June 2008 Archives

I'm trekking to Michigan this July to attend a family wedding and because I simply don't have the time or the fortitude to walk there, I'm getting to Grand Rapids via one big, gas sucking, CO2 spewing, toxic offender of an airplane. For all the talking we do about reducing our carbon footprints, what's a girl to do?

I bought a TERRAPASS!

A Terrapass is a handy little program that allows you to balance the environmental damage we do when we use energy we can't mitigate. Because even though we're doing everything we can to conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint by driving less, using less air conditioning, buying local products and recycling like maniacs there's some energy use we can't avoid...like airline travel.

"Planes use a lot of fuel. A cross-country flight burns more than 100 gallons of fuel per passenger. Airline travel already creates a significant proportion of the world's global warming pollution, and it's growing faster than any other single source."

Here's how Terrapass works: For this particular cross-country flight I'm taking this summer, I bought a Terrapass for $16.99. Terrapass takes that money and invests in clean energy, like wind energy farms, to balance the environmental drama I'm creating by getting on a plane. The Terrapass funded projects result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It's so easy that when I bought my flight on Expedia.com they offered a Terrapass at checkout! You can also buy directly from the Terrapass site.

And Terrapass isn't just for airline travel...you can buy a carbon offset pass for everything from home energy to every day driving to weddings!  Use the site's handy carbon calculator to find your personal carbon footprint.

So for those times it feels like there's nothing you can do about the energy you're using, now you can be all proactive and helpful...even when winging to Grand Rapids, MI or some other sexy summer getaway destination.

To find out more about Terrapass, go HERE. 

I have praised and touted the use of CFL bulbs for a long time. The main concern from many people I talk to is the fact that they contain mercury and you must recycle them. Home Depot has jumped on the CFL recycling bandwagon so you now can take your old bulbs to any of the company's stores.

Bring in your unbroken CFL bulbs next time you make a trip to the Depot, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk.

The main appeal of CFLs in my opinion is they use up to 75% less energy, last longer and cost less over time than incandescent bulbs. The average household can reduce its energy bills by $12 to $20 a month by using CFLs.

Within a year Home Depot plans to introduce more dimmable compact fluorescents. Home Depot's bulbs contain 2.3 to 3.5 milligrams of mercury, which is below the National Electrical Manufacturers Association recommendation of 5 milligrams or fewer.

We're hoping Santa has a nice pair of Bermuda shorts, because National Geographic is reporting that the North Pole may be ice free this summer. Alarming, no? All that global warming we keep talking about is not just a theory, it's a reality...a hot, toasty, environmentally decimating, ice melting reality.

"We're actually projecting this year that the North Pole may be free of ice for the first time [in history]," David Barber, of the University of Manitoba, told National Geographic News aboard the C.C.G.S. Amundsen, a Canadian research icebreaker.

Don't picture grassy green slopes just yet at the Earth's most Northern spot, NG says "The melt would be mostly symbolic--thicker ice, pushed against the Canadian continental shelf by weather and Earth's rotation, would still survive the summer."

Even so, this is dire news. To read all the scientific documentation, environmental consequences and what the smart people have to say, check THIS out.

Yes, that sexy state afloat in the Pacific, the one with all the sun, has declared that solar water heaters will be required in all new construction in the state. Basically this means that as of 2010 the state will not issue building permits to single-family dwellings unless they have solar water heaters in the mix.

Forbes weighs in, saying "The solar water heater bill, in particular, is groundbreaking: Hawaii will be the first state in the nation to mandate the technology in new homes when that legislation becomes law."

Those crazy kids in Hawaii, what will they think of next?

Today the Unites States Supreme Court ruled that ExxonMobil is no longer responsible for the $5 billion originally ordered in 1994 in punitive damages related to the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. That figure was sliced by half in 2006 to $2.5 billion, but as of today the oil leviathan only owes $507.5 million, or roughly 10% of the original ruling.

