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Don't Get Bullied by the UnGreen
Published on 2012-04-26 12:56:00
I just read a short post about a girl who asked that in lieu of presents for her 8th birthday, people would donate to a green organization. > read more
What Stores Are Doing for Earth Day
Published on 2012-04-20 12:49:00
One of the best events a store can do every year is an Earth Day event. Let me give you an example of an outstanding Earth Day event in Lubbock, Texas that brings needed exposure to the fact that we need to do more to help our world and also drums up business for Market Street.Market Street is a grocery store in Lubbock that falls under the United Supermarkets brand. It is the most popular grocery store in Lubbock and strives to provide the best in customer service. One of the best things a g [..] > read more
I Have Been Busy and Will Now Return to My Blog on Going Green
Published on 2012-04-19 12:57:00
I have some readers who follow my blog for new posts. A few of them have emailed me and wondered why I have not posted for awhile. My wife started having some fairly serious medical issues a few weeks back and we had to start seeing numerous doctors and undergo numerous tests in order to find out what is happening to her. During that time, it has been a huge drain on my time also to deal with insurance and business issues regarding all of her medical visits and test.The doctors still cannot te [..] > read more
The Ultimate Green Insult
Published on 2012-03-25 13:36:00
I was driving home from the grocery store this morning when I saw what I think is the biggest insult to the green movement I have seen in a while. I only wish I could have taken a picture of it, but traffic was moving and it would have placed me and the other drivers in peril. I will try to get a picture if I see it again. I will try to paint a picture using words instead.A Hummer with very large tires passed by me just as the passenger rolled the window down to flick their cigarette out onto th [..] > read more
EPA Nails Clean Air Act Violator Belvan Corporation
Published on 2012-03-24 20:37:00
A federal judge slaps a Lubbock, Texas corporation with a large fine for violating the Clean Air Act. It is good to see corporations that harm the environment pay the price. Let's hope we see more of this kind of punishment doled out on other violators. Federal judge orders Belvan Corporation to pay $500,000 for violating Clean Air Act http://bit.ly/GMjAVX > read more
The Mega Bicycle Share Program in Hangzhou, China
Published on 2012-03-22 12:46:00
Many large urban areas are beginning to create really fantastic bicycle share programs. Modern bicycle share programs seem to be a United States phenomena because it gets the press. Of course, older countries were depending on bicycles long before the United States was and continues to do so even after the advent of the car. In China, the car is becoming an important part of the culture. Recently, China took over the second place spot in the number of cars on the road in their country. It took [..] > read more
Going Too Far Green?
Published on 2012-03-18 12:26:00
I was reading some articles and blogs about going green. I am always looking for other people's opinions of what green is. I ran across one blog that implores people to go back to basic living in order to go green. The premise of the blog is that nobody living in a modern society will ever be green because of all that we need to fit into society. The writer makes a good point. The mere practice of owning a car goes so far against truly being green that this one thing disqualifies us from calling [..] > read more
More Facts About Global Warming
Published on 2012-03-16 23:02:00
The following facts about global warming comes from some different sources, such as the World Health Organization, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and National Geographic. Some of these facts are alarming. Here they are:1. Since 1990, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by over 6 million metric tons yearly. Just about all of it is attributed to human activities.2. The United States is responsible for almost 20% of all carbon dioxide emissions that are pro [..] > read more
How is Aluminum Recycled?
Published on 2012-03-13 10:00:00
I get the search for how aluminum is recycled a lot on my blog. Let me try to make it as simple as I can.1. The consumer places their aluminum recyclables in the recycling center's bins.2. The aluminum is collected and taken to the treatment plant.3. The aluminum is sorted and cleaned and prepared for the next step.4. The aluminum is melted which gets rid of the coatings and ink that was on the aluminum cans and other aluminum packages.5. The aluminum is transformed into very large blocks [..] > read more
What is Global Warming?
