How Can We Bring the World to Net Zero? This Infographic Will Tell You

Sponsored Infographic Powered by www.TexasElectricityProviders.com

No matter your thoughts on whether human's carbon emissions are the only contributing factor to climate change, I know one thing, businesses must take the lead in reducing their emissions and consumers must follow. Offsets are one way to help but until businesses get serious about doing their part, we will not make the progress we need to slow climate change and protect our health.

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P.S.- People always ask me where I get my organic food and personal care products and I love to tell them about The Green PolkaDot Box! Backed by the Organic Consumer's Association and EnvironmentalBooty.com, you can easily buy NonGMO organic groceries, including Harvest Fresh Organic produce, at wholesale pricing online.  It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living! You can even shop by dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan or diabetic and it all comes right to your front door. Enjoy!

27 Organizations Who Win With Green Power and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Oak Park, Illinois named Green Power Community of the Year by EPA

EPA Honors 27 Organizations for Supporting Green Power 


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently presented its 12th annual Green Power Leadership Awards to 24 Green Power Partners and three suppliers for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable electricity market.   The 24 award-winning partners were chosen from more than 1,300 partner organizations.

Because for most municipalities, electricity usage is the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, by using green power, communities and businesses can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create local jobs, and improve public health.

Join Team ENERGY STAR and Start Speaking to the Trees with The Lorax and Me to Help Save the Climate

Be a Part of Team ENERGY STAR and Help Save the Climate!
Team ENERGY STAR launches today and I could not be more excited to be a part of the team.  And guess what my green friend?  You, your green family and even your eco-kids can easily be a part of Team ENERGY STAR and start speaking to the trees with the Lorax and me.  Team ENERGY STAR is the eco-inititaive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program which is celebrating 20 years of helping consumers save nearly $230 billion on utility bills -  all while preventing more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The eco-friendly, kid friendly and family friendly Team ENERGY STAR initiative was developed to engage and educate American youth and their families about saving energy in our homes and it is going to be a lot of fun!

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little! The Siku-Cam

Ideas On How to Live a Little...the Little Ways You Can Live Life to the Fullest Everyday

 "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
        - Harriet Tubman 

I have posted about Siku, the baby polar bear at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park in Denmark, a couple of times in the past because Siku makes me smile.  And in life, isn't it the little things that really weave together the blueprint of who we are and really makes us feel alive? Now I am not saying that the big things in life aren't wonderful. The big things that we attract, work for and sometimes attain in life like beautiful homes, trips to Italy or success in business certainly create cushy lives and the fulfillment of unimaginable dreams. But with or without the big things in life, it truly is the little things that fill our souls with the necessary fuel to thrive each and every day right?

Coming Out of the Closet on Global Warming, Climate Change or Whatever They Are Calling It Today

I feel that it is finally time to come out of the closet, so to speak, on my thoughts about Global Warming in the hope that other eco-friendly types like me will begin to emerge from hiding as well.  There must be intelligent, greenies out there who have doubts about not only man being the cause of Global Warming/Climate Change or whatever it is being called today, but also doubts as to whether or not it is occurring as well.

"The claim … is that the temperature has changed from ~288.0 to ~288.8 degree Kelvin in about 150 years, which (if true) means to me is that the temperature has been amazingly stable, and both human health and happiness have definitely improved in this 'warming' period." - Nobel prize winner for physics in 1973 Dr. Ivar Giaever resigned as a Fellow from the American Physical Society (APS) on September 13, 2011 in disgust over the group's promotion of man-made global warming fears

Thinking of Going Green? 5 Ways Rediscovering the Bicycle is a Great Place to Begin, or Continue, Your Green Journey!

We all learned to ride one as a child, but then sometime after we turned sixteen, most of us abandoned that sleek two-wheeled bicycle in favor of a car. If you are thinking about going green, here are 5 green facts to show you that rediscovering the bicycle is a great way to begin, or continue, your green journey.

