20 Ways to Reuse and Repurpose Floppy Discs

Written by Cathy on December 31, 2008 – 7:55 am -

Welcome back!

End of the Year- time to clean out stuff including old floppy discs, CD’s and DVD’s. What do you do with them? This is a good time to start to collect and re-use for great gifts for the year or even sell them on sites such as Etsy 

20 Ways to Reuse- Repurpose Floppy Discs 

1.) Make a Pencil Caddy

 

2.) Make A Purse: 

 

 

 

3.) Make a Notepad 

 

4.) Make Place Mats

5.) Use as Coasters

6.) Hang from trees to keep animals away

7.) Make a Door Curtain 

8.) Make Earrings-

 

 

9.) Make Xmas Tree Ornaments

10.) Make Disk Art 

11.) Decorate Your Car

 

12.) Use as a Greeting Card 

13.) Sculpture 

 

14.) Refridgator Magnets

15.) Paper Weights- Just glue a bunch together

16.) Make a Quilt  

17.) Photo Cube

 

 
 

 

 

18.) Make Key Rings 

19.) Make Place Cards

20.) Make a Necklace 

 

 

Resources

Marlies Creative Universe- some good instructables 

Green Disk.org The GreenDisk line of recycled office supplies and computer accessories are made from the materials recycled from our recycling services programs. The materials we use come either from the original manufacturers or from you. GreenDisk just gives them back to you in a more usable form. The primary focus is on reuse, and then on recycling. All GreenDisk branded products are premium quality, professional grade because they come exclusively from unsold software, music or movies.

Tags: E-Waste, Recycle, Reuse
Posted in Re-use- Make Money | No Comments »

Green Art

Written by Cathy on December 31, 2008 – 7:08 am -

I got this email from Greg Patch from the Green Art Studio- who paints with beeswax (a sustainable) and pigments that are non- toxic. The Papers are sustainable harvested plant based materials or recycled cotton pulp. – See picture below. 

 

• Most paintings/paints are composed of toxic chemicals, petro-oils, plastics and heavy metals along with preservatives and fungicides like formaldehyde
• Most paintings/paints also produce off gases that increase the toxicity of the environment in which they are manufactured and displayed.
• Present labeling of art materials as non-toxic is solely regulated by self interested fine art paint industry representatives.

Which got me to thinking about Green Art, what is it, and how do you know it’s green – So I went to

Green Art.info Here’s what they say Green Art is. 

• graphic artists and printmakers developing and using non-toxic, non-polluting and new methods that are safer and healthier.
• tapestry and fibre art makers using natural fibres and ecological themes.
• painters and sculptors using organic, natural, sustainable or recycled materials, or digital methods.
• craftsmen and craftswomen working with natural and organic materials.
• architects creating bioclimatic buildings, using solar or other renewable energy sources and designers of all kinds sensitive to the ecological consequences of their work.
• photographers exploring the natural and social environment.
• green organisations or sites generally concerned with the values and issues of ecology and the environment, or offering services to ecologically concerned industries or organisations.
• online shops selling ecological art or craft products and fair trading goods.
• green places to go, and ecological ways of travelling.
• any other greenish websites that are responsible, well designed, original or filled with useful information.

Green Art is selective guide to websites and pages which show the work of creative artists concerned with environmental and social issues in their themes or in the techniques they use; galleries and places to visit and green ways of getting there (and some artists called Green). You could spend hours on this site looking at all the artworks! 

 

 

Some other interesting sites

Green Museum online museum emerged from our own experiences making environmental art and from seeing firsthand some of the challenges facing artists, community groups, nonprofit organizations and arts institutions when it came to presenting and discussing environmental art.

Austin Green Art - Austin Green Art (AGA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about important environmental issues via hands-on, creative, community-based programming & events. AGA utilizes collaboration and the transformative power of the creative arts to engage participants and provides first-hand knowledge about issues relating to conservation, sustainability and the environment.

Buffalo Green Art- 

Scape- raises money to protect open spaces, to increase public awareness of environmental and conservation issues, and to promote camaraderie and provide opportunities for exhibition and education for outdoor painters.

Tags: Art
Posted in Art | No Comments »

The Kindle- Eco Reading

Written by Cathy on December 30, 2008 – 2:41 pm -

I am an avid reader- going to the library at least once a week! The best thing you can do for the environment, saving trees, paper and energy is of course to order a Kindle 

 

I have placed the Kindle on my wish list for so many reasons, not least that libraries are going through many budget cuts, I don’t want to buy any more books and I want to have available to me at anytime a choice of reading materials.

