell phones. Saving water is as important as saving energy, so reduce your shower time by a few minutes each day and install a low flow showerhead. We can all save gas if we walk or bike instead of drive to destinations that are near to us. Carpooling is a good idea to save gas if it is possible, one more way we can go green.

Improving Recycling Rates

Many people are looking for ways to improve our recycling rates. The main areas that need to be addressed to accomplish this are education, marketing, simplification, and regular communication. When these efforts are combined residents become more willing to participate in recycling because the rules are clear and compliance is easily maintained. When communities fail to address these issues, even those who are honestly committed to the process find themselves questioning the process when they can not understand the rules that govern the process.

Education is the key to any process. However, for education to be successful it needs to be combined with a good marketing campaign. Often those who are seeking to increase recycling in a community fail to seek the help of good marketing consultants. They end up preaching to the choir. The audience they need to reach is ignored, and they continue to reach the audience who already is in compliance with recycling. The change that needs to occur is to identify the audience that is underperforming and find a way to positively market the idea to that audience. I have found trying to adjust people’s thinking to this reality is challenging. They continue to market recycling in the same method they always have and wonder why the results are dismal. The clear answer is that the target audience is hearing the message but they already are responding and their rate remains steady. There has not been a drop, so in that sense the marketing has not been a complete failure. However, marketing campaigns have completely failed to reach the target audience of residents not in compliance with the recycling regulations. Until the marketing and education campaigns match the target audience, do not expect to see a change in rates.

Two other important areas to target are simplicity and communication. When cities and towns constantly change the rules without providing any communication regarding the alterations to the recycling rules, even hard core proponents get frustrated. You can only imagine the impact on the less committed. The more complicated the cities and towns make the rules, the lower the levels of compliance one can reasonably expect. If raising the recycling rates is the goal, simplify, communicate and effectively market your education campaign.