The relationship of psychology and climate change

The threat posed by climate change is all too real, but some of the solutions are all in the mind. That's the message from work in the field known as conservation psychology, which is beginning to show how people can be encouraged to change their lifestyles to cut greenhouse gas emissions (see "How psychology can curb climate change").

As well as showing what does work, this research also tells us what does not. And in that regard, groups trying to promote action to fight global warming could pay closer attention to what the psychologists are saying. Environmental groups have already learned some obvious lessons: no one likes to be hectored, and preachiness is not a winning tactic. Positive campaigns like "We can solve the climate crisis", run by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection, are a better idea. Meanwhile, other research suggests that human nature need not be as rapacious and short-sighted as it sometimes appears: we are surprisingly ready to act in the interests of others and the natural world (see "Triumph of the commons").

But other tricks are still being missed. The website of the "We can solve the climate crisis" campaign features a video by Will.i.am of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas. As a backdrop to his song Take Our Planet Back, it shows images of environmental degradation coupled with statements like "Every American generates 2000 pounds of trash each year".

Approaches like this can be counterproductive, reinforcing the idea that heavy consumption is the societal norm and promoting a sense of helplessness in the face of an apparently insurmountable problem. Like it or not, most of us go with the herd. Show people this video and they will find little motivation not to carry on generating trash and burning oil like there's no tomorrow. But tell them about the steps their peers are taking to make things better, and they may just follow suit.

Over at the Earth Day Network site, it gets worse. There you can find out how many planets it would take to support your lifestyle if everyone on Earth lived the same way. It's hard to find any positive messages: a vegan who doesn't own a car, never flies, takes public transport to work and shares a tiny apartment in a US city would still be told that their lifestyle requires 3.3 Earths. It is hard to see what this is going to achieve, other than disillusioning people who are already doing their bit and telling everyone else that it isn't worth the bother.Psychology, often denigrated as a "soft science", has a vital role to play as humankind grapples with a truly vexing problem. Better to employ its findings now than to turn to psychologists only when we need help in dealing with the distress of occupying a world that has passed some dangerous climate tipping points.

The full report is available from http://www.apa.org/releases/climate-change.pdf

The clear inference is that positive messages tend to work whilst negative ones tend to fail yet most environmental climate change campaigning relies on reinforcing entirely negative messages about forthcoming catastrophe. Therefore, we might want to consider changing our tactic.

Simple Tips on Increasing Your Car Fuel Efficiency

Did you know that more than 67% of US total oil consumption goes to transportation? This number is not surprising since an average American consumes 500 gallons of gas every year. Therefore, one of the simplest ways to show our commitment to the environment is to become a better driver and maintain your car regularly. This article offers some simple tips to improve your fuel efficiency, thus save energy and contribute to the environment.

Drive properly

You should lighten up your car by removing unnecessary things. It is obvious that extra weight consumes more fuel.

Stop that idling habit of preheating your engine. Even if you drive 0 mile per hour, your car still consume fuel once it is started. Just directly drive once you start your engine.

If you are stuck on traffic, you should consider turning off your engine. Hybrid cars are so efficient because they shut off their engine automatically when at full stop. Basically they eliminate fuel consumption due to idling.

Instead of going to a drive thru, why don’t you park your car, turn off the engine, and eat in the restaurant.

Turn on the cruise control feature of your car (if available). Cruise control will help you keep at a constant speed and thus save on gas.

Sensible driving is very essential. You will lower your fuel efficiency by up to 33% in the highway and 5% in the city when you drive aggressively, accelerate abruptly, and do hard braking continuously.

If you are using manual transmission, shift to higher gear while maintaining drivability. Low gear at high speed requires more pressure on the gas pedal as compared to high gear at low speed.

Smart driving and calculate your breaking distance. For instance, if you know that you have to stop at a short distance, do not accelerate excessively. Excessive acceleration and breaking waste your fuel considerably.

It is estimated that air-conditioning system can increase fuel consumption by 15%. Turn it off whenever possible or at least reduce the thermostat.

If feasible, do not use roof rack. Use the available space in the trunk or back of your car. Your rack and items on it will create drag that can potentially reduce fuel efficiency by 5%.

Check your tire pressure and maintain the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

If you have enough budget, switch to hybrid cars. They are much more fuel efficient than common gasoline-engine cars. Hybrid cars also have low emission capability that will reduce carbon dioxide emission that creates global warming.

You will maximize fuel efficiency when the car is light, aerodynamic, and has a small engine. Therefore, you should consider these three factors when you plan to buy a car. Small cars are preferable that those big SUVs.

Maintaining your car

Clean or replace the air filters regularly because clogged filters cause poor car performance which will lead to more fuel consumption.

Keep the wheels aligned properly is another secret of efficient fuel consumption.

Give overall maintenance to your car periodically. Dragging brakes, transmission issues, low transmission fluids, and worn spark plug are things that can reduce fuel efficiency. Choose the right type of oil for your car.