Other reasons that it is great:
1.) You won’t have to carry around a ton of books with you
2.) Take up less space, especially if you travel
3.) Use as a map by using Google maps
4.) You can also listen to free audio books on your Kindle and
5.) You can use online apps such as Yahoo messenger, Gmail, Google reader, and the mobile version of Google calendar.
6.) Play games
7.) The Kindle is also a picture viewer. If you would like to start a slide show, go to picture view mode and then press Alt + 0 this will initiate the slide show. You can use Alt + 1 to begin the slide show and Alt +2 to end it. It’s also possible to initiate a slide show of any document just press Alt + 0 while viewing and take it from there.

There it is- when someone asks me what I want- I will refer them to this post- and hopefully I will get one for my Birthday!
Happy Reading

Tags: Home
Posted in Home Goods | No Comments »

Top 10 Ways To Have A “Happy Green Year”

Written by Cathy on December 30, 2008 – 7:30 am -

As we go into 2009 and start making New Year’s Resolution’s- I hope you will consider adding a little ‘Green’ into your year. A few simple (and money saving) things you can do for 2009 and beyond: 

1.) Precycle- Tp precycle, choose products that have minimal packaging or create less waste. 

• Buy products that can be recycled 
• Buy in Bulk
• Buy Products with less packaging 
• Cancel catalogues 

2.) Buy Local Food 

• Support your local farmers- shop at Farmer’s Markets

3.) Save Gas- Drive Less 

• Try walking to the store if you can
• Use public transportation, or bike
• Try to not drive at least 2 days a week 

4.) Save Water

• Wash only full loads
• Wear your clothes at least 2x before putting in the wash 
• Take a 3 minute or less shower
• Water the lawn less
• Use leftover cooking water to water plants indoors and out 
• Buy a instant water heater
• Put a bucket under the shower 

5.) Save Energy

• Use LED or CFL lightbulbs
• Turn down the thermostat
• Turn off the lights 
• Turn off the computer 
• Unplug appliances you aren’t using 

6.) Recycle as much as you can

7.) Pick up Litter

• Clean up litter around your house or apartment- Even picking up 100 pieces of litter a week will make your neighborhood look better and help the environment. Plus the added benefit of exercise!

8.) Go Paperless

• Get all your bills online and pay online

9.) Get rid of the Plastic (Bottles and Bags) 

• Stop buying bottled water- take your own bottle and fill it yourself 
• Stop getting plastic bags- buy reusable bags and use them at every opportunity. 

10.) Shopping- 

• Take your own coffee cup to your local bistro 
• Support Stores who have recycling bins 
• Buy USDA Organic and Fair Trade Products 

HAPPY GREEN YEAR!

Tags: Events
Posted in Green Basics | No Comments »

Get with Blue- Oceans, Seas and Marine Life

Written by Cathy on December 29, 2008 – 6:43 am -

I love the beach, I love the water, I hate the trash on the beach, I hate to spend my limited time sailing picking up trash in the water. I also hate to think of beautiful sea life being destroyed by inconsiderate trashy people.

I just gotta tell Ya

• 50% of Oceans are fairly degraded
• 3.7% show little or no impact from human activity
• Over fishing has caused 90% of big fish to disappear
• Pollution has led to almost 26,000 US beaches being temporairly closed
• 90% of wetlands have vanished due to development

Why are Oceans important?

• Keep environment healthy by absorbing carbon dioxide
• Oceans cover 70% of the earth

What does the Government Spend?

• $18,700 per square mile goes to the National Park System while $400 per square mile goes to the ocean
• 99% of conservation dollars to to land causes and 1% to oceans.

Want to get involved?

Resources and Organizations:

Ocean Futures; The mission of Ocean Futures Society is to explore our global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet.

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC): The ASOC’s Southern Ocean Fisheries Campaign works on five continents to stop the Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing that is dramatically depleting toothfish stocks—the most important commercial fish in the Southern Ocean. At the same time, the long-liners are killing thousands of endangered albatrosses and other seabirds each year….

Blue Ocean Institute: a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring ocean conservation through science, art, and literature. The group is particularly interested in providing information that will help people make choices that help restore living abundance in the oceans such as a seafood consumer education initiative “From Sea to Table”.

Blue Frontier Campaign: founded in 2003 by David Helvarg, author of Blue Frontier – Saving America’s Living Seas and 50 Ways to Save the Ocean. Blue Frontier works to support seaweed (marine grassroots) efforts at the local, regional and national level, with an emphasis on bottom up organizing to bring the voice of citizen-activists into national decision-making that will impact our public seas.

Cetacean Alliance: is a not-for-profit network of non-governmental organizations committed to preserving marine biodiversity and reducing human impact on cetacean populations.

Conservation International: a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and operating in more than 30 countries worldwide to apply innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth’s plant and animal biodiversity in major tropical wilderness areas and key marine ecosystems.