Published on 2012-03-12 09:10:00
I have written this blog for a few years now and am proud that this is the place that a lot of people come when they want answers to some of their questions. I have written a great deal about global warming, but I have to admit that I was surprised that I never wrote a post answering the basic question, "What is global warming?"For the best answer to this question, I turned to the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA), which put together a nice little energy concepts primer. The NMSEA say [..] > read more
2011 Best US Cities to Live In for Clean Air
Published on 2012-03-10 18:03:00
The Environmental Protection Agency puts out a list each year with the Air Quality and Air Pollution Index of cities nationwide. Air pollution is based on the incidence of airborne lead, NO2, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and ozone depletion. Surprisingly, the state with the most cities listed in the top 25 US cities with the cleanest air are from New Jersey with 9 of the first 11. Virginia has the top 2 cities and California has 6 cities listed. Here is the list of the top 25 with the c [..] > read more
National Geographic Sustainability Cutting Their Carbon Footprint
Published on 2012-03-10 13:09:00
I am always on the lookout for companies who are attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. National Geographic does a good job of presenting what they are doing to reduce theirs. One of the most interesting methods they have used is to quit selling bottled water in their buildings. I just posted an article telling how much energy is used creating the plastic water bottles and how much of them end up in the landfill. It is enormous and is one of the easiest ways each of us can cut the worl [..] > read more
How Much Energy is Required to Make Plastic Water Bottles?
Published on 2012-03-09 07:45:00
Let's face it. Drinking bottled water is about as anti-green as it gets. If you consider yourself to be a friend of the environment, yet you still buy bottled water, you need to see exactly how much energy is required to make those plastic water bottles. It is staggering and will hopefully change your mind the next time you think about buying a case of bottled water.The Beverage Marketing Corporation states that over 31 billion liters of water was sold in 2006. Other reports state that the numbe [..] > read more
School Boys are Very Green Minded
Published on 2012-03-08 14:30:00
A lot is said about what group is, or is not, the greenest. We would all love to be in a group that is considered to be the most green minded of all, but alas, one group is way out ahead of all the others and they didn't even try to attain the title. Believe me, they have far more important things on their minds than being green, but it's their single practice of greenliness that sets them apart from the rest. What could that possibly be?School boys are, in my opinion, the greenest group of all [..] > read more
What Products Are Recycled the Most?
Published on 2012-03-08 09:35:00
You would think the answer to what products are recycled the most would be easy to answer, but it is not. Do the research yourself and you will find a number of articles with different answers. I found over a dozen different answers to this question but narrowed down to the 3 best in my opinion.One organization, Scientific American rated the most recycled products by the percentage of used items that are recycled. According to their study, the 3rd most recycled items are aluminum cans. They clai [..] > read more
Green not Greed
Published on 2012-03-06 13:21:00
I have become very outspoken about this lately, but I feel that we are at a crossroads and cannot ignore it. America's corporations have started giving a lot of lip service to green living, or sustainability. I find it admirable that some companies don't just talk about it, but are doing something about it too. What irks me is that there are still a great many companies that look at green and see greed instead. What I am talking about is the practice of greenwashing. Greenwashing is when a c [..] > read more
Enter the Siemens 2012 We Can Change the World Contest that Promotes Sustainability
Published on 2012-03-06 12:35:00
Discovery Education and Siemens is offering a great contest during the 2012 school year. If your students have worked on an environmental project this year, this might be the perfect time to give a challenge like this a try. It is for grades K-12 and is split into three different groups. It is a project based competition and the prizes are scholarships, trips, and other things. This really looks like a competition that a great many schools could get into. It promotes science and that is alwa [..] > read more
Why the Change at You Can Go Green?
Published on 2012-03-05 12:52:00
I had a loyal reader email me and made an observation about what they perceive is a subtle change in my approach at You Can Go Green. He said that I used to encourage people to go green by taking baby steps and working up. He said most of my posts centered around the theme of learning to go green by doing the easy things and then taking on the more difficult ones. Now, he says that I seem to be more "fanatical" in my approach. It seems that the last couple of months have had me going off on [..] > read more
Use Coca Cola to Help Start a Compost Pile
Published on 2012-03-03 22:01:00
I just happened across this short article that tells us how Coca Cola can be used when building a compost pile. Apparently, it can be poured over your compostable materials and the sweetness will attract micro-organisms and the mild acid of the soda will also help break down organic material destined to become compost. Pretty cool!Use Coca Cola to Help Start a Compost Pile'via Blog this' > read more
Sustainable Living - What is It?
Published on 2012-03-02 18:37:00
We are starting to hear about sustainable living, or sustainability, more all of the time. The media seems to have quit using the term "green living" as much as it used to. Instead, they have begun using sustainable living more. Walmart uses it all the time in their many public relation posts. So, just exactly what is sustainable living? Let's take a look.Sustainable living has been defined as a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources a [..] > read more
The Green Room from Walmart - Is It Just Marketing?