Our friends at grist.org, breaks it down for us: "By a 5-3 vote (Exxon stockholder Samuel Alito sat out), the court reasoned that punitive damages should not exceed what the company paid to victims for economic losses. Since the accident, Exxon has paid $3.4 billion in various fines, penalties, cleanup costs, claims, and other expenses. The $507.5 million will be divvied up among 32,677 commercial fisherfolk, seafood processors, landowners, native Alaskans, and small business owners. Exxon, which posted a record-breaking annual profit of $40.6 billion in February, makes $507.5 million in approximately 12 hours of sales."

To refresh our collective memory, in 1989 the Exxon Valdez supertanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska dumping 11 million gallons of crude oil into the pristine Alaskan eco-system. To date, it still ranks as the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Whoops!

Damage done:

* 500,000 birds (90 species), including 150 bald eagles dead
* 4,500 sea otters dead
* 14 killer whales dead
* Salmon, herring, clams, mussels, seaweed dead
* Immeasurable toll on tourism & fishing industry

For a little desperately needed perspective, check out this piece from CNN. The visual impact of all that sticky, suffocating, black oil after nearly 20 years is still stunning:

If you are looking for some sustainable green home remodeling ideas, look no further than the LA Convention Center this weekend. The Living Green Tour a 2,500 square foot movable eco-friendly home is going on display this weekend.

Better Homes and Gardens and Green Works sponsor the Living Green Home. The house features countertops made from recycled glass, cork and bamboo floors and energy efficient appliances. Experts will even be there to help teach you how to make small changes in your life that can make a positive impact on the environment.

If you want to go: Los Angeles Home Remodeling Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center 1201 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles in Kenita Hall. Adult admission is $6.75 and kids under 12 are free, be advised you will have to pay for parking, $12 if you park in the South Hall lot. The show's hours are Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.

No question, the one thing I have done this year to reduce my big old carbon footprint and give a little bit back to the planet was to start a backyard compost. It's so easy and it's cut down the waste I send to the landfill each week by more than half. Between my compost and recycling I put very little into my black trash bin. And in a few months I will have nutrient rich compost for my vegetable garden and flowerbeds, free of charge.

I know the thought of a backyard composting can be daunting. There is a bit to learn such as the best location for the bin, what can and cannot go inside. The City of Los Angeles is having an event July 19 between 9 am and 2 pm at Pierce College in Woodland Hills that is going to help you figure it all out.  

The City is hosting a backyard composting workshop and selling compost bins for $20. Believe me when I tell you that's a great price. The workshop will be held from 10 am to noon in the parking lot at the corner of Mason and Victory. For good measure they are giving away free 5-gallon shade trees as well. One per household will be offered to City of Los Angeles residents only, at the very same event. If you want any additional information you can call 213-485-2260 or click HERE.

Say what you want about the French, but they come up with some pretty great ideas: Braille printing, scuba diving equipment, the stethoscope, the very first digital calculator and now this...

In Paris, Mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced that 4,000 self-serve electric cars will be made available by the end of the next year for Parisians to use at will.  For an annual fee, or by the trip, participants can grab an electric car at any of 700 pickup points and drop it off once they're done. 

"There will be a computerized system which allows you as soon as you collect the car to announce where you'll drop it off, so there will be a parking space available," the mayor explains, noting that recharging stations will also be built throughout the city. This program comes hot on the heels of a Parisian bike-sharing program that works the very same way.

You gotta remember, not every city is a car obsessed as we are here in SoCal. Most folk in serious urban areas don't have a car so this would come in handy for let's say moms who need a quick trip to the store for a load of groceries, short work commutes, for running errands, for doctor's appointments, short trips, a night out, all kinds of things! Even if you have a car, think purely of the financial savings in terms of gas.

There is a flip side to all this electric car infatuation. Believe it or not, the French Green party has concerns.

"I'm very skeptical," said Denis Baupin, a Green party deputy mayor. "If this scheme encourages people to pick up these cars every day, using them to go into work and back instead of using bikes or the metro, crowding roads and changing habits, that's a problem.

Need to know more? Go HERE for all the French car-sharing information. If you eat a croissant while you read, it's like being there.