Deep Sea Conservation Coalition: “The NGOs listed in this documentjointly call on the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution declaring an immediate moratorium on high seas bottom trawling, and to simultaneously initiate a process under the auspices of the UN General Assembly to 1) assess deep sea biodiversity and ecosystems, including populations of fish species, and their vulnerability to deep sea fishing on the high seas; and 2) adopt and implement legally binding regimes to protect deep sea biodiversity from high seas bottom trawling and to conserve and manage bottom fisheries of the high seas consistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), UN Fish Stocks Agreement (FSA 1995), UN FAO Compliance Agreement (1993), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD 1992), and the UN FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Code 1995).”

Environmental Defense: a non-profit organization based in New York bringing together experts in science, law and economics to tackle complex environmental issues that affect our oceans, our air, our natural resources, the livability of our man-made environment, and the species with whom we share our world.

Global Marine Litter Information Gateway: a co-operative effort of the UNEP GPA Coordination Office, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the UN International Maritime Organization. The objective is to provide a clearing-house, a gateway, for supply and exchange of information on the global, regional and local problem of marine litter.

Greenpeace International: Greenpeace’s oceans campaign focusing on three major threats to the world’s oceans: overfishing, pirate fishing, whaling, and intensive shrimp aquaculture.

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): engages communities, government leaders, and like-minded organizations around the world to achieve lasting solutions to pressing animal welfare and conservation challenges-solutions that benefit both animals and people.

Lighthouse Foundation: established in Germany to promote integrated sustainable development processes and responsible behavior to protect the marine environment.

National Environmental Trust: a non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 1994 to inform citizens about environmental problems and how they affect our health and quality of life.

Nature Conservancy: Nature Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative links land and sea conservation in an effort to protect the rich array of plant and animal life and safeguard the tremendous benefits the oceans provide. Over 100 marine projects in 21 countries and 22 U.S. states….

Ocean Conservancy: serves to protect ocean ecosystems and conserve the global abundance and diversity of marine wildlife through science-based advocacy, research, and public education.

Oceana: a non-profit international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world’s oceans through policy advocacy, science, law, and public education.

Ocean Project: an initiative to raise awareness of the importance, value, and sensitivity of the oceans through a network of aquariums, zoos, and conservation organizations.

Ocean Research & Conservation Association: a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems and the species they sustain through the development of innovative technologies and science based conservation action.

Oceanic Resource Foundation: provides educational materials to people whose livelihoods depend upon a viable, productive marine environment; provides local support; and works toward supporting the preservation of marine biological diversity as the path to a healthy and productive marine environment.

ReefBase: created to facilitate sustainable management of coral reefs and related coastal/marine environments, in order to benefit poor people in developing countries whose livelihoods depend on these natural resources.

Save Our Seas: an international non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and restoring the oceans for future generations through activities such as reef research and monitoring, beach cleanups, and safe boating instruction.

SeaWeb: a communications-based nonprofit organization that uses social marketing techniques to advance ocean conservation.

Shifting Baselines: a “media project” — a partnership between ocean conservation and Hollywood to help bring attention to the severity of ocean decline.

Sierra Club: helps implement legislation protecting marine resources through its National Marine Committee, as well as establishing initiatives to protect marine resources through national and regional networks.

Society for Conservation Biology (SCB): an international professional organization dedicated to promoting the scientific study of the phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss, and restoration of biological diversity. The Society’s membership comprises a wide range of people interested in the conservation and study of biological diversity: resource managers, educators, government and private conservation workers, and students.

Species Survival Commission (SSC): “the world’s greatest source of information about species and their conservation needs”. The SSC is a network of some 7,000 volunteer members from almost every country of the world, all working to stop the loss of plants, animals, and their habitats. Members include researchers, government officials, wildlife veterinarians, zoo and botanical institute employees, marine biologists, protected area managers, and experts on plants, birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. SSC produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, provides technical and scientific advice to governments, international environmental treaties, and conservation organizations, publishes species Action Plans, and policy guidelines, and implements on-ground conservation projects.

Surfrider Foundation: a non-profit organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches through its 60 chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts, and with its 37,000 members in the USA and International Surfrider Foundation chapters and affiliates in Japan, Brazil, Australia, France and Spain.

Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS): an international non-profit working toward the conservation and welfare of all cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) by reducing threats to cetaceans and their habitats and by raising awareness about the need to address the continuing threats to their welfare and survival.

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA): WSPA works with more than 449 member organisations to raise the standards of animal welfare throughout the world. Our vision is a world in which the welfare of animals is understood and respected by everyone, and protected by effective legislation.

World Wildlife Fund: WWF’s Endangered Seas Program works in more than 40 countries to campaign, lobby, develop and advocate solutions, commission and publish impartial data, advise, and champion the conservation of the marine environment and sustainable livelihoods.

