Recently, we saw the Plastiki – a sailboat made out of 12,500 plastic bottles – complete its 15,000 km journey from San Francisco to Sydney. The publicity surrounding this event has been used to highlight the perils facing the oceans and one of them is plastic waste.

A big mess in the oceans
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over 13,000 pieces of plastic litter the surface of each square kilometre of ocean.

Charles Moore, the scientist credited for discovering the Pacific Garbage Patch said earlier this year: “Humanity’s plastic footprint is probably more dangerous than its carbon footprint.”

We’ve heard of the Pacific Garbage Patch, now scientists are warning that a floating mass of scattered refuse extends over thousands of square miles in the remote Atlantic.

Marine life – the victims of our plastic pollution
The NOAA estimates 100,000 turtles and marine mammals are killed by garbage every year. Turtles are particularly vulnerable as they cannot distinguish between jellyfish (their staple feed) and plastic.

Plastic pollution is also a hazard to human safety. Waste can clog up waterways and this can have catastrophic consequences. Plastics were identified as a major contributor to severe flooding in Bangladesh in the late 1990s and in the aftermath, a total ban was imposed on plastic bags.

An expensive mess
Plastic waste is expensive. Plastic products may be cheap to produce – just pennies for a typical shopping bag – but their cleanup (not to mention their effects on human and environmental health) can cost a lot more.

Is biodegradable plastic the solution?

It’s worth bearing in mind how plastics are made. They are petroleum products made from a non-renewable source and dependency on oil is continued with plastic use. Plastics do not break down easily. The time required for a typical plastic bag to decompose is believed to range from 20 to 1,000 years.

Biodegradable plastics have been around for over twenty years. These are made using products such as corn, hemp and soy. While this is not a solution to the plastic waste problem (because biodegradable plastics can also have an environmental impact), it is a serious consideration within the wider scheme of waste management.

Reduce, reuse, recycle
The fact of the matter is, if you use it, it has to end up somewhere. Only by following the three Rs motto, can the plastic problem be dealt with.

Using less plastic
The simple solution is to not create the waste in the first place.

Is that bottle of soda or water really necessary? Less than 20 per cent of plastic water bottles are recycled. We also have to ask ourselves if we really need those extra household items that won’t be in use for long and will create more waste.

Recycling is everyone’s responsibility
It is estimated that between 3 and 6 per cent of plastics are recycled around the world. There is need for improvement. The mindset has to change from “disposable” to RECYCLABLE.

Companies who have taken initiatives to make their products more recyclable are seeing rewards. At the government level, those municipalities and local governments that have incorporated recycling into their waste management schemes are dealing with significantly less waste going to the landfills.

Consumers have to play their part by making a greater effort to recycle. Too many recyclable items are still going to the landfills.

Dispose properly
We shouldn’t forget this important aspect. Carelessly tossed waste is more likely to end up in the waterways than if it was placed in a disposal unit. 80 per cent of ocean plastics come from land.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lou_Kawakami

When many areas of the US have had record hot summers, it is hard to remember to be energy-savvy. Keeping the A/C down can some very cranky customers, but here are some ways in which to save energy while living an eco lifestyle and NOT want to pull your hair out.

1. Turn off the lights – your parents were not simply trying to get on your nerves when they told you this growing up. Turning off lights as you leave a room really helps conserve energy. Not only does this help extend the life of the light bulbs, but will decrease the typical 11% of a home’s energy bill that lighting consumes.
2. Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – These light bulbs, more commonly known as CFLs use about 75% less energy than regular bulbs and have a longer lifespan.
3. Use Motion Sensors – Outdoor lamps and other lighting is a huge energy sucker when left on all night. Installing motion sensors will not only decrease the amount of energy used by these outdoor safety lights, but also may boost security and decrease the effect on wildlife that leaving lights on through the night might do.
4. Turn off your computer – A computer has become a needed appliance in today’s world, but is also one of the biggest energy suckers in your home. Before going to bed, turn off your computer and do not turn it on in the morning until you’re actually using it. This green living tip saves energy and money; according to the Department of Energy you’ll save an average of $90/year.
5. Laptop > Desktop – Laptops only us 15-25 watts of energy during regular use. Desktops use 150 watts on average. Laptops are more convenient in every way!

Living an eco lifestyle does not simply mean recycling, but covers being outside and helping the environment as much as possible. During the summer months, finding a job that allows you to do that can be difficult. That’s why we put together a list of 5 summer jobs that keep you living an eco lifestyle while staying outside!