Arrange carpooling, telecommuting, and use public transport will reduce fuel consumption and maintenance cost.

These simple habits will help you save cash, prolong the serviceability of your car, and more importantly save the environment.

Saving Energy While Working from Home

There are many benefits that you can enjoy when you are working from home. You do not need to dress up and you do not waste your time for traveling. You also control your time and you can work on your most convenient hours. The bad thing about working from home is that it can increase your energy bills. Therefore, you need to be careful when choosing your equipment and do some simple energy saving measures.

If you need some office equipment, consider buying the energy efficient one. Computers, fax machines, scanners, printers, monitors, and other electrical appliances can increase your energy bills significantly. Buy ENERGY STAR office equipments which normally consume 50% less energy than the conventional ones. Sometimes you can save up to 90% of standard energy consumption. Some ENERGY STAR equipments also have better performances. They reduce electromagnetic field emissions, air conditioning loads, and noise from transformers and fans.

An ENERGY STAR computer uses 30% less energy than other computers without this designation. Furthermore, this computer will shift into a low-power mode that only uses 15 watts of power when inactive. When you are having a short break, turn off the computer monitor. If you are leaving your desk for more than half an hour, it is better to turn off your computer completely.

Do not use screensavers because they actually consume the same amount of energy as normal computer usage. It is better to activate the computer’s sleep mode instead rather than screensavers. Some people say that office equipments should always be turned on to make it last longer. This is only a myth. If you keep doing this, you will have to pay higher electric bills.

If you have enough budget, it is better to replace your desktop with a laptop because of its energy efficiency. Another strategy to save energy is to turn off all office equipments when they are not in used. They also need to be unplugged because they still use power when turned off. To save energy even further, unplugging electronic devises should not be limited to office equipments only. You also need to unplug your TV, stereo, VCR, microwave oven, and other appliances that are not in use.

Use natural light as much as possible to minimize the use of lamps and room lights. Arrange your room strategically to harness this natural light. If you tend to work at night, use task lights that use less energy instead of using room lights. You should close drapes and shades of the windows to keep the cold air out, thus you will save energy on heating the room.

Set the thermostat to a comfortable level. In general, a digital thermostat provides better electricity savings than the conventional one. Choose a suitable room for working that uses less heating or cooling system and lights. For instance, it is better to work in a small room rather than work in a huge living room area. Keep you air conditioning clean for better performance.

Other energy saving improvements that you can use are proper insulation, repairing cracks and holes, and changing incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. These improvements are beneficial when you plan to sell your home because you will get better price for your home.

10 Lifestyle Changing Tips to Save the Environment

Sustainability concept becomes a global trend nowadays. News and broadcasts are crammed with information on how to save the environment. This article offers some tips that you can try to contribute for the environment. They cost almost nothing because what you need to do is to change your lifestyle.

1. Change all of your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs use much less energy for the same performance and they last much longer as well. This is the easiest way to save energy and reduce your electrical expense.

2. Turning off the lights whenever you go out from a room. This is a simple and easy way to save energy.

3. Saving energy by adjusting the temperature of your room. For instance, during winter, you can decrease the heater slightly and use sweater inside the house. You will save a considerable amount of money by implementing this tip.

4. Stop asking for plastic bags when shopping. Plastic bags are oil based and they are not biodegradable. Bring your own bag so you contribute in saving our unrenewable resources. You might get a discount from the store as well.

5. When you go shopping, do not buy disposable products. Disposable products will likely end up in landfills and landfills emit gases that cause greenhouse effect and global warming. Choose items that can be used many times. If possible, choose good quality products. They are more expensive, but they can be used for a long period of time.

6. When products need batteries, choose the ones that are rechargeable. Batteries contain toxic materials and their disposal needs proper care. Therefore, it is good if you can reduce battery disposal. You will save money because you don’t keep buying batteries repetitively.

7. When you plan to buy a new car, choose the environmentally friendly one. You can choose hybrid car or if it is too expensive, you can buy the one that consumes less fuel per mile. It is even better if you can travel by public transports or bicycles.

8. Limit your water usage. Water is extremely cheap in some countries and they do not use it wisely. For other, this resource is very important and very difficult to get. Therefore, you need to change your lifestyle and use water more wisely. Cleaning your deck or driveway using a broom will save you gallons of water annually. Use a washing machine when it is full so you use water efficiently. Turn off the water tap while you are brushing your teeth.

9. Using solar energy is another good idea that you should try. It is expensive, but if you have the budget, why don’t you try this option. You can start with small solar panels for your water heater for instance.

10. Why don’t you use a push mower instead of an electrical or fuel one? It works well if your lawn is small and you can also exercise while mowing your lawn.