 

Beyond going green, people choose to ride bicycles for many different reasons: it could be to save money on the commute to work, for fitness (instead of driving to the gym to use an electric stationary bike), or to visit a friend in the neighborhood. Whatever the reasons for choosing to ride your bike, the choice favorably impacts not only your health but environmental health as well!

Riding a bicycle will:

Why My Latest Green Read "This Borrowed Earth - Lessons from the 15 Worst Environmental Disasters Around the World" by Robert Emmet Hernan Should be on Your To Do List!

I have always been a voracious reader and lately I have happily been devouring green books.  My latest green read, This Borrowed Earth - Lessons Learned from the 15 Worst Environmental Disasters Around the World by Robert Emmet Hernan, has turned out to be one of the most delicious!  So the title could be a little shorter but, for me, the book proved to be a great eye opener and thought provoker.  Aside from the introduction and last chapter (which bombarded me with doom and gloom about how we are killing ourselves through carbon emissions), I really felt like I was getting a missing education on important lessons from the past; this book can only help us to  avert future disasters.  I urge you to put reading this book on your To Do List!

You can pick up a paper back edition for only $17 or the e-book for just $9.99 HERE!

As Hernan says, "If we forget how and why these disasters happened and what horrible consequences emerged from them, we will not avert future disasters."  I could not agree more.  The potential of this book, Global Warming doom and gloom aside, is to help us never forget, to learn about and learn from these lessons to prevent future environmental disasters.  Although there were parts I found unsettling, this is one book that I think every teen and adult should take a couple of hours out of their busy lives to read.    

4 Green Energy Myths - Guest Post by Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, Author of Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of Electric Utilities

Dr. Fox-Penner

We are so lucky to have Dr. Peter Fox-Penner, who is an energy industry expert specializing in renewable energy, take the time to share this great info with us.  Like I always say, "Our future depends on our knowledge and actions." and Dr. Fox-Penner is helping us to create a brighter, greener future through sharing his knowledge.  Read it and pass on the knowledge.

To get the book,  Smart Power, please visit: www.smartpowerbook.com.

In his latest book, Smart Power, Dr. Fox-Penner provides an in-depth look at the policy and business challenges electric utilities face due to the combined impacts of climate change, the smart grid, and energy efficiency policies. Drawing upon his expertise as a utility consultant, Dr. Fox-Penner examines potential sustainable business models and reviews the current prospects for long-term power generation alternatives.

4 Green Energy Myths

For those paying close attention to environmental news, the “greening” of our utility industry has become a hot topic and an essential component of achieving our climate goals.  The development of electric vehicles, Smart Grid technologies, renewable resources, and low-carbon energy generation provide hope that we can refashion our utility infrastructure into a thriving “green” industry and recharge our weak economy while we’re at it.

How to Save the Planet - a funny green film from a member of our EB community

Click HERE to join our green living, online community!

A Special Offer on Some of The Best Green Reads in Celebration of "Earth Day...is Every Day"

Take advantage of our special EARTH DAY offer:
Enter code P356ED and save 20% when you order any of these great green reads from some totally cool authors who will help you live Earth Day every day!

"Take one gas-guzzling, patio-heated, SUV-in-the-front-yard family. And change them. That is Reay's task in this excellent primer on how to cut your contribution to climate change. The average person in the rich world, he says, can cut their greenhouse gas emissions during their lifetime by a thousand tons."--BBC Focus Magazine

Dave Reay is a research fellow at Edinburgh University and the editor of

The Lonely Energy Bill...Hilarious Video. Watch it Then Press the Button to Raise Hell!

 



Click HERE to join our community!

Scrap Cap & Trade! Let EPA Do Its Job! Watch and Take Action NOW! It' not too late...

The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from whats really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you've heard about Cap & Trade, but aren't sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for
you.
Yes I know it is long but it is so worth it to get yourself informed.  Just start the video and keep listening to the audio as you surf the net and get your work done.  When you are done watching or listening, please visit THIS grassroots action alert page and do something that will make a difference!  Cap & Trade must be stopped!