United States
Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF): a Long Beach, California based non-profit environmental organization. AMRF is dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment. With the help of its chartered research vessel, The Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV) Alguita, AMRF is actively engaged in innovative research, education, and restoration of the marine environment.

Aquatic Network: provides information about living resources and technology relating to marine and freshwater environments. Mission:“Promote sustainable use of aquatic resources, serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to aquatic environments, and explore the use of the Internet and other new technologies to foster global communication and networking.”

Blue Ocean Society: a New Hampshire-based non-profit that promotes awareness and conservation of the marine environment through research and education such as collecting research data on whale watch boats, community beach cleanups, educational programs, internships, and volunteer opportunities.

Bluewater Network: promotes policy changes in government and industry to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and eradicate other root causes of air and water pollution, global warming, and habitat destruction. Also leads campaigns to protect National Parks from jetskis, snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles, and to prevent environmental damage from pollution caused by ferries, cruise ships, and other large vessels.

Center for Biological Diversity: working to establish crucial protections for Pacific Ocean species and their habitats. The “high seas,” or open ocean, have historically been a no-man’s-land, claimed by no single country and not governed by any single body of law; and the sea has been treated as an inexhaustible resource, infinitely deep, wide, and bountiful. But the advent of large-scale commercial fishing, shipping and oil drilling has pushed many species to the brink of extinction and beyond, and the oceans’ animals and natural systems are now in serious decline.

Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI): a group of experts in marine mammal science, environmental sciences, education and conservation. CRESLI was formed for the purposes of conducting research, providing educational experiences and promoting conservation of coastal ecosystems.

Earthjustice Oceans: a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.

Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI): a non-profit scientific and conservation advocacy organization working to protect and restore marine life on the around the United States and beyond by facilitating research in marine conservation biology, bringing scientists together to examine crucial marine conservation issues, conducting policy research to frame the marine conservation agenda, and educational activities.

National Marine Sanctuary Program: the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) program that identifies, designates, manages, and protects national marine sanctuaries.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): seeks to preserve and restore the extraordinary diversity of ocean life and the quality of coastal waters.“NRDC is the nation’s most effective environmental action organization. We use law, science and the support of more than 1 million members and online activists to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.”

National Wildlife Federation (NWF): efforts are focused on five core issues: endangered habitat, water quality, land stewardship, wetlands, and sustainable communities. NWF conducts a range of educational projects; and activist, advocacy, and litigation initiatives on these core issues.

PRBO Conservation Science: Marine Ecology Division: PRBO’s Marine Ecology Division uses science to guide ocean ecosystem protection, conservation, and management. Projects focus on four key areas: 1) Ocean predators as bio-indicators of climate change and habitat quality. 2) Population dynamics, reproduction, and survival of seabird, marine mammal and white shark populations. 3) Life history characteristics: diet, feeding ecology, and energetic needs of seabirds in relation to marine fisheries and pollution. 4) Creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) and Marine Reserves (MRV’s) to protect ocean ecosystems.

Restore America’s Estuaries: a non-profit whose mission is to preserve the nation’s network of estuaries by protecting and restoring the lands and waters essential to the richness and diversity of coastal life.

Sea Watch | Dedicated to a Healthy Sea of Cortes: founded in 1993 by a small group of Americans and Mexicans disgusted with the destruction of fisheries in the Sea of Cortes. The following are their major accomplishments to date

J

Tags: Organizations, Pollution
Posted in Litter-Trash-Garbage | 3 Comments »

Reuse and Recycle Cardboard- Make Money

Written by Cathy on December 29, 2008 – 6:20 am -

Another Source for Selling or Buying Cardboard is Box Cycle: (San Francisco, CA) This is a fairly new company- but it looks like you just post your boxes on their forum to find the closest location for boxes, saving you time and gas. 

Here’s what they say: 

“BoxCycle was created to make the environmentally superior option of reusing shipping and moving boxes practical, convenient, and worthwhile.

Every day people purchase new shipping and moving boxes at a significant expense. While it is possible to find low cost, or even free, used boxes, the process is often time consuming, embarrassing, and full of frustration and uncertainty. With BoxCycle, buyers instantly see willing sellers in their area including sellers’ distance and approximate location, box inventory, and hours. Buyers reserve their boxes by arranging a pickup appointment and paying for their purchase online. BoxCycle not only makes the transaction simple, certain, and inexpensive, but also more convenient. By locating sellers close to them, buyers can pickup their boxes the same day without long drives or costs and delays of delivery.

