2011: A GREEN New Year

With it being the last week of December, it is time to start looking at New Year’s resolutions for next year.  When coming up with what you want to do differently next year, make sure you include one or two (or even ten) of the following GREEN resolutions:

• I will change all of my light bulbs this year to energy saving ones (CFLs or LEDs).
• I will install water saving devices in my bathroom on my toilet and shower.
• I will try to use my car less and bike and/or walk more.  (I would shoot for a least once a week).
• I will use a reusable coffee cup.
• I will buy a programmable thermostat.
• I will turn down the thermostat at night.
• I will recycle newspapers, cans, plastic, and cardboard.
• I will plant at least one tree.
• I will buy recycled products.
• I will use cloth cleaning towels (preferably bamboo).
• I will use reusable cloth bags when I go shopping.  I will also leave these bags in my car, so I will have them when I need them.
• I will reduce my use of pesticides and other hazardous household chemicals. 
• I will use biodegradable laundry soap instead petroleum based ones.
• I will compost.
• I will turn off the shower when I am washing my hair and washing my body to save water.
• I will stop buying bottled water.
• I will visit CatalogChoice.org to put a stop to unwanted catalogs that end up in my mailbox. This means less pollution and less waste.
• I will quit using hot water in my washing machine.  (Did you know about 90% of the energy a washing machine uses is to heat the water?)
• I will hang my clothes outside to dry.  (Did you know that the second biggest household energy user, after the refrigerator, is the clothes dryer? Over drying your clothes can end up costing you as well.)
• I will use my dishwasher more.  (A dishwasher uses a third less water than washing the dishes by hand).
• I will lower the temperature in my refrigerator to between 38 and 42 degrees (F). This temperature will protect my food from spoiling while saving electricity.
• I will give up dry cleaning.
• I will check the tire pressure regularly on my vehicles.  If every American kept their tires properly inflated, we could save 2.8 billion gallons of gas a year!
• I will let my car idle less.  Idling for more than 10 seconds wastes more gas than is needed for startup.
• I will turn off my computer at night.  By doing so, I will save an average of $90 of electricity a year.
• When it becomes available in my area, I will purchase green power from my local utility. 
• I will sign up for online billing.  Not only does this help save trees, it also eliminates the fossil fuel needed to get all those billing envelopes back and forth.

Now, this list is not all or nothing.  You can definitely pick what changes you can make in your life. 

Visit An Organic Christmas Tree Farm

Cut your own organic Christmas tree that was grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers; it’s better for the soil and water supply.  To find organic growers go to www.localharvest.com and do a zip code search for your area. 

Keeping It Green for the Holidays

As Christmas nears, don't forget to do what you can to help the environment.  Below are a few tips that may help you this season.

Greenest Packing:

• Reuse shipping materials. It is best environmental practice to reuse a box made of virgin trees rather than to buy a new box made from recycled content, ditto for packing materials. Shipping materials that already exist represent embodied energy. Energy was already used to manufacture that box or bubble wrap, so it's a done deal. The resources used or pollution caused by its creation can't be taken back. The best thing you can do at this point is extend the product's useful life. Plus, you're saving money!
• If you can't remove old tape or labels from a box, turn it inside out. Break open the bottom seams and the side seam, which you can see inside the box. Refold the box inside out and secure the seams with packing tape.
• Use the smallest box that fits your needs. Besides using less resources for the box itself, this also reduces the amount of materials required to protect the cargo.
• Use old bubble wrap, packing peanuts, tissue paper, boxes, crumbled newspaper, and magazine pages (recycling this way is less expensive than buying new).
• To safely nestle smaller gifts, use popped popcorn. Use plain popcorn and the recipient can compost it or feed it to the birds!
• Run damaged or over-reused wrapping paper through the shredder for festive packing material.
• Make the packaging part of the gift. Use tea towels, guest towels, a scarf, etc., as part of the gift, and wrap fragile items in them.
• Unless it is part of the gift, don't use fabric to pad with -- it is heavier than other packaging material and can add significant weight to your package.

For the full article go to: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/168/green-packing-and-shipping.html

Upcoming "Green" Events

 The city of Corpus Christi recently posted the following dates for upcoming "Green" events around town. So if you are looking for something to do or want get involved check out one these events.

September 25, 2010- Adopt a Beach.  Check your sites at www.texasadoptabeach.org

September 25-27, 2010 – Bayfest recycling and activity booths.

October 2, 2010 – Thousand Hands Event for UNI

October 15-17, 2010- Jazz Festival Recycling Events.

October 16, 2010 – 2^nd Annual, The Great Corpus Christi Clean Sweep- City Wide

November 13, 2010- Janet Harte 10^th Anniversary Recycling Event and Campaign Kick Off.

November 13, 2010- 2^nd Annual EWaste Recycling Event at Janet Harte and Northwest Libraries and Goodwill location on

Old Brownsville Road

.