All fresh and irritated from the beach cleanup over the weekend I figured I would bring up my environmental pet peeve numero uno. Plastic bags. Yep, those handy plastic bags that they pass out at the grocery store, pharmacy and just about anyplace you buy anything are choking the planet one bag at a time. 

They're everywhere.  Just look around as you walk or drive around the city, you'll see them clogging storm drains or even stuck in a trees . I bet you can guess where most of those bags end up - at the beach and in the ocean, where marine mammals and birds eat them and die. Or possibly they end up in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" or maybe me and my friends pick them up as we cleanup the beach.

Let me give you some numbers to consider.

• Californians use more than 19 billion disposable plastic shopping bags each year.

• Taxpayers spend more than $25 million to collect and dispose of them.

• Over one million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide.

• In the US less than 5% of plastic bags are recycled.

• Plastics are not biodegradable, they photo-degrade which means they break down into little toxic pieces. That can contaminate soil, water and harm wildlife.

• Approximately 60 to 90 percent of marine debris is plastic.

• Plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish or sponges, are mistaken for food by seabirds, marine mammals, fish and sea turtles.

• More than 1 million seabirds and marine mammals die each year because of ingestion and entanglement of debris including bags.

• Single-use bags made out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are the big problem. They stay on the planet up to 1,000 years.

• It takes 11 barrels of oil to produce a ton of plastic bags.

• Producing 1 million bags generates 13 million pounds of carbon dioxide.

It's so easy to switch to reusable shopping bags, I say take the first step. There are so many styles options and sizes to choose from. Click here to check some out. If you worry about remembering to bring them along, don't, just keep a few in the trunk of your car. That way you are always prepared.

Who knew Greenpeace could be funny?

The National Gardening Association's "Adopt a School Garden" program needs you! This innovative program teaches kids from kindergarten to high school about where good, clean organic food comes from.  It also teaches them how to use the fruits and veggies they grow in healthy recipes.

Of course you noticed the word adopt" up there...what do they need from you? Well, given the state of lackluster public school budgets they need the basics. You can chip in with seeds, watering cans, trowels and even funds to provide a professional to provide their invaluable experience to the budding gardeners.

If you're wondering what a garden can do for kids, the NGA puts it nicely when they say: "We believe that gardening helps children grow -- mentally, emotionally, and physically. School gardens help students connect with nature and better understand where their food comes from, and they provide a context for teaching nutrition and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Gardens also provide opportunities for hands-on learning in subjects across the curriculum."

In other words, the next generation learns respect for the Earth and the good stuff that come from it. Kids who have an appreciation for where their food comes from are far less likely to eat unconsciously and can walk into any grocery store with important knowledge that allows them to make good food and eco-friendly decisions. Kids who garden eat more veggies.

The best part about adopting a school garden is that you are supporting a kid's garden right here in our own community. And no worries about adopting these kids - you don't actually have to provide them with room and board. It's like being Angelina and Brad, but not.

For all the details and information about how you can get involved, check THIS out. It doesn't take much to make a huge impact...isn't that what we always say?

What little brown fuzzy fruit is already known for its laxative, blood thinning, and meat tenderizing properties as well as decorating our fruit salads? Yep, the kiwi!

I love those little furry fruits and now researchers in New Zealand have added the kiwi fruit to the list as a potential bio-fuel. Two companies are working on ways to turn kiwi-waste into such things as adhesives and bio-plastics as well as a fuel to power cars.

Rock-On little guys. You are good for my tummy and now maybe filling my gas tank some day.

Man, do I love that National Geographic. They do the good work. In addition to being on top of the whole Earth-as-a-whole thing, they have published a handy little book by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin titled "True Green @ Work; 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business" with the ampersand and all.

For just $19.95 you can find all kinds of crafty ways to implement green solutions at work. The ideas range from the simple, like having a plant on your desk, to the sublime, like participating in environmental campaigns and designing eco-cool buildings, all in an effort to reduce a company's big ol' carbon footprint.