Retailers receive daily shipments in boxes that they then spend time and money getting rid of. While many retailers are happy to provide used boxes to others, they don’t have time to look for interested people and do not want to be distracted from their core business. Recyclers, moving companies, and box manufacturers accept pennies for recycling perfectly good boxes instead of much higher prices people are willing to pay because these sellers are not setup to deal directly with consumers. BoxCycle shields sellers from frequent communication, broken appointments, payment collection, and other issues that makes dealing with individual consumers difficult. At the same time, BoxCycle makes it easy for sellers to list their boxes and find buyers.

BoxCycle makes listing, buying, and selling used boxes simple and efficient while providing buyers with lower prices and sellers with higher returns. There are no upfront fees; BoxCycle only makes money after successful sales by deducting a commission before remitting proceeds to the seller.”

Tags: Reuse
Posted in Re-use- Make Money | 7 Comments »

Surfing- Seas of Blue and Green

Written by Cathy on December 27, 2008 – 8:43 am -

Watching the Surfers the other day- I started reflecting on the impact of surfing on the environment. Broken leashes, lost shoes, towels, clothing, bottles, waxes and broken boards are leftover from surfers. Plus avid surfers travel-! Indonesia, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru to name just a few countries, where I have been, which offer surfing Hot Spots. 

My conclusions: 

• Surfers are good for World Economy: They buy, souvenirs, surf gear, equipment, film, boat rentals. Most of these are bought from small mom and pop businesses, who in turn put their earning back into the local economy. 
• Surfing- once in the water- is not dependent on oil. 

But: 

• Surf Travel- the seach for the perfect wave uses alot of carbon
• Surf Accessories- including wetsuits, waxes use oil
• Surfing Litter- can harm harm the environment. 

Due to polluted water- surfers are prime candidates to catch the most common diseases for swimming in sewage: gastroenteritis (often resulting in diarrhoea and vomiting) or ear, nose and throat infections. Also, pathogens in sewage such as Hepatitis A and E. coli 0157 can cause much more serious, potentially life threatening, illnesses.

Surfers proably more so than non surfers are or should be more aware of ocean pollution. After all, they are the ones who are drifting in seas of plastic and bottles in the water. That said, more and more surf companies are becoming involved in ‘green solutions’ for surfers. 

Surfing Schools 

• Eco Surfing-  Australia-’ Taken practical action too by setting up the ECO Foundation, a trust that invests in research to find ways to resist the climate change we are all experiencing on our planet. Every person who takes an ECO lesson has part of their fees contributed to this important research to find ways to harness new energy systems that reduce the impact of greenhouse warming. That’s what ECO stands for. 
• SD Surf Eco- (San Diego, CA) Surf School- combined forces with Surfrider for beach cleanups. Surf eCo is currently helping out with Nature Conservancy’s Plant-a-Billion Campaign in the Brazilian Rainforest.Surf eCo strives to teach surfers about the importance of taking care of the environment. By providing surfers with information about eco-friendly surf products and ways to help the environment, Surf eCo hopes that surfers will take a proactive approach in saving the environment so that future generations will also be able to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Products