1.    Camp Counselor

• Not only does this job get you outside, but you also get the chance to travel and interact with children. There are hundreds of camps all over the country looking for counselors with a passion for the activities these camps provide. A camps focus can range from bible study to BMX camps; whatever you have a passion for, there is a camp that will allow you to show and teach your passion to others while enjoying the outdoors.

• Pay: This all depends on the camp you coach at. Pay is typically $175-400 a week, in addition (most of the time) to free room and board.

2.    Photographer

• Turn a hobby of yours into a money making summer job participating in something you love! There are countless websites that pay for photos as well as art galleries, tourist groups and individuals who will pay for quality photos. You can come up with your own site and sell your photos online, or use an organized website like www.istockphotos.com.

• Pay: You can charge whatever you want for your personal photos, but most website databases will pay you 20% of each sale.

3.    Landscape Architect/Gardener

• This can be as businesslike or casual as you want to make it. By putting up signs in your community you can offer services as simple as mowing the lawn and weeding flower beds, to creating and making walkways and fountains. Make sure you’ve had experience with architecture before doing the harder jobs.

• Pay: Depending on the type of service rendered, you can make anywhere between $10-100 an hour from this organic living job.

4.    Lifeguard

• This position needs prior training, but once you are Red Cross certified, you can turn a love of swimming into a summer job anywhere! The costs of a class ranges from $100-400 but the pay is usually much more than minimal wage so you make up that money in no time!

• Pay: Usually ranges around $9-15.

5.    Bike Courier

• Turn the biking skills you acquired on campus into an outdoor summer job. This kind of job is particularly popular in cities, specifically NYC and LA, but can be found in other areas too. Lots of pizza and sub places that deliver might like the idea of a more eco friendly way of delivering their product. You can also offer your services to apartment buildings for delivering groceries.

• Pay: Depends on the store. Many couriers work on tips.

Westminster Farms Inc., a dairy farm located in Vermont, and Green Mountain Power, which provides electricity to 90,000 residents in Vermont, are working together to create green energy electricity for local residents and businesses. It is a joint investment between the two, not only to make Vermont a greener state, but also to cut the cost of electricity production during these hard economic times.

Westminster Farms invested $700,000 and Green Mountain Power invested $175,000 into this green electric power project, but it also got help from both the U.S. and Vermont Departments of Agriculture.

Westminster Farms Inc., a dairy farm located in Vermont, and Green Mountain Power, which provides electricity to 90,000 residents in Vermont, are working together to create green energy electricity for local residents and businesses. It is a joint investment between the two, not only to make Vermont a greener state, but also to cut the cost of electricity production during these hard economic times.

Westminster Farms invested $700,000 and Green Mountain Power invested $175,000 into this green electric power project, but it also got help from both the U.S. and Vermont Departments of Agriculture.

About this green electricity project

You may not know this, but cow manure is a huge contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, and it’s also a big source of pollution when it runs off into surrounding beds of water. To eliminate these harmful effects of manure the Vermont dairy farm will use an anaerobic digester to mix, heat and break down the manure.  Then the manure will be used to produce methane biogas, which is used to generate electricity.

The liquid waste will be used as fertilizer and any other solid waste will be used as cattle bedding (which replaces sawdust – saving the farm over $80,000).

Right now the green electricity that is created from this project powers about 250 Vermont homes every day. If this project continues to prove to be a success both financially and environmentally, then it looks like Vermont is going to be a great green state!

Source: TriplePundit.com

Did you know that it’s a crime to throw away your food scraps in San Francisco? According to a new city law it is, so you better watch where you put the food that you don’t eat.

Following the lead that Seattle, Washington residents took in April of last year, as of today the people of San Francisco are now required to recycle all of their household’s extra food waste. How do they do it? They place the food in a sealed compost bin that gets picked up by the city’s curbside recycling program.

Did you know that it’s a crime to throw away your food scraps in San Francisco? According to a new city law it is, so you better watch where you put the food that you don’t eat.

Following the lead that Seattle, Washington residents took in April of last year, as of today the people of San Francisco are now required to recycle all of their household’s extra food waste. How do they do it? They place the food in a sealed compost bin that gets picked up by the city’s curbside recycling program.

More about the food scrap recycling program

The food recycling program in San Francisco has been embraced by the residents so far because they no longer have to deal with stinky food smells coming from their overflowing garbage. Plus, the city gets to cut its garbage costs basically in half!

