Be Evergreen Green

Going green is certainly not a new phenomenon. It is, however, a movement that has more riders on the wave than ever before. It may seem as if someone is always coming up with a new way to go green, but the truth of the matter is that there are some foundational ways you can go and remain green, year after year.

Create Less Waste

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a staggering figure that between 1960 and 2007, waste production per person has doubled from 2.7 pounds per day to 4.7 pounds per day. Figure out all of the ways you can create less waste by recycling, composting and reusing as many items as possible.

Reuse

Many of the items that end up in the trash can be reused. You may not be able to (or want to) reuse them in the same manner you did the first time. Here are some ways to reuse items to get you started, but use your own imagination to figure out all of the ways you can reuse items rather than throw them away.

Turn old t-shirts into:
• Cleaning rags
• Shopping bags
• Pillowcase
• Rag rug
• Quilt
• Scarf

Recycle

The EPA also says that 75% of what we throw away could be recycled. The bottom line here is to get a recycling bin and use it. Put anything and everything in the recycling bin that can be recycled.

Compost Items

Create a compost and then throw food scraps and yard waste in it. Composting adds nutrients and moisture to the soil, which also means you have to use less water to keep it looking good and to keep the yard alive. Composting also tightens the soil in a manner that keeps contaminants from spreading.

Recycle before You Recycle

When you buy packaged items at the store, think about the packaging or other parts that will end up in the garbage or what can be reused or recycled. Try to find and buy items that are packaged in a manner than can be recycled or reused in some manner. For example, a crafter may look at a package of gourmet dog biscuits that includes ribbon and a plastic box container and see a new clear storage box for her colored pencils and markers and a ribbon to add to her latest greeting card creation. So, think before you purchase.

American Wind Energy Association Puts the Spotlight on Green Jobs

Is it possible that wind turbines can not only save the environment, but save the economy at the same time? The American Wind Energy Association seems to think so and it’s telling the world what it thinks with a new campaign that includes TV and online video ads. The purpose of the campaign is to promote a national renewable energy policy with a focus on how we can rebuild the economy, “One bolt at a time, one worker at a time, one factory at a time—all building wind turbines and creating thousands of new jobs.”

The American Wind Energy Association believes that a national renewable energy policy could be the foundation that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. and generates billions of dollars in revenue – ultimately stimulating the economy and putting a halt to increasing unemployment rate.

The Campaign

• A 30-second TV commercial, featuring Cardinal Fastener workers at a Bedford Heights, Ohio plant that makes bolts for wind turbines and other industrial products
• Two ads playing on YouTube featuring interviews with Cardinal Fastener workers, some of whom were laid-off autoworkers, and an interview with the president of Cardinal Fastener, John Grabner, discussing the importance of adopting a strong renewable energy policy

As smart online marketers, the TV commercial and all of the online videos send traffic to the website www.powerofwind.com, which allows visitors to send a message to Congress to let them know they support the Renewable Energy Standard, which a proposed bill calling for 25% of electricity to come from renewable resources by 2025.

4 Criteria of Sustainable Building Materials

Whether you’re looking to build a green home or building or simply interested in how a building can be green, there are four main criteria that must be met in order for a building material to be considered sustainable.

Efficiency: Resource efficiency is the measurement of certain factors of a building material. One of the primary measurements is how much of the material is First, it measures the amount of recycled that makes up the building material. Second, the material has to made up of a natural and renewable source. Third is the local availability of the material so as to cut back on energy and transportation costs.

Indoor air quality: Sustainable building materials cannot contain toxic chemicals that create poor indoor air quality.

Energy efficiency: Sustainable materials that are also energy efficient reduce energy use and consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency introduced its Energy Star Program to endorse appliances that are energy efficient.

Water conservation: Reduction of water use is another characteristic of a sustainable building material.

Using sustainable building materials helps to create home and building environments that are environmentally friendly and healthier for the inhabitants of the structure. Consider these factors for your next building or remodeling project. It makes the world and the building a better place to live, work and play.

The Lifetime of LEDs

One of the main advantages of using LED lights is how long they last. Depending on the quality of the LED light, the lifetime can range between 50,000 and 100,000 hours of use time.

LEDs also do not burn out like other alternative light sources. Instead, LEDs becomes dimmer over time. To date, the longest LED light on the market clocks 35,000 hours, while standard light bulbs only clock 1,000; 8,000 or 10,000 hours.

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