Use CFLs to Save the Environment and Reduce Your Expense

In general, most homes in developed countries consume 9% of total energy usage for lighting alone. The number is more than this for other parts of the world. Therefore, if you use cost-efficient lights, they can really become an energy saver.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs are made specifically for this purpose. It only consumes around 34% energy of conventional light bulbs. In this case, if you decide to change from incandescent to CFL, you will reduce your electrical consumption by 6%.

CFLs have the same luminescence for less power when compared to conventional light bulbs. It is true that CFLs are more expensive than the incandescent, but they also have longer lifespan. It is estimated that the lifespan is 12 times longer than the incandescent light bulbs. This way, you have saved $30 in electrical costs during the lifespan of the bulbs.

There is an article in the United States stating that if a household changes 30 lighting fixtures and invest $90 in CFLs, they can potentially save $500 to $1500 in five years depending on the areas. This is only a typical house. If we are talking about commercial and office buildings, the savings are much greater. A 75-watt CFL could save $22 every year. If we multiply this number with the number of light bulbs in the building, the saving amount is staggering. You will need to spend an extra $2 for every fixture, but you will recover that amount quickly.

Some manufacturers of CFLs use titanium dioxide coating because it is claimed that titanium dioxide can neutralize bacteria, odors, and molds. Furthermore, some manufacturers also apply a luminous coating to the CFL bulbs to provide extra luminescence after the CFLs are turned off. Therefore, a little light will remain for a short period of time in the case of accidents or power failure. Another good thing about CFLs is that they produce less heat, thus there is less work for air conditioners as well.

Is there any downside to CFLs?

CFLs have different behaviors than the ordinary incandescent bulbs. They take longer to achieve full brightness depending on the temperature. The colder the climate, the longer they need to achieve full brightness. CFLs also give off the brightest light at the beginning of their lifespan. Over time, they begin to dull gradually. A CFL approximately loses 20% of its original brightness at the end of its life.

Conclusion

Saving energy and sustainability are the current trend nowadays. People are buzzing about them. We depend a lot on fossil fuel and it is not renewable. Continuous research is done to come up with new ideas to conserve energy. We can contribute to this effort to save the environment. Changing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs is a simple and good start. It will help the environment and it will reduce our expense as well.

How to Teach Your Kids to Save Energy

Saving energy should become a fun activity for everyone in the family. Kids should also learn a valuable lesson to reduce the electricity bills. Teaching kids about energy efficient is not as easy as it sounds. Here are some simple tips that you can try.

Let them know the importance of saving energy

Your first goal should be teaching your kids about the importance of saving energy. Use a simple story to make them understand how global warming happens and why we should change our habit to help the environment. There are many educational books for kids that discuss the importance of saving energy. They will be a great help to achieve your goal.

It starts from you

If you have kids, you should know that they tend to follow what adults do. Therefore, if you want your kids to save energy, then you should do it first. The habit starts from you. Perhaps you put posters or small notes to encourage kids to save energy, but if you do not follow those notes, your kids will not follow them either. You can’t tell your kids to turn the light off before leaving the room if they never see you do it in the first place. You need to lead by example if you want your kids to change.

Learning new things should be fun

If you want to teach your kids to save energy, you should make the education process fun. There are many teaching materials out there where your kids can learn important lessons to save energy. You should sit together with your kids and explore those educational websites, books, and computer software to conserve energy and save the environment. This is a good method for kids from 5 to 10 years old.

Once they learn those things, you should encourage them to implement the things that they have learnt immediately. Put the lessons into practice and you should keep reminding them of what the right thing to do to save energy.

Pay attention to the age of your kids

Kids with different ages will need different ways to learn about saving energy. For instance, if you want to teach your 6-year old son to turn the light off before leaving the room, you only need to tell him what to do and why it is important to do it. Of course you should lead by example as well.

On the other hand, if your son is 11-year old, then you may want to use different approach. You can show him your electricity bill and tell him that he can contribute significantly by adopting a new habit. Afterwards, you can teach him about the importance of saving energy for the environment. Be creative in teaching this thing to your kids. You should know which method is the most effective and comfortable for them.

Simple habits for your kids

You can start teaching these simple habits to your kids to save energy:

• Turn the light off before leaving the room or the house.
• Turn the computer off after usage or if you leave it for a long period of time.
• Do not hold the refrigerator open for too long. Tell your kids to take what they want from the fridge quickly and close the door immediately.
• Unplug electronic appliances when they are not in use, such as mobile charger, DVD player, stereo, etc.
• Reduce lighting usage and switch to natural light as much as possible.

Saving energy will become more meaningful if you can get your kids involved. They are the future generation that will get benefits from this good habit.

Sell Your Unwanted Stuffs and Five Recycling Mysteries

Recently I found this interesting website where you can sell your unwanted stuffs. Rather than throwing those stuffs away and adding more garbage to our landfill, why don't you try to sell them. Somebody might need them, you can earn money from them, and more importantly, you will contribute to your environment.





Furthermore, I also saw this interesting article on recycle. The article is posted by Lori Bongiorno and it is available from The Conscious Consumer blog.