Look I am not sure if we are causing Climate Change, but we are certainly causing ecological destruction that we need to stop. Plus people, for goodness sake...carbon emissions are toxic.   Fill us in on this important topic!  Tell us what we need to know.  Is this the Biggest crisis humanity has ever faced or are we just along for the ride and helpless to change it? 


Click HERE to join our community!

Paul McCartney Launches New Food Campaign to Curb Carbon Emissions...Meat Free Monday!

Who gives off more gas?  A vegan in an SUV or a meat eater in a hybrid?  Okay we are not talking gas from the bean and veggie consuming driver, we are talking about Greenhouse gas!  The answer is...the vegan in their huge, gas guzzling SUV still gives off less gas than the meat eater.  It seems that just one day a week spent not eating meat can reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 20%!

I am sure you have heard all of the jokes, cows and their um..."emissions".  Well it seems that livestock's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions or GHG can be 18%!  Compare that to the 13% of total global emissions from transport.  This information comes from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization which, I don't know about you, but I am not a big believer in.  Remember the  Oil for Food fiasco from 1993 to 2003?  You can read the UN's response to this criticism HERE. 

Still, there is a huge body of information out there that says that  carbon emissions are contributing to climate change.  Of course there are also scientists that say human contribution is not a causal factor in climate change and there are some that say climate change is a myth completely.  What do you believe? 

It seems like things like carbon offsets and doing things to reduce our emissions can only be a good thing right?  Some would argue that the costs associated with reducing, taxing and offsetting those carbon emissions, without total assurance that it is necessary, is a cost America does not need to pay.  Across the ocean, though, it is a different story. 



Sir Paul McCartney (along with two of his daughters Stella and Mary) has launched a new food campaign called Meat Free Monday.  He is asking people to go meat free on Mondays help slow climate change. 

Environmental group Greenpeace estimates that every kg of beef we eat represents roughly the same GHG emissions as flying 100km and the group, Compassion in World Farming, estimates that if the average UK household halved its consumption of meat, this would cut more emissions than if they cut their
car use in half.

So what do you say?  "Where's the Beef" or where's the need?

Carbon Offset Programs in the US

We have just added an additional three US based carbon credit projects to our Environmental Booty Carbon Offset portfolio.

Green Lights New Orleans

Location:New Orleans, USA Type:Community Project

The goal of the Green Lights New Orleans project is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the city by replacing 3 million light bulbs with more efficient, low energy light bulbs, thus avoiding 18,000 million tonnes of emissions over the lifetime of the program – this roughly equates to taking 120,000 cars off the road for a whole year. Low energy bulbs use 75% less energy than regular light bulbs. By replacing all the bulbs in a house (around 30 bulbs on average) over $650 can be saved over the lifetime of the new bulbs for some of the city’s most impoverished inhabitants. For more details click here.

Greenville County Methane Capture

Location:South Carolina, USA Type:Methane Capture

This project is a landfill gas collection and utilization project located at the Enoree landfill in Greer, South Carolina, USA. It will initially flare the landfill gas, but it will ultimately use the gas to generate renewable electricity. The objective of the project is to install an active gas collection and utilization system that will convert the methane content of the landfill gases, thereby reducing its global warming impact. For more details click here.

Intrepid Dairy Farm Methane Capture

Location:Southern Idaho, USA Type:Methane Capture

The Whitesides and Westpoint dairy farms, located in southern Idaho, USA, are changing their method of processing manure to a system using anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion technology will help reduce the release of methane into the atmosphere and aid in mitigating climate change. The new biogas digesters installed at both dairies will now capture and destroy methane gas produced from the waste of over 12,000 dairy cows. For more details click here.

These are great programs for businesses, individuals or families! Figure your carbon footprint...get started today.