Published on 2012-02-26 14:53:00
Walmart recently started a major advertising push to get people to visit their new Green Room blog. In fact, it is such a major push that it is probably advertised right here on my blog. They claim that together, we can create a more sustainable world to help people live better. Here are some of their latest blog titles:Fighting hunger and improving nutrition go hand-in-handShare the Love with Fair Trade Certified Valentine's Day GiftsWhy Wait? Sam's Clubs Combat Deforestation with Sustainable [..] > read more
Trying to Find Green Products Can Be Difficult but Green Nest Helps
Published on 2012-02-21 21:23:00
There have been times when I try to find products that I need but that are also green. Try doing a search online for some of the things you want for your home and it can just be a huge confusion. That's why I was excited to find a website that offers products of all kinds that are all green. That place is Green Nest. Green Nest was founded by Lisa and Ron Beres. Their hope is to provide you with products that will transform your health and well being. The products that you can find on Green N [..] > read more
The EPA Makes a Wild Claim About the Green Culture
Published on 2012-02-20 20:07:00
I am always looking around the web for inspiration for things to write about for my going green blog and I found one very quickly when I came across the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Go Green web site. Right there on their home page is the following statement:"America is shifting to a "green culture" where over 300 million citizens are embracing the fact that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility."I hate to nitpick and I don't want to make a big issue out of this b [..] > read more
What Causes Acid Rain and What Are the Effects of It?
Published on 2012-02-17 12:14:00
Acid rain is actually a broad term that refers to a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere that contains higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can come from both natural sources such as volcanoes or decaying vegetation and from man made sources. Those man made sources are primarily emitted by sulfur dioxide(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that results from fossil fuel combustion. About 2/3 of all fossil fuel emissions in the United States come from el [..] > read more
Environment Friendly Obama Cuts EPA Funding in Proposed Budget
Published on 2012-02-15 12:45:00
Let me state right up front that President Obama stated that he would be an environment friendly President back when he was running against George W. Bush. Some of the promises he made was that he would include labor and environmental standards in all trade agreements, improve water quality, restore the Great Lakes, fund proposals to help fish and game survive the climate changes we are experiencing, support wetlands funding, protect forest service land from more roads, and other wide ranging a [..] > read more
EPA will slash Coeur d'Alene River Basin cleanup plan - Spokesman.com - Feb. 15, 2012
Published on 2012-02-15 12:37:00
The clean up of the Coeur d’Alene River Basin was going to cost $1.3 billion and take up to 100 years to complete. This has been questioned by many people so the EPA has suggested that the clean up take 30 years and cost about $600 million less. I think this is probably a good suggestion if for no other reason than the time frame. Read the article for the details and see that our government does listen. There were over 7,000 comments received by the EPA prior to making this change.EPA will s [..] > read more
Is There an Environmentally Aware Coffee Company?
Published on 2012-02-14 21:23:00
When you write a blog about going green, sometimes people ask you questions about the many products that are out there. A few people tell me they are concerned about drinking coffee that might be harvested using methods that are bad for the environment or grown and sold in ways that are unfair to the people working the fields. Well, let me tell you of one company that a friend told me about and maybe it will help you in your search.There is a company called Ethical Bean Coffee. They do not cl [..] > read more
Do You Know How Many Cars Are On the Road Worldwide?
Published on 2012-02-13 21:35:00
Wards Auto, The Information Center for and About the Global Auto Industry, stated back about 5 months ago that the number of cars on the road worldwide finally reached the one billion mark sometime in 2010. That comes out to one car for every seven people on the Earth. When you take into account the number of children and elderly people who do not drive, that is a huge number. Let's break these numbers down just a bit.In 2010, 35 million extra cars took to the road and China had the biggest in [..] > read more
Go Green Right Now - Take Action
Published on 2012-02-12 18:32:00
People are always told that they need to go green. There are thousands of web sites out there that give us the top 10, 25, 50, or even 100 ways to go green. It is really easy to start but where do you start? I have an idea and it is something you can start right this very instant.One of the most outstanding ways to go green that is really quite easy is to go to your closet and find those clothing items that you do not wear anymore. Bag them up and take them to your local Goodwill store or othe [..] > read more
Which City Recycles the Most?
Published on 2012-02-12 09:53:00
I get this question a lot on searches done within my site. I decided to look into it and answer it here. What city recycles the most? It looks like it is San Francisco, California. One study conducted by Nalgene, a company that produces green containers, did a study to answer this very question. They questioned almost 4,000 people about their practice and behaviors concerning waste, sustainability, shopping, transportation, etc. The results were weighted to reflect those behaviors that had a m [..] > read more
What is the Cheapest Way to Go Green?