Wondering what to do with your stash of old batteries or the cans of unneeded paint taking up space in your garage? You know you shouldn't throw them out, but it really is time to get rid of them.

Resist the temptation to toss them in the trash anyway. The reason: They (and everything on the list below) contain toxic chemicals capable of contaminating the environment if not disposed of properly.

Unlike items that are picked up at the curb, you'll have to make a special effort to unload these ones responsibly. But, with a little advance planning and some good info, you'll see that it's really quite simple to dispose of these seemingly mysterious items. Here's how:

Batteries. Recycling rechargeable batteries is fairly easy. Home Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, Best Buy, and other retailers take them back free of charge. There are fewer options for single-use batteries, but look for bins at your local Whole Foods Market, Ikea, or library. Otherwise, your best bet is the local household hazardous waste drop-off site. Where is it and what are your closest drop-off options? Search here for answers.

CFLs. These energy-efficient bulbs are becoming easier to get rid of. Just drop old bulbs off at any Home Depot or Ikea for free recycling. Or ask about CFL recycling at your local Ace Hardware or home improvement store. You can search for other nearby solutions.

Electronics. Every retailer that takes back rechargeable batteries also accepts mobile phones, as do most wireless providers. For computers, cameras, televisions, and others it's worthwhile do a little homework because some stores charge fees depending on item and brand. Check out Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot to see what's the best fit. Some places, like Radio Shack, have trade-in programs where you can receive store credit for your old gadgets.

Motor Oil. In case you need some motivation, consider this factoid from Earth911: Every gallon of used motor oil that's improperly disposed of can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water. Bring it to Wal-Mart, Autozone, Jiffy Lube, or search online for more convenient choices.

Paint. It's among the harder items in this group to dispose of, but it's worth it and totally doable. If the paint is still in good shape, consider donating it. As of now, there aren't any retailers that accept used paint so you'll need to make a special trip. Search Earth911 for a comprehensive list of options.

Green Exercise

You may not think that a few simple actions can help you lose weight and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, but if you follow these tips you'll be well on your way to a green exercise routine:

Try a reusable water bottle
Staying hydrated is important when you exercise so instead of buying a pack of bottled water and creating more plastic waste how about using a stainless steel or recycled water bottle that you can wash and reuse again.

Eat organic
Get your energy boost with organic cereal and granola bars, or try a homemade smoothie by mixing organic yogurt, orange juice and fruit together in a blender.

Walk, run, or ride a bike
WYou don't need an exercise machine that uses electricity to help you burn calories, if the weather's good. You can always get your green exercise by walking, running, or riding a bike around a park or neighborhood. You can even take along biodegradable bags and pick up trash and recyclable aluminum cans along the way to help clean up your surroundings.

Dress the part
Whether you need a sports bra, running shorts, or workout sneakers you can always find clothing and accessories made from organic cotton, recycled fabric, bamboo, and other natural ingredients. You should also donate your old workout clothes to thrift stores.

Plant a garden
If you have a backyard with available space or know someone who does then you can get a weekly workout by planting a garden this spring. All the digging, planting, watering, and weeding will give you a great workout every time you visit the garden, plus you can eat your organic fruits and vegetables as a healthy meal! To be extra eco friendly you can reuse rainwater caught in a barrel to water the plants.

Save water: Wash your towels less
Most likely you are going to take a shower after a heavy workout. If you use a towel to wipe away sweat, you don't have to wash it after its first use. Reuse the towel a few times more since you're going to take a shower anyways. This will help conserve water because you'll be using the washing machine less.

Try natural deodorants
Many deodorants contain harmful ingredients such as aluminum and formaldehyde, so freshen up after your hard workout by using deodorants made from all natural plant-based ingredients or make your own. Also, make sure that the product is certified "cruelty-free" to prove that it has not been tested on animals.

Encourage your gym to go green
Some gyms are starting to install green cardio equipment, which usually uses energy from your pedaling or running to generate electricity, which is then used to power the gym.
Make these tips a part of your daily eco lifestyle routine. You'll not only get in shape but help out the environment.

This article was taken from How to green your exercise routine.

Visit This Site If You Want To "Green" Your Home

Perhaps you have ever heard that the government will help you or give you some kind of incentives if you use or install environmentally friendly or sustainable or green products in your home. You plan to upgrade your house and make it "green". You don't know the benefits that you will get from government, thus you get confuse on what kind of green technology that you need to use.

Now you can get the information that you need. North Carolina State University has run an excellent website that gives you useful information on this issue. You can visit the website here: DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. It offers a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Therefore, if you want to make your house "green" and at the same time make use these government incentives, don't forget to visit DSIRE website first.

Rent Solar Panels for Your Home

Even for the greenest of homeowners, powering their homes with solar energy has long been an idea more attractive in theory than in practice. The problem? The cost of buying and installing new solar panels runs $30,000 to $40,000 for a typical-size home. Even if solar panels reduce a homeowner's electric bills by $200 a month, it will still be 10 to 15 years before he or she sees any return - any economic return, that is - on the investment.

