big plans

• Largest solar power plant in US: Florida
• World's biggest biogas plant: Germany
• World's largest wind farm: Texas
• World's largest rooftop solar array: Spain (GM)
• Most ambitious renewable energy plan: Al Gore

energy saving for summer

Stay cool in the summer swelter and save money with these simple ways to reduce energy consumption:

• Close the blinds/curtains/shades to keep out the sun's rays
• Keep the windows closed during the day when the heat is most extreme
• Avoid using the oven -- opt for salads and other no-cook meals, use the microwave instead (it's more efficient and produces less heat), or grill if you've got one!
  
• Do laundry at night when it's cooler; wait until you have a full load, use cold water to wash, and hang to dry if you can
• Run the dishwasher at night and skip the heat dry cycle
• Take cool showers -- using less hot water saves energy
• Wash your hands in cold water (see above) -- don't worry, you'll kill as much germs as with warm water
• Keep lights off during the day and only use lights in the room you're in at night
• Use the A/C only in the evening when you're home, or use fans instead
• If you have central air, have it set to turn off when you're not home and raise the temperature to 78 degrees when you are
• Make sure your home is insulated properly
  
• Unplug the energy vampires, those appliances you only occasionally use like the toaster, microwave oven, DVD player
• Use power strips where multiple appliances are used (think TV, DVD player, stereo, etc.); switch the power strip to off when you leave the house
• Power down your computer when not in use

a better yoga mat

If you don't already know me, you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that I do yoga. Aside from the physical health benefits, the mindfulness that comes from yoga practice naturally feeds a sustainable lifestyle.

When my old yoga mat got chewed up in the washing machine (woops!) I was happy to buy a new, eco-friendly one. The old one was made with PVC, one of those materials I try to avoid like the plague because it's plaguing people's health (its production causes a rare form of liver cancer).

Check out 50 ways to reuse your yoga mat here.

Earth Elements by Hugger Mugger is the one I bought. It's made from TPE (thermo plastic polymer), which is PVC-, chlorine- and latex-free. It's both decomposable and durable (how is that possible?) with a great grippy texture. Be aware that it does smell funny when you first get it, but that goes away with a couple days' airing out. (Available at Amazon and Barefoot Yoga Co.)

Manduka eKO Mat is made from 100% natural, non-Amazon forested rubber. It's also biodegradable and non-toxic.

Eco-friendly Reversible Mat by Gaiam is made from renewable resources. PVC- and latex-free.

The Original Eco Yoga Mat from Barefoot Yoga Co. is made of jute and natural rubber with no synthetic materials to be found. Hand washable and 100% biodegradable.

E.C.O. Sticky Mat by Prana, like the one I have, is made from TPE. PVC- and latex-free.

Barefoot Yoga Co. has a bunch of eco-friendly yoga mat options, and now through July 27th, get free shipping on orders $99 and over with promo code JULYFREE.

But if you want to splurge...

Go for the super-sustainable cork mat. From Korq ($200; Made in NYC) or Stilelibero (~$200 incl. shipping; from UK).

the key to sustainable living, simply stated

It starts very simply. Just take a little time to learn more about the consequences of the small choices you make each day. Think about what you wear. Where did it come from? Could you walk or bicycle or take public transport instead of driving? Stop wasting water and don't take it for granted. Don't leave the lights on. Consider what you eat. Where did your food come from? Does it cause huge suffering to animals? Was it the result of child labor? Did it travel far to get to you? Start caring -- and start thinking.

-- Jane Goodall in an interview in Body + Soul Magazine

the winds of change

Lm Otero / AP

When you think of oil in the continental US, you usually think of Texas, right? But what about wind energy? That's right, Texas again. The largest of the contiguous states has already been the US giant of harnessing the power of the wind, and it's just the beginning. State officials just gave the green light to a wind-power line transmission project to the tune of $5 billion. It could be as few as 4 to 5 years before the lines are in service, providing power to an estimated 4 million Texas homes. [MSNBC]

So how can I get me some of that wind power?
You can sign up for wind power, or other alternative energy programs, through your local energy provider. If your provider doesn't offer greener solutions, consider carbon offsets.

(NYC residents, sign up here.)

bees knees (and elbows, and hands, and...)

Before I started paying attention to what was in everything I consume, I would just use lotion that at the very least claimed to be cruelty free. But these days, that's not enough. Going forth with the motto "better safe than sorry" I eschew products that have any suspicious ingredients -- like sodium laureth/laurel sulfate, parabens, petroleum-based glycerin, etc.

There are two products I switch between to keep my skin good and moisturized sans chemicals: Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion and Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion. Both of them are contained in fully recyclable #2 plastic, and both support bees -- a species integral to the production of the world's food supply. But I do prefer Beeceuticals over Burt's Bees for a few reasons: better scent, lack of ambiguous "fragrance" ingredient, and texture.



Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion

• Goes on smoothly, not greasy at all
• Subtly sweet citrus scent
• Contains certified organic ingredients
• Supports fair-trade practices

Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion

• Not greasy, but can be a little tacky
• Neutral honey/orangy scent
• Leaves skin feeling softly smooth
  

cool use for old books

It can be hard to get rid of old paperback books. Second hand bookshops often won't take your unwanted titles. You can try to sell them at your stoop sale. But how about this fun way to repurpose those pages -- a chair. [Rag and Bone Bindery via Make]

shifting values in the produce department

With soaring fuel prices comes the increase in the price of, well, everything else. For many people, this is a time to make some sacrifices. One of the most obvious places to cut back on spending is at the supermarket. Do I really need that $6 bag of Terra Chips? Hmmm, a $7 fifth of Popov or $30 Grey Goose (just kidding... bourbon is my poison).