Published on 2012-02-11 09:57:00
Going Green is talked about all the time these days. You see it on the news, in articles and on television, especially in commercials. We are implored to go green to save the environment but it might actually be easier said than done. Just as with any subject that gets a huge amount of attention, going green can be somewhat confusing. Some people get into the scientific details about going green and that can be the most confusing part of understanding what going green means. Other people tell y [..] > read more
Where Did the Recycling Symbol Come From?
Published on 2012-02-11 09:28:00
I have had a few people ask me if I know where the original recycle symbol came from. Other people have asked who designed the recycle symbol that we have today and others have asked if there is a photo of the original recycle symbol. Well, you have come to the right place.That photo on the side of this post is the man who designed the recycle symbol and the symbol you see is his original design. The man's name is Gary Dean Anderson and he is the man on the right, not the man with the suit. H [..] > read more
Should You Get Your Ducts Cleaned?
Published on 2012-02-10 12:41:00
A lot of people think they need to have their ducts cleaned because of mold buildup, dust, or other reasons. It might be very necessary to do this but it might be an unnecessary and costly thing to do. Let me explain why:The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that indoor air quality can be worse than some of the outdoor air we breathe in. In addressing the question regarding whether, or not, you should regularly clean your air ducts in your house, the EPA says that duct cleanin [..] > read more
Giving to Charity is a Good Way to Go Green
Published on 2011-06-28 12:46:00
One of the very best ways to go green without a great deal of effort is to give away your old clothes, furniture, books, etc to charity. Anything you give away will likely stay out of landfills, therefore putting less of a strain on the environ > read more
Renewable Energy - What Can be Done to Create More of It?
Published on 2011-06-22 09:40:00
Photo is from consumerenergyreport.com Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural resources that can replenish themselves, such as wind, sunlight, rain, tides, and geothermal. Just around 20% of all energy usage worldwide comes from ren > read more
Wasted Water! Are You Tired of it?
Published on 2011-06-16 15:55:00
Every day, I ride my bicycle quite a few miles. Along the way, I will see people watering their yards and a great many of them are watering so much that the water runs off the grass and into the gutter and washes along down the street until it > read more
West Texas Farmers Wasting Water?
Published on 2011-06-02 15:21:00
I live in Lubbock, Texas. I had to drive to Carlsbad, New Mexico, which is 180 miles southwest of Lubbock. The landscape between the two cities is littered with farms the whole way. I drove the trip in the heat of the afternoon. It was in the mid nin > read more
Using Grey Water in Your Garden - Is It Safe?
Published on 2011-05-20 22:05:00
Grey water is water that is from your house, such as water from the washing machine, bath, or shower. It does not include water from a toilet. Many people have hooked up systems that divert grey water away from the sewer and out into the > read more
Is Oakland, California Really Greener Than Eugene, Oregon?
Published on 2011-04-29 23:48:00
The popular website, Popsci.com, has created a list of the 50 greenest cities using a complicated formula that I will not go into here. You can see the formula here. One of the surprises for me is that Oakland, California is in the #4 spo > read more
Corvallis, Oregon is Truly an Eco-Friendly Town
Published on 2011-04-25 09:39:00
The Corvallis Farmers Market There are a few eco-friendly, or green, town in the United States. One of them almost always comes out around the top of any list. It is Corvallis, Oregon. Corvallis is home to Oregon State University. T > read more
Cool Green Gadgets
Published on 2011-04-23 10:11:00
As the green living movement grows there will be some really cool green gadgets. Here are just a few of some of the coolest ones: 1. The Bedol Eco-Friendly Clock - This clock only requires water and lemon juice to run. There are no > read more
How Did Chicago Get on the 50 Greenest Cities in the US List?
Published on 2011-04-23 09:00:00
I have been to Chicago a couple of times. It is a big city and I enjoyed my visits, but I never would have figured it for being one of the 50 greenest cities in the United States. More surprising to me is the fact that it was chosen as th > read more
How to Green Your Kid's Toys
Published on 2011-04-19 22:55:00
Maybe you have decided to go green. You turn off the water when you brush your teeth, you recycle, and you might even have a hybrid car but have you given thought to your kids toys? You might want to go green with the toys too. Here is a short > read more
The Green Schools Program
Published on 2011-04-17 22:46:00
The U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC) developed a LEED rating system for schools in 2007. A young lady by the name of Rachel Gutter joined the USGBC at that time. Since then, she has expanded on the original intent of the USGBC and created a green s > read more
Earth Day Events in Los Angeles
Published on 2011-04-09 22:42:00
There are a number of Earth Day celebrations and events in Los Angeles. I am posting these because of the increased traffic I have noticed on the blog asking for this information. 1. Earth Day on the Promenade - April 17th - The City of > read more
Turn Your Engine Off and Save the Planet
Published on 2011-04-07 22:34:00
I have a real pet peeve that is actually harmful to the environment. You probably have seen this practice going over every morning and afternoon for nine months each year. It is the practice of getting in a line of cars to drop children o > read more
How Green is Nuclear Energy?