"The biggest barrier for solar is the upfront cost," said Lyndon Rive, CEO of Foster City, Calif.-based SolarCity.

Rive's company may have hit on a solution. Instead of selling solar panels to homeowners, SolarCity's main business is leasing the panels. The consumer pays SolarCity a monthly lease payment - about $75 for a 2.8 kilowatt system - which, when combined with his newly-lowered electric bill, typically adds up to a savings of 10% to 15%.

SolarCity does all the installation work, and there's little risk for the consumer since SolarCity guarantees a minimum level of power production. (Of course, the house needs to be well-suited for solar, preferably with a large south-facing roof that receives sunlight unblocked by trees or chimneys.)

For SolarCity, the leasing model works because of the various solar-power subsidies. Because it owns the solar panels it installs - SolarCity has a financing deal with Morgan Stanley that, so far, has withstood the current credit crisis - SolarCity pockets the federal solar-power tax credit, any state rebates or tax credits, as well as any "renewable energy credits" which can be resold to utilities.

And that federal tax credit just became much more valuable. Under the 2005 Energy Act, purchasers of solar panels received a tax credit equivalent to 30% of the panels' purchase price up to $2,000. The bank bailout bill just passed by Congress renews the credit while also removing the $2,000 cap. In other words, starting next year, SolarCity will get a $12,000 federal tax credit for every $40,000 solar system it installs.

The biggest residential solar company in California, SolarCity expects to install 2,000 systems this year, up from 1,000 last year. A two-year-old, venture capital-financed company - backers include Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and co-founder of PayPal - SolarCity now operates in California, Arizona and Oregon. However, Rive says he's scouting the East Coast for SolarCity's next market.

A good bet is New York State, which has particularly generous solar subsidies. New York offers a tax credit of 25% of the purchase and installation cost, up to a maximum credit of $5,000. On top of that, it also offers homeowners a rebate of $4 per watt on the installation of 5 kilowatt (or less) solar systems; on a 5 kilowatt solar system, that's a $20,000 rebate.

This is an innovative solution to the biggest problem that hinders the implementation of solar panels. This article was taken from Alternative and Saving Energy.

Five Everyday Items that Can't be Recycled

Recycle is a good thing to do to conserve our environment. Some of us try to recycle, but what you do may do more harm than good because if you include items that are not recyclable, then it is likely that the entire batch will be sent to the landfill. Surprisingly, some of our everyday items cannot be recycled and these are the top 5:

1. Pizza boxes. The oil from pizza contaminates the cardboard and it is impossible to process these boxes into clean paper.
2. Napkin and paper towels. Most of the time they are used to wipe up food, cleaning products, and other hazardous waste.
3. Sticky notes. The size, color, and especially the adhesive strip make them more suitable for trash bin.
4. Plastic caps. Some recycle programs do not accept them.
5. Wet paper. Paper fibers that have been exposed to water are shorter, which make them less valuable to paper mills.

You may want to check with your local waste or sanitation department to find out more information about their recycling program. You also can http://www.earth911.org/ to find useful information on recycling.

This article was taken from Surprise! Five things you can’t recycle.

Benefits of Bicycles

Many people consider shifting to bicycling to address skyrocketing oil price and environmental friendly trend. Recently I found this interesting article from Eco Worldly about 17 reasons why you should use bicycle wherever you live.

1. The first and most obvious reason is the increase of oil price. In early June 2008, a gallon of regular costs around $4.50 in US. On the other hand, the cost of riding bicycle is zero.

2. It’s healthy (and hotter). You can burn 400-500 calories per hour by cycling at 10-12 miles per hour.

3. Old bicycles can be modified into a generating human-powered home electricity tool, for instance to pumping water.

4. It builds social groups and better community development. For example, students can learn about bicycle knowledge, traffic safety, and sustainable development. It is also possible to organize cycling trips.

5. It may encourage the breakdown of economic divides. Developing countries tend to see bicycling as an indicator of low economic status. On the contrary, bicycling is adopted by all classes of society in developed countries. Therefore, it may create paradigm shifts.

6. Bicycle has different usages depending on the locations. For example, in Africa, it can act as a farm truck or an ambulance to save lives deep in the jungle.

7. It contributes in reducing air pollution.

8. It has a potential to save you money in health costs. A study indicated that bicycling saves Australia almost a quarter billion dollars annually.

9. Cars are big, bicycles are small. Bicycles need much lesser space.

10. It can become your business. In developing countries, some people sell stuffs that they bring with their bicycles.

11. Bicycles are efficient vehicles.

12. It can save $250,000 for an average American during his driving lifetime.

13. Automotive accidents bring 42,000 deaths annually in the United States. A bicycle accident, on the other hand, is not likely to kill you.