• Balsa Tribe Surfboards (Ecuador) “We found sustainable balsa plantations, built workshops and ovens, drafted papers, met with Amazonian Indians, designed logos, boards, shapes, and transport systems. Within the complex globalizing world, we were striking a balance between people and places, separated by thousands of miles, cultures, and languages. Needs began to align and we found ourselves stepping into an all too elusive paradigm of business… One in which everyone, earth included, wins. Delicately, we were recreating an ultimate truth in the form of a business. This is the truth and integrity we shape into every board that leaves our workshop. Pairing the highest quality materials and balsa with hands that have worked exclusively with this wood from 20 to 35 years under the guidance of Skip Andres Kozminski (who has become a godfather, if not a saint, of balsa shaping), we are proud to bring you some of the finest works of art in the water…
• Bisect Australia Surfboard that is going to redefine longboard surf travel into the future! Offer 2 piece longboards that perform like any other modern epoxy surfboard but with the unique advantage of being able to be separated into two easy to manage pieces. The board packs neatly into its own airline friendly custom bag for hassle free travel. Long board can be locked in the car (or boot) for added security. 
• Body Glove- (CA) Body Glove will continue to expand the Eco line of products. The Eco product series goal is to incorporate, wherever reasonably possible, renewable, recycled, sustainable and/or organic materials to produce unique and high performance product. Check out the growing list of Eco Productsdy Glove will continue to support local and international environmental organizations such as Reef Check, Surfrider Foundation, and Heal the Bay.
• Country Feeling Surfboards (Hawaii) Country Feeling Surfboards celebrates the nature that surrounds us with surfboards made with environmentally friendly materials: soy-based  and sugar-based  foams; deck inlays made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo and silk; and resin that is catalyzed by the sun. 
• Grain Surfboards- (Maine) committed to building, promoting and riding surfboards that have less impact on the environment and more impact on surfing. The Grain tradition includes reducing the impact of surfboard production by using locally harvested, sustainable-yield wood products, creatively reducing or reusing any waste left over, and developing techniques for employing greener materials.
• Green Wave Eco-Surf Company )Florida) sells products exclusively from ecologically and environmentally responsible companies, such as Planet Earth Green Label, Sector 9, and Matunas Biodegradable Surf Wax. Green Wave offers organic clothing and gear that are ecologically friendly for the user and the places they travel. (sorry the link is broken) 
• Matuse- Wetsuits Wetsuits made of Geoprene which is based for 99,7% on limestone instead of petroleum products.
• Matunas Wax (Sunset Beach, CA) Non Toxic biodegradable Wax. Made entirely from local California products. Labels are made from recycled materials and use soy bean ink. 
• Ocean Green- Ocean Green EcoFoil blanks are a hollow balsa construction. The wood is sourced in Nicaragua from sustainably managed forests and worked by carpenters and shapers under Fair Trade conditions. OG has planted over 5,000 trees and aims to increase this yearly, providing a natural take up of CO.Standard construction uses non-biodegradable fibreglass cloth. We replace this with 100% biodegradable Organic Hemp or Cotton.
• Patagonia (CA) The Granddaddy of all Green Sport Equipment and Products!- Patagonia wetsuits use the highest quality neoprene made from limestone instead of petroleum-based ingredients. It has a 98% higher closed cell ratio than other neoprene, which adds dead air space and with it, warmth. Wetsuits are lined with merino wool blended with recycled polyester.
• Surfing Green (Australia) 
• Treehugger Surf Wax- Australia) Treehugger Surf Wax has been created with the environmentally conscious surfer in mind. It contains no petroleum by-products, harsh chemicals or synthetic materials – just good old natural, sustainable and biodegradable ingredients.
• Wave Tribe (Ventura, CA) “Wave Tribe is learning as we go, we are a stoked company of surf crazed human being looking to do the right thing in a market place driven by big brands, corporate companies, and small margins. Like everyone else we are making our product overseas, but we are doing it differently. Wave Tribe is committed to using sustainable materials and partners with companies that maintain an ethical work environment— ‘we’ as consumers have forced companies to deliver lower and lower priced products. The reality is how a purchase impacts ones wallet is more decisive than how the product influences the environment. “
• Eco Savvy Surf Shop cosavvysurfshop.com takes special care to seek out and team up with companies who provide 100% reliable, rider tested, eco-friendly surf products, and accessories designed to inflict little harm on the environment.  

Media 

• Drift Magazine- Free Online Surf (no paper) magazine 
• The Surfers Path- You can indulge in our magazine with a clear conscience. The Surfer’s Path is the first truly “green” surf magazine. It’s printed on 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper (processed without chlorine bleach) with non-GMO soy inks. It was a move that – despite considerable extra expense – we simply had to make.

Green Resources and Organizations - 

• EcoSurf Project: http://www.ecosurfproject.org
• Phoresia: http://www.phoresia.org At phoresia.org, our intention is to strip surfing back down to its most elemental form; to highlight the symbiotic relationship that humans share with waves and to do so in a way that encourages the protection of our precious natural environment.
• 70percent: http://www.70percent.org/blog/70percent was built to help small groups of friends share knowledge built from years of studying and riding waves and to promote water quality awareness.
• Save the Waves Coalition- Save the Waves is an environmental coalition dedicated to preserving the world’s surf spots and their surrounding environments. Our goal is to preserve and protect surfing locations around the planet and to educate the public about their value. Save the Waves works in partnership with local communities, foreign and national governments, as well as other conservation groups to prevent coastal development from entering the surf zone.
• Surfrider Foundation 
• Surfers Against Sewage campaign for clean, safe recreational water, free from sewage effluents, toxic chemicals, nuclear waste and marine litter.
• Surfers for Cetaceans. Surfers for Cetaceans calls on surfers everywhere to support the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins and other marine wildlife, to protest whaling and the killing of threatened and endangered species, and to end the pollution of our marine environment.
• Sea Shepard Conservation Society- Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. 
• Surfers Environmental Alliance SEA was founded by a surfers who wanted to do something to protect the ocean, beaches and coastlines, and keep this planet a safe place to surf. If you own a surfboard, enjoy the beauty of the ocean, or if you are concerned about preserving our ocean planet, get involved with SEA.

• On the Push- A Surfer’s guide to Climate Change (Blog) 
• A Green Surfing Movement- 

Tags: Green Sports
Posted in Sports | 8 Comments »

No More Excuses- Reusable Bags

Written by Cathy on December 27, 2008 – 6:34 am -

It’s funny about the reusuable bags, why are people so anti? So what if you don’t care about energy and global warming. Do you care about litter? Do you care about how much of your taxes goes to pick up litter?