Our friends at TreeHugger say: "If the question of our time is: our planet is sick, but what can little old me do to help? Then books such as this are the answer."

Amazon says: "The book is accessible and actionable, with its signature, crisp design and lively text. Each page contains a single tip for reducing waste, making it easy for anyone in any job to take small steps toward a healthier planet."

Even if you do one thing, like bring your own reusable coffee mug to work, you can make a huge impact...cuz buying one cup of coffee every day in a disposable paper container means you're generating 22.75 pounds of waste annually!

Start small at work and encourage your company to do the same. It all starts with the knowledge and the fun, educational reading.

As promised in my earlier post about what you CAN put in the blue bin, here is a  list of things that cannot go into your blue recycle bin.  The Bureau of Sanitation even goes as far as to warn if these items are placed in the blue container, there's a likelihood of contaminating the other clean materials.

Contaminated Paper: all soiled papers or bags with oils and food waste

Broken Glass: window glass, mirror glass, auto glass, light bulbs, fluorescent lights and ceramics
 
Other Plastic: plastic hygienic items, any electric or battery operated toys
 
Miscellaneous Materials: coated milk cartons, electrical cords, cloth/fabric, appliances, mini blinds, kitchen utensils, lawn furniture, garden hoses, rubber tires, construction materials, including asphalt or concrete, wood and wood products

Hazardous Materials: syringes, all partially filled aerosol cans and containers for cleaning fluids, automotive fluids, all batteries including car batteries, household batteries, rechargeable batteries, pesticides, oil based paint, garden chemicals, and pool cleaners.

There are e-waste events all the time held by the city of Los Angeles. Click here for a list of some of them. If you have questions about disposing of items that might be toxic call 1-800-98-TOXIC.

Rox and I are hitting the beach Saturday with our fellow green peeps....doing a little good, cleaning up the beach, saving the world in our free time, you know, the usual. Wanna come with? Of course you do! HERE are all the details.

The big news on my street is the gardener gas tax. It would seem that the gardener that most my neighbors share notified everyone yesterday that due to the current exorbitantly high gas prices, he has to charge an extra fee to cover the gas-powered lawn machinery and I'm sure to cover some his travel costs.

But I'm completely obsessed with the old school, sweat-powered, Opie-style lawn muncher and someone shares my love. I adore the notion of zipping up and down the front lawn, getting the greenery high and tight, doing a little exercise, making that cheery whirrrrring noise and not contributing one iota to the gas OR climate crisis. And these puppies run as little as $75.00.

If for some reason you can't go hard-core manual, like you're house is sitting on 36 acres, there are a number of cordless electric and rechargeable battery-operated options that don't require a drop of gas-o-line. Check THESE out. There's even a solar powered grass cutter that requires the installation of one single solar panel to charge the mower. A little something for every homestead.

Still not convinced to make the change? Well, aside from the obvious financial cost of a gas

guzzling lawn mower, I learned that the EPA estimates that the average homeowner spends about 40 hours a season cutting their lawn. If they use a traditional gas-powered lawn mower, they can produce as much pollution as 40 cars on the road traveling 12,000 miles a year.

The DIY lawn is all a part of the greater, greener good. I heard an interesting perspective on the "Green Movement" this morning that asserts we're going back to using products and practices that we used 100 years ago, before plastic, before vampire-esque electrical usage and gas suckers, before we became completely dependent on machines to do it for us. We've happily and efficiently adopted lifestyle changes like the manual lawn mower, B.Y.O. canvas shopping bags, line drying clothes and compost and I gotta say: Rock On.

So whether you choose leg-powered lawn grooming or high-tech battery or solar ingenuity, get off your grass and mow it...the neighbors are starting to talk.

Washing your car in the driveway may seem like it saves you a few bucks, but the untreated water can also run straight into storm drains and eventually into rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands.

This may shock you, it did me, but the average home car wash uses more than 500 gallons of water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To give you some perspective it takes about 25 gallons for a ten-minute shower!

Commercial car washes use approximately 32 gallons of water per car, according to the International Car Wash Association.

