Green Groove Unite

Omnivore, Vegetarian or Vegan: Which Is More Green?

nospam@example.com (Lenore MacLeod) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:52:00 -0700

There's a lot of buzzwords flying around out there; omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan. What do these terms mean, however, and how do they differ in CO2 emissions and sustainability? Here's a breakdown.

Omnivore
An omnivore is a person who eats both meat and fruits/vegetable, as well as other by-products from animals (dairy products, gelatin, e.g.). The average American is an omnivore.

Vegetarian
Contrary to an omnivore, a vegetarian does not eat meat, eating only fruits/vegetables. They do, however, eat animal by-products.

Vegan
A vegan is the most strict in diet of all three. A vegan does not eat meat, or any animal by-products, and they also do not use animal by-product in their day to day lives (not wearing leather, avoiding products with gelatin).

So what does this mean for CO2 emissions? It means a lot, actually. In 2006 the United Nations found that in raising animals for food, we generate more greenhouse gases than all the running cars and trucks in the World. Not only do you factor in the CO2 emissions of just running an animal farm (electricity, land use), but you need to factor in the electricity used in slaughtering the animals, packaging (Styrofoam trays and plastic), and transporting. There is also the inherent emissions from the animals themselves. The gas from a cow is rich in methane, a common greenhouse gas, which does 23 times the damage as CO2. The manure also causes a problem, which can emit methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide (ChooseVeg article). The UN suggests eating 10% LESS meat (TreeHugger link).

Going vegetarian will definitely lower your household CO2 emissions, but it won't completely get rid of it. There is still the factor of the CO2 emitted to run the farm, to clean and package and transport your vegetables to the local grocery store, as well as the emissions from dairy farms. If you want to cut that down even more, buy locally. Buy your fruits and vegetables from places where you know it's grown in your area, and if it has to be transported it is not sent from across the country. Farmer's Markets and Co-Ops are great places to find locally grown food, as well as organic and locally processed dairy. Also, start your own garden, either at your home or at a local garden in your city.

Eating a vegan diet is the most sustainable of the three options. If you cut out the added emissions of animal by-products, that can drop your household CO2 emission by great amounts. The same advice holds true for vegans; buy locally, organically, grow your own, and with an eye for how that food got to your plate.

Making such a drastic change in your diet is daunting, so if you're considering cutting out your intake of meat and trying to go vegetarian or vegan, do it slowly. Studies show that cutting anything cold turkey (even if you're cutting out cold turkey) makes it harder for you to stick with that plan. Decide to eat one meatless meal a week, or cut out red meat all together, for a whole month. After that, step it up. Also be sure to supplement with vitamins what your body will be missing in proteins. There are multitudes of cookbooks, websites and forums that offer support for such a diet change, as well as tips and recipes.

Happy eating, everyone!

Recycle, Freecycle, Old Bicycles

nospam@example.com (Lenore MacLeod) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:12:26 -0700

It's becoming increasingly obvious that unjustified wasting is a large contributor to the environmental crisis. People don't think about what will happen when they're done with something, where it will go or how it will affect our planet... just throw it away and once it's in the garbage or the dump, it's not your problem anymore. Well, that's not the case. It's always our problem, and out of site is not out of mind.

One of the easiest things you can do to limit the amount of waste you put out is recycling, and it's often the most overlooked. There are a number of things that can be recycled, and most towns have facilities that will accept these items. Call your local City Office and ask where the recycling facility is, and find out what items are accepted there. Some Co-Ops or grocery stores will also offer in-store recycling of paper and plastic bags, which some facilities may not take.

Another option for bigger items (like bicycles, books, and household objects) is a service called Freecycle. With this website, you can locate people in your area who have or need these things, and you can connect with them to trade, sell, or give your items to. You can also donate some gently-used items to charitable organizations such as GoodWill, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Salvation Army.

You can also call around to shelters, foster care systems, and community organizations and find out what items they need and if they'd be willing to take gently used donations. Some places do not, so call in advance.

Hopefully you'll think twice about throwing a glass bottle in the garbage can, or taking a bicycle that you don't ride anymore to the dump. There's always a place for those things to go, if you're just willing to take a little bit of time and effort to find it a new home for it. Just because you're done with it doesn't mean it's gone forever and it's impact to our environment stops.

Green DIY Ideas for Kids

nospam@example.com (Lenore MacLeod) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:30:57 -0700

Do you find yourself searching your brain for fun things to do with your children to teach them about how to be sustainable AND creative? Here's a great, inexpensive and simple idea that you can do with your kids, or as a gift for someone else, that will give you the opportunity to talk about recycling and staying green...

Recycled Crayons

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.
Have your child unwrap broken crayon pieces that they may not use anymore, and collect them in a bowl.
In a silicone baking tray, which come in a lot of shapes (like stars, moons, or the alphabet), place the unwrapped crayon pieces together. You have a lot of creativity here, so you can make new crayons that are just one color, two colors, three colors, or little bits of every color.
Once you have your pieces in the silicone tray, place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, watching carefully to make sure they do not smoke or burn.
After baking, set them somewhere to cool. Placing them in the freezer will speed this process up.
Remove from the molds and color away!