14. Bicyclists can breathe cleaner air if you shift to bicycle as well.

15. It’s a zero-emission vehicle! No greenhouse gases and thus reduce global warming and all those negative effects of air pollution.

16. Cycling can develop a social network. When you drive a car, usually you feel irritated by other car drivers. On the contrary, bicyclists are a supportive community.

17. It does not need oil, so it prevents oil wars. Many countries need oil to produce energy, which can create violent conflicts.

I agree with the reasons, but we need to address several issues that bicyclists often face, especially in developing countries. The air pollution is bad in some locations and it can damage bicyclist health. Bicycle lanes are still minimum and thus cycling can be quite dangerous. The government should be more proactive to address the issues. For us, I guess we need to start one bicyclist at a time. We need to set ourselves as an example as well.

I recommend you to visit 17 Reasons Why Bicycles Are the Most Popular Vehicle in the World Today so you can get more information on this topic.

Fighting Vampire Power

We are talking about electronic devices that have two pointy teeth, which latch into your wall sockets and drain electricity all day all night. These devices are lurking everywhere. Your TV, VCR, players, answering machine, cell phones, computers, and anything with small green or red lights or display are included.

There are ten ways to fight these vampires.

1. Unplug them, it is that simple. If there are not in use, pull the power cords out of the outlet.
2. Reduce them. They are fun, but you can remove unnecessary devices. At least consider advice number 6 below.
3. Use the off switch. Many devices have an off switch somewhere, so use it.
4. Plug your devices and chargers into a power strip. Turn off the power strip if you do not use it.
5. Remove chargers from the sockets when not in use. They draw electricity even when they are not charging.
6. Buy Energy Star qualified electronics. They use less electricity, even off mode.
7. Get a phone that tells you to unplug. Nokia plans to introduce new phones that say, "battery is full, please unplug the charger".
8. Try a smart strip for various computer accessories. This is convenient when it is not feasible to keep unplugging the devices.
9. Try to check Kill-A-Watt to find out about power consumption of your electronics. It will be a kind of fun to run around your house and find out how much electricity each device takes.
10. For a whole house project, try GreenSwitch, a wireless home energy control system. You can cut off power to varios electronics quite easily.

You will surprise on how much this vampire power draws your money. A study indicated that 40% of microwave ovens used more electricity to power the clock and the keypad in one year than actually heating food. Big screen TV's can draw up to 30 watts even when they are off. All of your devices can add as much as 10% to your energy bill. This is bad for the environment and your wallet.

This excellent article was summarized from How To Reduce Vampire Power.

100 Thing Challenge

I recently found this interesting blog post called 100 Thing Challenge. This is a personalized effort by David Bruno to fight consumerism. Basically he will live with only 100 personal things from November 12, 2008 to November 12, 2009.

He defines personal things as things that are his and not used by others in the household. Items like dining table, bed, and piano are not considered as personal things. He also considers some items as one group, such as working tools, underwear, socks, and books (the last one seems a bit cheating, but anyway).

I recommend you to visit his blog at 100 Thing Challenge to see his current list of things that he has right now. He is updating the list periodically.

For me personally, I congratulate him for his effort. This is indeed something new and creative. The effort is also good for our environment as less personal things mean less waste and less production that contributes to global warming.

It may also become a dilemma because if everyone does the same, the economic will be affected as no one is shopping. However, I feel that everything will balance itself. There will be a point where our economy, our needs, and our environment is at balance and thus every aspect will get benefits. It is interesting to follow this effort further.

How to Make a Green Wedding

Getting married talks about commitment, so why don't we honor the environment as well and inspire the guests along the way? Here are things that you can do to make a sustainable wedding celebration.

Rings

• Use family rings rather than buying new ones. A jeweler can melt down old rings or jewels to make new ones in whatever styles.
• Try a new ring made from recycled materials. You can try to visit http://greencarat.com/.

Location

• Choose a location close to home so you and guests do not need to spend a lot of energy getting to the wedding.
• Consider an outdoor location run by a nonprofit that can gain benefit from the cost of the wedding.

Invitations

• How about electronic invitations?
• If you want to use the traditional mailed invite, choose recycled paper.

Clothes

• Get a vintage one rather than buying a new gown that you will wear only once.
• For the groom, why don't you search a suit from your closet?

Food and drink

• Choose a caterer who cooks with organic and locally raised food.
• Choose organic wines.
• No plastic or disposable cutlery.

Flowers

• Choose ecologically grown flowers.
• After the wedding, donate the flowers for charity or a local nursing home.

Gifts and favors

• Consider flower seeds and tree seeds as favors.

Transportation

• Try a horse and carriage or a hybrid rather than a limo.
• Provide guests with information about public transports and encourage them to carpool.

Honeymoon

• Consider to travel by train rather than flying.

This interesing guide was extracted from Green wedding guide.

Cut Emissions when Traveling by Air

When you decide to travel by air, you will produce emissions. Roughly ninety percent of emissions are generated by the planes, two percent comes from the airport, and eight percent from getting to and from the airport.