They're also required to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, where it gets treated before it's flushed back into the environment.

There are few things you can do if you are in the midst of a pocketbook crunch at the moment and can't afford to take your car to the car wash.  Please keep in mind we are in the middle of a drought.

• You use less water if you use several small rinses instead of one large one and turn off the water in between rinses
• Park your car in the shade so it doesn't dry too quickly and leave spots that you will want to re-rinse
• Use a bucket for your soap, and try an eco-friendly brand. There are bunch out there. This will minimize your runoff impact

There are a lot of car washes that offer deals if you go midweek. Maybe try that a few times. Who knows you may like watching your car go past those jumbo wash brushes. It's kind of cool. Or you can be like me, I haven't washed my car in over a month.

I have written before about my personal adventures in composting, I'm a huge fan by the way. In September the City of Los Angeles will begin a composting pilot program for one year in close to 9 thousand homes in North Central and South Central Los Angeles.

The program is geared towards decreasing the amount of garbage in the city dumps. The Bureau of Sanitation claims the majority of the trash in household black bins is food waste.

The way it works is the homes in the project will be given a 2-gallon covered bucket for food scraps. When the bucket gets full they dump it into their green bins with the lawn trimmings and clippings. Then the green bins will be picked up weekly by the city and taken to a composting facility.

It seems the main concern, other than the cost of course, is the smell. I can speak from personal experience. It's not that bad.

I have had my backyard composter marinating for a couple months and I can only smell it when I open the lid to put more stuff inside. Even then it's not too bad, we like to call it an earthy smell in Chez Kotzman. I don't know for sure how this particular project will work but as far as the home bins are concerned no meat or dairy is put in your compost pile. It stinks and attracts pest.

This program makes me think that the City of Los Angeles is indeed thinking about our collective environmental futures on some level. I hope it goes well and the project is expanded. Between composting and recycling I have approximately one bag of trash a week going into the black bin and on to the landfill. It does make a difference.  

If you would like to start your very own compost but don't know where to begin, the city holds a workshop the fourth Saturday of every month click here for more information.

Ok, so this is generally not a political blog because environmentalism is bi-partisan and affects all of us no matter where you lean on the political spectrum. That being said, I'm stunned, shocked and saddened that President Bush is urging Congress today to end a 27-year federal ban on offshore oil drilling, where oil drilling has been banned by both a presidential executive order and a congressional moratorium, and to open a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration. He insists that this raping and pillaging this federally protected land and water would lower gasoline prices and "strengthen our national security." If only it were that simple.

Besides being psychotic, irreparable and disastrous, these measures will have zero impact on the price of gasoline, no matter what the President's speechwriters say.

Warner Chabot, vice president for strategic campaigns with Ocean Conservancy, made the following statement about President Bush's plea to open more of our country's coastline to oil drilling: "Our ocean drives the planet's climate and is the first victim of global climate change -- more drilling only guarantees its further destruction while doing nothing to solve our energy crisis. The President says America is addicted to oil, but the primary solution offered by the Administration is a larger needle to fuel the country's addiction.

"Advocates for new offshore drilling falsely claim that new leases will 'immediately' lower oil costs due to speculative pressure, when in fact eight million acres open by President Bush last year did nothing to lower prices - instead we have seen prices skyrocket. Even the U.S. Energy Information Administration agrees that opening up vast new areas to drilling will likely reduce prices a few pennies per gallon, over a decade from now."

Listen, I won't pretend to be able to explain the immensely complicated factors that have put us in this oil predicament to begin with, I am saying that offshore drilling and cracking open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is ludicrous, futile and wildly irresponsible. It makes me nauseous.

Trying to make heads and tails of this issue? Start HERE. To sign a petition to let your representatives know you think this quick no-fix idea sucks, check THIS out.

JOIN US FOR BEACH CLEANUP MADNESS THIS SATURDAY. CLICK HERE FOR INFO.