Right now Organics Annex, where the city of San Francisco ships its food waste to be turned into compost, processes about 500 tons of it per day. That’s an amazing feat for a city that already keeps 72% of its entire garbage out of landfills.

The food recycling law is now passed in two states in the U.S., and we hope that other states start to realize just how necessary it is for our green future.

Source: NPR.com

You may not believe it, but the organic food industry is actually doing pretty well despite the recent problems with the economy.

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), which provides economic information and research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, revealed in a current report that, “Organic products have shifted from being a lifestyle choice for a small share of consumers to being consumed at least occasionally by a majority of Americans.”

You may not believe it, but the organic food industry is actually doing pretty well despite the recent problems with the economy.

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), which provides economic information and research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, revealed in a current report that, “Organic products have shifted from being a lifestyle choice for a small share of consumers to being consumed at least occasionally by a majority of Americans.”

For those of us living an eco-lifestyle, this is great news, and it might inspire others to switch to healthier organic foods.

Destined for Organic

If you don’t believe in the mainstreaming of organic food, here are a few true facts from the ERS:

• The 2006 price for a half-gallon container of milk ranged from 60% above non-organic milk for private label organic milk to 109% above non-organic for branded organic milk.
• Consumers prefer organic food because of their health concerns, as well as for environment and animal welfare concerns.
• Consumers are now willing to pay premium prices for organic foods.
• Organic food sales have quintupled over the same period, from $3.6 billion to $21.1 billion last year.
• Fruit and vegetables are the biggest organic food sellers at 37%.
• Organic dairy products sell at 16%.
• Organic beverages (grew by 40% in 2008) and packaged foods are at 13%.
• Organic breads and grains achieved 35% growth over the year.

The Organic Trade Association, which promotes organic trading to protect the environment and to better people’s lives, even said that organic food sales grew by 4.9% just this year, which is a huge increase for the organic industry.

It’s good to see that organic food and organic food stores are becoming more mainstream because it means that more of us are starting to care about our health and the impact that our food handling practices have on the environment.

If you’re interested in the organic food industry check out our post on Want go Join an Organic Farm Exchange Program?

Source: Food Navigator-USA.com

According to the National Geographic documentary Human Footprint, Americans consume about 989,985,594,240 half gallons of milk over the course of a lifetime.  This is good news because it shows that we are staying healthy by consuming milk, but it’s also bad news because it means we are creating more waste when we throw these plastic milk jugs away.

According to the National Geographic documentary Human Footprint, Americans consume about 989,985,594,240 half gallons of milk over the course of a lifetime.  This is good news because it shows that we are staying healthy by consuming milk, but it’s also bad news because it means we are creating more waste when we throw these plastic milk jugs away.

Although you should recycle plastic milk jugs by taking them to the recycling center or placing them on the curb for recycling pick-up, not everyone does. One way to recycle these gallon plastic milk jugs is to reuse them for other handy purposes.

Here are 10 tips for reusing plastic milk jugs:

Yarn Dispenser

Cut the top of the milk container off just enough so a ball of yarn and your hand can fit into the hole. Once the ball of yarn is in take the end of the yarn and bring it through the handle of the milk jug. This is a great way to keep the yarn from getting tangled together!

Scooper

For an easy way to scoop up kitty litter, dirt or anything else, cut off the top of milk jug right above the handle. You can then hold onto the handle and scoop up whatever you need to.

Bird Feeder

Instead of buying an expensive bird feeder try making your own! Check out these Milk Jug Bird Feeder Instructions for an easy way to feed the birds.

Or you can watch this cool YouTube video:

Funnel

This is one of the easiest homemade funnels to make. All that you need to do is to cut off the bottom of the milk jug right below the handle, turn it upside down and pour.

Piggy Bank

With the lid on the top of the milk jug, cut a small slit opposite of the handle and drop in your change. You can even use markers, paint or stickers to decorate your piggy bank.

Plant Base

Instead of buying a potted plant base or saucer you can just off the bottom of the milk jug and place the pot inside.

Meat Separator

It’s never good to see your hamburger patties sticking together once they’ve been in the freezer. To prevent this from happening you can cut the milk container into small circles or squares and place them between the patties.

Plastic Bag Dispenser

Cut a small hole across from the handle and then put in your plastic bags. You can take the bags out one by one from the hole whenever  you need one.

Toilet Bowl Brush/Plunger Holder

Cut a hole across from the handle that’s big enough for the toilet bowl cleaner or plunger to fit through.