Published on 2011-04-02 20:56:00
In 2007, The Christian Science Monitor ran an article discussing the nuclear energy option. At the time, there were eleven new nuclear energy sites being built in the United States and all of them were claiming that nuclear energy is a viable a > read more
Are Hand Dryers Green?
Published on 2011-03-27 14:02:00
You have seen them and you probably hate them or love them. My son is autistic and he is afraid to go into a restroom that has hand dryers because of the noise. He will rush to use the restroom and then do everything he can to get out of > read more
Can Going Green Actually Save You Money?
Published on 2011-03-18 22:20:00
If you ask most people if going green can save you money, you will probably get the majority of responses telling you that going green actually will cost you a great deal more money. The main reason for this is that most green products do cost > read more
Is Your Pet Green?
Published on 2011-03-10 23:05:00
We all leave a carbon footprint, but did you know that your pet leaves one too? What can be done to lessen your pets carbon pawprint? Plenty actually. Pet toys can be made of plastic and contain especially toxic materials, such as lead. > read more
Can You Clean Your Food Better Than Water Does? Eat Cleaner Can!
Published on 2011-01-07 22:50:00
Did you know that your food has probably been sprayed, waxed, and touched by at least 20 sets of hands before it reaches you. In addition to that, it has also traveled at least 1500 miles on average. That means that your food may have con > read more
What You Need to Know About Your Water
Published on 2010-12-21 22:38:00
Where does your drinking water come from? How do you know if your drinking water is safe? How can you protect it? What can you do if there’s a problem with your drinking water? The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) tells us plenty. Here are the > read more
What is Acid Rain?
Published on 2010-12-19 23:23:00
The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) says that Acid Rain is caused when fossil fuel emissions combine with water in the atmosphere. The environmental effects of acid rain include the acidification of lakes and streams, damage to trees at high alt > read more
Recycling Rant
Published on 2010-12-15 23:02:00
This is not the recycling dump truck used by the City of Carlsbad. It is just a depiction of dump trucks used to pick up recyclables. I was in Carlsbad, New Mexico just a little while back. I used to live there and I was visiting. I > read more
Ideas For School Projects That Promote Green Living
Published on 2010-12-05 21:14:00
Here are a few ideas for projects that schools can do to promote the green living movement: 1. Create a No-Idling Policy when parents are parked waiting for the bell to ring to release their children. Have student council members taking > read more
Air Pollution Getting Better in the United States
Published on 2010-12-04 10:07:00
The Days of Seeing Toxic Fumes Like This Are Coming to an End Most people will tell you that they think air pollution in the United States is getting worse, but the statistics show that the air quality in the United States has undergone major improve > read more
Computer Printer Paper Wastefulness
Published on 2010-12-02 23:00:00
I am a teacher in a small school in West Texas. I love the school I teach in. In fact, I retired once before and came back to teach again. I love this school enough to say that I plan on staying here until I retire again. I ha > read more
How Does Solar Power Benefit the Environment
Published on 2010-12-01 21:35:00
Guest Writer Graeme Renwall gives us a good argument for using solar power as much as we possibly can in his article, The Amazing Benefits of Solar Power. Check it out and leave your comments. Remember to subscribe so that you never miss > read more
Solar Powered Trash Cans
Published on 2010-11-17 18:47:00
Tyler Weaver tells us about a new sensation, the solar powered trash compactors. It is really an interesting article. Enjoy reading and leave your comments below. Solar Powered Trash Cans...Seriously? by Tyler Weaver The BigBelly Solar compac > read more
Oakland's Zero Emission Bus - How America's Greenest Cities Got Green | Popular Science
Published on 2010-11-14 22:24:00
How America's Greenest Cities Got Green | Popular Science: "Case Study: Oakland's Zero Emission Bus Graham Murdoch The East Bay cuts pollution with hydrogen-powered transit The buses are 40-foot-long behemoths, but they glide along downtown streets > read more