I just heard about the coolest thing! Flea control nematodes! What's that you ask? Well the easy answer is nematodes are a kind of worm, and flea control nematodes are teeny worms that eat fleas in the larva and pupa stages. I know it seems kind of nasty. But, the reason I'm giving you this bio lesson is it's a great eco-friendly way to rid your yard of fleas. No chemicals, so it's safe for pets, plants and people.

You can get these critters via an online company called Gardens Alive. I just ordered some so I'll let you know how they work. I'm not in the middle of an infestation or anything like that but I do share my house with 2 dogs and 2 cats so a stray flea or two comes as no surprise to me, particularly in the summertime.

The nematodes are diluted and applied to your lawn with a hand held sprayer, hose sprayer or even water can. Five million of the little suckers cost $19.95.

More to come.

If you're super, uber green and clearly competing for the Miss Greenest in The Whole Wide World title, that silly Prius and it's paltry 94MPG (2009) just isn't enough for you. And you're far too feisty to do time on some Prius waiting list. You want more. You want 188 MPG, damn it and those crafty after-market entrepreneurs know it.

There are now after-market kits that can turn your old gas-guzzler into a lean, green converted machine nearly doubling the gas mileage of the aforementioned Prius. "Rad!" you say. "What's the catch?" The kicker is that the kits cost as much as $10,000. But let me repeat: it doubles the gas mileage of the Prius, which is just ridiculously neat.

Here's what the kits do: They tweak your car's current battery system to convert your fossil fuel sucking ve-hickle into a plug-in hybrid electric car that recharges simply by plugging it into a wall outlet.

According to THESE GUYS: "Battery companies are ready to start selling after-market kits within the next few months that convert hybrids, and in some cases regular vehicles, into plug-in electric cars...Even if electricity costs as much as 15 cents per kilowatt hour, fully charging the 5 kilowatt-hour battery to run up to 40 miles would cost less than a dollar."

And seriously, I just paid $4.89 for REGULAR EFFING GAS to put in my tiny car, which incidentally already gets 40 MPG. What's next? I open a vein?

For what it's worth, if I had the $10K it would be worth the initial output for the kit to immediately cut emissions and eventually it wouldn't be long at the current prices to make that cash back in the gas I saved.

To read all about the technical specifics, kit merchants and car talk, check THIS or THIS out.

It gets easier to recycle everyday. While checking out my local Best Buy I noticed a small kiosk for recycling. Good job. The kiosks take cell phones, batteries of all sizes and any brand of ink jet cartridges. Upon further investigation I found out if you want you can also hand over your old and unwanted stuff to the Geek Squad.

The Best Buy website claims that if you purchase and TV or large appliance and have it delivered that will tote the old one away for you. The assumption is they have it recycled but the site is not specific. But it should be noted that the company claims to have recycled 77 million pounds of appliances in 2007.

They also hold monthly E-Cycle events, but looking at the list it seems to be kind of hit and miss as far as dates and locations. I see no dates listed for this year in the Los Angeles area or the Valley.

Here are the red-hot details on the new and improved beach cleanup this weekend. Rox and I are joining forces with Heal the Bay and jumping in on their monthly "Nothin' But Sand" Beach Cleanup and we're asking YOU to walk the proverbial green walk, not just talk the green talk.

Bring the kids, a snack and your environmental conscience. If you want to, you may also bring a touch of smug self-satisfaction.

• WHEN: THIS Saturday, June 21, 10:00am-Noon

• WHERE: Will Rogers State Beach, Lifeguard Tower 8
• (Parking is available for $1 in the lot at 15800 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific     Palisades, CA 90272, where Temescal meets the sea.)
  

• WHY: Because the crap we wash down the storm drains, like dryer sheets, evil plastic bags, garbage, soda cans, and other charming remnants end up at the beach where it endangers wildlife and pollutes the water and sand where we play. Because there is SIX MILLION POUNDS of trash on the world's beaches.  Because we, as left-coasters, have a responsibility to preserve the land and critters in our own backyard.  

• NOTE: Remember to wear layers, hats, sunscreen and please wear close-toe shoes to protect your feets from pokeys. (Last time, I got a very strange forearm-only, V-neck chest sunburn after I underestimated the temperature vs. sun exposure drama.)