Obviously, it is almost impossible for us to reduce emissions from the plane or at the airport. However, the remaining eight percent, get to and from the airport, is up to your decision. This is the best means of transportation that you should consider arranged from best to worst.

Public transit

Definitely the best option because you are sharing the ride with dozens of others. In addition, public transit system normally uses cleaner fuel such as compressed natural gas and low-sulfur diesel. Public transit may take a little longer, but it will cost less that other options.

Use a shared-ride van

Many airports are served by shared-ride vans and usually they are more environmentally friendly than driving yourself because they carry more people per gallon of gas burned.

Drive yourself

It seems counter-intuitive, but this is a better option than having someone else drive you. This is because you are eliminating at least two unnecessary trips. If someone takes you to the airport, s/he needs to drive back afterwards. Then if someone picks you up when you get back, the person has to make a trip to the airport.

Hail a cab

This has similar emissions as drive yourself option because taxis normally pick people up for both legs of an airport run. But if you are not stay in a big city, the taxi driver may need to drive extra miles after drop you off at your home before finding another passanger.

Ask someone to drive you

This is the worst option because of the two unnecessary trips explained above.

The complete transcript of this strategy is available in How to cut your emissions when traveling by air.

Stop Sending Letters, Please

The stamps are getting more expensive, so how if there is a way not to use them as shown in this guide.

Scanning is easy

Many people required a stamp to send an official document, although the truth can be different. Ask your boss whether it is ok to scan and email it. The answer is yes ninety percent of the time. Scanners are relatively cheap and after you understand the procedure, you will save yourself time, money, and paper.

Pay online

This is a common thing nowadays, but perhaps you haven't fully switched over yet. A few of your bills still get paid with a check in the mail. Schedule monthly transfer with your bank to go completely treeless. You may want to consider using PayPal for companies or individuals with no billing system.

E-card

Perhaps it is too impersonal to use email for a Mother's Day card, but most greeting cards can be done online. Use a graphic program to edit a photopraph and add your personal inside joke. You can make it personal, paperless, 100% free for delivery, and still get appreciation from the receiver.

Use postcards instead

When there is no choice, use postcards. They take less energy to create and send because they are only single sheet. They are easily sorted and light enough in terms of shipping emissions. Therefore, they are also cheaper than letters.

Avoid airmail

Airmail is far more carbon intensive and thus if you minimize airmail, you will have a bigger environmental impact rather than minimizing ground mail.

This is another step that can stop our reliance on physical objects and transportation. This interesting guide can be found in It's time to stop sending letters.

7 Simple Tips to Stop Global Warming

My friend sent this information to my email. I found it to be informative and practical for us to do, so I decide to share it here. Unfortunately I do not know the source of the information, but it is a job well done indeed.

1. Unplug electrical appliances when you do not use them
Even if you turn off the appliances, they still consume electricity. Unplug them and you may save potentially 5% of your electricity bill that you need to pay every month. Reduced electricity usage means reduced carbon emissions, which are responsible for global warming.

2. Plastic bags need 1000 years to be processed by nature
Plastic bags usage worldwide is billions in number. They fill up our landfill and clog our rivers and drain pipes. They are also petroleum based and therefore waste a lot of unrenewable resource. Use cloth bags instead and restrain yourself from using these harmful materials.

3. Stop buying plastic bottled water
1 liter of mineral water is equal with buying 5 liters of water because In the factory we need that amount of water to cool off every hot plastic bottle during production process. Moreover, the plastic itself will fill up our landfill and nature needs centuries to process it.

4. Reduce tissue usage
You should shift to handkerchief instead. It is estimated that one person uses 6 leaves of tissue every day. It means 12 billion leaves every day worldwide. What a shocking number. We can reduce tons of waste by reducing our tissue usage and use handkerchief instead.

5. Be green on the ATM
Choose not to receive the receipt or you can use internet banking and mobile banking instead. There are 8 billion ATM transactions every day and the receipts from these transactions can be used to cover the earth's equator for 15 times.

6. Reduce paper
Use double-sided printing and copying, reuse one-sided papers, and recycle papers are essential approach. 10 kilograms of newspaper require one 10-year old tree. Imagine what happen with illegal logging. How many trees have been cut down only for producing paper. No wonder that our world becomes hotter.

7. Have 2 types of waste bin
Separate your waste into wet waste (food, leaves, drink) and dry waste (bottle, plastic, paper, glass). It helps the landfill people to manage the waste and process it properly. It is much better if you can separate into 5 types: plastic, food, wet paper (diapers, tissue, etc), dry paper (books, bills, newspapers, advertisements, etc) for selling and recycling, and metal and glass.

6 Steps to Implement Sustainability

If you want to implement sustainability concept in your organization or in your workplace, there are six steps that can be considered. These steps are logical and should be applicable accross any type of business and organization.