Do you care about the food you eat?

 

Do you care about the cost of opening a landfill ($23 Million). Do you care about your children and grandchildren will be living in a plastic bag wasteland if we don’t stop the bag? Do you care that the cost of that plastic bag is underwritten in your purchases? Upset about oil prices? Plastic bags only increase our dependence on oil. Are you concerned about water? The amount of water used in the manufacture of plastic bags is incredible. 

I Just Gotta Tell Ya 

• Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion 
• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year
• Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled annually.
• Each year the United States consumes 30 billion plastic and 10 billion paper grocery bags, requiring 14 million trees and 12 million barrels of oil.
• 1460 – Plastic bags used in a year by an average family of four in the U.S. 

Trends and Solutions Globally

• San Francisco- already banned 
• Westport CT,- banned most at retail check out corners
• Boston,  Balitomre, Portand, Reno, Massachusetts, New York, Indiana – considering banning 
• Ikea- you alreadly pay 
• Ireland started taxing bags in 2002
• China has banned on free plastic bags. 
• Mass. introduced a bills charge consumer 2cents going up to 15 cents 
• Conn is considering a bills that would fine retailers up to $1000 if using non-biodegradable bags 
• Maryland- legislations ban plastic bags in all grocery stores. 
• Alaska: 30 communities have institued bans on the distribution of non-biodegradable bags 

Here are all the excuses-  

• It’s a hassle- no excuse- doesn’t fly-how hard is it to put a few bags in the front seat of the car? 
• I forget- again- how hard is it to put bags in the front seat of the car? Get small foldable bags and put in your purse, backback and pockets. 
• I need the bags for my dog- there is plenty of plastic packaging wafting in the breeze. This may be a hard thing to come out of the box, but you don’t have to use grocery store plastic bags to pick up after your pets. You have many choices – from Pooper Scoopers to other packaging waste. 
• I don’t care- maybe you don’t care about you, but plastic bags are not about you- they are about the future of the earth, your family and your offsprings. Stop being so selfish. 
• It’s not cool- actually I haven’t heard that yet- but got the vibe from my nephew, who prides himself on being cool!- I can’t wait for the day he starts getting ‘uncool’ comments from his cool friends. What can I say- he’s a jock! (no offensive to jocks) Kudos to another nephew- who just got converted to the Reusable Bag! 
• I don’t want to buy one- OK, you with your SUV, $50.00 haircut and Coach purse- clean out your house and use all the totes and miscelleanous purses you own and use them. Better yet, take your old bags and use them! 
• I don’t have any- how can you miss them- every store offers bags- just add into your tab everytime you go to the store. 

Reusable Bag Sources 

• BagsOnTheRun (Phoenix, AZ) 
• Earthwise Bag Company (Commerce, CA) 
• Environmental Bags (San Diego, CA) 
• Inconvenient Bag 
• Eco Bag
• Chico Bag (Chico, CA) 
• Green Bag America
• ReJAVAnate -takes burlap from coffee roasters that would be otherwise sent to landfill. Works with The ARC which serves individuals with developmental disabilities to hand make the bags
• Bangalla- bags and all sort of eco gift items 

Resources:

Bring Your Own Bag 

Tags: Green Basics
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MC Hammer- (W) Rapping It – and Reusable Bags

Written by Cathy on December 26, 2008 – 10:50 am -

I got this great Xmas card and It wins best card! Click on the link! MC Hammer wouldn’t have had a hard time ‘Rapping’ if he had Rapped with a Reusable Bag! 

http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=478115100&m=1035&rr=y&source=ag999

Then my sister for Xmas did something that not only solved Hammer’s problems, plastic bag problems and waste issues- by using reusable bags as wrapping! How Smart was that! Cost less, saved time, money and waste! 

Watch the link- I loved it! Thank you Debbie for the great idea!

Tags: Recycle
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Costco Trade -In & Recycle Program Unavailable

Written by Cathy on December 23, 2008 – 7:52 am -

I was disappointed to learn that Costco;s trade in and recycle program is temporarily unavailable.  Where to go if you are a green gadget person and need to recycle-I highly recommend  My Green Electronics- with a recycler locator on site and reviews of ‘green products” 

 

My Green Electronics Listing of Corporate Recycle Programs 

COMPUTERS

 

 