• ALSO: Be sure to print and complete a waiver form ahead of time to cut down on the registration line.

For more information on the "Nothin' But Sand" beach love, check THIS out.

To let us know you're coming, so we can look out for you, email Rox: roxanne.kotzman@dailynews.com

The battle begins for Tommy Lee and Ludacris over who gets to wear the green, organic hemp crown for their individual eco-efforts. I heart them...even if Tommy hasn't showered in a week. Read more about the dynamic duo's eco-awareness tour HERE and be sure to watch Planet Green!

I write about recycling all the time. But it occurred to me that I never put out a complete list of all the things that can be recycled and put into your blue bins. So here it is - fresh from the Bureau of Sanitation website. A few may surprise you; I even learned a few things. I had no idea that Styrofoam could be recycled.

Paper Items:

All clean dry paper, computer, ledger, wrapping, arts and craft paper, junk mail, flyers, telephone books, note cards, newspaper, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs, envelopes including those with windows
      
All cardboard boxes and chipboard:

Cereal, tissue, dry food, frozen food, shoe, and detergent boxes; paper towel and toilet rolls; and corrugated boxes broken down and flattened

Metals:

Aluminum, tin, metal, and bi-metal cans such as soda, juice, soup, vegetables, and pet food
cans, pie tins, clean aluminum foils, aerosol cans with plastic caps removed, and wire hangers

Glass:

Glass bottles and jars including, soda, wine, beer, spaghetti sauce, pickle jars, even broken bottles.

Plastics

All clean plastics 1-7 such as empty plastic containers, soda, juice, detergent, bleach, shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, dishwashing liquid bottles, milk jugs, tubs for margarine and yogurt, plastic planters, food and blister packaging, rigid clamshell packaging.

Plastic and film bags like, grocery bags and dry cleaner bags, and all clean film plastic.

All Clean Polystyrene Styrofoam, cups, containers, and packaging such as Styrofoam egg cartons, block packaging, and clamshell packaging

Miscellaneous plastics:

Plastic coat hangers, non-electric plastic toys, plastic swimming pools, & plastic laundry baskets

Later in the week I'll give you a list of the things the city does not want in those bins.

You know that weird smell in the house when you put up a brand new vinyl shower curtain? Yeah THAT smell. Well it could be poisoning you.

More than 100 toxic chemicals associated with adverse health effects are released into the air from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains, according to a study released by the US-based Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ).

Though used in homes around the world, PVC shower curtains contain many harmful chemicals.

Toxic chemicals that get released from PVC shower curtains can contribute to respiratory irritation, damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidney, nausea and headaches.

I stopped using this particular kind of shower curtain many years ago, mostly because I think they look kind of tacky, just a personal preference, don't get your feathers ruffled if you like them. And I always hated the funky smell that permeated the house for days. There are so many cute and inexpensive cloth liners there is no reason to add yet another stealth chemical to our homes. The cloth alternatives are sold everywhere just check the label.

Let me be 100% clear. This is one study by one organization. It has not been proven to be fact by the scientific community. That being said. My personal opinion is - I would rather be safe than sorry. I try to always live a lifestyle that cuts out as many things as possible that could be potentially harmful.

Oh yeah, take a quick shower we are in the midst of a drought in California:)

So...It looks like we have a race. A race for president, the field has finally narrowed to 2. This is not a political blog so I won't ramble on about my personal political views and musings. But I will give you a snippet of the candidate's energy policies according to the jabs back and forth the past week. And let you decide.

Barack Obama: Called for a tax on oil-company windfall profits and declared, "At a time... when we're paying more than $4 a gallon for gas, McCain wants to spend $1.2 billion on a tax break for Exxon Mobil." He also dismissed the idea of a gas-tax holiday as a gimmick, and continued to tout his vision of a green-job-driven economy, making no mention of nuclear power.