Dustpan

With the lid still on, turn the milk jug container upside down and cut the top off at an angle. This is a great alternative to traditional dustpans.

We’ve shared with you a couple of green credit cards, including the Eco-Friendly Credit Cards from Brighter Planet, the Veridian Corn Credit Cards and the Surfrider Foundation’s New Green Credit Card, but now we have one of the greenest cards to date: a biodegradable credit card from Discover.

We’ve shared with you a couple of green credit cards, including the Eco-Friendly Credit Cards from Brighter Planet, the Veridian Corn Credit Cards and the Surfrider Foundation’s New Green Credit Card, but now we have one of the greenest cards to date: a biodegradable credit card from Discover.

Known as the Biodegradable Discover More Card, it was created because of consumer interest in green products. The biodegradable credit card has these green features:

• Made from biodegradable PVC plastic (great for plastic recycling)
• 99% of the card will break down completely within 5 years
• Card breaks down in soil, water and compost
• Leaves no toxic residue when it degrades

In addition to the green features, the biodegradable credit card lets owners receive5% to 20% cash back rewards all year round, and you can earn up to a 1% cash back bonus on all purchases.  You also get travel benefits and credit card fraud protection.

Now that you know about this cool biodegradable credit card, keep it in mind as you try to improve your credit and protect the planet.

We’ve shared with you many of General Motors’ green vehicles, including the 2009 Sierra 2-Mode Hybrid, the Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid and the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, as well as the news that GM Made Spain a Bit Greener by opening the world’s largest solar power panel plant, but now the car company is claiming that its new electric vehicle will be the first mass-produced vehicle to achieve a triple digit mpg rating!

We’ve shared with you many of General Motors’ green vehicles, including the 2009 Sierra 2-Mode Hybrid, the Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid and the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, as well as the news that GM Made Spain a Bit Greener by opening the world’s largest solar power panel plant, but now the car company is claiming that its new electric vehicle will be the first mass-produced vehicle to achieve a triple digit mpg rating!

The Chevrolet Volt is GM’s latest electric vehicle to amaze consumers with its 230 mpg city driving rating. No other green vehicle has been able to achieve this kind of gas mileage status, and GM hopes to keep it this way.

The Volt

The Chevy Volt is the answer to years of customers complaining that GM had failed to bring an electric vehicle to the market. Well, over a decade ago the company did produce the EV-1, but the electric vehicle failed and became the subject of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?”

After the backlash of the film, GM decided to produce what many consider will be the greenest vehicle on the market. Why?

• The first 40 miles in a fully charged Volt is largely powered by the battery
• The car can extend its range to more than 300 miles with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator
• Almost no gasoline will be required

A person will have to stop to recharge the car along the way, but that’s a small price to pay for such an eco-friendly vehicle.

So, will this new electric vehicle be the hit that GM needs to pull itself out of the economic slump? We shall see.

Source: The Washington Post

For 25 years the Surfrider Foundation has been dedicated to preserving our planet’s oceans, waves and beaches.  Now you can help this non-profit grassroots organization and CardPartner, a company that helps organizations and charities create credit card programs, protect the world’s water by purchasing the new Surfrider Foundation Visa Rewards green credit card.

By simply activating your card the bank will donate $50 to one of the Surfrider Foundation’s water conservation programs.

For 25 years the Surfrider Foundation has been dedicated to preserving our planet’s oceans, waves and beaches.  Now you can help this non-profit grassroots organization and CardPartner, a company that helps organizations and charities create credit card programs, protect the world’s water by purchasing the new Surfrider Foundation Visa Rewards green credit card.

By simply activating your card the bank will donate $50 to one of the Surfrider Foundation’s water conservation programs.

The Visa Green Credit Card

Just like the Eco-Friendly Credit Cards from Brighter Planet, the new Surfrider Foundation green credit card offers many amazing benefits such as:

• No annual fee
• 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first six months
• Earn points at hundreds of participating retailers
• Earn up to 15 bonus points per dollar at select merchants
• Redeem points for FREE airline tickets, merchandise and more
• Purchase protection
• Zero liability protection for unauthorized purchases
• Emergency cash and card replacement
• 24-hour roadside assistance

You can even choose between one of five Aaron Chang images for the visa green credit card: “Del Mar,” “Blue Wave,” “Pipeline,” “Teahupoo,” and “Isabell.”

This is a great way for you feel good about charging on your credit card. Now your love for shopping and the planet can go hand in hand!

To learn more about different types of credit cards check out Student Finance Domain.