Green Eco Services

Recycle CD’s-Software-Video Games with Eco Encore

Welcome back!

I don’t know how this happens- but somehow- all this stuff continues to show up! Just kidding- but in a continuous cleaning out- getting rid of stuff mode- I have left the smaller items for last-CD’s, DVD’s and especially old software programs that I don’t really know what to do with. Since I have a MAC, Apple did take back a few things, but what do you do with the rest! Fortunately there is Eco Encore-

Eco Encore collects books, CD’s, DVD, Software,Video games and books for resale. The money is then donated to non-profit environmental organization in the Pacific Northwest. So if you are living in the Pacific Northwest-Oregon and Washington- you might consider donating to Eco Encore!

Optical WebBlog and Business

Recycle Underwear with Project Underwear

I grew up with my mother (the most frugal person I know) who never stinted on underwear. That was the one item that was not passed down to my siblings. We always had nice underwear. Now, because I hate to throw anything away until it is in rags- so how do you recycle underwear? 

I just found this organization Project Underwear- (www.projectunderwear.com) that will recycle your gently used underwear and give them to poor children in Third World Countries. Nicole Anderson doesn’t want money- she apparently on her trips distributes the underwear herself- cramming the underwear into her backpack. She only accepts underwear, bras and socks- no clothes- too bulky. Cheers to Nicole and I wish her the best of luck- and for those reading this post- check out the Project Underwear.

Rape Free Products Interview with Eve Ensler

In the Congo, according to Eve Ensler, the miltary uses rape and sexual violence to fracture communities, employ slave labor to mine coltran which is used to produce capacitors that power cell phones, iPods and other gadgets. Over 5.5 Million killed, Very interesting interview- please check it out. 

To view the interview- click here 

Recycled Paper to Pearls Jewelry

Paper to Pearls- Beads made with Recycled Paper
These handmade paper beads are made from recycled paper by women in the refugee camps of Northern Uganda. Paper to Pearls is an initiative of Voices for Global Change.

Bloggers Unite for Hunger and Hope Day

I just Gotta Tell Ya 

• 963 Million people across the world are hungry 
• 16,000 children die from hunger- related causes every day. 
• In the United States- 10.9%  or 35.5 Million people live in household that experience hunger. 
• Each year, more than five million children die from under nutrition and a further 1.8 million from food- and water-borne diarrhoea diseases.”
• American throw away $48 Billion Dollars worth of food every year.
• • $20 billion worth of food that supermarkets throw away every year.
  • Recent studies estimate that Americans waste approximately 25 percent of their groceries instead of consuming them.
  • Factor in an average cost of $7,000 a year on groceries (this is the number for a household of three, so it will vary according to your location and family size), you get a waste of $1750 a year. 
  • Rotting food also pumps heaps of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Plus the costs for collecting, transporting and land filling the excess food come from the taxpayers. 

If the average family is throwing away $1750 worth of food a year- why not donate it instead? Cut back on the amount of food waste and with your savings donate to your local charity of get involved with an organization like Heifer International., who focus on ending world hunger by community involvement, education and sustainable agriculture. 

Resource

• Millions of  Mouths- Photo Album

Green Politics – Voting For the Environment

Volunteer and Get Involved

Use your business skills to make a difference

Audubon Society

Press Release and Update from Together Green 

“on behalf of Audubon to inform you of the new TogetherGreen Fellowships that have recently been awarded to forty of the nation’s most promising conservationists. TogetherGreen wants you and your readers to meet a Fellow who will shape tomorrow, creating a positive environmental change. A Los Angeles woman is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future. Gabriela Castañeda, who has been involved conservation efforts for the past 11 years, is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota.

Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow will also receive $10,000 towards a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health. Castañeda will focus her efforts on leading the Junior Naturalist program, designed to engage 11-14 year-olds from the predominately Latino neighborhoods surrounding Debs Park. The Junior Naturalists will collect biological data and implement a restoration plan for the native coastal sage scrub habitat in Debs Park. Not only will the program help protect one of the last open spaces along the Arroyo Seco tributary of the Los Angeles River, but it will also provide new and exciting experiences for communities that have had limited opportunities to become involved in traditional conservation efforts.

The efforts of the Fellows will aid people and wildlife around 39 cities in 24 different states—a full list can be found at http://www.togethergreen.org/fellows.

Visit TogetherGreen for more information:
http://www.togethergreen.org

Together Green – Get Involved

I go this email from – and thought I would pass it on! This is exciting stuff- Check it out!

…. My name is Julie and I am contacting you today on behalf of the National Audubon Society and a remarkable project called TogetherGreen. I was wondering if you would be at all interested in working together to inform the Green Eco Service readers about this project, especially the grant awarded to LA!

You are probably wondering what exactly TogetherGreen is. It’s all about helping people get involved in creating a brighter, healthier future. This Audubon program funded by Toyota aims to provide inspiration, leadership and opportunities that inspire people everywhere to take action at home, in their communities and beyond to improve the health of our environment.

It’s no big secret that we must take care of our environment today for the success and well-being of our future generations. Forty-one projects in 24 states, including California, will receive TogetherGreen Conservation Innovation Grants totaling $1.4 million dollars.  Winners were selected from applicants nationwide for their innovative approaches at inspiring people to tackle environmental problems in their communities. California is getting involved and has received one of these 41 newly-announced TogetherGreen national innovation grants. The grant will enable the Audubon Center at LA’s Debs Park to involve under served children and their families in meaningful conservation activities that enhance threatened coastal sage scrub, grasslands habitat and benefit wildlife.

The five-year TogetherGreen initiative was just launched this past spring and will significantly benefit the environment. Community volunteer days have already begun in over 40 cities across the country and www.TogetherGreen.org helps users take conservation action and share and celebrate conservation success stories.

I’m writing to you today to see if you would be interested in helping the initiative by informing your readers about TogetherGreen and especially about the grant in California. It is our hope that as the year goes on we see awareness and participation continue to increase. We would love for your blog to be a part of the reason. To view photos of the TogetherGreen initiative, please visit our page on Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/togethergreen