Making fun projects out of things most kids stop using is a great way to teach them about recycling. Just because a crayon is broken, or is just the nub of a much-loved color, it doesn't mean it's useless or garbage. Re-using things in a creative way breathes new life into something that's already a rewarding experience, and also saves money.

Vegetable Oil Suitable Fuel For Planes? Yep!

nospam@example.com (Lenore MacLeod) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:43:00 -0700

Move over expensive fuels for airplanes, there’s a new sheriff in town. A New Zealand airliner recently completed a successful two hour flight partially fueled by vegetable oil.

The plane, a passenger Boeing 747-400, was filled with a half-and-half mix of plant oil and standard jet fuel. The plant fuel is derived from the jatropha plant, which is a plant native to Central America and is significantly cheaper than crude oil, or even other biofuels. Air New Zealand wants to use this 50-50 mixture in at least 10% of its planes by the year 2013.

"There's still a lot of analysis to be done but we achieved a lot with the test flight and the manoeuvres we've done. The aircraft performed flawlessly," said ANZ chief pilot Captain Dave Morgan, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Using this new blend of vegetable oil and jet fuel could bring a lot of changes to the airline industry, namely lower emissions and hopefully lower flight prices. Biofuels used to be considered impractical for use in airplanes, but after this New Zealand flight, that view is starting to change. The blend proposed by Air New Zealand would equal a one-quarter reduction of jet fuel’s carbon footprint.

Have a Green New Year

nospam@example.com (Green Groove) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:05:38 -0700

With the New Year quickly approaching, you may be wondering what you can do to make 2009 as green as possible. Here are a few tips that should help you make your New Year more environmentally friendly.

Parties

If you’re having a New Year’s Eve party, send out e-invites instead of paper ones. You’ll not only receive your RSVPs faster, but you’ll save paper, ink and money. Also, encourage guests to carpool to save gas.
Purchase re-usable cups, plates and utensils, or ones that can be composted. This will save on garbage that goes into landfills.
Instead of giving out gifts, give each person who attends a list of green resolutions they can make for 2009 and by telling them about Green Groove.
Re-use old holiday decorations or wrapping to decorate for your party. This saves money, waste, and gives you a chance to think of creative ideas that will make your party unique.

Resolutions

Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions, and generally they’re too vague or grandiose and don’t ever get fulfilled. This year, make smaller resolutions that you know you can accomplish. Creating a phased withdrawal with Green Groove is a great way to start.
Help your friends, co-workers and family come up with green resolutions. There are even things you can do together, like adopting a mile on the highway and picking up trash, or cutting down on paper towel use. Having someone there to keep you on track, and to chart progress with, is a great motivator for continuing your resolution all year long.

If everyone takes the time and makes the effort to come up with green resolutions that will last all year, and follow through with them, a big difference could be made. Even if it’s something as small as creating a compost pile in your backyard and reducing your household waste, it makes a difference. The New Year is the best excuse to start making green changes in your life, so get to it!

Free Gift! Give the Gift of Green Groove This Holiday

nospam@example.com (Green Groove) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:30:57 -0700

Trying to find a "green" gift? Search no longer. Simply sign up a friend or loved one with Green Groove. You can do this one of two ways. First, you can easily sign someone up on our signup page. Just create a user ID and password for them using their email, then all you have to do is email them the information along with our site address (www.greengroove.org) and tell them to get started. Secondly, you could go to our new start page to put together a quick plan for someone, create a user ID and password using their email address, and the plan will be emailed straight to them. They can roll with that plan, or come back, sign in, and create a new one. Nothing quick, easier, and most importantly greener.

Give the Gift of Carbon Neutrality!

nospam@example.com (Green Groove) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:30:22 -0700

That's right, your friends and family can be carbon neutral for a day by joining Brighter Planet in their latest "One Day Campaign." All you need to do is point your loved ones here to make it happen. It just takes a name and email, that's it. The goal is to give away 5,000 one day gifts, and to offset 680,000 lbs of CO2. Pass it on!

Weatherize - It's Cold In the Northern Hemisphere

nospam@example.com (Green Groove) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:39:06 -0700

Winter is approaching and record-breaking low temperatures are already popping up. Conserve energy in your home by making sure it's weatherized with a few classic tips. First, use caulk and weatherstripping to make sure there are no air leaks in the cracks between your windows and doors. Second, do what you can to insulate walls and ceilings. Third, use double-paned windows when replacing old and outdated glass. "Raising Baby Green," a book by Alan Green, claims that caulking and weatherstripping can save 1700 lbs of CO2, wall and ceiling insulation can save 2000 lbs of CO2, and double-paned windows can save 10,000 lbs of CO2. The book also claims that the reduction in CO2 will add up to roughly $1000 U.S. in saving. As a bonus to helping the planet, and your wallet, YOU WON'T FREEZE!