#1 Increase Internal Awareness

The most and first important aspect before implementing sustainability, or any other new initiative, is to obtain top management commitment. Without top management support, your effort is in vain. You will face great difficulty in convincing the staffs and creating sustainability culture. Therefore, you need to explain the benefits of sustainability for the organization and get their approval. These benefits should be explained in general for our earth and environment, but more importantly should be specific for the organization as well.

After you get support from top management, then you can start increasing sustainability awareness to other staff members. It is good if you can launch the program formally, for example by spending two or three hours explaining the organization intention and the importance of sustainability for the organization and the earth in general.

This internal awareness program should be continuous. You can post posters around the office and send periodic articles through email concerning sustainability, environment, and global warming. You even can make a competition or give awards to staffs who has showed commitment in implementing sustainability.

#2 Reducing Program

Other than awareness program, the easiest way to start implementing sustainability by reducing program. The good thing about reducing program is the direct benefit that the company will experience. For example, you can encourage everyone to print double-sided, reuse one-sided paper, refrain from printing unless really necessary, turn off monitor or computer when leave the desk for a considerable amount of time, turn off electricity equipment when leave the office, and many other potential alternatives.

#3 Sustainability Organization/Business Plan

The next step is to standardize sustainability concept into the organization. You need to integrate sustainability into the vision of the organization. You can start by identifying the different departments in the organization and set key performance indicators for each department. It is important to have a brainstorming session with all the heads of department to reach consensus concerning the indicators. If you set the targets by yourself, others may feel that you are forcing the issue thus affecting their performance.

#4 Implementation of the Plan

Of course plan means nothing without implementation. After you finalize the plan, you need to start implementing them. Ask the heads of the department to share the targets to other staffs. During implementation you need to keep record about problems and obstacles arisen. This process is trial and error, you may need to revise the plan before you come up with the best plan for the organization.

#5 Lesson Learned and Improvement

Any problem or obstacle during implementation is a good lesson for further improvement. You need to keep everything well documented. In fact, step 3 to 5 is a cycle that happen continuosly along the implementation of sustainability concept.

#6 Share and Promote

After you have achieved some success during sustainability implementation. You may want to share with others. After all sustainability is something that needs to be done collectively in order to achieve the ultimate result to save our environment and earth. This activity can greatly promote your organization and become a competitive advantage for marketing strategy. In addition, you may attract government attention towards the good things that you have achieved.

Challenges and Mitigation Plans in Sustainability Implementation

Sustainability is still in a premature stage and this is especially true for developing countries. There are common challenges that many people need to consider during the implementation of the concept. This article will explore these challenges and give suggestions on how to mitigate them. The challenges can be separated into three areas, namely internal, client, and government.

Internal challenges and mitigation

Internal challenge is the first thing that you need to face before you start implementing sustainability further. After all, if you do not clean up your backyard first, how you can convince other people to do the same. The common challenges from internal perspective are lack of support, lack of knowledge, and "more works" attitude.

The first thing that you need to do before implementing sustainability in your organization is to gain top management support and commitment. Without this support and commitment, sustainability implementation will not achieve a successful outcome. This may sound easy, but the reality can be different. It is important for you to explore the benefits of sustainability for the organization. Then you need to explain these benefits in term of economic value whenever possible. This is the best way to convince your top management to approve the implementation.

Sometimes, even if top management has agreed to implement the concept, the problem is nobody understand how to do it. Lack of knowledge is a big issue, especially because sustainability concept is relatively new for many people. In this case, you need to prepare awareness programs to increase the knowledge and understanding of people in your organization. You need to explain implicitly the necessity of sustainability for the organization as well as the earth in general. You also can give external trainings to certain people so they can support you to implement the concept.

Another problem is "more works" attitude. When people hear that the organization will implement a new concept, the first thing that comes to their mind is I have to do more works because of this. Again your awareness programs should be able to tackle this issue as long as you can explain the importance of sustainability. Another strategy is to make a sustainability performance review. For example, people who have a good performance in terms of sustainability implementation will receive financial reward or other benefits.

Client challenges and mitigation

Clients can become a huge source of challenges, especially in construction industry, because they are the ones who pay for your service. The common challenges from client side are cost and cynicism. Sometimes it is very difficult to convince clients to spend more initial investment for sustainability implementation. You can mitigate this problem by explaining the benefit of sustainability in terms of life-cycle cost. You need to make them understand that sustainability will bring benefits in the long run. Another strategy is to show previous case studies and what they have achieved because of their sustainability commitment.

Government challenges and mitigation

The challenges related with government are lack of regulation and enforcement concerning sustainability, sustainability is still in premature stage and not a priority because to some countries, they may have more urgent issues. Actually, this situation can become an opportunity for you. You can attract government attention because of your sustainability implementation. You can collaborate with them and become a good example, which will increase your organization marketing value significantly. Another opportunity is to become the first in something sustainable. For example, the first building to have solar panel, the first zero carbon neutral organization, the first green certified office, etc.