	Apple offers a free recycling program of old computers and monitors with the purchase of a new Mac for customers in the United States, as well as a free iPod recycling program, conducted through Apple’s retail stores. Additionally Apple has instituted a trade-in program for educational and business customers in the United States.
	Dell has implemented systems to both recycle and reuse old computers. Dell offers free recycling of any of their branded items. Additionally, when you buy a new Dell computer Dell will recycle your old computer free regardless of the brand.
	Gateway is committed to providing consumers and businesses with environmentally safe options for the disposal of used PCs. For more info on Gateway’s recycling & trade-in programs, visitwww.gateway.com.
	Hewlett-Packard’s recycling program is 20 years strong and spans over 40 countries. In addition to recycling, HP offers a variety of product end-of-life management services including donation, trade-in, and asset recovery and leasing.
	As a service to all Panasonic mobile computer individual and organizational customers, Panasonic, through its partner PlanITROI, offers three interconnected, retired IT asset solutions covering product remarketing, reuse, or recycling. Each option for Panasonic’s Toughbook® mobile computers offers the assurance that the units will receive proper, environmentally sound disposal at their useful end of life. All units handled under the PlanITROI’s recycling process are managed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPEAT standards. The process works the same for all customers and is free of charge. In addition, all units are handled in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense standards for data removal.
	Sony has launched the first nationwide Full Producer Responsibility program by working with Waste Management’s physical network of recycling centers around the country. The eCycling centers allow consumers, including businesses, to recycle all Sony-branded products for no fee throughout the U.S. The program also welcomes all makes of consumer electronics, recycling any non-Sony branded product at market prices. The Sony Take Back Recycling Program is the first recycling initiative in the U.S. that connects a major consumer electronics manufacturer to a national waste management company and its physical network of recycling centers around the country.
	Toshiba is determined to proactively contribute to the establishment of a recycling-based society. For this reason, Toshiba offers free recycling of all Toshiba notebooks, gigabeat® MP3 players and packaging as well as low-cost recycling options for other manufacturer laptops and consumer electronics products. Through its trade-in program, Toshiba also provides customers the opportunity to extend the life of their laptop or other consumer electronic product by trading it in for its cash value.

 

 

CELLULAR PHONES, INK CARTRIDGES & BATTERIES

 

	Best Buy allows individuals to drop off old cell phones, inkjet cartridges and rechargeable batteries for recycling with a drop box in the entryway of each store. The same drop box provides self-mailer envelopes and labels for people who wish to send in their old inkjet and toner cartridges from home.
	Motorola offers free cell phone recycling programs are great fundraisers for K-12 schools and they reflect Motorola’s commitment for maintaining a safe and healthy environment.
	Myboneyard offers users the ability to recycle old PCs, cell phones, and laptops online. The site also offers monetary rewards to users for their products.
	Nokia’s Connect to Recycling program is an innovative take-back initiative focused on recycling and safe disposal of products. Keeping Nokia products out of landfills advances human technology, while respecting the environment.
	ReCellular, Inc. is the world’s largest collector, reseller and recycler of wireless devices and accessories. Based in Dexter, MI, and with facilities in Texas, Brazil and China, the company is committed to the e-waste challenge and collects over 75,000 cell phones at more than 40,000 locations each week. ReCellular has long-standing relationships with leading service providers, retailers and manufacturers to administer their recycling programs. Additionally, the company has well-established philanthropic partnerships that generate millions of dollars for charitable organizations.
	Techforward offers a twist on the conventional online trade in service by allowing users to “lock in” the future value of their products today for a fee. Once a user has locked in a “guaranteed buy back plan” today they are given trade in values for their product for six months to two years in the future. At any point they can trade in their product for that value. The buyback guarantee also comes with the guarantee that the product will be either reused or recycled, not thrown out.
	Wireless… The New Recyclable is a program the wireless industry has created to facilitate environmentally sound practices among carriers and manufacturers, as well as to educate consumers about how to recycle their wireless devices. Either your wireless carrier and/or the manufacturer of your wireless phone participate in Wireless … The New Recyclable. All participants in the program allow you to either drop off your used wireless phones and accessories at their retail stores, regardless of the model phone. Other programs have mail-in options. Go to www.recyclewirelessphones.com to learn how and where you can recycle your wireless phone. This website can help you locate a local donation center, find a charity you want to support, direct you to a mail-back program or direct you to an on-line auction where you can sell your old mobile phone(s).
	VenJuvo offers an online service where customers can trade old, broken, or unwanted electronics, ranging from video game systems to GPS units, for cash or store credit. The service, available online at www.venjuvo.com, allows users to quickly calculate the value of their product based on condition and accessories included, and then receive payment either through PayPal or by mail. Payment can be received either in the form of cash or credit to major retail stores. VenJuvo also offers a free recycling service for unwanted products that have no trade in value.
	The US Postal Service recently began providing bags in 1,500 post offices to recycle ink cartridges, blackberries, PDAs, and MP3 players for free. Postage is even included.

Tags: E-Waste, Recycle
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