Review of Disney's New "earth" Movie...I Saw it and I am Still Crying

I was honored last night to be sitting in the reserved area for press at a showing of the new "earth" movie from Disney. I only got to sit there because there was no press at the showing. That was my first surprise at the movie last night. This is Mickey's backyard here in Orlando and not one member of the press was there.

As members of the Orlando Science Center, my family (as well as about 250 other people) were treated to a special, early showing of this movie that I have been waiting to see for months. The regular release date for the movie is scheduled to coincide with Earth Day 2009. I am not sure whether there will be similar showings around the US and world or whether we just got the early showing because we live in the land of "the Mouse" here in Orlando.

Please be aware that just because "earth" has a G rating, this movie is not suitable for all ages. My three year old said half way through the movie, "I don't like this channel!"

I must say that I agreed with her.

Not that the images were not absolutely incredible, even though some were just a bit fuzzy. I gathered that those shots were slightly out of focus because of the huge distance from which they were shot. These are images you have never seen before and the music should be up for some sort of an award. The music (pure, old school Disney) filled my heart and soul with feelings of love and sadness which I have never felt from a movie...even Sophie's Choice! I have it playing now and am tearing up. I think I may be like Pavlov's Dogs now.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was actually the end when they showed how some of the shots were taken. Be sure to stay for that as it was very interesting and you can see the absolute dedication of these cinematographers. The work that went into getting these never before seen shots in the wild should also be lauded along with the music.

If you go to the movie, you will be treated to scenes such as a mother polar bear waking from hibernation and venturing out of her den. I don't know about you, but I have never seen anything like that. You will see and feel the vastness of the Arctic. The shots of mom polar bear blinking her dark eyes at the blaring daylight reflected on the snow, slowly crawling out of her den, trying to walk and coaxing her two babies outside will forever be ingrained in my heart.

So too will all of the shots of death be ingrained upon my heart and the feeling (I think that Disney wanted me to take away) that in some way I am to blame for some of this (what some would call natural) cycle of death.

After the first death scene, my 12 year old said, "That's nature."

After the last death scene the 12 year old said, "This movie sucks."

Disney said this is the "circle of life that most of us in our urban life have lost touch with."

I guess I should say "Thanks" for bringing me back in touch with the circle of life (mostly the death part of the circle)...over and over and over again in an hour and a half? I expected to see, and had warned my kids, that there would be animals hunting and that meant baby animals dying. We were prepared for that. This is the "timeless ritual of hunter and hunted" as James Earl Jones told us in his narration. What I was not prepared for was the push to make me feel that these incredible animals are dying because of my carbon emissions.

"Late summer in the Arctic and the ice is melting fast. Each year as our planet warms, the ice melts faster and it is bad for polar bears." booms Earl Jones whose voice was perfection.

We see just how bad it is for the polar bears through the struggle of dad polar bear during the entire movie. Clearly Disney agrees with Global Warming. Perhaps it was just my take that Disney put so much death into this movie along with references to Global Warming so as to guilt me into trading in my Suburban for a Prius. Perhaps not.

If it was Disney's intention to make people so sad, depressed and guilty that they do all they can to save the planet, they may have gone a bit too far in the direction of the death and sadness to get through to all. If Disneynature wanted to create a movie to make a 9 year old sob, they did a great job!

To be fair, Disney never came out and said, "Your carbon emissions are causing the Global Warming which is changing the precious seasonal cycles that drive life on land and in oceans and is killing these animals." To me it was the message loud and clear.

My girls (who are very thick skinned) and I were ready for a feel good movie about 3 animal families and were surprised by what we saw and heard. If we were a bit more prepared for the huge amount of sadness and death, we may have left the movie without tear stained cheeks and heavy hearts. If I had known what I know now, I would not have taken my 9 year old (she kept asking me, as she peeked through her hands covering her eyes, if it was over yet?) and I certainly would not have brought along my 3 year old.

I am anxiously waiting to hear your thoughts and reviews...


P.S.-Join us at our Environmental Booty Network (like Facebook for people who treasure self, people and planet) to see our upcoming Members Only "Daily Green Deal" page.

