Bottled Water...Do we need it?
Check out this Powerpoint on the ills of bottled water.
Check out this Powerpoint on the ills of bottled water.
Plug in your numbers and see if you dump more or less tons of carbon into the environment than your average citizen. I'm dumping 6.7 tons of carbon per year - You?
Introducing Blackle, a search engine using a black colored background to both save energy (less light, less energy) and raise awareness with energy saving tips. See more on this Wikipedia page. Thanks Derek for the tip!
Pam Stenhjem emailed this slide presentation (in PDF) on the Dangers of Plastic Bags. She also says, "If you want a great alternative - go to Land's End to buy GREAT canvas bags. I bought two extra large bags and keep them in my car. Two can hold a week's worth of groceries for my family. I also use them to haul craft supplies, beach stuff, camping stuff, whatever. Every where I go, people ask me where I got these. They have pockets in side and a key holder. They come in all kinds of colors and sizes - you can even get them with patent leather trim if you want to be extra fashionable. :-) It was one of the best investments I've ever made!"
There are plenty of ways to save paper. Duplex printing/copying, reusing single-sided paper, changing your margins, and more! Check out specific how-to's for saving paper in Pattee Hall on ICI's Intranet and start today! (or did you start this years ago already?)
I heard this radio program on MPR on plastic grocery bags a few weeks back. I think Mississippi Market Food Coop is surveying members on whether or not to continue having plastic bags available. "Have you bought your reusable bag(s) at your local foodstore/coop yet?" Not a bad idea, but remembering to bring them to the store is a whole nother thing!
Thanks to Debbie Hansen, Facilities Management noticed that their recycling page had outdated information on what you could and could not recycle. You can now see the updated guidelines (as of April 2008) at Facilities Management Recycling Programs.
Do you know if your mailing list is updated? It's not always possible to use electronic publications instead of printed ones, but you can still help the environment by updating your mailing lists whenever possible. Keeping mailing lists correct and current cuts down on wasted print material, and saves you money on postage to boot.
Here's a tip sheet on
Smart Plastics (PDF)I got at the Heart of the Beast after their recent "Beneath the Surface" production about using tap water instead of bottled water (apparently Minneapolis has a great H2O filter).
Coffee, tea, or M.E.? (Mother Earth, that is!) When you're going to a meeting where you know beverages will be served, take your own mug along instead of using a disposable cup (and be sure to smile!).
Tired of receiving unsolicited catalogs? Reduce your mailbox clutter and paper waste by visiting Catalog Choice. Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to find and decline catalog mailings using an online database.
How many times have you received a card that you think a friend may enjoy too? How can we begin to pass on the fun? When in the spirit of sending a card rather than write directly on the card insert your comments on a separate sheet of paper (recycled of course) or a recipe card and encourage the receiver to reuse the actual card then the fun can be shared over and over again. (Posted by Mark Olson)
Check out this story aired last evening on Fox 9. The cost to our thrift store friends from waste dropped as reuse is staggering. I just thought you all would be interested. (Posted by Mark Olson)