But seriously, many compromises will be made in the produce aisle -- where organic will lose to conventional. And while I understand that everyone has their budget in mind, there are some guidelines when it comes to choosing one farming method over the other. Conventional bananas, for instance, have less pesticide residue than other conventionally grown fruit. But softer, more permeable fruits -- like peaches and berries -- of the conventional variety are more likely to have chemicals clinging to them.

So if you need to sacrifice organic to save your wallet, here's where you shouldn't skimp in order to avoid the nasties (adapted from The Organic Center):

Fruits

• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Apples
  
• Grapes
• Cantaloupe
  
• Cherries
• Cranberries

Vegetables

• Green beans
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Peas
• Carrots
  

You can also save money by heading over to the frozen food aisle where there are a growing number of organic options. Cascadian Farm (parent company: General Mills) seems to have cornered the frozen produce market.

Also, if you're an omnivore like I am, stick with organically raised meats and dairy products. These have the biggest impact on your health and the planet. Better yet, find some alternatives to meat to add to your diet -- this should save money, your heart, and the earth. Get some ideas for a less-meat diet from the Mayo Clinic. Find vegetarian recipes here and here.

Related posts
dairy-air: milk production sources exposed
pesticides are not so peachy
living off the health of the land

another reason to choose organic

Choosing organic isn't just about not consuming pesticides. It's also a choice that affects the ecosystem, big time. I've mentioned the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico before. Well, I hate to be all doom-and-gloomy, but it's getting bigger -- it'll be about the size of New Jersey this summer, according to the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Runoff of agricultural chemicals is doing the trick. From the New York Times :

The scientists said high nutrient levels in the water stimulate the growth of algae whose eventual decomposition depletes oxygen to the point that most marine life cannot survive.

energenius

Pay attention to this man: Amory Lovins. He knows energy and knows how to move us far, far away from fossil fuels. He was on Charlie Rose last night and it was one of the most engaging interviews I've seen in a long time. (Here's an interview from a 2006 broadcast)

And here's a clip from a Nova program, "Saved by the Sun" (which aired last year):



If we follow Mr. Lovins plans, we'll be independent from oil in about 30 years, by the 2040s. Plus, his plans will help the economy while not hurting our quality of living. Read more about Amory Lovins and The Rocky Mountain Institute here.

go arnie!

Who would have thought that the muscly star of film classics such as "Conan the Barbarian" and "Kindergarten Cop" would have said this about the state of energy in this country? Governator, I applaud you.

SCHWARZENEGGER: (I)t just really means basically this administration did not believe in global warming, or they did not believe that they should do anything about it since China is not doing anything about it and since India is not willing to do the same thing, so why should we do the same thing?

But that’s not how we put a man on the moon. We did not say let everyone else do the same thing, then we will do it. We said we want to be the pioneers, we want to be out there in front. [snip]

Anyone that tells you that drilling, nuclear power, alternative fuels, fuel cells, solar, all of those things will bring down the price right now, I think is pulling wool over your eyes, because we know that all of those would take at least 10 years.

But that should not mean that we should not do those things, because here is the important thing. What’s the biggest problem in America? It’s not that we don’t have any ideas. It’s just that we are not consistent, that we have Jimmy Carter in the late ’70s that came in with a great energy policy, talked about shale oil exploration, giving tax credits for people that were investing in windmills and in solar and all of those things.

Then President Reagan came in and scrapped the whole thing, because the oil price came down and says, “Well, this doesn’t make any sense financially.”

There were many countries all over the world that stayed with the program, that said, “We are going to continue,” even thought the oil price comes down. In Germany with solar, for 30 years they’ve been working on that, and they’re now number one in solar, number one.

I think that’s what we need to do. We need to stay the course.

[George Stephanopolous via Crooks and Liars]

tea for me

It's been almost 3 years since I "quit" coffee (I might have about 3 cups of decaf in a year when the mood strikes). For some reason, it makes me feel ill, like I've taken too many spins on the tilt-a-whirl.

Now that I'm a serious tea drinker, I consume at least 3 cups of the stuff a day. Anything from green to white, ginger to chamomile, rooibos to English breakfast, and the occasional chai latte. And it has to at least be organic, and fair trade if I can find it.


At the office or on the go, I take along a bag of Yogi Tea or Traditional Medicinals and steep it in a ceramic or travel mug. At home, I prefer brewing up a pot of loose leaf in my Bodum pot. (I'm not a fan of the plastic strainer, even though polypropylene has a high melting point, so I'm looking to get a metal replacement.)

Here are some loose leaf teas along with their potential health benefits (according to Teavana):

• Dragonwell Organic Green Tea
• Contains antioxidant properties
• Promotes healthy teeth and bones
• Regulates blood sugar

• Silver Needle Organic White Tea
• High in antioxidants
• Promotes healthy complexion
  

Drink coffee?
Be sure it's organic, fair trade, and/or shade grown. Here are some coffee brands that fit the bill:

• Green Mountain
• Equal Exchange
• Java Trading Company
• Pura Vida
• Jeremiah's Pick
• Grounds for Change
• Dean's Beans

TNT-free demo

In Japan, they're implementing this pollution-saving way to demolition buildings. It's called daruma-otoshi, based on a video game of a similar concept. What they do is take the building apart from the bottom up instead of just blowing the whole thing up, which would scatter debris all over the place. It also saves about 20% of the time of just blowing the building up, as the clean up is more methodical and less laborious.



[Gizmodo via Kajima via Pink Tentacle]