Go Green and Save Green. 5 Easy Ways to get Started!

Here are 5 things that will help you go green and save green!

1. Going Green has never been easier than hosting a great big old garage sale. We used to give all of our items we needed to get rid of to charity or to the trash. Now we take it all and have a Green Garage sale. I get kind of sick when I think of all of the trinkets, toys and household goods that we just threw into the trash without any care for our planet and her landfills. Recycling household goods, clothing and toys is a great way to make some extra cash and hep keep our landfills from overflowing.
2. I know you have heard it before but LED light bulbs are a great way to save tons of money. You may be thinking that you cannot afford the initial outlay of funds for these expensive little suckers, but let me tell you that you can't afford not to invest in these little bulbs. Check out my Wholesale LED Lighting Outlet.  I have partnered with Go Green Solar to bring you great deals!!
3. Do you know how much energy your dryer uses? Well I sure as hell don't but I have begun hanging many of our clothes to dry instead of using our 15 year old dryer. Yes very cool if you can afford to get a new, energy efficient dryer. We did and that is certainly saving some green over the long run.
4. Are you always driving to the store? Take a break from the gas bill and shop online as much as you can. So many businesses are offering deals like this, Free Shipping over $25. Use code AFSHP3. Expires 3.31.09. Take advantage of these deals and find online stores which can provide the products that you need and want without having to drive all over town wasting your gas and emitting toxic fumes. Look, I am not sure cutting back on your driving will make any difference with supposed human caused Global Warming or Climate Change or whatever it is called today, but it will certainly make this earth a healthier place for all.  Those noxious fumes are linked to asthma and cancer.  By the way, think about who you want to give your money to and what types of products are important for you to use. Each family has to make decisions about what is important to them. We pay more for products which are organic and free of toxins so we will hopefully live a healthier life, free of medical bills.
5. Finally, think about growing a garden. Recession Gardens are becoming very popular and make total sense. Even if you are in an apartment, there are ways to save money and protect yourself from harmful pesticides by growing your own food. We are planting a garden for Earth Day...okay so we are going to plant a garden...as soon as we can decide where to put it; four opinionated ladies in the household means Mommy and Daddy are going to have to bum one of them out in our choice of locations for the garden. We will be growing ( I am sorry, we will be trying to grow) carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and green beans to start. With the prices of food, especially organics, we are hoping to save some green and get our kids in touch with Mother Earth. By the way, a garden is a super cheap way to keep the family busy when there isn't any extra cash around for family outings. I will keep you posted on our progress...or lack thereof.

Well, I certainly hope that these ideas will get you thinking of some ways to go green and save green at the same time. I know people in my neighborhood are still rolling in the dough, but for those of us who need them, these tips will save money and bring us closer to a healthy world for all.

P.S. If you know anyone who is out of work, make their week and bring them dinner!! Not green but certainly a way to show you care.
P.P.S. Ditch the plastic water bottles...we are saving a ton of money doing this as well as saving our landfills and our health by using stainless steel water bottles or glasses. What a novel idea.

Global Warming Isn't True and Smart Legislators Get BPA's Banned!

My Lord my head is exploding today with all of the Environmental News!!! First My Rushie. Boy does he have some people riled up...Oh wait, that's Politics. It's Glenn Beck, he is the one that has the many in the Environmental Community pissed as hell because of his comments about "Global Warming" or the lack thereof. His comments this morning , which I listened to live (is it live or recorded live? I don't know.) were based on a Discovery Channel News article titled Global Warming: On Hold?.

It is no secret that Glenn Beck does not believe in Global Warming and he certainly does not believe that Human's carbon emissions are causing it. When he latched onto the Discovery News article , which I believe was based on a study paid for by Exxon, he bit hard. Those of you who follow this blog know that I am in discovery mode on Global Warming and am not sure it is something that has actually been cyclically occurring for a long time. I certainly am not sure we are the cause. Anyway, bloggers are blogging and people are having heated discussions and I think it is great. God at least people are paying attention to ways in which we can all save energy! Let's just keep it respectful folks -K?