John McCain:  An economic adviser to McCain says that the GOP candidate supports an "across-the-board corporate rate cut that's necessary to keep the American corporate sector competitive in the global economy." And at a fundraiser in Richmond, Va., reiterated his support for the gas-tax holiday; when a donor summarized his energy policy as "nuclear, and drill wherever we've got it," McCain replied, "You just gave my speech."

I'm sure there will be many more of these to come.

Hey, you! What are you doing right now? StopGlobalWarming.org has crafted a virtual march on Washington D.C. and all you have to do to join is CLICK HERE. Already more than a million eco-friends have signed the petition to encourage lawmakers to do better in the global green arena.

Or as StopGlobalWarming.org puts it: "...become part of the movement to demand our leaders freeze and reduce carbon dioxide emissions now. We are all contributors to global warming and we all need to be part of the solution."

So that couldn't be easier, right?  What are you waiting for...go sign. 

What else can you do? Um, use CFL bulbs, properly inflate your tires to ensure good gas mileage, change your air conditioner filter, take shorter showers, carpool, plant a tree, use a push lawn mower (way sexier), air dry your clothes, ditch your skeezy plastic bags, turn off your computer every day (sleep mode doesn't count)...for more eco-rad suggestions you can do every day check THIS out.

Props to my coworker for this tip. I dare you to watch this video and not think twice about the state of the planet.

I think I have established my love of all things recycled, reused and repurposed. Yes repurposed, it's when some everyday thing gets turned into a different everyday thing. Such as the inside label from old LPs, that's records for all you youngsters, made into coasters. They had one purpose and now they have another, pretty cool.

There is a great website that sells this kind of eco-funky stuff called Uncommon Goods. I just recently purchased a serving bowl that was a record in a past life. My bowl was handmade by sealing the label and the spindle hole in the center with a Mylar coating. And to personalize the bowl to your specific taste in music you can choose from Rock & Roll, Show tunes, Crooner, Diva, 80's or R&B bowls.

There are so many really original and interesting things on this site such as a bicycle CD rack, made from old chain rings. A sterling silver type key bracelet, made from the old-school round keys from retired typewriters.

If you want to give a truly one of a kind gift, or you just like to buy interesting and hip repurposed things for yourself, this is a great place to start.

I love my record bowl, and of course I chose Rock & Roll!

We've covered animal output fairly extensively around here, what with the dog dropping bags, kangaroo exhaust, cow vapor and all...but not without good reason. The methane output from cows is blamed for a significant portion of global warming, methane being the powerful greenhouse gas that it is.  Talk about the price of gas!  And the question is, not to be indelicate, but how does one stop cow flatulence?

No worries, a bunch of faithful scientists are on the job. The lab coats in New Zealand are trying to pin down the gene that is responsible for excessive methane stirring in the guts o' bovines to create a vaccine. Japanese brain trusts discovered that feeding cows cashew nuts cuts down the cow emissions. (Can you imagine attending the next family Christmas party and answering that inevitable question "So, Scientist Friend, what are you working on?" "Cow farts" you would answer.)

To read even more about what's being done to stem the methane tide in livestock, check THIS and THIS out.

Gas prices have gotten so out of control in the recent weeks. I have seen over $4.80 per gallon at some stations in the valley.

So in the interest of trying to be more environmentally friendly I'm going to pass along some tips to save the gas you have in your tank. Now I know that public transpo is the way to go for many. I'm speaking to my peeps that need the car for one reason or another.

Drive the speed limit. This one thing, no matter how difficult for some, helps your car the optimal MPG.

Check your tires. If the pressure is too low it drops your MPGs. So yes those uber-low profile tires cost you more at the pump.

Don't jackrabbit start. Yeah, you know who you are.

Keep the engine warm. Cars use more gas to start a cold engine, which would be an engine that sits for 2 hours or more. So this is yet another reason to run all your errands in one trip. The Smart Money People say you can save over $100 this summer by doing this one little thing.
Daily News Photo

From Earth Capades...inventors of um, Environmental Vaudeville...set to the wild musical stylings of Jack Johnson's "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Sing it if you know it.