The other fab eco-news is that Connecticut's attorney general says six companies have agreed to stop manufacturing baby bottles that contain Bisphenol-A, a chemical we know well here at EHWB. Studies suggest BPA may be harmful to infants as well as the rest of us. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow have agreed to the request. The companies stopped manufacturing bottles with BPA a couple of weeks ago.

This is so wonderful. Doesn't the FDA website still say this stuff is safe? Guess what? People are getting smart, waking up and letting their voices be heard through with their wallets and voices! Tons of moms and dads stopped buying plastic baby bottles and started talking to their legislators. Guess what? Our legislators really do have backbones...they can make the right choice to stand up to Big Business and their Lobbyists.

Well done people.

Hunting Goes Green?

I know we have a lot of hunters out there who enjoy the sport and the ability to provide food for their families. In our family we love to fish and enjoy eating and sharing our catch.
It seems that there are plenty of hunters, though, who are upset by the latest push for green ammunition which started a couple of years ago.

To many it may just feel like another assault by the left-wing, fringe to take away one more bit of freedom. Why replace what has worked forever with a much more expensive eco-body friendly version of ammo?

I hear you and I have felt some of those same things in the past; i.e. still not sure if I believe we are the cause of Global Warming...does it exist...oh relax! But one thing I know, taking a few minutes out of your day, to learn about both sides of the environmental debate, will help us all.
Take a look at this info From the CNN article titled, "Should Hunters Switch to 'green" bullets"?:

"In North Dakota, a hunter has raised concerns about lead's potential impact on humans.
Dr. William Cornatzer, a dermatologist and falconer, saw a presentation about the potential dangers of lead at a board meeting of the Peregrine Fund, a group devoted to conserving birds of prey. He decided to collect and test venison samples that were going to be donated to a local program for the hungry. About half of the 100 samples -- all shot by hunters -- tested positive for lead, he said. Food banks and shelters pulled the meat from their shelves after the report.
"When we did this, I about fell out of my shoes," he said. "The scary thing is these fragments are almost like dust in the meat. They're not like metal fragments you would feel when you bite down."
States in the area started investigating the issue after Cornatzer's findings.
Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the North Dakota Department of Health ran a test to find out the health effects of lead-shot game. The agency compared blood-lead levels of people who regularly eat meat shot with lead bullets with the levels of those who don't eat much wild game.
The results were inconclusive. Those who ate the lead-shot meat had slightly higher blood-lead levels than those who didn't, but none of the 738 people in the study had levels above the government's threshold for danger.
Still, the health department recommended that children younger than 6 and pregnant women stop eating venison shot with lead bullets because those groups are at particular risk for lead poisoning, even at low levels.
The department also recommended lead-free bullets as the simplest solution to possible contamination.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources followed with its own study, which found that when lead bullets explode inside an animal, imperceptible particles of the metal can infect meat up to a foot and a half away from the bullet wound -- farther than previously thought.
More research is needed to tell for sure if lead-shot meat poses a risk to people, said Dr. Steve Pickard, an epidemiologist at the North Dakota Department of Health. But until that research is done, people should take sensible precautions, he said.
"There is no cause for alarm, but it is another source of lead in the environment," he said of lead ammunition."

The entire article can be found by clicking the title above.

Using Precautionary Rule for Health Makes Sense

Life on earth evolved from and interacts with an incomprehensibly vast and complex array of chemical entities. Until modern times, however, no single species affected the biosphere substantially. With industrialization and population growth, humanity now threatens the existence of hundreds of species, and perhaps the long-term health of the planet as a whole.
In the United States alone, some 80,000 chemicals are in routine use. More than 3,000 of these are produced at the rate of more than a million pounds per year, with more than a billion pounds of known or suspected neurotoxins added to the environment annually.

What's Wrong with the Way we Eat?

In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.